Enter The Dragon, Jewry St, Winchester.
Chinese, Cantonese, Seafood, and Szechuan Cuisine

A Winchester Restaurants Dining Guide – REVIEW

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Enter The Dragon Chinese Restaurant – situated in Jewry street just 5 minutes walk from the train station. The restaurant offers a combination of "traditional" Chinese style dishes comprising Seafood, Cantonese, Peking and Szechuan. From the outside the restaurant looks deceptively small; a simple door frontage, but what will strike you as you step inside and walk down the stairs is the size of the dining area – it is big.

Décor – the restaurant is pristine, beautifully lit and the walls are adorned with delightful Chinese–style pictures and well placed mirrors. The general décor exudes a tasteful and realistic art deco feel which reminded us of photographs of the 1930's grand ocean–going liners. We sat at a discreet table with a circular spinning centre on which the dishes were to be placed (allowing us to share with ease).

Wine. The wine list offers choices to suit most tastes. The full drinks list offers authentic Asian beers; Tiger beer from Singapore and Tsing Tao from China, as well as the usual spirits and soft drinks. We decided to share a bottle of Pinot Grigio – this wine tasted fresh, light and nicely chilled – a perfect start to our evening.

Decisions. Feeling a little daunted by the fantastic array of what must be 80 choices within the different ranges offered, we suggested the dishes be chosen for us so that Chef could cook his recommendations and show off his skills.

To Start. We were presented with a neatly laid platter comprising Sesame Prawn Toast, Satay Chicken, Deep Fried Squid, Honey Ribs and Smoked Chicken. The Sesame Prawn Toast was golden, crisp and we could really taste the prawn flavour. The Satay Chicken was tender and slid off the skewers with ease – the accompanying peanut sauce was thick and very good.

Squid/Chicken/Ribs. The look, texture, flavour and temperature of the squid was divine (this can so easily go wrong). The smoked chicken strips had a delicious coating which gave a nice crunch. Both of these dishes were served on a crispy pancake with onions and chillies, neither of us had tried a pancake cooked in this way before and we liked it. The ribs in honey syrup were sweet, juicy and a decent length for finger held devouring.

Crispy Duck. The course that followed comprised a generous plate of Crispy Duck served with Hoi Sin sauce, steamed pancakes, spring onion and cucumber strips. The sauce is made in–house and was so tasty I wanted to take some home. The duck was indeed crispy as well as succulent. The pancakes, spring onion and cucumber were just as they should be – fresh and nicely presented. The dish centrepiece was an intricate duck sculpted from an apple! – our first hint of Chef's artistic flair.

What a Feast! We were stunned at what followed; plate upon plate of differing dishes were laid before us. Garlic Prawns, Honey Roast Pork, Lamb with Ginger, Sweet and Sour Chicken Hong Kong Style, Singapore Noodles, Crispy Shredded Beef and Egg Fried Rice.

Garlic Prawns. Where to start? That was easy – the Garlic Prawns! These came adorned with a beautiful flower cut from a tomato. Each was coated in a delicate batter which we found very tasty, nicely crunchy, not greasy at all and a good contrast with the texture of the soft prawn inside – exquisite.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Hong Kong Style – this was superb! Multiple chunks of chicken coated in a light batter were served with a covering of delicious tangy sauce, onion and carrot – supremely tender and utterly delicious.

Honey Roast Pork. The pork was presented in slices encircling the plate which were topped with a scattering of fresh spring onion and sauce. The dish looked wonderful and each pork slice proved succulent, sweet and perfectly cooked.

Crispy Hot Shredded Beef – served on a bed of white crispy noodles, was seasoned exactly to our tastes (not overly hot) – a big hit with the both of us. In fact since this review I have returned to enjoy this dish, as well as some of the others, again!

Lamb with Ginger – delivered sizzling hot in a haze of aromatic steam. This dish looked, smelt and tasted really rather good. Ginger can so often overpower a dish in which it is used sometimes spoiling it. As a consequence of the chef's light touch with the ginger, the lamb flavour shone through. The Chef again showed us his artistic flair by decorating the dish with a couple of bunnies crafted from hard boiled eggs; we left the eggs but 'The Suit' did decide to eat a pair of bunny ears – I was not impressed!

Singapore noodles. A large plateful of noodles, meat, beansprouts and prawns intricately entwined to deliver an array of colour and textures. They tasted delicious and as hot as I like them – which was unfortunately a little too hot for 'The Suit'.

Egg Fried Rice. – the best we have tasted to date; flavourful, light and not in the least bit sticky or lumpy.

Chopsticks – Did you know that Chinese chopstick etiquette is very important and using correct table manners is believed to bring luck to the diner – here are a few pointers. The chopsticks should be held so ends are even. They should not be used to move bowls or plates. Do not stab food with chopsticks. Do not point them at anybody as this is considered to be insulting. Do not bang chopsticks like drumsticks, and do not suck the tips – there are more!

Verdict – We did not find anything that could be described in any terms other than excellent about our experience as a whole. If you are looking for a Chinese restaurant to share an intimate dinner for two or a family/group meal then Enter The Dragon can be highly recommended. You will find a superb selection of delicious Oriental dishes – some familiar, some less so, that you can enjoy in a relaxed and very pretty environment. Alternatively you could dine-in with an extra special takeaway meal delivered to your home.

Click for Enter The Dragon details
Provides contact information and links to full menus.

Our thanks for a fantastic and indulgent dining experience are warmly sent
to everyone at Enter The Dragon – together with our compliments to the Chef!

Review by
Paula & Richard 'The Suit'
November 2010

Smoked Chicken

Garlic Prawn

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Egg Fried Rice