Capital Retail Park, Leckwith, Cardiff. 029 2022 8866
Much like its inconspicuous setting next to Les Croupiers Casino in Leckwith’s Capital Retail Park, Dragon Court Chinese offers an unassuming menu which rejects the well-worn buffet-style Chinese dining formula in favour of a varied selection of adventurous dishes that refuse a reliance on traditional Chinese classics.
Without a chicken chow mein in sight, choose your own live lobster from a nearby tank, or sample diver scallop in their shells with garlic and vermillion. There’s an abundance of meat dishes as well as a healthy selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. The restaurant’s decor is fairly typical, but also comfortable and perfectly suited to large groups with big tables allowing plenty of space for sharing and socialising. For two people, the table setup isn’t ideal and not especially intimate, but the welcome is friendly and attentive with numerous staff members hovering in anticipation of our empty glasses.
To start we opt for some excellent Hunan satay beef and Vietnamese spring rolls to satiate our early hunger. To follow, an intriguing Mongolian lamb dish completed a gluttonous three-starter selection. The crispy Mongolian lamb is neatly matched with a sticky plum sauce, spring onions and half an iceberg lettuce with which we were able to wrap all our ingredients into parcels to create a crisp and very refreshing starter to our own taste and arrangement.
For mains we selected a Mandarin fillet of beef in an intense and rich “fruity wine sauce”. Although nicely cooked, for our taste it proved a little cloying toward the end. We also opted for a main of pan-fried pork fillet with lemongrass and spicy herbs. Refreshing and well cooked, the dish came with our choice of fried noodles and bean sprouts. Overall, Dragon Court provides filling, well-executed Chinese cuisine with enough variety and adventure to excite inquisitive palates.
GARETH LUDKIN