The Red Lantern, Chepstow AS you walk through the doors, the aroma of Chinese cooking is strong and inviting. The restaurant is cheerfully decorated in bright yellows with Oriental vases and paintings.

From the long and varied list of starters we chose steamed king prawns with garlic, soy sauce and chilli dip. We also picked steamed prawn dumplings Cantonese style. The king prawns, in their crunchy shells, tasted fresh and sumptuous.

There was plenty of crushed garlic heaped on top of the halved prawns, giving the dish lots of flavour. The soy sauce and chilli dip was tangy and slightly spicy, which complemented the fish.

A garnish of spring onions added a nice touch. The dumplings tasted rich and moist. Although they were quite small, they were very filling. The prawns added a subtle but delicious flavour.

For our main course we ate chicken with cashew nuts. The strips of chicken were succulent and tasty. Then we had roast duck in plum sauce which was excellent for anyone with a sweet tooth. The plum sauce was thick and syrupy and was ladled across the tender meat.

The sweet and sour chicken was fried in a light batter with no hint of greasiness, with big chunks of onion and green pepper in the sauce.

For dessert it was the chocolate trufito, which consisted of a chocolate ice cream with a liquid centre and was covered in a crispy, nutty coating. It tasted thoroughly indulgent.

With the entire meal coming to £42.80, it was great value for money.

CLAIRE BURKE