Last Updated on October 6, 2026 by Halal Food Guy
Finding a restaurant in the West End that is 100% fully halal, with no pork and no alcohol on the premises, is rarer than it should be. So when I heard about YiQi Lah!, tucked away on Newport Court on the edge of Chinatown, I was keen to see what it was all about. I’m glad I went, because the food is amazing.
The kitchen specialises in food from Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Thailand, and the menu is huge and full of creative dishes. Some of what I ate was genuinely outstanding, incredibly unique and unlike anything I’ve tried in over ten years of food blogging, and that is not something I say lightly.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Soft-Shell Crab – £13.80 ⭐
- Fried Chicken Special – £15.50 ⭐
- Indonesian Gepuk Chicken Rice – £14.80
- Charcoal Nyonya Lemongrass Chicken – £15.80
- Sea Bass Fillet with Chilli Sauce and Yuzu – £16.80 ⭐
- White Pepper Beef Brisket Soup – £15.80
- Green Curry Beef Steak with Crispy Noodles – £25.80 ⭐
- Curry Chicken in Bread – £23.80
- Prawns with Black Pepper Sauce – £16.80
One of the biggest highlights of the meal was the cereal soft-shell crab. It comes coated in cornflakes and oats, which sounds completely crazy when you read it on the menu, but it was absolutely delicious. The coating is crunchy, slightly sweet and buttery, and it works perfectly with the soft, juicy crab inside. Cereal-coated seafood is a real Malaysian favourite, and this is one of the best versions I’ve had.
The Fried Chicken Special was also truly unique and so tasty, and the same goes for the Sea Bass with Yuzu. The fish was cooked beautifully and the chilli and yuzu gave it a fresh, zingy kick that lifted the whole dish.
Then came the Indonesian Gepuk Chicken Rice. Gepuk is smashed fried chicken, served with a fiery sambal on the side, and every single waitress warned me to only try a little bit of the sambal. Being the hero that I am, I took a huge mouthful, and I paid the price. I was literally in tears. It was one of the spiciest things I have ever eaten and it took me a good 15 minutes to recover. Consider yourself warned: take their advice.
I visited with two friends and we initially ordered six dishes. We demolished everything, looked at each other and said, “Let’s order more.” Since the food was complimentary, I took full advantage.
Round two was just as good. The steak was no ordinary steak. It came in a delicious green curry sauce with crispy noodles, a combination I’d never seen before, and it really worked. We also tried the Curry Chicken in Bread, which is creamy Malaysian chicken curry with potato served inside a giant bread roll. It’s a proper sharing dish and great fun to tear into as a group.
YiQi Lah! has only been open for three weeks, but there’s already a real buzz around it. It’s a small spot, so I’d expect queues to start forming soon, especially at weekends.
Prices are on the pricier side, but this is Central London and, as a fully halal restaurant, they don’t make any money from alcohol. My advice is to go with three or four friends and share everything, because this food is made for sharing and it’s the best way to get through as much of the menu as possible.
This was one of my favourite restaurant visits in a long time. 100% recommended.
📍 YiQi Lah!, 18 Newport Court, London WC2H 7JS
✅ Fully halal, all food halal
✅ No pork
✅ No alcohol
My meal was complimentary, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
