Inspiration Oriental Cuisine

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

The elegant and comfortable dining rooms of the Inspiration Oriental restaurant are only the start of an enjoyable dining experience. The menu is mainly Cantonese but includes a number of Malay and Thai-inspired dishes. Soups are presented in fashionably square bowls on matching plates – the chicken sweetcorn soup is thick and glutinous, while won ton soup is slightly peppery. As well as lots of seafood starters, there is a choice of sharing platters. For mains, tender stir-fried beef is accompanied by substantial slices of tangy fresh ginger and onions. However, the list of specials has innovative dishes such as mashed king prawn with roast duck. This is beautifully presented and the taste lives up to the appearance. Thick slices of succulent duck, its rich flavour undisguised, have plump mashed prawn moulded over the top. It is delicious and needs no further adornment, though the accompanying pineapple provides a fresh contrast in taste and texture. Each dish is served with different, and equally attractive, tableware. Desserts include a yummy round of caramel ice-cream encased in a thin layer of sponge and garnished with caramel chips.

• High point: The duck
• Low point: Could do with more than one white and one red wine by the glass