Chang Thai Restaurant and Globe Bar, Ludlow

Let's start by explaining a few house rules. In recent weeks, a small but vocal band of restaurateurs have taken us to task over the way in which we award marks. Why does restaurant A get three marks when pub B gets four? And why can't we have five if we're better than the restaurant up the road?

Other guide books publish their criteria; Michelin, Hardens, the Good Food Guide and more besides let readers and restaurateurs know what they have to do to achieve an impressive score.

And so, in the interests of clarity, we'll spell out what restaurants have to do to earn high marks – and whether, in our opinion, you should spend your hard-earned wages there, or head to another outlet.

It goes without saying that few eateries will want to score one point. That's our way of saying standards of service and food are low; put simply, it's not the sort of place to take a new girlfriend on a first date.

Two points are awarded to restaurants that don't impress. Food and service is typically below par and there's no reason for making a special journey.

Those who achieve three stars – the vast majority of Shropshire eateries – offer pretty good service and food and many will have note-worthy sourcing policies, obtaining produce from local companies.

Dining rooms will be pleasant and there's no reason not to expect a satisfactory meal, with reasonable value for money. They are reliable, consistent, good quality local eateries providing a valuable service to their local neighbourhood.

A smaller band of restaurants will achieve four marks and they are awarded when standards are much higher than average.

Food should be memorable, service polished, dining rooms should be impressive. Restaurants that score four out of five need to go the extra mile to guarantee customer satisfaction; it's worth making a detour to eat there.

The elite group of restaurants that achieve top marks – usually, a handful or less in any given year – created experiences that stun the senses. They offer a unique proposition, where all elements and ingredients are balanced in something approaching perfect harmony.

They are the sort of places that it's worth making a special journey to, or for whom it's worth waiting two months for a table, if that's how long their waiting list is.

A final point, before we progress. We don't discriminate between restaurants that offer high end Michelin-starred cuisine and those that offer a ploughman's lunch and a pint of real ale.

It's a level playing field and both have an equal chance of scoring top marks, if standards are sufficiently high. And so to this week's restaurant.

Chang Thai is a reliable Thai restaurant in Ludlow that has served the town well in recent years. Opened at the former Globe pub, it offers fairly-priced fayre in a colourful dining room.

There were numerous trinkets, wooden figurines and other south east Asian ephemera. The juxtaposition between the venue's former Ye Olde British Boozer exterior and it's chi chi dining room could barely have been more pronounced.

It was truly a place where East met West.

It's popular with locals and when my friend and I visited on a Monday – traditionally, the restaurant trade's 'funeral' time – we thought we'd somehow timewarped to a Saturday night. The venue was full, with a number of people waiting. There was not a single spare seat.

Happily, the mid-evening rush didn't slow service and our fears that we might have to wait too long for food proved ill-founded.

Two charming waitresses were swishing across the dining room floor, taking orders and dispensing bonhomie. They didn't skip a beat. A less-cheery barman was also hard at work, refilling drinks for thirsty customers.

The menu read like War and Peace, extending to almost 100 dishes. There were numerous staples, including green and red curries and pad thai, the famed fried rice noodle dish with a market-stall-full of added ingredients.

My friend and I started with a customised Chang Thai platter, which comprised chicken satay, prawn toasts, Thai spring rolls, deep fried crispy chicken and prawn wontons and deep fried sweet corn with flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

They were pleasant, although failed to excite. The chicken satay was tender and the prawn toasts satisfying although the spring rolls were indelicate and the sweetcorn underwhelming. The food was fine to fill hungry bellies, but lacked subtlety or style.

As a main course, my friend chose a deep fried fish with pineapple, tomatoes, spring onion, peppers and cucumber in a sweet and sour sauce.

It was sweet and sour chicken, Thai-style, by any other name. As with the starters, it was perfectly pleasant, although the fish was a little overcooked.

Presented pleasantly, with ostentatious decorations, it made for enjoyable food and the sticky rice was a good accompaniment.

My Thai green chicken curry was less impressive. The chicken had been overcooked and the chilli flavour was too dominant; it clubbed the other spices and seasonings into submission.

The coconut milk base balanced out some of the flavour, but it was too fiery and lacked guile. The fried noodles served alongside it were equally underwhelming. There's little skill in opening a packet of bought-in noodles, boiling and frying them with a little soy sauce.

The Chang Thai will continue to flourish. It's prices are sensible and it was no surprise to see plenty of students eating there: it's possible to enjoy a main, side and drink for £15.

In truth, efficient though the restaurant was, there are Thai eateries in Shropshire serving better quality food. So while locals have every reason to remain loyal, it's not the type of venue that people would travel great distances to.

The mark for this week's restaurant is easy to arrive at, therefore.

Chang Thai is a reliable, consistent, good quality local eaterie providing a decent service to local customers.

ADDRESS

Chang Thai Restaurant and Globe Bar, Market Street, Ludlow SY8 1BP

Tel: 01584 874212

Web: www.thailudlow.co.uk