Fried and tested
It’s like a sulky teenager’s cry when they’ve run out of words or just can’t be bovvered. Wot ever.
Wok Ever Palace in Cleckheaton is somewhere you can eat a right royal banquet.
It’s a modern Chinese restaurant with a nod to the traditional and the menu takes some time to digest.
Friends have been and said it’s highly recommended but have warned it’s always busy and you need to book.
Cleckheaton is a little off the beaten track but I knew a man who’d be the perfect guide. My pal Steve lives a short wok (sorry) from the Palace so he was my dining companion for a Saturday night visit.
I took the advice and booked and, as billed, the restaurant was busy and there was a real buzz about the place.
I always love a good welcome and we got one here. There’s nothing worse than an embarrassing shuffling-of-the-feet wait when you enter a new restaurant for the first time.
There was none of that here and we were invited to order drinks at the bar before being immediately whisked upstairs to our table. There was barely a spare seat in the house and a side room was decked out for a 50th birthday.
Wok Ever is slap bang on the main traffic light crossroads in the centre of town with a big glass frontage.
I remembered it as a decent chippie but Steve said it had been all sorts, not least a Polish shop, but we’ll have to leave that story there.
Once seated the menus arrived and there’s plenty of choice. All your favourites are there.
There’s set menus and a wide range of soups, starters and mains. I found it a bit overwhelming. There’s pages and pages to leaf through. The server came over but I pleaded for more time.
Eventually, we decided to go for the soup, a starter and a main.
I chose the Peking Hot & Sour Soup (£3.50) which was hot in both senses of the word. I got a sweat on and by the end not only was my mouth watering but so were my eyes. Hot and sour is a great combination, though.
Steve, not someone who likes really spicy food, went for something a little more gentle, the classic Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup (£3.50).
He described it as smooth and creamy with a sweetcorn crunch. “Well balanced,” he said.
My starter was the Salt & Pepper Seafood Special (£7.95) - king prawn, squid and fish. The batter was light and crispy and the contents tasted of the sea.
Steve hedged his bets and went for a bit of everything - otherwise known as the Wok Ever Palace Mixed Appetiser (£6.50).
Prawn toast, a hot and spicy spring roll, crunchy seaweed and a piece of skewered chicken in a hot sauce gave him plenty to go at.
Each part of the dish was well cooked and presented and left you wanting more, he said.
We asked for a little breather at this point. Even though the restaurant was full the service from the kitchen was quick and efficient.
Perfect if you’d somewhere else to go on to. But we hadn’t. Other than Steve’s local boozer.
For the mains I went for the Roast Duck in Plum Sauce (£11.95). The duck meat was generous in its portion and really tender.
The plum sauce was sticky and bursting with flavour. A lovely dish.
Steve said the House Special Sweet & Sour (£10.95) sounded delicious on the menu, and it was even more tasty when it was served up. It was a dish with everything, he said, peppers, onion, chicken, pork and prawns.
Served with either boiled or egg fried rice, the flavours combined perfectly.
He particularly loved the sweet, sticky sauce on the succulent pork pieces.
The boss of the restaurant recognised Steve from a previous visit and came over for a chat, which was a nice touch. He didn’t realise we were ‘undercover’, of course, and I’m sure he does that with all his regulars.
Overall, a great Chinese meal in a friendly, family restaurant that’s doing everything right.