Food: Mandarin Palace

I'm constantly impressed by the choice of good quality food I have in the immediate vicinity of my home. It's both a good example of how great local business is, and also another reason why going out to eat good food doesn't have to be a big deal.

As a friend commented, you know a Chinese is good if Chinese people go there. And such was the case at Mandarin Palace, not that we needed our wider company to prove that what we were eating was good nosh. The place wasn't halal (a quality I seem to be taking more and more for granted these days), but even though we stuck to the veg, prawns and tofu we thoroughly enjoyed the food that was served as we were kept busy with conversation.

At £17 per head without drinks Mandarin Palace was quite expensive, especially when you consider the decor and service (both of which were passable at best), but that's only if you consider the many alternative options in the area rather than the food itself. However this does mean that unless you're really craving for chinese (as opposed to any good food) I can't quite recommend Mandarin Palace.