A DEBUT night for any restaurant can be nerve-racking for the chef and staff, so I did feel it might be a little unfair to review a restaurant on its first night.

But my friends were so keen to go eat vegetarian, I was persuaded otherwise.

My Kitchen, which opened mid-October, is the only fully vegetarian restaurant in Leigh and, I was told, in the whole of south Essex.

It is fully licensed too, making it all the more appealing, especially as it only stocks wines and sparkling wines made in Essex. It replaces vegetarian cafe Pulse, and has been taken over by its former chef.

While the cafe had a studenty feel, My Kitchen is altogether more sophisticated. The glass front allows plenty of light into the small dinning area, which holds around ten small tables. The decor is modern and simple.

The choice of food is vast and appealing, even to our meat-eating friends with us.

The menu was also cleverly divided into a single price of £3.95 for all starters and £9.95 for the mains, but there was also the option of acheaper lighter meal and a separate children’s menu of healthy meals starting at £2 a dish.

Three of our group decided on the same starter – roast fennel and mango salad.

However, this did not live up to expectations as the fennel was undercooked and chewy and the mango under ripe. As mango is my favourite of all fruit, I was, to say the least, disappointed.

Our other friend though had an excellent halloumi dish in a sweet chilli and plum tomato chutney that was explosive in taste and the rest of us wished we had chosen it instead.

But the mains more than made up for our disappointment. I had a chestnut, leek and mushroom pie, which was everything you could wish for. It had A deep tasty pastry and a filling of chun-ky vegetables with a real autumnal taste of chestnut.

My plate was further filled with wholesome greens and spuds. The others were equally impressed with their ample dishes.

One ordered cheddar cheese and leek sausages with delicious roast garlic and spinach mash, another had really creamy risotto of porcini mushrooms and our other friend who is a keen meat-eater was very im-pressed with her spicy stew.

Normally gluttons for puddings, we were left so full after our mains, there simply was no room for desserts, although again the choice was excellent.

I would definitely return to My Kitchen for its offering of excellent fare at a very reasonable price.

My Kitchen, 80 Leigh Road, Leigh 01702 719222

What we ate:

Roast fennel mango salad: £3.95

Halloumi with sweet chilli and plum tomoato chutney: £3.95

Chestnut, leek and mushroom pie: £9.95

Cheddar cheese and leek sausages with roast garlic and spinach mash : £9.95

Porcini mushroom risotto: £9.95

Our verdict

Atmosphere: 3/5

Food: 5/5

Decor: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Disabled access: Good