Host restaurant, Hope Street _320
Across from me, my husband’s beef and noodles were sloshing around in a giant bowl bursting with pak choi, chilli and beansprouts.
The beef looked and tasted great – although chopping the beef a little smaller could have helped on the chopstick front, we left the table in quite a state.
As for that cassava, the waitress had described it as a sort of Chinese potato which was a fair description.
What she didn’t mention is that it sucks every drop of moisture out of your mouth when you eat it. However, it did taste great.
I was also making quite a mess, dripping my curry into the rice. The curry tasted incredible, slightly spicy with an almost aniseed aftertaste, and there seemed to be an endless supply of meat.
Now, we should have stopped at this point, ordered coffee and gone home.
But when two fabulous-looking chilli chocolate brownies arrived in front of the couple seated next to us, suddenly dessert was very much on the cards.
After asking the diners whether it actually tasted of chilli (it does slightly – but in a good way) my husband ordered the brownie (£4.50).
It came with a candied chilli on top, which you have to taste to believe – and a dollop of ice cream – and he declared it his best ever. I decided to throw myself under the healthy eating wagon and order the banana and marshmallow spring rolls (£4.25).
And I savoured every calorie-laden spoonful.
As the clock ticked towards 7.15pm, my thoughts returned to the maitre d’ earlier in the evening.
Her concerns were clearly unwarranted.
There is no lingering over your food here.
If you do want a slower dining experience, however, I would recommend ordering as you go, rather than all at once, as you would do in western restaurants.
Suddenly it was time to head back out into the storm but, with a bit of Asian fire in our bellies, taking on the elements would be a much easier affair.
