Sky 7, Nesscliffe

finds standards have been retained on a return visit to a favourite hotel.

The owners of Sky 7 boast "freshness of product is paramount, with fish and vegetables steamed in the simplest possible fashion, and gloriously marinated meats". And they certainly do this and so much more.

We have visited Sky 7 a couple of times before – the last time being when our son Eddie demolished the basket of prawn crackers (they kept him quiet for some time) and enjoyed the fuss made of him by the staff.

That alone was enough to make us return but the memories of the first class service and fantastic food also played a part.

Shun Keung Yu and his English wife Christina, and his brother Hing Keung Yu, who is the chef, have run the restaurant since it was revamped after the closure of the hotel. Their success is much deserved.

This time it was my mum's birthday and once again as Nesscliffe is about halfway for me in Telford and the rest of the family in Oswestry it seemed a convenient choice.

I booked a table for 6.30pm as any later and I feel we are starting to push it with the children's' patience (and ours!) and it is simply unfair on other diners.

On arrival we were shown to our pre-booked table by the smiling, friendly waitress who was straight into the pram to have a look at the latest addition to the family, while the highchair for Eddie was ready at the table. We were then offered a choice of anywhere which would be most convenient with the pushchair and sleeping Archie. The welcome they give a family is lovely.

So as usual we were offered drinks while we looked at the extensive menu. It boasts Cantonese dishes (obviously) but also offers Malay, Thai and Japanese dishes. And that is what I love about Sky 7 – a huge choice to suit everyone. Three members of the party, including myself, are lovers of Thai food.

We should have learned our lesson by now and remember the portions are more-than generous but each and every time we only realise after the food arrives. But the menu is too vast and we always enjoy our own little buffet.

So our starter "buffet" included yuk sung (minced pork with diced vegetables, pan fried and served with vermicelli on iceberg lettuce) £6; Thai tom yung goung (traditional Thai hot & sour seafood soup) £4; duck salad (shredded duck on a bed of mixed green leaves drizzled with a sweet & sour dressing) £5; Thai fish cake with sweet chilli sauce £4.50 and a quarter of aromatic duck served with pancakes £8.50.

Dad's salad arrived and looked more like a main course and when we saw our two portions of fishcakes each with four fishcakes on we realised we could have easily shared the starters. Each dish was presented perfectly and the artistic design of fruit and vegetables kept Eddie quiet for an extra few minutes. The fishcakes were large and succulent and extremely tasty served with sweet chilli sauce which gave the traditional Thai "kick".

Each of our forks found their way into all of the starters and they were given the thumbs up. The duck and pancakes, along with the salad and plum sauce, arrived shortly after and were soon devoured. The duck was tender and tasty and served shredded perfectly to serve in the pancakes.

Judging by the size of the starters we realised we may have ordered too many main courses. Dad went for the chicken in sweet and sour (£7.20) but ensured it wasn't the chicken balls but instead the shredded chicken lightly battered. John's beef in black bean sauce £7.80) was tender, with the sauce not too strong or thick.

Other dishes included the sizzling chicken in Cantonese sauce (£8) which was exactly as it sounds - sizzling – and the meat and vegetables served in a light, tangy, slightly hot sauce; a green Thai chicken curry (£7.20) which we remembered as being an usually dark colour but tasted exactly as it should – the flavour of coconut and traditional Thai spices were a perfect combination.

While the birthday "girl" ordered the chicken Szechuan (£7.20) - this is a favourite of ours but find it different everywhere we go. Thankfully at Sky 7 it is a mild spice and extremely enjoyable.

Believe it or not to accompany all of that we had steamed fragrant jasmine rice (£2.50), egg fried rice (£3), Singapore rice noodles (£6.50) and a portion of chips (£2) (for the two-year-old of course!)

It is rare to see jasmine rice on a menu if you are not in a solely Thai restaurant but the chef here offered all side dishes needed.

All of the dishes are packed full of crisp, fresh steamed vegetables, with plentiful amounts of sauces and as they advertise plenty of "gloriously marinated meats". And after trying the chef's beef, chicken, pork, duck and fish dishes I think we were good judges!

The restaurant is fresh, with traditional Cantonese décor but crisp white, clean table clothes and authentic bowls and chop sticks (cutlery was available for certain members of the party!)

Sky 7 also offers a small lounge area for pre or post-dinner drinks or coffees with comfortable chairs/sofas, where there is also a large fish tank which gave plenty of entertainment for Eddie, even if it did mean we had a relay of family members being pulled to the fish tank every ten minutes.

After bringing a birthday cake to the restaurant for mum, the staff were happy to bring it out at the end of the meal which replaced our desserts but I don't think we could have possibly indulged any further even if we didn't have the cake. The friendly staff even took the time to take up our offer to have a piece of cake and everyone was all smiles after a fantastic evening.

This is certainly a family-friendly restaurant where their service, food, menu choice and food quality is first-class. The prices are reasonable along with the drink prices. We have returned several times and will continue doing so after this visit.

ADDRESS

Sky 7 Restaurant, Nesscliffe Hotel, Nesscliffe SY4 1DB

Tel: (01743) 741698

Web: www.sky7restaurant.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Steamed razor clams – steamed in the shells with garlic (£3 each); Malaysian satay on a skewer – chargrilled and served with onion, cucumber and satay sauce (£4-£5); Vegetable sung – dice mixed vegetables pan fried and served with vermicelli on ice-berg lettuce (£5.50); Crispy pork and prawn wonton parcels (£4); Sesame prawn toast (£4)

MAIN COURSES:

Seabass – whole seabass oven baked in a Thai style sauce (hot) (£14.50); Monk fish – oven baked with Portuguese sauce or garlic (£13.50); Beef satay hotpot with Enoki mushrooms (£8.50); Chicken in mango sauce (£7.20); Mongolian fillet steak (£10.50)

DESSERTS

Selection of traditional desserts

ATMOSPHERE

Friendly, relaxed

SERVICE

First-class

DISABLED FACILITIES

Full disabled access