Tag: Lancashire

Restaurant Review: The Sparling, Preston

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The Sparling – Flying High

There’s something admirable about restaurants supporting local interests; The Sparling advised their “meat [is] brought in from Hamlets of Garstang, our superb sausages from Mr Pugh’s Pigley Farm, fresh fish from West Coast Seafoods in Fleetwood…” The Sparling’s menu was full of traditional offerings which frankly all sounded tempting, but with enough variety to remain intriguing.

The home made chicken liver parfait was made to look as presentable as possible, but is never the belle of the ball; regardless, it was delicious, creamy and full of flavour. Not dissimilar to Foie gras but lighter on the wallet and the bad karma. The black pudding, poached egg and hollandaise sauce were perfectly simple and simply perfect: the hollandaise was silky and sensual, dribbling over the rich dark bloody oats. The roast duck was satisfyingly crispy, served with sensational celeriac puree, and buttery truffle-mash the size of a fat woman’s overdue new-born. The roast beef was an attractive piece of cow; not ground-breaking, but tender and plentiful. The house red was pleasant, slightly peppery – as good as could be expected.

Unfortunately, The Sparling lacked life and was a little cold. However, a mid-afternoon visit was unlikely a fair reflection of their general atmosphere. The Sparling itself was tastefully decorated, predominately with neutral contemporary furnishings and natural finishes. Diners are given a substantial greeting and a hearty goodbye, with service being friendly and efficient throughout. The only minor gripe was being poured large glasses of wine as standard.

Based on the early-bird menu, Garstang’s The Sparling is probably the best value restaurant in the Preston area.

More of this, please.

The Sparling Review Summary

Atmosphere 5/10    Cost 10/10    Service 8/10    Quality 8/10

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Restaurant Review: Face Chinese Restaurant, Preston

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Face – Needs A Little Lift

Following the flurry of fabulous reviews, I popped into the peculiarly named Face restaurant with high expectations. I was ardently greeted by an older Chinese gentleman, who I suspected of harbouring great esoteric wisdom, but modestly kept the exchange to a warm welcome.

I cunningly sneaked in just before the Early Bird Menu deadline, which provided excellent value for money. With such reasonable prices, Face would need to serve Sweet N’ Sour E-Coli for me not to return.

First impressions were that Face was bright and clean – a shiny face if you will. Ultimately it was all very predictable. There was nothing wrong with the decor, but Preston City Centre cried out for something less ubiquitous. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was drowned by the surrounding sea of empty tables. However, a flurry of ladies proceeded to glide around, providing the most efficient and polite service imaginable.

Like Hong Kong itself, the menu was exciting and diverse. Mercifully, unlike every other Lancashire Chinese restaurant, the menu didn’t overwhelm. It contained ingredients not found anywhere except Nigella Lawson’s pantry, so Face provided a good excuse to eat out. Lesser known Hong Kong dishes such as Frog’s Legs created a talking point if nothing else. Dishes like Lotus Seed Buns, Blackbean Chicken Feet and Beancurd Rolls gave the impression of authenticity. That said, the Deep Fried Mussels felt like a Scotsman’s idea of pescetarianism.

The piping hot food materialised quickly but consisted primarily of salt and sugar. I was giddily happy. I’m no health freak, sodium chloride and I are best buddies; however, drinking three litres of Coca-Cola to remedy it got tiresome. This kind of dining was good-time food, the MSG filled my veins and my little brain lit up. Despite my opiate like stupor, I didn’t forget other local restaurants outclass it.

Face Chinese Restaurant
Review Summary

Atmosphere 4  Cost 10  Quality 6  Service 9

Face Chinese Restaurant Preston
Deep Fried Mussel
*Since this review was first published, Face Chinese Restaurant is unfortunately no longer with us – hence the lack of link*

Restaurant Review: The Chinese Buffet, Preston

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The Chinese Buffet – You Dim Sum You Lose Sum

Despite the no-nonsense name, The Chinese Buffet in Preston suffered from an identity crisis. Set on the extremity of the charmless Fishergate Centre, with a panoramic view of nothing, in particular, it struggled to gain a sense of character. The Chinese Buffet is 9,200 square metres, spread over three stories, which didn’t help create an ambience. The music was an incredible mix of Eurovision song contest B-Sides, poorly mixed with vaguely East Asian melodies.

The Chinese Buffet staff were very pleasant and polished; with everything seemingly coordinated with precision. The choice of dishes available was certainly impressive. The Chinese Buffet offered a range of soups, rice dishes, noodle dishes, vegetarian options and a plethora of enigmatic deep-fried objects. If I tried everything I’d be dead by now; regardless I gave it a good go. The Kung Po Chicken, Vegetarian Fried Soft Noodles, Chicken Curry and Singapore Vermicelli were comforting if not a little salty. There were more flavours than I could shake a chopstick at, and certainly more than something for everyone. I guiltily pounced on the chips but had enough self-respect to decline the Cocktail Sausages. Chilled salads, fruits and cakes were a bit of an afterthought; however, I appreciated their presence.

All the plates were reassuringly hot and all surfaces pleasingly clean. This restaurant was doing plenty right, and clearly well organised. Preston’s Chinese Buffet could do without some of the Anglo-influences such as Chicken Nuggets and Pancake Pastries; however, for those with young children, there was certainly something for everyone.

The Chinese Buffet says it has the explicit aim of providing a new style of buffet restaurant (e.g. not terrible), with high-quality food at a low cost, which to be fair they do. Refined dining it isn’t, however, for tired shoppers or hung-over students, Chinese Buffet offers great value.

The Chinese Buffet Preston
Review Summary

Atmosphere 3/10    Cost 10/10    Quality 6/10    Service 7/10

*Since this review was first published, The Chinese Buffet Preston is unfortunately no longer with us –   hence the lack of link*