Cha Cha Moon, Soho, London

Great fast food and beautiful setting. Refreshing. Ideal for a quick bite before the pictures at Whiteleys.

Fine for a quick pit-stop but don’t expect anything like the quality of Yauatcha - it is a different style of restaurant which aims to refuel busy diners rather than give a dining experience. And it kind of does what it says on the tin - now that the prices have gone back to 'normal’ you will get average priced, average food, nothing wrong with that.
The drinks are actually a bit more exciting than the menu, I especially love the Salt-lemonade.

I used to love going to Cha Cha Moon because all dishes were priced at £3.50, which is a steal in the upmarket Oxford Street/Regent Street area. In fact, £3.50 a dish at ANY restaurant is a steal!

I absolutely adore their crispy duck noodles - the portions were respectable, and the duck was done fragrantly crispy, yet not brittlely hard. It was moist and tasty enough to make you crave for seconds..! But alas, the portions usually leave you no room for another plate of noodles, unless you have a very big appetite.

The turnip cake with pork and shrimps has become a favourite of mine, something I never fail to order when I’m at Cha Cha Moon. Try it, if you fancy something different.. but portions are smaller, so it’s perfect as a starter.

I’ve tried the smoked tea chicken noodles as well, but cannot honestly give that a good review - it has got to be one of the blandest dishes on the menu, so if your taste buds are dead, by all means…

I’ve heard that prices have gone up to nearly £5-6 now. At that price, I wouldn’t be rushing back to Cha Cha Moon, because you could pay that sort of prices anywhere in Chinatown, and get bigger portions, with similar service. Sure, Cha Cha Moon is a little more upmarket in terms of decor and better looking wait staff, but.. I’m not paying £6 for my crispy duck noodles. At least, not often. I’ll probably pop by again one of these days, but by no means am I rushing back any time soon.

Lunch for a fiver. Well, mine was. I’m a Singapore Noodle lover, so if it’s on the menu, I have to have it. I must know where the best one is. Sadly, the best one is not here, but it was a tasty attempt regardless.

Both times I’ve been here, I’ve joined groups of 5+ people. The seating style allows for large groups to get in fairly easily, but I know that weekends can get busy and full quickly.

If I’m in Soho and want some quick, inexpensive noodles, I’d likely choose this place again.

The last time I was at Cha Cha Moon was when it had just opened and all the dishes were priced at £3.50.

Prices have gone up, and in my view the flavours have gone down. We ordered a couple of plates of food and it was generally bland. A total lack of chilli or heat in a couple of the dishes which are meant to be hot.

Alan Yau always has good cocktails,and this place has some great ones. I like the collins, yum.

I suppose if you are wanting cheap quick eats, then this fits the bill.

Oh, like the fact that there are a few outside seats - like these.

I was really excited about the opening of Cha Cha Moon but I have to say I was a little disappointed. My lunching partner and I ordered different things but they came out looking almost exactly the same except for slight variations on which seafood had been added. Looking over at what other people ordered I saw that noodles in brown sauce was pretty much what was on everyones plates. Also I was a bit shocked when I was told that they could take things out but they couldn’t add something different instead (I wanted to take out green peppers and have them put broccoli in instead). It tasted ok though it wasn’t anything to get over excited about. It’s quite pricey if you compare it to other noodle places in London especially considering it’s not fantastic. Obviously a lot of effort has gone into the lighting and decor (very chic) but the food/ menu doesn’t really live up to it. We went at lunch time and it wasn’t very busy but we weren’t rushed out like other people have complained of. If I fancy Asian food in Whiteleys I think that I’ll go to Yo Sushi next time, it costs about the same and you get a lot more variation, plus they are much more ameanable to making the food to their customers wishes…

I’ve been to Cha Cha Moon a couple of times. I’m always attracted by the idea of fast Asian food and I really like the restaurant’s design and decor inside. It’s pretty special.

However I have to agree with some of the more negative posts here, the place has gone downhill recently on the following things:

- Service; it’s so busy you really are rushed out. Also billing mistakes seem to happen often perhaps because you are on benches rather than individual tables.
- Taste; the dishes taste blander than before. Perhaps I am just getting older however! :)

On the plus side, it’s unique and different and probably worth a vist once. In comparison to Wagamama, WM has better food, this has better atmosphere even if it is busy as hell!

Hmmm. I wanted to love it here. Really love it. But I, well, didn’t. I’d forgotten it was here, and on a Kingly court shopping trip today my friend and I got all excited.

She really enjoyed her lunch - prawn udon in what looked like oyster sauce. She said it was the Chinese version of a fried breakfast. Nice.

I had jasmine tea smoked chicken and well, it didn’t taste smoked or of jasmine. It did have a rather fresh taste afterwards which was nice, but the slightly undercooked bit I had to leave on the side of the plate was not. The noodles were slightly bland, but the miso soup was a nice touch.

Lunch with fizzy water (out of choice, they would have served tap water), cam to £8 - not as cheap as it was when they opened and all the meals were £3, but still a cheap average lunch. Would come for lunch over dinner though. Not sure I’d rush back, but it filled a gap.

The rock bottom price of things seem to be reflected in the service. When I went, we had bad service and they tried charging us twice for two of the dishes. When they corrected the problem they didn’t really apologise. I found this to be frustrating and rude. The waiters were also very quick to want to chivvy us out, which again was annoying. We had waited for ages to be sat and as soon as we finished our last mouthfuls of food they were there wanting the plates, after hovering over us like vultures. I had to ask the waiter to bring my beer bottle back as there was just under a quarter of the drink still in there.

I won;t be going back unless very drunk or if I am forced. I am used to the Vietnamese places near me that work to a similar budget to Cha Cha Moon, but they give you slightly bigger portions and don’t treat you like you are eating on a production line.

The waiters there really need to learn some manners too.

I like the Cha Cha moon after a drink with friends around Soho, you are served quickly and the food is very good, you can share chinese plates or order your main dishes. The decor is simple with large tables, and the place is busy. The fact is that restaurant is not expensive, modern and very well located.

Good place for a quick lunch. Although the interior is kinda stylish and very modern with Asian influences, it also is somehow cold and makes you wanna leave shortly after having eaten. However, the crowd is very intersting and it’s extremely lively.
Food quality varies from to dish to dish. Traditional Asian food like Singapore Noodles etc are really tasty and price-worthy (about 4-5 GBP).

Cool Place to check out for lunch - but no rendevouz-place!

If I had written this review 2 months ago, I would easily have given this Alan Yau creation 5 stars. Not only has prices gone back up (the 3.50 promo has ended; current prices aren’t that high at about 5-7 pounds, though dish sizes aren’t big), but the food quality is inconsistent across both visits and dishes.

It remains a good place for a quick lunch/dinner, with a canteen-style decor with clear view of the chefs being a highlight. I still love the noodles with aubergine, which is still smooth and tasty, without being greasy. Cocktails are also good.

Service is again hit and miss. They’ll take your order and get you your dishes, but that’s usually it. Response times can be slow as there are usually a lot of people at any given time (the place is usually full, so make sure you come early).

I heard so much about this place, that i had to visit and see what the fuss is about. There is normally a queue out the door, but food and service comes quick (think wagamama).
Food was ok, i personally wouldn’t visit again in a rush, as I have an allergy to shellfish it was pretty tough to find something on the menu without prawns in (good job i asked aswell as even the chicken dishes had prawns in which wasn’t listed on the menu).

I was a little dissapointed with this place after all the great reviews I’ve read about it. The service was fast, which is good for a lunch-time rush, and the prices were very cheap in comparison to other similar options around London, but I just found the food really not very tasty.
I had the Duck with noodles which is mentioned above, and it really was just that - a pile of duck, with some noodles next to it. Both were very dry and tasteless. The meal came with some broth on the side which tasted like stock powder disolved in water. It was fine for £4.95 I guess, but i was really hoping for great value, which is hard to find in this town.

For everyone who used to go there when all the dishes cost £3.50, its all change!!

Prices have increased only around 3 or 4 have stayed the same at £3.50, a few have increased by as much as £2.

Like this place more than Ping Pong, food seemed to arrive faster and it was cheaper.

Does great ribs and duck.

Get amongst it.

I cannee believe it took me so long to find this place. We really must work on our word of mouth people. So Cha cha moon is a Chinese restaurant which is kind of like a big school caffeteria - but in a nice way. You’ll be elbow to elbow with a stranger so if you’re a person who savours their personal bubble, go get your booth elsewhere. The menu is very simple - EVERYTHING is £3.50. Yes, everything. So you can have your little prawn dumplings (yummy) and yes, that’s £3.50. Or you can have your noodle dish - again, you must be seeing a pattern by now, £3.50. They sadly lost a star as my beef noodle dish was slightly less flavoursome than I was hoping, but I will msot definitely be back. Great cheap, fast food. There was a queue when we got there but it zips along so just be patient.

If you’re wondering what the queue snaking out of a building that looks like a nightclub on Ganton Street is all about, then you’ve probably stumbled across Cha Cha Moon. Once inside (the queue won’t take long), the low light fittings and long benches remind you are in another Alan Yau (the man behind Wagamama) noodle bar. The prices are excellent (most of the dishes are £3.50), and although billed as an opening promo, several months in the prices remain the same. Which is just as well as the quality isn’t great, so the price alone is where the value lies. A great stop off pre-drinks, or a lunch time meal but be prepared to queue. Plenty of vegetarian options too.

Canteen style seating, with a great variety of chinese food choices, at a very simple price. £3.50 for all dishes except drinks. This Alan Yau’s venture into the cheap chinese food in central London is primary competition with ChinaTown. The prices are even cheaper than those in Chinatown.

You really cant argue with £3.50 per dish. Cha Cha moon offers a wide variety of chinese food (mainly noodle soup based), all at £3.50 per dish. It’s a good place to gather with a couple of friends and order a couple of dishes to share. The queue is usually very long (given its price, and location). Be prepared to be amazed by the quality of food, price, and also the queue.

It is cheap, £3.50 for a good portion. The food is quick and it is better to go in a smaller group as it gets very busy…
For lunch on the run and due to the credit crunch, it certainly is a great place to go.
Is a great place for students, quite similar to wagamamas in style, but has a better selection of dishes which are cheaper and the location itself is excellent…

Cheap dishes served quick. Better if you are going in a small group so you can get seated quickly. Dishes are £3.50 but drinks are £1.50-£3.

Being cheap goes a long way in central London, but only if you’re the one doing the selling! Cha Cha Moon is Alan Yau’s new foray into marrying the fast and the fabulous to food, after the incredibly successful Wagamama. Offering delicious Cantonese-style food in chic surroundings, this up-scale noodle bar lets you eat in style for less than a Happy Meal. When the prices go up, however, the rating will come down…

food is cheap and tasty!
Its only £3.50 a dish! be prepared to queue if you go after work, but if you happen to only need a table for 2 these come by a lot quicker. Staff seemed rushed off their feet and they try to rush you too!

3 stars is about right for this place, having been here a couple of times already i can see why its popular. Dishes are of a good quality and taste similar to some street vendors you might find around Asia. Yes £3.50 a dish is good for Soho prices, but just so you know portions are not that generous. I got carried away and ordered too much. I think its a great place for a quick lunch or a small meal before evening entertainment. The fact that Mr Yau opened this attracts the extra publicity which I’m not sure it deserves considering there are similar eats around but without the amount media coverage.

Cha Cha Moons is a fantastic place to eat if you are on a shoestring budget. All the dishes on the menu are £3.50! That’s right, everything both mains and starters. The starters and sides include the choice of dumplings, choi sum vegetables and more. The mains are all noodle based but there is great variety. From Vermicelli noodles with duck or chicken to Singapore quay teow, this is my personal favourite. The prawn dumplings are also lovely. The place is rather trendy too, and feels rather upmarket despite the cheap menu. The bathrooms are quite nice too. All in all a great place to eat and I will definitely be back for more.

How brilliant is this place? VERY BRILLIANT. All dishes are £3.50 and there is an open kitchen so u can watch your meal being made. It’s fast and friendly with fantastic food. The owner has another Michelin star restaurant in the city. Highly recommended

This is an awesome place… my praises for it are never-ending. I know lots of my Chinese friends are not exactly fans of it however all my Singaporean friends are all thumbs up! The sort of food served is geared towards Singapore / Malaysian / Northern Chinese taste. Like the Cha Cha Mooli is so much like the fried carrot cake in Singapore! Amazing… the best Cha Kway Teow in London that resembles the ones in Singapore! And all for the price of 3.50… you can eat till you drop!

The interior decor is done tastefully to mimic canteen style eating, the dark glossy timber cladding on doors goes really well with the dark brick like tiles on the walls. Not too sure about the bamboo ceiling though.

Regardless, all 'fingers’ up from me and highly recommended!!! Cha Cha Moon has become one of my favorite places to go. Even writing about it makes me want to go for dinner tonight!

Prices are extremely reasonable but being Chinese I would only say that the dishes served are somewhat average. However I love the atmosophere, dark and mysterious, and it is always exciting to see what the chefs are doing through the glass panel. And I consider the washrooms quite posh. Recommended as it is good value for money.