Where exactly is it? Right opposite the Heathcote & Star on Grove Green Road. And next to the new Unity Cafe, which opens on 1st April.
OK. So what goes on there? This is a super longstanding Chinese takeaway: we believe it goes back to the 90s (possibly earlier). Think Cantonese sweet and sour dishes, roast duck, an array of meat-free options, and set meals for one, two and more.
What should I eat? If you’re a carnivore, then you’ll probably be lured by the charms of crispy aromatic duck. In our experience, it can be a little dry here (as it was on our most recent order) but the slow-cooked skin is full of flavour, and that oh-so-familiar pile of pancakes, spring onions, hoi sin and cucumber rarely disappoints. A highlight? Definitely the crunchy, refreshing stir-fry greens (pictured top right), cooked 100% al dente and easy to gobble up alongside the huge portion of egg fried rice, also good. One to avoid? The salt and Szechuan chilli squid, just too rubbery, although its spicing is on-point.
What’s the service like? Speedy. The latest one arrived quicker than we could ever have imagined, even on a Saturday night as the Masked Singer was raging. ‘Take it off! Take it off!’
LOCAL ADVERTISING
They say: “We guarantee 100% natural, fresh and healthy food cooked to your order preference. We bring you the best fresh food daily. We aim to provide top quality hot dishes for our customers. The ingredients that we use to prepare our dishes are the freshest and highest quality. We use locally sourced Irish beef, chicken, and fresh fish and seafood, all of which are carefully prepared daily by our expert Chef.”
See also: Yat Sing on Grove Green Road, which some rate more highly, in fact.
We say: A decent local Chinese, without it feeling really special. And sometimes, well, that’s all you need – especially after a lockdown spent almost permanently in the kitchen.
Rating: 3/5
Happy Valley, 6 Richmond Road E11, order from the website here
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