Bolton Evening news| 13.02.2003

A hidden gem on the Warner Village complex at Middlebrook has scooped the Bolton Evening News' Restaurant of the Year 2002, proving that if you have got what it takes discerning diners will seek you out.

The Abacus Restaurant can count on hundreds of regulars who have discovered its culinary charms.

But cinema-goers could easily miss this treat as the entrance to this modern, airy restaurant is accessed via stairs from the central walkway.

Oriental restaurant Abacus first opened in 1998, but changed hands last year when a consortium of investors bought it. Manager Alan Yim came from a restaurant in Cheshire to help make the 120 covers restaurant such a success and head up the team of 24 full and part-time staff.

Extensive menu and
excellent service all
add up to a winner

Its appeal lies not simply in the marriage of modern, bright decor and tables on two levels with stunning views over the huge shopping and leisure complex and the West Pennine hills beyond. Nor is it just the friendly staff or Abacus' extensive menu. It is in all these things, effortlessly blended together to provide an eating out experience that so many local people - and visitors from further afield - have found worth repeating time after time.

"It's great that so many people are now regular customers," says Mr Yim. "We try to be flexible and if someone asks for something that is not on the menu, I will ask the chef if he can cook it for them." This flexibility is echoed in the kitchen where head chef Kaman Lau from Hong Kong brings 10 years of experience and flair. He daily creates a mixture of Cantonese and Thai cuisine that has won many fans. The Bolton Evening News' reviewer certainly found all dishes sampled to be of an excellent standard and well presented.

"It is nice to win awards and to have your work appreciated," admits Mr Yim. "We have a friendly team and we try our best for our customers. Perhaps that is our 'secret'."