BLOSSOM Street is one of those odd corners of York that seems to have offered itself up entirely to the tender mercies of the car. A small bedlam of traffic and fumes squashed between the imposing facade of Micklegate Bar and the relative calm and dignity of The Mount.

The Bar Convent does its best to impart some style, the Odeon cinema to tempt those seeking a low-key night out. But anything else that can help reclaim this area of York for people (as opposed to cars) has to be a good thing.

So with some Chinese friends coming to visit we decided to try out the Lee Garden Cantonese Restaurant at 53 Blossom Street, one of York's smaller and probably lesser-known Chinese restaurants.

The Lee Garden is a tiny, single-roomed eatery that opens directly on to Blossom Street. While small, it's pleasant enough inside - half-toned walls in maroon and white, a marble-effect floor, individual tables each covered with fresh pink paper cloths. The theme from Titanic was playing when we entered but, to give an interesting blend of the exotic and familiar, it sounded as though it was being played on an er-hu, an ancient Chinese musical instrument resembling a violin that has an oddly haunting sound. So far so good.

There were a few other diners in the restaurant, which promised well. We seated ourselves at a table for four near the bar that occupies one corner, ordered drinks - two lagers and green tea for four - and pondered the menu.

There were a good range of appetisers, everything from the usual won ton and spare ribs to deep fried squid and seaweed, as well as a selection of soups. I chose the chicken and sweet corn soup (£3.50) while Lili and one of her friends, Liu Lu, opted for the won ton soup (£3.50). Liu Lu's husband, Cui Yonghua, being from Peking himself, chose the Peking hot and sour soup (also £3.50).

My chicken and sweetcorn soup was fine, warm and nourishing, if nothing to write home about. The won ton soup - small parcels of prawn and mince-filled pasta in a thin consomm-style soup - was also perfectly acceptable, Lili said, although a little too salty. Professor Cui said exactly the same about his hot and sour soup.

The range of main courses available was not as extensive as at some Chinese restaurants in York - understandable, given the Lee Garden's small size. But there still seemed plenty to choose from.

We ordered five dishes for the four of us to share; the exotic-sounding wok-fried seafood trio with cashew nuts in bird's nest (£8.50); sliced roast duck with plum sauce (£7.50); stir-fried char sui with seasonal vegetables; chicken curry (£6.50) and deep-fried beancurd with mixed vegetables (£5.50), plus boiled rice all round.

Being allergic to seafood, I didn't try the seafood trio. It looked spectacular, and my companions assured me it was OK, if nothing out of this world. The char sui pork was tasty in that slightly sweet way it has, again without being special, while the roast duck, while also quite tasty, was not by a long way the best we have had. The deep fried beancurd was good, the vegetables which accompanied it varied and nicely crunchy; but the sauce in which it was cooked struck me as a little salty.

The biggest disappointment was the chicken curry. I know you shouldn't go to a Chinese restaurant expecting the best curry in the world, but I'm a big fan of spicy food, and this was quite simply a let-down; a warm, greyish bowl of white chicken pieces and slices of white onion in a grey sauce. While the chef had been generous with the chicken pieces, the dish was bland - warm and peppery rather than a genuine curry.

Overall, the meal was satisfying enough if you were hungry, but not in any way memorable. What made it worse for me was the green tea, which tasted distinctly stale. You rarely get really fresh green tea at a Chinese restaurant in this country: but you should expect fresher than this.

At £59.70 for the four of us, including drinks, our evening at the Lee Garden was a little pricey for what had been an ordinary meal. This was a shame, because the staff were friendly and eager to please, and that end of Blossom Street really could do with a top-notch little eatery to spice it up.

Fact File:

Food: disappointing

Service: friendly

Value: a little pricey

Ambience: pleasant

The Lee Garden Cantonese Restaurant, 53 Blossom Street, York, tel 01904 623317

Updated: 08:41 Saturday, September 07, 2002