It’s been a few months since I’ve visited Six By Nico in Liverpool but the Hanoi menu was too tempting to miss and so I booked to take two friends on a Saturday when we opted for a 9 p.m. slot which worked really well as by that time things were winding down slowly and the restaurant wasn’t as lively as it can be. I have said before how much I admire the staff at SBN as, without exception, their front of house people are friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable about the food and wines they are serving. Heaven knows how they memorise such graphic descriptions of each course as it arrives but their informed introductions are always so helpful. I must however make special mention of Gary and Logan, both of whom went the extra mile in making our evening special, even changing our original table as a result of my completely irrational OCD! We embraced the whole menu, beginning with the most heavenly rum-based aperitif and the “snacks” – shrimp crackers with a peanut sauce and crispy oyster mushrooms with pickled vegetables and a chilli & lemongrass sauce. If you didn’t know they were mushrooms this dish could have been a delicate exotic meat. One of my companions professed a dislike of mushrooms when this dish arrived but thoroughly enjoyed every delicious mouthful. The first course was a shellfish foam that really tastes of the sea with such a deep flavour accompanied by avocado, grapefruit, crispy noodles and wild rice – a mixture of textures and flavours that really worked so well. We followed with a crispy prawn dish with several contrasting accompaniments of varying colours and flavours. I find that these sides add so much to SBN dishes and are testament to the genius of Nico’s creative team and their imagination. The third course was smoked beef with a rich bone marrow sauce, coriander and the crispiest beansprouts. Next came a beautiful serving of cod with a coconut and coriander chutney, Vietnamese curry and bok choy decorated with a tasty crisp strip known as Banh Da. This challenged the mushroom snack as my favourite dish of the evening. Course Five was tamarin glazed succulent chicken breast with a sweet potato hash, burnt mango and a crispy salad. Finally we had another of Nico’s magical desserts, and I speak as someone who is never particularly bothered about dessert. A toasted rice and palm sugar centrepiece was complemented by a lime and ginger mousse and kumquat, all perfectly presented as is the norm at SBN. Even though everyone was busy clearing up, the staff were perfectly happy for us to round off a magnificent meal with a nightcap in the bar area when I settled the bill. Friendly staff can make or break any meal, regardless of the quality of the food. It remains a mystery to me how SBN maintain their prices; £37 for a superior six course tasting menu with a further £30 for matching wines is insanely good value but the result is that Six By Nico is never short of customers and early booking is always essential. Interest is maintained when diners eagerly await the next theme as the menu changes every six weeks, so I look forward next month to experiencing Greece! Once again we had a memorable evening with exquisite food, newly met wines and the best possible service.