Ma Bo, 16 Nelson Street, Liverpool L1, 2003 • Legendary old-school restaurant in Liverpool’s Chinatown, which has been going over 40 years and still looks the same. It gets generally excellent reviews for food it not decor, for as a eloquent diner here notes: “Inside it’s a 1950’s front room with tables, the room was probably last decorated by Ken Hom’s grandfather. Linoleum and prototype Marley tiles cover the floor; the tables are covered with a very practical if not aesthetically pleasing oilcloth. The chairs, all 31 of them, crowd around the 8 tables like runner ducks at a Beijing bus stop. Interior décor reflects pre Chairman Mao minimalism; a wall calendar of indeterminate period or origin is the only belligerent stab at opulence.”
Shopfront Elegy 