Ever since Boris Johnson introduced the BNO visa route for Hong Kongers three years ago, the UK has been met with a huge influx of Hong Kongers, with estimates suggesting that the population of Hong Kongers has doubled since 2021. While every region of the country has gained a significant community of Hong Kongers, the London suburb of Sutton has been described as a ‘Little Hong Kong’, where Cantonese can now be heard around every corner. The area’s grammar schools, proximity to Central London, abundance of green space, and Hong Kong-esque high rise apartments has led to Sutton being known as being home to one of Britain’s largest Hong Kong populations. I visited one of the newest Hong Konger-run businesses in Sutton, Little Nyonya, which formerly operated in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.

 

It’s worth noting that Little Nyonya isn’t the only business in Sutton run by Hong Kongers. Since the BNO route opened, two Asian supermarkets as well as a restaurant have opened on Sutton's High Street. Little Nyonya is slightly further out, located in a residential neighbourhood between Sutton and Carshalton. Its location doesn’t seem to affect business however, with a substantial queue forming outside even on a Monday lunchtime. If you plan to go on a weekend, arrive early.

 

The restaurant itself is incredibly small, seating around 15 people, run entirely by husband and wife duo Kelvin Chan and June Fan. With only one member of kitchen staff, the menu has a small but high-quality selection of Singapore and Hong Kong dishes. We ordered the signature Laksa, an item carried over from their original Quarry Bay branch, as well the Hong Kong classic pork chop baked rice. For drinks, we tried the red bean frappe.

 

As with most Hong Kong restaurants, service was quick, with the pork chop baked rice arriving first. The portion size was generous, with three full pieces of pork chop. The ingredients were balanced, with the tomato sauce and cheese ensuring that the dish was flavourful but not soggy. Given the windy conditions on the day I visited, it was the perfect warming dish. Little Nyonya’s specialty, the laksa, was just as tasty. The broth was mildly spicy without overpowering the other ingredients of egg, tofu and prawn. The combination of these ingredients with the mixture of vermicelli and egg noodles allows for a variety of textures and flavours. I would recommend the red bean frappe, thanks to its sweetness balancing out the savoury and spicy flavours of the laksa. The two desserts, the coconut panna cotta with red bean, and pina colada pudding were the perfect palette refreshers to end with.

 

I left the restaurant feeling satisfied, and I would wholeheartedly recommend that you pay a visit to Little Nyonya and support this new, independent Hong Konger-run business.