Baozi Inn in London serves steamed filled buns. (Photo by Dai Tian/China Daily)
Veteran celebrity TV chef Ken Hom says attitudes toward Chinese food have changed enormously.
"Chinese food at the beginning of the 80s was sweet and sour pork, mainly," he said.
"Most Brits had a very stereotypical view of Chinese food. Now, you are seeing more regional Chinese food, and it is no longer just Cantonese food."
The first Chinese food arrived in the UK in the early 19th century. It was strongly influenced by Cantonese cuisine and Cantonese dim sum－small bite-sized portions of food served in steamer baskets that has long been prized by many British diners.
But, in recent years, several regional cuisines have mushroomed in the UK, including those from Sichuan and Zhejiang. Other styles that can now be found include food from Dongbei, Fujian, Henan and Shaanxi.
Richard Ford, senior food analyst at Mintel, said authenticity has been one of the key factors for Chinese cuisine's ability to endure in the UK market.
Li Bin, the street food seller, agrees.
"It may take some time to expand customers' scale, but I would never add lettuce to my roujiamo just because some diners prefer it," he said.
As Li sees it, he is showing respect to Chinese traditions by making authentic dishes in London.
