Restaurants

Mr Kong has had its second refurbishment in the space of two years, the most recent one the result of a small kitchen fire, but lasting nine months and completed in January 2008. And we can report that the restaurant now looks... much the same as before. But don't yellow tablecloths, catering contract green chairs and carpet put you off, because this small restaurant only a dozen tables on the ground floor caters well to its (mostly non-Chinese) customers. The whole Cantonese menu is translated into English, And there's a separate menu of chef's specials listings such delights as stuffed then deep-fried fried tofu skins, or prawn-stuffed aubergine in black bean sauce. The cooking is mostly of a high standard, though we found the aforementioned tofu skins almost inedibly tough, like chewy filo pastry. The service is friendly, if not always attentive. The manager is particularly chummy, and on our most recent visit happy to play with a customer's infant for what seemed like ages; he also has a good memory for faces and treats even second-timers as if they were regular customers.

Guy Dimond February 2008