How many decent Chinese restaurants are there in Hamilton; for that matter, Bermuda? I mean, a really good, sit-down Chinese restaurants ? not just some salty stir-fry served up on a polystyrene plate with a plastic fork.

There are plenty of takeaways in town but if you wanted to go Chinese for a meal out, until recently our capital could only offer one choice ? Chopsticks on Reid Street.

The restaurant originally started out in St. George?s before moving to Hamilton where it has since added Thai cuisine to the menu.

The problem is that since Thai was added to the menu more than a decade ago, little has changed on the menu.

The restaurant was given a long overdue revamp last year giving it a more cosmopolitan but still Asian look complete with a wall-mounted pebble fountain. Asian in feel perhaps, but distinctly more Japanese than Chinese. While the bright lighting makes it easy to see what?s on the plate, it doesn?t make for very cosy dining.

As for what?s on the plate, well, the quality of the dishes can be a little hit and miss: order the same dish on different occasions and you are quite likely to get a different result. And surely using frozen vegetables is a shortcut that no self-respecting restaurant would serve up.

Probably the best Chinese choices are in the appetisers. We can?t say they are authentic Chinese in origin, but such combo platters as the Pu-Pu offer a little drama (the tray is literally on fire) and a choice of Chinese chicken wings, prawn crackers, mini spring rolls, ribs and more.

The restaurant is also renowned for its duck offerings ? but check with the restaurant beforehand as the Peking Duck requires advance notice.

Generally on the mains, we?d say Chopsticks is stronger on its Thai choices.The Thai red curries (chicken, beef, shrimp or scallops) are tasty, if heated, picks.

And the Thai chilli with basil is also a pretty good bet, and the Thai chicken and cashew is a winner.

For those wanting something light but satisfying, the Tom Yum soup (a spicy, Thai broth served up boiling in a cauldron with a choice of chicken or shrimp) is recommended.

Chopsticks serves up a family-style presentation; separate dishes of rice, and ordered dishes on platters. That makes it perfect for taste-testing each other?s dishes, which is surely one of the delights of eating Chinese.

All in all, Chopsticks menu ? from fried rice to noodle and various Asian curry dishes ? are fairly standard; we wouldn?t say exceptional.

The same could be said of the service you?ll get at Chopsticks; adequate but you?re unlikely to feel like parting with more than the customary 15 percent in gratuities at cheque time.

But all that said, it is a good place to get a fairly inexpensive (by local standards) meal.

Before drinks, two can have a two-course meal for less than $60.

Chopsticks can also be a good place to go for group get-togethers with there being large round tables that are perfect for this.