YOU'VE seen the show, now eat the meal. Having greatly enjoyed The King and I at The Mayflower, it seemed appropriate to visit its restaurant namesake.

The show was colourful, exotic and unusual - how would a meal at The King and I compare?

I decided to be adventurous and rather than starting with the ubiquitous spring rolls went for coconut milk and mushroom soup.

The huge bowl of soup was spicy without this overpowering the more subtle flavours of lemongrass and lime leaves.

Sometimes Thai and Chinese food served up in restaurants can seem like more or less the same thing, but this was unlike anything I have ever had in a Chinese eatery.

My partner went for the king prawn spring rolls, slightly pricy at £6.25 but very tasty.

The restaurant has a good range of dishes, including several which are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and my partner and I decided to push the boat out and share three main dishes.

Our favourite was potatoes stir-fried with ginger, mushrooms and onions, priced £6.75, which was both filling and tasty.

The vegetables in my sweet and sour dish were fresh and crispy and, again, the flavourings were subtle rather than overpowering, while my partner enjoyed his cod cooked with onions, green peppers and garlic sauce.

The only downside was the rice, which came out of the pot in a solid lump and was rather on the stodgy side.

But this is a minor criticism of a meal that was as a whole definitely deserving of a place in the limelight - encore!

To make a reservation call: 023 8057 0670.