Second on our menu but some first rate food

Tuesday night is an odd night to get a takeaway in – not least because many of those worth visiting seem to have given up on the early end of the week and their windows are dark.

Thus our original (purely on account of proximity and hunger) choice of restaurant’s loss was Wonderland’s gain. Happily, there were no losers on this side of the deal. Our order came quickly but not too quickly – that vital pause, allowing you to feel confident your grub is being prepared from scratch or nearabouts.

We started with a portion of chilli salt and pepper ribs and – having been intrigued to see them on the menu – pan fried pork dumplings.

The ribs were terrific, a tin box of steaming goodness, full of short, meaty, tender, chunks of nobbly pork. For me the onion-chilli mix lacked heat, but then, not everyone enjoys a tingling face.

The dumplings didn’t quite match up – pan-frying left them a bit doughy chewy at the edges, but the filling was tasty, and steamed I’d probably have enjoyed them more.

The main courses – a chicken satay and Singapore fried rice were both enjoyed, and clearly prepared using good quality fresh ingredients.

The rice was probably the pick; well seasoned, rich with Indian and Chinese flavours, and the bill – a shade over £20 – was fair.

Barry Freeman