Kam Tong Chinese Restaurant

Despite their proliferation there is still a lack of really good Chinese restaurants in London, particularly those where a wider Oriental interpretation is evident. Kam Tong may well be on the road to assisting with that aim, with prices that are in keeping with the times, smart décor and a good sense of atmosphere.

An imaginative menu is certainly a promising start, with three appetiser styles on offer; a special amongst which are spring rolls, BBQ spare ribs and crispy wonton; the seafood which has sesame prawn toast and deep fried squid amongst others, or vegetarian, with bean curd satay of tempura vegetables amongst five choices. All are served on a platter for a minimum of two. More individual hors d'oeuvres of crispy seafood, vegetable lettuce wraps, pancake rolls with meat or butterfly prawns in bean curd rolls are taken from a selection of over twenty which amount to a wonderful opportunity for the dim sum approach.

Crispy aromatic duck is an all time favourite anywhere, and at Kam Tong they do a special Peking duck served in two courses - fabulous! A challenging choice of ten or more soups includes Tom Yam prawn, hot and sour, and crab meat corn. At the mention of fish or lobster, many of us go into overtime salivation, and examination reveals a fish menu of sea bass or turbot steamed with Malaysian curry or grilled with black bean sauce or ginger and spring onions, which takes no account of the other seven or so ways that it's also prepared. The school of thought which likes to see as little as possible done to lobsters before they hit the plate may raise an eyebrow or two over the nine different methods employed - others will salute a whiff of enterprise, and steamed Hong Kong style sounds fine by me, for one.

And so it goes on through a sparkling array dishes with beef, prawns, squid, bean curd, and shellfish where exciting things are done to oysters and mussels. A whole roast duck justifiably tops the roast dishes, and no proper Chinese menu would be complete without its array of sizzling dishes, with oysters in black sauce as an absolute must. Vegetable dishes really means dishes supported with vegetables, so if you're a vegetarian watch out for the intrusions.

Rice, noodles and egg noodles in soup, with Malaysian fried hor fun as a particularly spicy little number are all there. A wise restaurateur takes heed of his or her customer favourites, so keep an eye open for prawns on the shell, stir-fried with special Kam Tong sauce, or crispy fried pork slices in red bean marinade.

The majority of people seem to find that by the time they have worked through so many superlative choices, room for a dessert is non-existent, but for the die-hards lychee in syrup or ice cream are amongst a short list that serves well.

Some people, confronted with a wonderful array of Oriental delicacies have been know to feel rather challenged, so at Kam Tong they have sensibly put together set meals for 2,4, or 6 people which takes all the angst out of it and leaves you free to enjoy the company and surroundings as you eat. Competitively priced, they are an excellent way of introducing people to a broad based cuisine that has so much to offer.