The review remains online for archive purposes only.

TWO of the hottest and most-discussed topics around at the moment are healthy eating and the credit crunch.

Are we priming the nation's obesity timebomb by popping into the chip shop and burger bar instead of peeling and chopping our locally-grown organic carrots? And on the subject of things that crunch, is it too much of a burden on the purse-strings to eat out?

Maybe and maybe.

Put the ingredients of this conundrum together and you can find a recipe for sensible eating, if you know where to look.

Noodle King, in Crown Street, Halifax, is not of oriental origin – its first restaurant opened in Sydney, Australia, nearly 20 years ago.

Try and find out more via its website, however, and you receive a warning: "This site may harm your computer."

Apparently there are Noodle King outlets in London and Sheffield, with Halifax obviously identified as a town where folk like a bargain.

And there's a great deal to be had, in more ways than one, for those who venture into town at lunchtime. The Thai-style restaurant offers a special business lunch deal at £4.95 – free soup, a choice of starter and a main course, excluding those containing fish.

My colleague opted for the chicken and sweetcorn soup which was, to be honest, gloopy and pretty tasteless, she said. And the plastic bowls were a bit naff – if very efficient.

The chicken and pineapple satay was, on the other hand, a bit too tasty. It looked great but was way too salty.

My colleague was starting to look worried. She didn't have to be. Her main course was a cracker.

A mountain of rice arrived, quickly followed by a Thai red curry with roast duck.

It was gorgeous. The duck melted in the mouth, the chunky vegetables were perfectly cooked and the sauce? Well, she said that was certainly as good as, if not better than, any she had eaten before.

And this is a woman who really likes Thai food.

Because we were heading back to the office for a tough afternoon at the hub of Calderdale's news-gathering operation, she opted for a glass of tap water, which was free.

My starter was a vegetarian spring roll with Thai sweet chilli sauce.
Hot, crispy on the outside and oozing with tasty vegetables, I could have dined on several spring rolls dunked in sauce and felt happy.

But soon after, the main course arrived – vegetable Thai green curry, delicately flavoured and soothing in colour and texture. Chunky mushrooms and broccoli, with sliced baby sweetcorn and carrot, made a filling dish added to the fluffy rice.

The only thing we were disappointed about was that there was no choice of sweet – except for a few wrapped toffees as we paid the meagre bill – £11.20, which included £1.30 for my orange juice.

Manager Adelaide Tsu said in future, desserts might be added to the menu, which would be ideal for those of us with a sweet tooth.
Children are also catered for – there are four varieties of set menu, costing £3.80 for four courses including prawn crackers.

Wines from Chile, France, Australia and Argentina are on sale and displayed stylishly in the contemporary restaurant, which woos in the uncertain diner with delicious smells that waft into the street past the colourful, yet plastic, window displays that promise tastier dishes inside.

Neither my colleague nor I tried the noodles but I imagine we will return to dine like royalty at a price to suit paupers.

Noodle King is open on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 11pm, on Sundays from 5pm to 10pm – and may open for parties or special occasions at lunchtimes, if asked. Monday to Thursday, it's noon to 10pm (but closed between 3pm and 5pm). A takeaway service is also available.

Ratings
Name: Noodle King

Address: 10-12 Crown Street, Halifax HX1 1TT

Phone: 01422 385085

Food 4/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Service 4/5
Value 5/5