The 'eat as much as you can' meal has become extremely popular with the new generation of Chinese restaurants who offer you unlimited access to their food menu for a fixed price.

And if the food is as tasty, mouth-watering and diverse as it is at Peking, a Chinese restaurant I discovered in the centre of Dorking which opened about four years ago, then you are on to a real winner.

My wife and I dropped in on Peking one recent Sunday night, and opted for the Peking Royal Feast menu which was on offer for £13.95 per head (children under 10, £7.95). While those are the charges levied Sunday to Thursday, on traditionally busy Friday and Saturday they rise, understandably, to £15.95 and £9.95. If you order from the restaurant's slightly less exotic menu (a more limited selection in terms of the seafood, for instance), then the charges are Sunday to Thursday, adult, £10.95 (child £5.95) and on Friday and Saturday, £13.95 (child £7.95). All prices quoted are for a minimum of two people.

Glancing at the wine list, I noticed that the house specialities were a couple of French offerings, a dry white and a red Cabernet Merlot, with a range of other wines, sparkling wines and Champagne available. There are also Chinese liqueurs.

Looking at the menu, it was clear that we were spoilt for choice.

We decided not to order the tray of mixed hors d'oeuvres and instead asked for an array of individual starters. These included vegetarian spring rolls, garlic salt and pepper chilli spare ribs, capital spare ribs, stuffed crab claw with minced prawns, garlic salt and pepper chilli soft shellcrab, satay prawn and mussels in black bean sauce.

The appetisers were attractively presented and came with an assortment of sauces. Portions were not huge, all designed for two but more than adequate – with our waitress advising that we were free to order seconds if we so desired.

We swiftly moved onto the mains. We ordered two bowls of special fried rice, and portions of sweet and sour pork balls, king prawn with green pepper in black bean sauce and fillet steak in black pepper sauce.

Out of sheer curiosity I asked to see the dessert menu, which is not included in the cost of the main meal. Leaping out was a real eye-popper: Pride of China. At £3.95, it promised mango ice-cream rippled with passion fruit and garnished with papaya chunks served in an attractive Chinese bowl. It seemed too good to resist and we both ordered one. A bit on the frozen side when it arrived, I left mine to 'defrost' for a little while. I was rewarded for my patience and it was worth the wait. It turned out to be delicious, the mango flavour very pronounced indeed.

It is well that customers are aware of the ground rules at Peking when it comes to ordering from the elaborate and extensive menu. Purely to avoid waste, with customers ordering items on a sheer whim, it has several rules in place. For instance when you order starters and main courses, you are not allowed to order more than five at a time – obviously you can order more when you have finished what you have. The small print on the menu also clearly states: "Additional dishes will only be served while food on table is virtually eaten". In regard to the more elaborate Peking Royal Feast menu, a handful of rather expensive items cannot be reordered. There is a further note warning of a £5 additional surcharge "on any dish left uneaten". So you have been warned.

I mention all of the above as a cautionary note of advice to patrons, not as a criticism of the restaurant's 'no-waste' policy, which in these difficult economic times makes sense.

Peking also operates a takeaway service and free home delivery within a three-mile radius for orders worth more than £20. It is open seven days a week, and also markets a Business Lunch (Monday to Friday) from £4.95 and a variety of Special Set Dinners (minimum two persons) from £26.

This year Chinese New Year fell on Valentine's Day, so Peking is deferring its New Year celebrations to this weekend, Saturday, February 19 and Sunday, February 20. Guests will be treated to a three course meal for £19.95 per head – and the traditional Chinese Lion Dance Show.

Alf De Araujo

At a glance...

Rating: Four stars

Cost for two: £35.80 (including desserts but not drinks and service charge )

Service charge: 10 per cent added to bill

Wine: Good choice

Vegetarian: Plenty to choose from

Parking: Spaces outside (at night), car parks nearby

Disabled access: Yes

Service: Courteous and professional

Value for money: Very much so

The Peking Restaurant

272 High Street

Dorking

RH4 1QT

01306 881222