China Red

If you are going to China Red at Edinburgh’s New Market then don’t expect haute cuisine Chinese food but there is a massive choice, it’s fun and it is certainly good value, all you can eat for £14.99. There are also a number of seats so walk-in should not present a problem.

Seating is in booths (of four) and your food arrives via a central conveyor. There is plenty of it. Pick and choose from the hot bar or the cold one but one tip, don’t sit on the inside as you are always being asked to grab a dish.

As it travels along the long conveyor it cools and that is one of my gripes as I like hot food.

However, it allows you to try dishes you would not normally pick. I went for a selection including lamb and leek and beef and black bean. Both were OK but nothing special.

The hot and sour soup will not be experienced again but chicken and sweetcorn soup was appreciated by colleagues.

The Kung Pao chicken was tasty but the suchi selection – I tried several – lacked taste, even the salmon.

As to sweets, several looked spot on but disappointed, but the three tubs of jelly (yes packed with sugar) were really tasty and the fruit – lychees and orange – was a brilliant mouth cleanser.

Another gripe, I sat on the outside and soon there was a mountain of plastic dishes to clear. Staff were slow to clear and some unable to communicate clearly about the set-up. I’ve still no idea if the soft drinks were part of the meal deal or not, however, that aside, it was an enjoyable evening and, in fairness, others in our party gave it the thumbs up.