Oriental: South Mount Street, Rosemount, Aberdeen

SOMETIMES you just need to have a good old catch-up with an old friend.

A quiet night, perhaps with some drinks and something to eat.

Often, it’s been too long since you last saw each other and, in the case of my wife and I, it was certainly far too long ... since we’d been to Oriental.

Limbering up – just like the olden days – with pancake roll (£2.90) and chicken satay skewer (£3.50) we were already regretting how long it had been.

The rolls were packed with veg, while the pastry had just the right crunch to it and didn’t totally crumble. The skewers were just glorious. The sauce was nice and thick, and had a luscious nutty taste.

Like old times, I just couldn’t resist the beef curry (£5.70).

A nice, thick creamy sauce with a lovely little kick to it soaked up the fluffy fried rice (£2), while the beef wasn’t too chewy.

My wife’s shredded chilli beef (£6) was equally nice. Not just batter like it is in some takeaways and restaurants, you could actually taste the meat.

The sauce had a gooey consistency, not too spicy for a wimp like me.

We parted with the usual “We must do this again", but this time we meant it.