A Merseyside restaurant was recently named 'Best Chinese' at the national Asian Restaurant Awards, so I took a trip there to put it to the test myself.
Golden Park in Bromborough, Wirral, is popular with locals for its ‘all you can eat’ dine-in deal and its extensive takeaway menu. The restaurant was the only Merseyside venue to win an award at the Asian Restaurant Awards, and now I’ve visited, it’s easy to see why it earned the title of 'Best Chinese'.
Although the exterior and interior of Golden Park is pretty basic, the restaurant lets its food do the talking. Diners can enjoy the ‘all you can eat’ menu for £18.90 per adult and £9.50 per child (minimum two people) and includes vegetarian options.
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When I visited at 6pm on a Wednesday evening, the restaurant was busy with families and couples tucking into their meals. The staff warmly welcomed us, took our drinks order (a glass of Pinot Grigio, £4.95, and a pint of Carlsberg, £4.50) and were very helpful with explaining how the menu worked and what dishes they’d recommend.
We each had chicken and sweetcorn soup with prawn crackers to start which arrived within minutes of ordering. The soup had a thick consistency which I loved, as I’ve found it can be quite thin at other restaurants. Golden Park's was full of flavour and the seasoning was just right.
Next up was the starter platter and our waitress suggested trying all of the seven items available - skewered satay chicken, salt & pepper chicken, BBQ ribs, sesame prawn toast, spring rolls, Chinese samosas and seaweed. We were glad she recommended this, as every item was delicious. The samosas and spring rolls were packed full of tasty filling, the prawn toast was crispy on the outside and full of flavour, and the chicken items were moist and moreish.
The stand out starter element for me was the BBQ ribs. There was plenty of succulent meat which fell off the bone, and the sticky sauce was delightful. Prawn toast is usually my favourite, but the ribs took the top spot on this occasion.
The third course was the shredded aromatic duck pancakes with sliced spring onions, cucumber and hoisin sauce. There were six pancakes (three each) and there was plenty of duck and crispy skin to pack into the soft wraps.
Next up was the main courses. The waitress took our order for this after we’d finished the duck pancakes which we were glad about, as we had planned on ordering a couple each, but were starting to feel full. There are many mains to choose from, with diners able to pick chicken, pork, beef, king prawn, squid, or vegetables with a variety of sauces.
We chose sweet and sour chicken and king prawns in satay sauce, with egg fried rice and vermicelli noodles with bean sprouts. My sweet and sour chicken was one of the nicest I’ve ever had, as the chicken was moist and lightly battered, and the peppers, onions and pineapple were perfectly cooked. The rice was soft and fluffy, and the noodles were full of flavour.
I believe no matter how full you are, there’s always room for dessert. We each chose the banana fritter which the waitress told us was the best pudding in her opinion. The banana was served hot in a thick batter drizzled in syrup and with vanilla ice cream. As soon as I took the first bite, I was in heaven.
Despite the restaurant being busy, all of the courses arrived within five minutes of the previous one being cleared, which is the most efficient service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. All of the dishes were piping hot and really impressed us - we had no issues with any of the food. All of the staff had a smile on their face throughout the night and were incredibly helpful.
I can see why Golden Park has won 'Best Chinese'. It has a lovely family vibe and relaxed atmosphere, so if you’re after a casual meal with great Chinese food and a friendly, efficient service, this is the place to go. Golden Park can be found at 866 New Chester Road, Bromborough, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH62 7HF. To book a table call 01513341331 or to order takeaway visit the website here.
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