"RE: by Still Hungry! - Monday 13th of February 2006"

A review of Peking Restaurant by Scepticism written on Thursday 29th of June 2006

Dear Sir, as a person who I would feel knows the owners of this restaurant personally, and have been eating at this fine establishment for years, I must say there are some inconsistancies with your description.

"Food quality was very disappointing. The Duck/pancakes was just about OK, but the mains were particularly awful. Pork/Leek/Garlic was laced with red chilli and quite frightful. Sizzling Lamb tasted soapy, perhaps that was the MSG content. Egg fried rice totally overcooked and congealed."

How is adding chilli to a dish at a Szechuan restaurant (specialising in spicy cooking) make it "quite frightful"? Higher MSG content in food does not make a dish "soapy". It gives you the dreaded MSG headaches. In any case, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to take it back if you raised a complaint, but then again, I somehow have a feeling you didn't bother to even bring it to the attention of the staff, preferring no doubt, to sit and sulk and mope in the corner.

Also, Egg fried rice does not "congeal" when overcooked. It gets drier through being fried too long. I, sir, smell bull****, and it's certainly not from this restaurant.

"Service was polite but un-professional. Our mains arrived at three minute intervals. First one dish, then a 3 minute wait for the next dish, by which time dish one was nicely cold. Then another three minutes for the rice, which was sitting on the side (congealing no doubt) whilst the owner and a waitress chatted about something or other."

Can I ask you sir how long it takes for you to cook a dish at home? I personally feel that a 3 minute wait for a dish is not only exceptionally fast, but also somewhat reassuring, especially since it ensures that the kitchens are not leaving your dishes to "congeal" in a heater, just for the sake of serving your food to you all in one go. There is no protocol regarding chinese food that states that you cannot start eating the dish as it is placed on your table. Perhaps if you were to take the time to observe chinese people eating, you'll find it's much the part of their custom to eat dinner it as it comes.

"Two chases later brought the rice, but no apology for the delay."

Which probably would suggest that you were being overly impatient. 20 minutes is alot to wait for a dish, 3 minutes is not.

"One waitress (obviously not long in the UK judging by language) said that she was not allowed to take our order and wondered off without asking another to come and assist."

I took the liberty to print off this review and inquire at the Peking about this. Apparently, they only have male waiters at the Peking, and have done so for some time. The only "waitress" could have possibly been the proprietress Mrs Kerr herself, and I can personally assure that she speaks fine English.

In short, you sir, are a fool, and I'm afraid I have to call bull on this one. I've had nothing but excellent service from the charming Mrs Kerr, and nothing but top quality food from the kitchens. I suggest that next time, if prices are your main concern, Macdonalds might be a better place to hedge your bets..

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