Andrew Kay enjoys an old school dinner at Good Friends in Brighton

Morning glory

My first experiences of Chinese food were uninspired to say the least. Okay, back then in the 1960s there were very few options for international cuisine in Lancashire, or at least very few that my parents had either discovered or were willing to try. It was not that they were unadventurous, far from it, my mum was one the first in her circle to embrace capsicums and to realise that tinned tomatoes had a use (she would never ever have thought they were an appropriate breakfast item).




So until I was 18 and hit London and the delights of soho, my experience of Chinese food was dominated by chop suey, chow mein and foo yung. I did have the special once in Warrington but was appalled when it arrived on a plate with a fried egg on top, but that was after I had encountered the delights of a Soho Chinese.

In Brighton there are surprisingly few Chinese restaurants and only a handful that I would go to. In fact two really, and this is one of them.

Good Friends in Preston Street has something that I love and that is a kitchen in the window where a chef hangs the roasted meats and puts together some of the dishes. I love the sight of those high gloss ducks and chickens and slabs of char siu and roasted pork belly. They look like they have been given several coats of high gloss varnish and left out to dry. The thought of them is making my mouth water as it did on the walk there one Friday evening.

I was joined by good old Mr L, who has an equal love of a good old Chinese supper and before long we had been greeted by the ever so friendly staff in their brocade waistcoats who greeted us like long lost friends. I love the fact that after a while you can truly claim to be a regular, even if my visits are somewhat irregular.

The waiters brought the menus and we ordered a bottle of their very reliable house white and some prawn crackers with chilli sauce. We ordered the rest of our meal pretty quickly too as I know the menu well. Starting with the mixed hors d’ouevre which has just the right amount for two. It wouldn’t win awards for invention but that’s not what we wanted, we wanted traditional so were happy with a platter of ribs, sweet and sour crispy wanton, sesame toast and seaweed (which is not seaweed I know). It certainly hit the spot, satisfying that weird need for sweet and savoury at the same time, and there was just the right amount, not so much that we would struggle with our main course.

I was fully prepared to succumb to Mr L’s love of deep fried crispy shredded beef for our main course. He loves it, I think it’s pretty dull – and seldom contains very much beef. I was served it once in a less than satisfactory Chinese restaurant and sent it back. But when the bill arrived it had been charged for and the elderly lady at the desk tried to confiscate my bank card when I refused to pay for it. Needless to say I gave them a poor review, which resulted in the owners writing to the boss and demanding that I be fired. I’m still here.

So no shredded beef but a request for sweet and sour pork. I can live with that although I have to dodge the pineapple. For me the highlight is the roast meat and we had a plate of crispy belly, char sui and roast duck, all off the bone which makes the duck manageable with chopsticks. It was delicious, truly delicious. And with it a bowl of steamed rice and a plate of morning glory with garlic. I could sit down to a plate of Chinese green vegetables and rice and leave the table happy and these were simply delicious with a combination of bitter spinach-like leaves and crisp sweet stems. We didn’t need more, it was just the right amount and our dinner including wine cost about £22 each.

If you go then take a look around at what the Chinese diners have chosen, and if you like the look of it ask what it is and order it. I have done this for years and found some amazing dishes that I would otherwise have never found. Do try the beef brisket hot-pot which is flavoured with star anise and is stunning. Too much for two I think which is why we didn’t have it on this occasion but my word what a dish.

We left to a chorus of cheery goodbyes and swore to return sooner next time, maybe in a larger party so we can have that beef and maybe a stir-fried crab with ginger, a dish that takes some time to eat and necessitates a shower afterwards. What a treat though, and one that I have foregone for some years now as someone had not the patience to either eat it or watch as I did. Ah well, it’s crab again for me very soon.

Good Friends, 24-25 Preston St, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2HN
01273 779836