We arrived at 8.30pm and the China Chef was full of atmosphere with couples, families or parties filling every table. The restaurant itself has a great layout with the ability to watch the kitchen staff work their culinary magic. I love this within a restaurant as I can not help but constantly people watch, people fascinate me! We were seated near the door and next to the window at the front of the restaurant. Funnily enough I wasn't affected by the draft from the door but the freezing cold air conditioning, which has resulted in me waking up with the sniffles.
As my regular readers will know that my restaurant reviews come down to 3 key points:
1. How much is it going to set me back?
2. Is the alcohol affordable?
3. What's on the menu?
1. How much is it going to set me back?
This is a difficult question to answer, it is very dependant on whether you select a rice and main dish to yourself, share a few dishes between you or select one of their set menus. We decided on a set menu and selected the Banquet Dinner priced at £24.00 per person (minimum of two persons). Totalled up with the alcohol we spent just over £58.00.
2. Is the alcohol affordable?
If you was to divide our total bill you can see that just over £10.00 was spent on drinks. Of which I had a small glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling water, and my lesser half had a Tsingtao. In my opinion the cost of the alcohol is reasonable if you compare it to other restaurants.
3. What's on the menu?
As I've already stated we decided on the Banquet Dinner, which China Chef define as a "Leave it to the Chef – Three Course Dinner" consisting of Gourmet Mixed Starters, Crispy Aromatic Duck with Pancakes and a Main Course.
Our Gourmet Mixed Starter included Fried Crispy ‘Seaweed’ with Grated Scallops, Chicken Satay on Skewers, Japanese Deep-fried Tempura King Prawns, Crispy Spring Rolls and what I believe were their Capital Spare Ribs. All deliciously tasty, which no complaints from myself and my lesser half, we enjoyed the starters that much that we demolished the dosh within minutes.
This was followed by the sensational Crispy Aromatic Duck with Pancakes. This is my favourite part of any Chinese and in my own personal opinion you can't have a Chinese, whether it be within a restaurant or a takeaway, with out it. This particular dish arrived at our table as a leg of duck and was skilfully shredded in front of our eyes by our speedy waitress, this certainly was a talent that amazed us both! Once again, we picked our way through this dish at some speed!
Lastly we had our selection of main courses. If I am honest I was a little disappointed with the service here. We had a rice dish, a vegetable dish, a prawn dish, a beef dish and a chicken dish. None of the dishes were audibly explained, which I wasn't impressed with especially as we were unaware of what dishes we had ordered. The only one I would dare to give the correct name for is the egg fried rice!! Do not get me wrong, I tried every dish and enjoyed them all, but with so many flavours it was hard to decipher what dish you was actually eating.
The China Chef definitely believe in the saying that you eat with your eyes, every course was presented beautifully with edible roses and edible baskets. The portion sizes are also great, leaving us both full and struggling to move - we didn't even finish all the main dishes (that would shock both our friends and families!).
The menu at the China Chef has many dishes from Seafood to Curry Dishes, Specials to Hot Pan Dishes - it's safe to say you will not be disappointed. Best of all, if you don't fancy getting changed from your slob gear or your onesie, they also offer a takeaway service. The full menu can be found on their website http://www.china-chef.co.uk/
Have you dined at the China Chef? If so why not share your experience in the comment section below.
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