Ding's Grande Buffet

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2007 edition.

Dings offers a set-price buffet of surprisingly well-prepared Chinese and Thai dishes, with a nod to Japan with a bit of sushi. There is often a varied selection of seafood, which can include both fresh west coast Scottish mussels and the larger New Zealand green-shelled variety. The salt and chilli king prawns deliver a kick rather than a tear-jerking assault on the tastebuds. The accompanying sauces, generally more effective than adventurous, are highlighted by a lemon version that offers a rounded flavour with a hint of sweetness, going well with the nicely crunchy baby corn and water chestnuts. Roast pork survives the buffet conditions better than the duck, which is tender, but slightly dry. But there's a freshly cooked feel to the dishes, especially the crispy seaweed, as the steam tables are replenished regularly by staff from a reassuringly visible kitchen. The sweets are slightly limited, consisting mainly of ice-cream and cheesecake.

• High point: Attentive staff
• Low point: No Chinese sweets