Perhaps the only drawback about a buffet of all this choice is where to draw the line between having enough and being greedy.

WHEN I was growing up in the 1970s a buffet was not much more than salad, sandwiches, coleslaw and, if they'd pushed the boat out, the odd mushroom or even prawn vol au vent.

The nearest you'd get to a curry was coronation chicken. And that, as we all know, is served cold.

But life moves on and the buffet at the Chinese Buffet in Halifax has taken things to a whole new level. I'm not sure what the requirements are for a buffet to become a banquet but it's got to be touching that status here.

The reason is the range of food and the quality. With buffets some restaurants will cut corners but it's not the case here.

You could eat anything you want from sushi to dim sum to 10 or more starters to a huge choice of mains.

But where the Chinese Buffet perhaps leaves rivals behind is in the way the food is prepared and served, along with the great service you get.

There is a stir fry bar where you choose your ingredients – steak, prawns, salmon and the list goes on – then choose your vegetables and the sauce as it’s cooking, from garlic to chilli to, well, just make it up as you go along.

It was Father's Day when we went so the price was up from £10.99 to £14.99 per head and here's just some of the dishes that we could choose from for that.

Starters – large prawn crackers, crispy seaweed (and it was crispy), salt and pepper ribs, spare ribs, spring rolls, dim sum, prawn cocktail, a wide range of sushi from salmon to prawn to smoked mackerel, fresh salad and what's this, an onion ring? No way, it’s calamari.

That’s a brief taster.

For mains there was chicken satay, garlic prawns in black bean sauce, king prawn in black bean sauce with green pepper, sweet and sour chicken, beef Cantonese style, roast duck Mongolian style, king prawn and mixed meat curry, stir fry mushrooms in ginger and spring onion and mussels Szechuan-style, aubergine in green pepper and black bean.

This, my friends, is by no means a comprehensive list – just some of the highlights. In short, if you can’t fill your plate several times over then your tastebuds have gone on strike.

Every dish seems to have taken the traditional Chinese taste … and then made it bigger. Ingredients such as onions and green peppers are cut large and crunchy and for those wanting a spice rush go for the chicken satay or the Szechuan mussels. Best to put a bit of each in distinct spots on your plate rather than pile it all on and then you can see just how distinct and varied each dish really is.

And if one in your party claims not to like Chinese food they'll cook you a steak on the grill and there's plenty of chips alongside the never-ending supply of noodles and rice.

Perhaps the only drawback about a buffet of all this choice is where to draw the line between having enough and being just plain greedy. You can go back as many times as you want. Just leave your plate on the table when you go for the second, third or fourth helping and by the time you return it’s been cleaned away by the staff who are friendly, helpful and, most important of all, efficient.

Some buffets may cut corners when it comes to dessert but not here, not on this day. There was a chocolate fountain to dip marshmallows in, sticky toffee pudding, an ice-cream machine, cream-filled mini eclairs and profiteroles, cream scones, mini cakes, pancakes made to order and, er, fruit.

The place has high ceilings, subdued mood lighting and has a feeling of plenty of space despite the number of tables in there. Pop music is turned up beyond background status but is not in your face enough to interfere with talking.

The restaurant can get noisy when full. Seats are comfortable and the toilets also done to a high spec and clean.

Drinks such as coke come in large glasses and the staff will provide tap water in jugs.

My eight-year-old summed up what he thought of it all when he said: “Every time we go out for a meal can we come here?”

Although having said that, he did spend an inordinate amount of time at the chocolate fountain.

Chinese Buffet

Unit 1, Broad Street Plaza, Broad St, Halifax, HX1 1YH

Tel: 01422 354001

Website: www.thechinesebuffet.com/restaurants/halifax/

Opening hours: Noon to 10.30pm all week except Sundays until 9.30pm

Children: Absolutely

Disabled: Yes, spacious dining area and disabled toilet

The bill: £125.63 for eight

Would you go back? Certainly