Optima Magazine

17/19 Maxwell Road • Northwood • HA6 2XY • 01923 826744

Reviewed by Alan Cox

When your taste buds start salivating as you sit down to write your latest restaurant review then you know it must have been good! We are quite spoilt for choice when it comes to local Chinese restaurants – but it was my wife and I that were also spoilt when we visited Tai Pan in Northwood last week.

Scoring high in the sophistication stakes, this is a restaurant that simply oozes courtesy, confidence and charisma. The menu is vast and covers most regions of China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Mixing and matching to suit our particular tastes, with the very charming head waitress on hand to assist, we ended up with a fantastic array of oriental (and moreish) delights.

First to arrive were Crispy Fried Scallops, plus Smoked Shredded Chicken and Deep Fried Broccoli with a Peppercorn Salt: our Appetiser selection. I loved the inclusion of the courgette slices with the scallops – with this unusual twist, they took on the appearance of mini flying saucers… they looked odd, but they tasted divine. The shredded chicken was full of flavour, and looked impressive too, better than the straggly strands I’ve sampled elsewhere. The balance of the Peppercorn Salt with the Broccoli was light and beautifully judged. Spot on.

Choosing a wine to complement such a diverse menu is always tricky. We eventually decided on an old favourite, Chianti, a bold and drinkable Italian red which, if I’m honest, was actually served slightly under room temperature. The only disappointment of the evening.

As the ‘In between’ course, we chose the Crispy Fragrant and Aromatic Duck, served with pancakes, spring onion, cucumber and Hoi Sin sauce. How can you review a Chinese restaurant and not check out this popular classic? Our ‘quarter of duck’ had clearly been well fed, as it was a plump, fleshy specimen. With several pancakes apiece, and accompaniments aplenty, this proved as good as any I’ve had before.

I could hear our Sizzling Mixed Seafood (squid, scallops and king prawns) in a spicy Toa Pan sauce before it arrived at our table; so could fellow diners, and heads turned both at the sound and at its fragrant aromas. Less flamboyant, but equally delicious was Quick-fried Chicken with Asparagus served in an edible basket.

The flavours here were clean cut and textures firm and palatable. Add to the banquet a plate of Pad Thai Noodles and a bowl of Egg Fried Rice and here were two very satisfied customers…

…in need of another generous pause for digestion before we could even contemplate desserts. It was at this point, however, that a plate of mints appeared with the hot towels. Surely they should have arrived with coffee at the end of the meal? How odd.
To conclude, our waitress put together a little mouth-watering platter of mixed desserts: Glazed Toffee Apple, Quick-fried Crunchy Milk Curd, Lychees, ice cream - all washed down with a refreshing cup of Jasmine tea. What more could you ask?

The elegant surroundings, together with a quite exquisite menu and exemplary service, certainly make Tai Pan a cut above…

Starters: £3.80 to £7
Main courses: £7.80 to £20
Desserts: £3 to £3.80
House wine: £13