THE English are notoriously unadventurous with food, which is a great shame when it comes to something as exotic and flavoursome as Chinese cuisine.

Tai Pan, a spacious, attractively-decorated Chinese restaurant conveniently near Northwood Tube station, boasts such a sophisticated menu it would be a crime to settle for anything less than the most outr dishes.

Tai Pan believes quality food and first class customer service are the most important aspects of any meal, and the staff acquit themselves with flying colours. They rely on word-of-mouth for most of their business and boast a variety of celebrity customers.

For starters, we had a selection of dishes chosen to give us an idea of the range of tastes and textures from all regions of China that Tai Pan has mastered. This comprised asparagus stems with a honey glaze; aubergine julienne fried with peppercorn salt; prawns fried in breadcrumbs, and crispy, fried shredded duck rolls.

Tai Pan does not use monosodium glutamate in any of its dishes and stresses the freshness of the ingredients. This attention to detail comes through in the taste, with the natural flavours allowed to shine. Although all the dishes were gorgeous, the best had to be the asparagus, which was crispy on the outside with the most delicious honey flavour. Top marks also go to the presentation, which included a swan carved from a sweet potato.

Although we were reluctant to spoil ourselves for the main course, we were persuaded to try an in-between course, fresh lobster with a ginger and spring onion sauce. It comes in its shell with a variety of surgical-looking instruments, but this was half the fun. Be prepared to get your fingers dirty, but it is more than worth the effort: the flesh retained the rich lobster flavour while soaking up the subtle, thick ginger and onion sauce. Almost a meal in itself, this dish is for two to share and the only fault was the lack of bread to wipe every last drop of delicious sauce.

After a short break to regain our appetite, we ordered the chicken with cashew nuts in yellow bean sauce, sauted duck Cantonese style, fried noodles with bean sprouts and vegetable fried rice. The helpings were more than generous considering how much we'd already eaten, but sheer pleasure made us soldier on.

The chicken came in bite-size, tender chunks with plenty of cashew nuts, while the sauce was similar to hoi sin but lighter. The duck came in slices with more meat than fat (a common complaint at many Chinese take-aways) and a salty, viscous gravy that was a nice complement to the sweetness of the chicken. The rice and noodles, rather than being fatty and sticky, were surprisingly light and very tasty.

Although we chose a variety of seafood and meat dishes, Tai Pan has an extensive range of vegetarian dishes, including a vegetarian set menu. Many dishes are spicy, but if you prefer, the chilli can be left out.

We finished the best Chinese meal I have ever had with toffee banana and lychees in syrup, washed down with jasmine tea. AH

Tai Pan, 17-19 Maxwell Road, Northwood

Telephone: 01923 826744

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, an exclusive guide to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295)

December 19, 2001 14:30