PONTYCLUN
A deliciously tempting Taste of the East

My usual tendency on a Monday evening is to put my feet up in anticipation of the remaining week. Mondays are usually 'non-events' - a sort of practice run for what lies ahead, so normally an evening out would be rare.

However, like most of us, I battle with the ongoing challenge of finding time to catch up with friends, so on this particular Monday I relented. Not wanting to venture too far, my friend and I plumped for my local village of Pontyclun.

In all truthfulness, I drive on auto-pilot through the village on a daily basis, taking little notice of any of the eateries en route. But as supporters of local community enterprises, we were keen to try out Taste of the East Oriental restaurant, which has been under new management for the past eight months.

Formerly a pub of notoriety, it was converted into a restaurant a couple of years ago and has recently come into its own since September last year when Benny Wong and his lovely wife Ling took over the reins.

Monday evenings, being quieter than normal, gave an enthusiastic Benny plenty of opportunity to tend to our needs. He recommended some dishes and shared with us his ideas for the restaurant. His passion as a restaurateur is obvious.

The hardest thing we had to do all evening was to choose from the extensive menu. After that we relaxed while Benny served our perfectly chilled and very pleasant house white - a crisp Sauvignon Blanc that provided the perfect partnership to the meal that followed and at a reasonable £11.90 a bottle.

And so to the food - and conversation, which in my mind is a marriage made in heaven! I confess to being a spice addict, so Benny suggested that we opt for the Thai and Malaysian main dishes that offer an extra 'kick' not normally associated with traditional Chinese cuisine. Wanting to take our time, we ordered the special mixed platter of Chinese Hors D'oeuvres which are prepared for a minimum of 2 people. Ling presented our selection with great care on white china and between us we polished off the crispy seaweed, sesame prawn toasts, chicken satay, spare ribs and spring rolls.

With an adequate respite between courses, we eagerly awaited the main dishes. We weren't disappointed. Chopsticks at the ready, we started with steamed rice and the delicately spiced Rendang Daging - a Malaysian style curry of King Prawns infused with lemongrass and curry leaves in an aromatic blend of coconut milk and spices. We slowly built up to the Kung Po - a much hotter dish of chicken, spring onions and ginger, with the smokiness of dried red chillies adding the punch.

Being a great fan of vegetarian food, I was keen to try the mixed vegetable Tom Yam Chow Mein - a Thai style noodle dish, which to be honest was a meal in itself.

What struck us was the welcome lack of greasiness often associated with Chinese food and we completed our meal feeling comfortably replete. Now into the third hour of our meal (my friend and I had a lot to catch up on), we declined dessert, instead opting for locally supplied Ferrari coffee to round off.

Taste of the East caters well for vegetarian diets. For anyone wanting something a little more adventurous I spied 'Specials' such as Sea Bass and Squid. However, not wanting to sound repetitive, it was Monday night and we were happy with the more mainstream dishes, leaving opportunity to visit one weekend to sample the Chef's Specials.

Their trademark Endless Banquet Table Buffet is popular with diners, which although not our style, offers fantastic value for money for a family or those who like variety from the menu.

The overall ambience is traditional enough in the right measure without being over the top and is spacious, yet welcoming. Easy-listening music at a polite volume provided an antidote to the day's stresses without detracting from our eager conversation.

By our own admission, my friend and I we were pleasantly surprised. All too often we fail to see what is on our doorstep and we're glad to find a quality restaurant in the local area. My friend who waxed lyrical the whole evening, walked out with a pile of cards and menus to pass on.

There is off-road parking and it's conveniently situated near the train station in Pontyclun. For those who don't want to venture far, a takeaway and local delivery service is provided and the restaurant has the added bonus of being licensed to sell wine out - very convenient, if like me, you opt for a Monday evening in! All in all, a lovely night out with the promise of returning very soon.

Restaurant review undertaken by Suzanne Jaya Raghavan Personal Stylist & Image Consultant www.suzannejaya.com

Taste of the East 1 Llantrisant Road Pontyclun CF729DP 01443 229 390