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RESTAURANT REVIEW
River View
Chinese Restaurant
I fell in love with my husband over dinner at a Chinese Restaurant and, as a result, I have developed a real romantic soft spot for a good Chinese meal. Nothing makes me want to glam up and go out quite like the thought of being wooed over prawn toast and crispy seaweed!
So I jumped at the chance at a night out at the River View Chinese Restaurant in Cowbridge, which is beautifully perched over the
river Thaw.
Yes it was a damp Friday night in March, but I was unstoppable. It was for this reason I booked the table for 8.30pm. Purposely delaying my pleasure; so I wouldn't find myself dining in a quiet and empty restaurant with little or no atmosphere and just whooshing down the food so I could move on which proved not to be the case in this instance as you'll discover when you read on.
The main restaurant is on the second
floor, as the first floor is mainly bar
and takeaway waiting area so, as we
opened the glass door just off the
decked outdoor seating area, I was a bit
confused as to where to go. I was saved
however by the wonderfully warm
owner, Neng, who greeted us with a
hearty smile and a nod to come upstairs.
As we followed Neng, my husband was
completely taken with some of the
traditional art work on the stairwell.
Clearly the service was exceptional as
the evening allowed us to be well
attended to, and it wasn't long before we were settled with our menus (and my glass of house white, dry).
I always try the house wine in a new
restaurant; I must have read somewhere
that it gives you the measure of the
attention to detail the owner truly has.
I wasn't disappointed. I was served a very crisp and apple filled Sauvignon Blanc, which was to cut through the meal and hold its own well, not so harsh that it would burn, but rounded enough to make me want more.
I must point out here that my husband
and I have rather healthy appetites and
eyes that are always bigger than our
bellies (especially in a Chinese
restaurant). So when I tell you what
we ordered, please think less ill of us!
To start, we decided to share a little each of the classical Lettuce Wrap and a tasty Squid with Chilli and Peppers. The presentation was truly beautiful and I spent the first minute trying to dissect the rather intricate cucumber carving that adorned my squid; which was packed with flavour. Coated in a light but salty batter, the squid was still wonderfully tender and the hand chopped peppers and chilli made my mouth water even more. This was a mere trifle however when compared to the most amazing Lettuce Wrap I have ever had.
We have all had variations of the classic
Chinese starter of minced pork, spices
and vermicelli in an iceberg cup, I am
sure. But this was truly something else.
You could clearly tell this had been
chopped by hand rather than blended
for the sake of convenience. I could
distinctly taste each element of the
wrap and, while the depth of flavour
was a real winner, it was the crunch
of the fresh lettuce followed by the
exciting interior that really got me
chomping.
The main course of rice, Singapore
Noodles, Beef with Black Bean sauce
and Ginger, Salt Chilli Prawns followed
and I had to try the intriguingly named
Three Times Stuffed Delicacy. Anything that said delicacy in here
must really mean it! All the dishes
were full of spice and flavour, each
cooked to perfection and a picture to
look at. In fact, it was a nice, safe
combination of mushrooms and
peppers stuffed with minced pork
and tofu, so perhaps a lesson on my
part on over-indulgence.
Although we ate all that we could, in
our defence the portions are incredibly
generous, even when we asked for a
small portion of rice and noodles, it
was still enough to feed three.
The meal overall was outstanding and
I will definitely go back to sample the
rest of the menu. I am a fussy customer
but River View has won me over.
In fact I am certain to call in on a bright
a summers evening as the layout of the
restaurant, with its potential for alfresco
dinning and second floor balcony, lends
itself well to sultry summer nights.
As with all Chinese restaurants these
days, the dessert menu offered only ice
cream and moulded desserts, and a
night cap (nothing wrong with that).
I however, abstained.
I'm going to have to change my occupation as a result of my visit to River View, to that of Town Crier. "People of Cowbridge get out of your chairs, fill up the streets, the restaurants and bars. Stop watching your tellies and fill up your bellies!"
Review kindly undertaken by Abbe and Stuart Vaughan (owners of Home and Colonial Fine Foods, Porthcawl)
River View Chinese Restaurant
Unit 1, Britannia House
Penny Lane
Cowbridge CF71 7AD
01446 771668
www.riverview668.co.uk |
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