Reviewed
08/04

Tai Kong means "big port" in Chinese, which indicates that the owners of this new restaurant on Cowley either have a sense of humour or very poor eyesight. The place is tiny, and there is, sadly, no ocean nearby. However, it does smell rather strongly of fish, so perhaps the"port" part is appropriate.

While the cramped space and unpleasant odours would drive most diners away, the quality and quantity of the food make Tai Kong a good choice for take-away and home delivery.

We stopped in on a Sunday evening, drawn by the extensive menu of inexpensive Chinese and Thai standards. My mother is allergic to MSG (mono sodium glutamate, a flavour-enhancing chemical added to almost everything!), so we tested the hostess's patience immediately. She was sweet though, confiding that she too is allergic to MSG, and promising to make sure that my mom's food was MSG-free.

She ordered the Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls in Batter, which sounds like something the animal rights activists would get hot and bothered about, but which was civilised and delicious. It was £4, and so with her side of white rice (£1.20) and can of coke (80p) her dinner came to just £6.

I had Chicken & Vegetable Chow Mein for £4.50, and managed to convince myself that I was eating healthily, thanks to the generous helping of mange tout, carrots, green peppers and bamboo shoots. It came with pleasantly lean pieces of chicken and thin brown egg noodles. My mother and I comfortably shared the rice, so I also ate very cheaply.

My friend had the "Prawn & Chicken with Vegetables in Thai Sour & Hot Sauce with Fried or Boiled Rice". You should order by the handy numbers on the menu, or you might forget what you're saying before finishing. Don't avoid the long-winded dishes though – the veggies looked fresh and tasty, and my friend reported that it was all quite good. His sole qualification was that the sauce was neither
particularly sour nor hot.

Nevertheless, we all really enjoyed our food. We were also totally stuffed – the portions were easily double those that I've had from other Chinese take-away places.

If you're very hungry but don't want to spend too much, give Tai Kong a call. Just get a mate to order with you, as home delivery requires a minimum of £10.  And don't neglect to get your own fortune cookies, as this Chinese take-away tradition is, regrettably, disappearing.

Lindsay Oishi, 08/04