Wah Ying Restaurant, 173-175 The Rock, Bury.

But what exactly should that feeling consist of?

It was something which my three fellow diners and I could not quite agree on. While I believed the Wah Ying's minimalist approach to interior decor was lacking somewhat in Oriental feel, Rebecca argued that the no-fuss approach meant the food itself would take centre-stage.

And, as always, she was right. For only one word could sum up the taste-bud extravaganza that lay before us: Excellent. In both quantity and taste.

We arrived at the restaurant at 8.30pm on a hot sunny evening. It lacked elegance from the outside with a couple of worn canopies looping over the windows and a cheap-looking sign hanging above the door.

We expected to be asked to wait since we hadn't booked but the hot weather must have deterred many would-be diners and we were quickly given a choice of tables.

The very pleasant waitress handed us a posh, glossy menu and we spent about 15 minutes trying to decide what to eat from the plethora of options ranging from soups to prawn crackers and a large number of beef and chicken dishes.

Granted, a large proportion of that time was taken up trying to decipher some of the main course names and it would have been helpful to have had some brief descriptions.

But nevertheless we managed with Paul deciding first and choosing West Lake beef soup at £2.30. Rebecca and I plumped for chicken and sweetcorn soup and Deborah had chicken and mushroom in hers, each bowl costing £2.30.

The aroma from the starters, which were delivered together, filled the immediate air and, judging from the silence that followed, I guessed they all went down a treat, although Deborah did have some misgivings about her "uncontrollable" Oriental spoon.

THE chicken and sweetcorn soup had us thinking there was a jolly green giant in the kitchen, such was the number of sweetcorn, but it was nothing short of delicious.

And the West Lake beef soup was given the thumbs-up for its blend of taste while Deborah - not usually a Chinese food fan - was more than happy with her choice of the chicken and mushroom soup, quickly polishing off her dark brown liquid feast.

We had ordered a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, a dry, pleasant-tasting red wine which was the perfect complement to the meal, even if it was a tad expensive at £9.50.

The wine and beer list was long but overpriced, we felt, given that a bottle of Blue Nun, a staple wine of supermarkets and off-licenses, cost £10.80, more than £7 dearer than shop prices.

But we soon forgave that when the main courses arrived, Deborah had chosen the fried chicken breast with orange sauce at £7.50, adding chips for a further £1.30.

The orange sauce added to the generous portion of succulent, tender chicken pieces and she believed it alone was worthy of a five star rating.

Paul was slightly less enthusiastic about his black pepper beef meal (£6.50), also with chips, which "tasted good" but had too little pepper and too many vegetables.

But Rebecca found the beef with ginger and spring onion at £6.50 with egg fried rice at £1.80 to be a winning combination and muttered the oft-used word, excellent, as she munched her way through.

AND I thought the fried chicken and mushroom at £6.50 with egg fried rice was perfect.

An appetizing mushroom sauce gave the rice a creamy taste and my only - slight- misgiving was the presence of just two carrots.

The whole experience redefined my argument. Yes, the decor was minimalist. Yes, we were served by an English waiter - although the vast majority of the staff were Chinese. And yes, the quiet Oriental music could only be heard by dogs.

But by the end of the meal, which came to the princely sum of £51.20, we were all full and satisfied. So much so that Deborah even asked if we could go again. And, believe me, that IS a recommendation.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.