Yangtze

I love a good Chinese restaurant. I'm not talking about cheap takeout, because my standards have been raised sky-high by all of my discoveries in New York's Chinatown. I'm a little on the picky side when it comes to authenticity, and I've been bummed out about the Chinese population over here in England. Don't get me wrong, it's not like this country is devoid of good Chinese cooks, but there's a distinct lack of large immigrant groups in small areas. Let's be realistic; America is relatively young, and most ethnic groups that immigrated together, settled together. Not really the case over here, since there wasn't that sort of immigration boom in a short period of time. So I started to panic that I wouldn't be able to find the really good Chinese food that I grew to know and love in NYC.

I hate to be proven wrong most of the time, but not this time. After our Sunday adventures at Blackbushe market, hubby and I went out for a lunch date at Yangtze in Windsor. Down at the end of a street, a little off the beaten path, without any real signage or decor outside, lies a £14 all-you-can-eat experience that will knock your socks off. It's like a buffet, but different and better. To be honest, I think this is a genius idea, though I've never experienced it in an Asian restaurant before. You basically get a menu - with plenty of options for first, second, and third courses - and you just pick as much as you'd like. The portions are sort of tapas-sized, so you get to try a lot of stuff (although, we may have overeaten just a little bit).

Wonderfully authentic flavors and ambience, I'd recommend it to anyone. It cured my homesickness instantly (Isn't it kind of funny that I was most homesick for Chinese food?) and I can't stop thinking about the crispy duck pancakes. If you haven't had them before, it's super crispy duck, cooked pulled-pork style, accompanied by cucumber, slivers of spring onion, and a sweet plum sauce. You wrap everything up in a wafer-thin pancake (sort of like a tiny burrito) and it's fabulous. This place totally rocked it, and I can't wait to go back and stuff my face again.