China Town

My wife and I have been coming to Chinatown for years, and the food and service have always been fantastic.

Chinese families congregate here, which says it all.

Chinatown do what they describe as a buffet menu from Sunday through Thursday. But it's nothing like the usual overcooked fodder left for hours on hotplates - passable for curry, but hopeless for Chinese food as it loses its essential freshness. Chinatown do a special buffet menu whereby they cook what you want fresh and bring it to your table. It's £15.90 and stonking value. Not the full menu, but still a huge choice. This is what you are offered:-

STARTERS - Huge choice of dim sums, ribs etc. We usually have the hors d'ouvres for two - spring rolls, skewers of satay beef and chicken, prawn toast, spare ribs and seaweed.

SOUP - Hot and sour, wonton (our favourite), beef and egg, chicken sweetcorn etc. Prawn crackers.

MAINS - As many dishes as you can eat, and watch out as these are not small portions. We love the mixed meat crispy noodles, prawn stuffed duck with oyster sauce, garlic king prawns, beef cantonese style, and the chicken with cashew nuts. They leave the menu on the table and invite you to order more dishes.

With Chinese tea (regularly refilled) our bill for two comes to about £34, for as much proper Chinese food as we want, freshly cooked and with very professional service. Thoughtfully, there are toothpicks on the table.

We've even been twice with our family on Christmas Day. You wouldn't expect their £15.90 special, but they have normal menu prices. We've had the set banquet for around £22 per head. The place is colourful and buzzing, and the food is better than any of the places which charge double for standard nosh with Christmas crackers.
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Jim Mackie
Tuesday, January 31, 2006