Eating out: Chu's Oriental, Lytham

Flavours are compromised and portions reduced when you decide to eschew the a-la-carte menu in favour of the deal of the day in some dining establishments.

But when we sat down on a Sunday night in Chu's and the 'all you can eat' buffet menu was given to us, we decided to give it a try.

Choices included soups, followed by starters including the likes of seaweed and prawn toast, and a mixed range of mains.

The restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Sunday evening, and we surmised the buffet was the reason for this.

But the number of diners created a good atmosphere in this well set out eaterie.

Arrival is through a spacious entrance area where staff are immediately on hand to provide you with a table.

There are two main dining areas, both of which have ample space, and the interior boasts a contemporary style.

We ordered a bottle of Shiraz called The Gavel, which lived up to its name by hitting the spot perfectly.

Although a buffet, customers are served at the table and make their choices by ticking boxes on a sheet of paper.

It was not long before our soups arrived in neat little bowls.

What they lacked in size, they easily made up for in flavour with my chicken and mushroom, and my husband's hot and sour, both sparking our appetites.

Next to arrive was a selection of starters including seaweed, salted chicken wings, vegetable samosas and sesame prawns on toast served with a tangy sauce.

We shared the platter between us and were pleased with our selection.

The only thing missing was a finger bowl to clean up with after this part of our feast.

It was definitely a case of so far, so good in relation to our choices.

Each dish had arrived fresh to the table.

We were asked by our waiter if we wanted more of each serving, so although you cannot pile food on your plate in traditional buffet style, there is opportunity to enjoy additional portions.

But this evening we were pacing ourselves, and had left space for our mains.

We opted for lemon chicken, roast pork with cashew nuts and mixed vegetables, accompanied by egg fried rice.

None of the dishes let us down, and again they were hot and presented as just cooked.

We were very pleased with the buffet experience, and felt it was excellent value for money.

The food we had was as good as we have eaten previously from the main menu at Chu's.

Should you wish to eat from the full a-la-carte, the range is huge with 12 soups alone (possibly the longest soup menu I have ever seen).

There are also eight choices of duck, loads of vegetarian options and of course the usual beef, pork and chicken dishes.

Sometimes such a wide bill of fare can mean half measures on quality.

But according to its own website, Chu's head chef has more than 20 years experience "cooking for the rich and famous in Hong Kong" relying on local produce.

It seems to work judging by the popularity of this now well established oriental diner.

Our meal, including drinks, came to £47.10

Mark 8.5