There’s something about Chinese cuisine; the mouthwatering smells, the look of the food. Even if you’re not hungry, suddenly you’ll find room for just a little something more, as Neil Hopkins found out at Rustington’s Dragon Restaurant.
Dinner choices
Starter
Vegetarian Spring Rolls; Bean curd with Chilli sauce
Main Course
Vegetarian Crispy Duck; Tofu in Satay Sauce, Malay Style; Egg Fried Rice
The menu at the Dragon is certainly extensive, so whether you’re a Chinese connoisseur or new to Oriental dining, you’re sure to find something that whets the appetite. Many of the dishes seem to be completely unique to the Dragon – I’ve certainly never had a vegetarian crispy duck before (the meal was vegetarian, not the duck, although it might well have been. I didn’t ask).
Speaking of this dish, not only was there plenty of it, but it was very tasty as well. With the ‘duck’ served on one dish, the pancakes in a bamboo steamer and accompanying vegetables/sauce, it was a real treat. The ‘duck’ (made from gluten) was indeed crispy as described and had a complex mix of spices that went well on the palate.
The ‘duck’ proved to be an unusual, although fitting, follower to the bean curd with chilli that formed my starter. With enough heat to cause a glow, but not so much that one runs for the nearest drinking fountain, it went down rather nicely with a cold beer (of which they had a full range). The vegetarian spring rolls enjoyed by my partner were equally tasty and most importantly, not swimming in oil. Dry and succulent with a chilli dipping sauce, they started the meal off in style.
Interestingly, the Dragon staff don’t put your individual starter in front of you – they lay them on hot plates in the middle of the table. This is a brilliant idea and it allows you to easily share with you co-diners without leaning across the table, attempting to spear something tasty looking with a fork (or chopstick if you’re feeling brave).
The tofu main course was well presented, again with plenty of sauce and accompanying vegetables. The flavours were well balanced, with the spices combining into a pleasing whole – not too much of anything, which is how it should be.
The ambience of the Dragon restaurant is certainly conducive to either a business lunch (there’s a range of larger tables) or an intimate romantic meal. Airy and spacious, you can detect a gentle hubbub of conversation without being inflicted with the intimate details of the next table’s conversations.
With its location just a moment’s walk from the glorious beach front in Rustington, the Dragon Restaurant is a perfect choice for fine dining. You might want to take a walk along the beach prior to sitting down to work up an appetite that will do the large menu justice however.
