Attleborough: Royal Garden

11 February 2006

When someone tells me that a Chinese restaurant has opened only a 10 minute drive from my front door, and then goes on to rave about the food, it's a struggle not to get in the car and drive straight there. However I did refrain for a couple of days before making a reservation for two at the Royal Garden, Attleborough, on a Saturday night.

In an often cash-strapped January, I was surprised, when telephoning, to discover that there were no tables available between my chosen times of 7pm to 8pm, but that I was offered either 6 or 9pm. Now, not ones to enjoy eating particularly late, we chose the 6pm option, slightly warily I must add, expecting to be the sole occupants.

How wrong you can be as, on this night, we were in the presence of more than one table of diners already enjoying the fare when we arrived, and by 7pm the place was in full swing with all of the tables full and those eagerly awaiting their chance while enjoying a drink in the bar area.

This traditional double-fronted house stands proudly on a corner junction, opposite the church in Attleborough, and offers parking at the back of the building. And you can forget Chinese restaurants of old: the décor is contemporary and crisp - no flock wallpaper or illuminated eastern-skyline pictures in sight, only the obligatory tropical fish tank.

We were welcomed and seated by attentive staff, and then relaxed and enjoyed the menu. I always think part of the fun of a Chinese meal is the sharing, but now for the tricky bit - he likes prawns she doesn't, she likes sweet and sour he doesn't, he likes crispy duck she likes crispy duck - snap!

Ah-ha, success!

So, after much deliberating of the individual choices, a set meal for two seemed the best option. There are four set menus to choose from, ranging from £14 to £28 per person, we plumped for set meal B (£17) as it offered a mix of everything we liked between us.

Prior to the starter arriving a plate of prawn crackers accompanied our drinks, and it was a struggle not to polish them all off - but our selected menu sounded like a feast in waiting.

The starter was a combination of all the traditional favourites to share - seaweed, spring rolls, spare ribs, satay chicken and sesame prawn toast - two of everything, apart from the seaweed, of course, and a satisfying mixture.

This was followed by a quarter of crispy aromatic duck served with hoi sin sauce, cucumber and spring onion. There was plenty of succulent meat, and three pancakes each.

And still more to follow. Our main dishes of king prawns with black bean sauce, sizzling beef with ginger and spring onion, sweet and sour chicken, stir-fried mixed vegetables and Yeung Chow fried rice (with shrimp, chicken, roast pork and peas) were all outstanding.

The menu offered a wide and varied selection of alternative individual dishes if you want to make up your own menu, including starters such as fried paper prawns (£5.50), deep-fried Wan Ton (£3.50) and crabmeat and shark's fin soup (£3.50).

As well as the favourite crispy duck as a “middle” course the restaurant also offered Mongolian crispy lamb (£8) and fresh lobster (from £18).

There were rice dishes a-plenty, from the basic boiled and egg fried varieties (each £2), to the more adventurous Singapore fried at £4.50 (with shrimp, chicken and roast pork with a hint of curry flavour) and Royal Special at £8 (with diced scallops, prawns, duck and mixed vegetables).

You choose your sauce/style of dish, and then select the meat you prefer, such as Szechuan made with a choice of prawns, chicken or pork; or Tibetan Curry with a choice of beef, lamb or chicken. The list is endless and I think every permutation of choice is catered for with prices starting at £5.80. Quite unusually, there is also a wide and varied vegetarian selection of starters and main dishes available.

As well as offering an excellent dining-in experience, the Royal Garden also offers a take-away service, with a 20 per cent reduction on the menu prices.