For many, many years, I have hoped to come across an old-style Chinese dinner/dance restaurant, a flavour of pre-Mao Shanghai with an edge and a whiff of mischief,  such as has been partly replicated in David Tang’s China Club in Hong Kong and Shanghai Blues in London.   But these excellent venues are for the well-heeled and up market. So it was with huge surprise and pleasure that I walked up the gilded staircase of Royal Dinner and Dance in Richmond, British Columbia — where the cover charge is $15 a head including food — not the best but at that price; the guests bring their own microphones and pay $7 to perform and song– this is a serious hobby; the dancers are meticulous, many quite brilliant and would stand their ground in Strictly Come Dancing; the music is live, the staff relaxed and efficient and (I was told) after a certain hour good-looking young men arrive to partner those women left alone at their tables.

www.royaldinnerdance.com    

The Kings Road lobsters flown in from Canada are better than those in Sierra Leone. In fact, Jimmy’s at 386 Kings Road, Chelsea, www.jimmychelsea.com is one of London’s finest. Shown to a window table, overlooking the old haunts of Vivien Westwood, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, with excellent service, a lean, but efficient wine list, and well-mixed Gordon’s gin and tonic, this conpact, but stylish, restaurant is a perfect antidote to the unpredictability of Sierra Leone cuisine. The lobster in question was served with a medium rare chateaubriand, preceded by squid and scallops and rounded off by creme brulet and wild cherries with chocolate. Much recommended to anyone passing by.

On the rare chance that anyone is passing through Voinjama in northern Liberia, I cannot recommend highly enough the Lofa Lodge, Bar & Restaurant, run by the charming and attentive Scham, who will order in peppered chicken, serve chilled Star beer with Bob Dylan in the background, and attach a small torch to his head to shed light on a chess game and advise on moves.  Given where he is, where Africa is crumpled, ruthless and unsure of how to react to its own failures, Scham does a fantastic job in providing power, water, sancuary and a sense of tranquility. 

At Alex’s waterfront restaurant in Freetown, a man stood waistdeep in sea-water, eating fire and runnging the flames around his torso, while far out at sea lightening streaked across the night-sky signalling the coming rains. Alex’s is one o fthe finest restaurants in Sierra Leone, where you can get a lobster the size of your head for just over US$10. There’s no wine list, just Star beer, or Heinekin, and it seems the Sierra Leoneans don’t go in much for vegetables — a few strands appear by the side of my plate.   The lobster was plain, grilled and to die for.

Hidden in the small market town of Saxmundham in Suffolk on England’s east coast is one of the finest Asian fusion resturants I have found anywhere.  It is on the left if you are driving east, opposite the HSBC and inside a pub called the Queen’s Head. Once through the pub, the welcoming staff show you into a large dining room, the tables covered in freshly laundered pink linen table cloths. I have been going there for some years and the food and service are constantly superb — which is not always the case among the dour and reticent folk of the Suffolk coast. This time round we dined on squid, bean curd, beef, chicken fried rice and Singapore fried noodles, washed down with Tsing Tao beer. 

Finally, I have found a superb Sichaun restaurant in London. The unassuming Fortune Restaurant in the semi-fashionable West Kensington, right on the arterial Cromwell Road, tastefully decorated with red lanterns, large tables, bouncing, enthusiastic staff, and French Sauvignon Blanc at £13 a bottle. Our party had Red Braised Porks Knuckle, Thinly Sliced Pig’s Ear in Chilli Oil, Stir Fried Shu Shan Hot Pot Mountain Crab, fiery Tofu in black bean sauce, and much, much more because we stayed for about four hours. Why, why why had I not found it before.
FORTUNE RESTAURANT, 142-148 West Cromwell Road, West Kensington W14 9AE — 44 (0) 20 7610 4333.

Totally, without doubt, the most incredible Japanese meal…and where is it, in Tofino, British Columbia, about the most remote place you’d expect a fully-aproned and bandannered Sushi artist behind the counter in a log cabin with views over an inlet that runs into the Pacific Ocean. They even serve Asahi extra dry.   http://www.toughcity.com/

The Breeze, Bangkok.

Probably the most exotic setting of any restaurant anywhere. High-rise rooftop bar, jazz band, panoramic views, room to wander, casual, expensive, atmosphere and service beats food. http://www.thedomebkk.com/web/corp_about.html