City Beijing

The urge to prove you can still enjoy a taste of the exotic on your own doorstep comes tempered by the feeling that it might not be up to scratch when compared to the real deal.

And the easy option of a tried and trusted favourite may no longer be to the liking of your newly worldly-wise friend.

So there seemed only one way to go - a never before visited eatery that specialises in grub from one of the few places that wasn't on the traveller's itinerary.

Fortunately, Southampton's cool and classy City Beijing, with its speciality Peking cooking, proved itself to be the right choice all round.

Located on the first floor overlooking the High Street, the restaurant is one of those places where as soon as you walk in you know you have chosen a winner.

Friendly staff welcomed us warmly like long-lost pals as soon as we stepped foot inside and, despite it being peak time on a Friday night, there was never a feeling of being rushed or hassled.

As it turned out, globetrotting had in fact whetted my friend's appetite for simple Chinese favourites such as pancake rolls and sweet and sour chicken.

My partner and I were barely more daring in our choices, going for satay chicken and seaweed for starters and stuffed sesame crispy duck and sweet and sour bean curd for the main event.

We all shared rice and a portion of baby corn and straw mushrooms with a steady flow of drinks that together brought the bill to around £58.

While our choices may have erred on the cautious side, the dishes were a cut above those enjoyed elsewhere, with succulent meats and sauces boasting deep and varied flavours.

One could argue that run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurants are fairly similar wherever you go - but here the quality of the ingredients, their preparation and presentation make City Beijing a world-class act.

MP

City Beijing

137A High Street, Southampton

Reservations: 023 8023 7103/7107