"I am amazed that in all the years I have been coming to this place for my Chinese fix, I have never once thought to review it. I guess in retrospect, that could be simply be down to the fact that because Hons has been turning out stellar food since long before the internet arrived, I’ve just taken it for granted that everyone (at least locally) already knew it was brilliant. It was only last night after my latest mouth watering meal that I decided to see if it had been reviewed on TP. It hadn’t to my astonishment, so I’m going to break from tradition and review my first takeaway because if any takeaway deserves some recognition for outstanding food – it’s this place. Before I crack on, let me get something out of the way here first. The owner (Hon) and his wife whilst lovely people are not accommodating of technology. The place is a 70’s time warp and you must order by phone. They have no online presence and you cannot just turn up and order food on spec like you could a normal Chinese takeaway. This is not how Hons operates. (Well actually you can but, be prepared to wait a very long time – if he’s open). The reason being; Hon cooks everything from fresh and uses whatever ingredients he has to hand. Not only does this give all his dishes a unique flavour, it also ensures that you seldom get the same dish twice. Don’t misunderstand me here and assume you’ll receive something you haven’t ordered, because you won’t it’s just that he adds ingredients you wouldn’t ordinarily expect in common dishes and it really lifts them to another level. Hons does not conform to the run of the mill, commercialised High St Chinese takeaway model and believe me, his food is a million times better for it and tastes a damn site more authentic. I could rattle on about various dishes but, there really is no point because over the years, I’ve been through just about the entire menu and have never had anything that didn’t surprise me or that I didn’t like. Just be aware that whilst Hons does do regular Chinese dishes (albeit, subtly different and way better than anything from a regular Chinese takeaway), he also does one or two you won’t find in regular takeaways. Like I said at the top of the review, I’ve been going here for almost 30 years and the standard has never once dropped. That said, there are a couple of downsides: A phoned order can take up to 90 minutes before it’s ready for collection (yes, an hour and a half). Whilst that doesn’t bother me or the regulars (because I’d rather have quality over speed), I’ve no doubt some will baulk at waiting that long but, you have to remember Hon is cooking all the food fresh with his wife. The takeaway can also be hard to find as it is hidden away in the middle of an estate. Finally, the lack of an online presence in this day and age does present difficulties for anyone who has not been here before and wants to try it (hence why I've included the menus as they're not online). Overall though, these are very minor quibbles when the food is this good and I cannot stress enough what an absolute jewel of a takeaway this place is. My only sadness is that as Hon and his wife are getting older, this place won’t be around forever. Whenever I phone up now, I half expect them to say they have closed and retired. Thankfully they are still going strong and long may it continue. This place is astounding and if you have never heard of it and are in the area (and have patience), I urge you to try it – you will not be disappointed."
