Ruby Cantonese has been synonymous with good quality Cantonese cuisine in Cheltenham for the past 20 years, and it is easy to see why. We were welcomed warmly and offered a drink from the well-stocked bar as we perused the extensive menu, which offers a choice of set meals as well as a great vegetarian selection. With an open kitchen and small intimate private dining areas, the restaurant is laid out with the needs of the customer in mind.
The staff were on hand to aid us in our choices, based on our own personal tastes and their house specials. They offered some particularly insightful advice - to choose our starters and after polishing them off, reconsult the menu and then choose a main. Unusual, but this is exactly what we did and found we made the best decisions. I chose the deliciously light battered jill yuen salt and pepper salmon fillet, while my partner devoured the gorgeously sticky and tangy king do ribs, exclaiming that they were the best he'd ever eaten. Next, we tried the crispy duck pancakes, which were really delicious.
After a short break, a perusal of the menu and more recommendations, we decided on the Szechuan chicken and the chicken Macao clay pot, a Ruby speciality coconut curry accompanied by fluffy and moist egg-fried rice. The dishes were all beautifully made and packed with intense flavours, and we could taste the freshness of the ingredients. Tempted by another Ruby speciality we then tried their snowball dessert, a deep-fried, coconut-battered vanilla ice cream, which was sublime. Fully satisfied, we sipped steaming hot, fragrant jasmine tea, relaxing after a wonderful meal.
The Ruby certainly lives up to its excellent reputation, and is a perfect place to enjoy the authentic Cantonese experience.
