IF YOU have ever been shopping in Southampton and wondered where the aromatic scent of oriental cuisine wafting around your nostrils was coming from, then wonder no more.

The chances are they originated from the Ocean Dragon restaurant which, despite its city centre location, you would be forgiven for missing. Situated above Dolcis shoe shop on Above Bar Street my partner and I were initially dubious as to whether the grub would be up to the recommendations we had been given by friends.

But as soon as we sat down, greeted by the beaming waitress and promptly served an ice-cold Cobra beer and a generous helping of prawn crackers, my worries disappeared.

The initial problem was choosing from the extensive menu of main courses, particularly fish dishes that, combined the old favourites with ones I had never heard of before.

If their ruse was to confuse me with so many tempting delights that I would be forced to order more lager to mull it over, then by gum it worked!

After what seemed like an age the order was placed. First up was the old favourite Peking duck. A bounty of pancakes accompanied the quarter-duck that was expertly shredded before our eyes.

After a short pause to prepare for the main dishes they arrived on a sizzling platter that literally made my mouth water and my partner reach for a napkin to mop my drool!

The sizzling hot plate was a colourful mixture of peppers, spring onions and plump king prawns that had been sauted in ginger and finished with a black bean sauce.

As creatures of habit we also plumped for a generous serving of deep fried chilli beef that was still very much on the crisp side but with recognisable strips of beef that can go unnoticed amidst all the batter in some versions of the dish.

Accompanying all that was a side dish of Singapore noodles - a meal in itself - and egg fried rice.

It must have been nearly closing time when we eventually admitted defeat and laid down the chopsticks. On examining the bill we discovered we had spent almost as much on alcohol as we had on the food, which on its own came in at a respectable £31.80.

But apart from our drink consumption there was little else to fault at the Ocean Dragon. The service, atmosphere and the quality of the food was top notch and our only problem was finding the will to walk out to the taxi that had also been ordered for us by the obliging staff.

Reservations: 023 8022 6636 or 023 8033 3634