Good Choice, Cradley Heath

As takeaway names go, Good Choice is about as cheesy as it gets. But my recent visit to the Chinese takeaway in Cradley Heath High Street proved the place to be a deservingly titled, writes

.

The Good Choice has all the regular favourites - like sesame toast and lemon chicken - plus a pretty good selection of dishes that are not so common.

One of my favourite dishes is a spicy Szechuan beancurd and mince dish called Ma Bo Do Fu, but it's not one you expect to see on a takeaway menu.

So it was a dead cert for my order when it cropped up on Good Choice's menu at the bargain price of £3.50.

I also opted for a vegetarian dish of mushroom chow mein at the even cheaper price of £3, sat back and waited for my food to be cooked as I munched on complementary prawn crackers.

The Good Choice isn't housed in a particularly new building, but inside its waiting area is modern, clean, and bright, and reassuringly the kitchen area is entirely open so it's easy to see the cooks slaving away over hot woks.

Fifteen minutes after it was ordered, my food was presented on the Good Choice counter with some more prawn crackers.

With its staple of tofu as the main ingredient, Ma Bo Do Fu is a fundamentally healthy dish and the Good Choice's version - featuring a spicy sauce, green peppers, and finely chopped beef - was no exception.

It was the first time I'd tasted deep-fried tofu, rather than the plain kind, but the meal was none the worse for the twist.

Likewise, the mushroom chow mein was flavoursome, without being too greasy, so both dishes went really well together.

With a decent bottle of white wine it was a fine feast for under a tenner.

As well as staples from across the whole of China, the Good Choice has around 20 Thai dishes. There are also set meals, lunch specials, and Tuesday and Wednesday night deals offering two main courses and a rice or noodle dish for £8.99.

The takeaway is open seven nights a week from 5pm-11.30pm and for lunch between 12pm-2.30pm on Mondays to Saturdays.

High Street, Cradley Heath Tel: 01384 560222