Wok and Wine

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Subtlety is key to Wok and Wine: its large honey-toned basement dining area is devoid of chintz and is lent an artful intimacy by bamboo blinds and screens. This tasteful neutrality rightly ensures that the focus is on the well-executed food. The extensive menu encompasses an almost overwhelming choice of conventional Chinese staples, as well as a small selection of Thai and Japanese dishes, accompanied by a reasonably priced wine selection. But staff are happy to assist and a wide selection of tapas-style 'wok bites' lets you sample a little of everything. Crispy dim sum are given an added kick by a ginger and sweet chilli dipping sauce, while a chowder-like soup of crunchy sweetcorn and meaty white crab will satisfy those seeking heartier fare. Rich, tender Cantonese duck is complemented by a piquant plum sauce, and the fresh, fragrant juices of steamed whole sea bass with lemon-grass, chilli and coriander are mopped up by perfectly cooked rice. The emphasis on high quality, locally sourced ingredients – all beef is Scottish, while the usual fritter-based dessert list also includes sorbets and ice-creams from S Luca of Musselburgh – shows a devotion to quality that is sustained across the extensive menu.

• High point: Tasteful, modern execution of Chinese cuisine
• Low point: Well-intentioned service undermined by the late arrival of some dishes