Chung Ku

Chung Ku is very different from Liverpool’s other Chinese restaurants. It’s a modernist icon on the waterfront just south of Brunswick that looks like a marooned sampan or a strange fish with architectural fins. Its floor-to-ceiling windows flood the place with light and the views across the water to the Wirral are stunning.

This is a high-end rendering of the Chinese restaurant experience but it hasn’t lost its authenticity; Chung Ku is a big hit with the local Chinese community. From the point of view of a timid Westerner, the menu is pleasingly adventurous. How about salt and pepper frog’s legs?

Unsurprisingly given the marine appearance of the building itself, seafood is excellent. The seafood banquet is a good way to explore the options – go for the scallops with fresh asparagus in a bird’s nest. Quick-fried Dover sole with celery and the fried oysters with ginger and spring onions prove that dining here is about more than just prawn toast.

All the favourites are available too. From the sweet and sticky delights of kung po chicken to duck in plum sauce, everything is done very well.