Karen Wong's Chinese Restaurant

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

Slightly off the beaten track, this cute and kitsch wee place is dominated by its eponymous hostess. Whether she is dancing to the 80s power ballad soundtrack (don't worry, the music isn't that loud), or posing for photographs with one of the birthday groups, it is impossible not to warm to Karen Wong and the sense of fun and welcome she exudes. You can almost find this mirrored in dishes such as hot and spicy soup: rich and gelatinous with just the right chilli kick to be at once soothing and invigorating. A combination starter platter further demonstrates the generosity of the welcome, with superior quality spring rolls and crisp wantons joined by some more unusual dishes, such as crispy beef sheets. Combined with the complementary prawn crackers when you first arrive, it is almost a meal in itself for the princely sum of £5.50 per person. The kitsch décor (including party poppers hanging from the walls) and Karen's popularity with birthday groups may make this less than ideal for that romantic dinner à deux, but only the most curmudgeonly couples would fail to be taken by its charm.

• High point: Happy party atmosphere
• Low point: High kitsch factor might not be to all tastes