Instead, after a quick phone call, we bundled my teenage daughter and her friend in the car and 15 minutes later we were sat down sipping green tea or Cokes and reading the very long menu, and agonising over the special banquets and whether to share starters.

It only took a few minutes before we realised the sensible option was going to be the buffet. Unfortunately, I was wearing heels – which meant every walk to the buffet across the shiny floor and up a few steps threatened disaster. I suppose it was one way to stop me over-loading my plate: my husband who had sensibly opted for trainers, had no such worries.

As it was early evening, it was only starting to fill. It can seat 140, which must mean it gets very noisy. It’s popular with groups who were obviously heading off for a night on the town – how some of the girls managed in their stilettos and very tight dresses, I don’t know.

To encourage people to come early – especially families – there’s a discount if you eat up before a set time, which changes depending on the day.

The hot buffet has 25 starters main courses and desserts, from soups, noodle dishes, ribs, spring rolls, chicken wings, crispy duck and pancakes, satay, chow mein, steamed or boiled rice... the list seemed endless.

At weekends there’s also a dumpling bar. Given the choice I would simply live on these. I pretend because they’re mostly filled with fish or chicken, and steamed, they’re healthy! Just don’t mention the dipping sauces.

And there’s a tapanyaki bar – a Japanese grill where you select your own ingredients from a chilled counter and pass it over. Then you watch the skilled chef cook it in front of you over smokingly-hot charcoals. As he flips and turns the food, he adds various spices and flavourings, which means you're never quite sure how it’s going to turn out.

I opted for thinly-sliced salmon and tuna, chicken kebabs and fish kebab – small chunks on sticks, rather than huge portions, all of which cook faster – plus soft fresh noodles, much tastier than those from the pot.

It’s fun to watch and means that, if you are concerned about the length of time some dishes have spent simmering in the hot buffet, you know there’s always something freshly cooked.

Cora and Rhian consistently went back for more – though it was nice to see they both also added fresh salad to their plates.

To drink we stuck with Cokes for the girls, plus water and green tea for us. However the little bar was doing a roaring trade with the larger groups who were streaming in. There’s also a steady flow of people calling-in for takeaways.

Chinese restaurants are not renowned for their desserts. On offer here were fresh fruit (including the mandatory lychees), jellies and ice-creams: enough for most people, sated by the tempting selection.

So, next time, I tackle this buffet it will be flat pumps and loose combats – and we’ll get there early to get that discount.