My meal at Maggie Fu sadly didn't start quite as well as I'd hoped. A series of unfortunate events (including a mix-up about where to wait for our table and then it subsequently being given to some woman called Sandra) left me slightly agitated and hungrier than ever.
There's been quite a fuss about this place over the past few months. Queues out the door are a regular occurrence and barely a day goes by where I don't see one of their famous noodle bowls whilst I'm scrolling through my Insta. I was keen to get stuck in, and whilst I felt like having a strop and side-eyeing poor Sandra, I tried to remember that (in the immortal words of D:ream) things can only get better and, thankfully, they did.
I imagine you've gathered from the pictures already that Maggi Fu isn't your traditional Chinese restaurant. It's a super modern, glass-fronted affair with walls of black and white graffiti, an open kitchen and a shed-load of pink neon. Ordering is done at the bar and paid for up front and the food comes fast.
One bite of our first dish and I was satisfied that the waiting was worth it- a bloody big wedge of Prawn Toast, at least an inch thick. Find me another place in Liverpool that does proper prawn toast like this and I'll be surprised.
The Korean Wings, coated in a spicy sweet and sour glaze were crisp but tender and well worth mopping up sticky fingers afterwards. The Hoisin Duck Bao weren't quite packed to the hilt but there was a good balance of soft and crunchy inside those fluffy little buns.
The Crispy Chilli Beef lived up to the hype and came in a pretty generous serving,too. I've had some sorry excuses for chilli beef over the past few months but this one was perfect- soft meat with a tangy sauce and a decent whack of spice at the end. The Salt and Pepper Fries (and Sui Mai for that matter) were also good but just needed a touch more 'salt and peppering'.
As Chinese food goes it's everything you'd expect from your regular Chinese menu but done much better and at less than £40 for a DIY banquet and a couple of beers it was definitely value for money.
Would I wait again? Absolutely. But next time I'll make sure I'm not as hangry.
x
In the interests of transparency I was not invited to review Maggie Fu and I paid for this meal in full. As always all words, thoughts & pictures are completely honest and my own!