Forget the confusion of a takeaway menu where you can’t decide between sweet and sour or kung po. This box does the deciding for you, and it does it well. You get a glorious array of bits and bobs that, when laid out on the coffee table, look like you spent hours wok-frying.
There are spring rolls that stay crisp (a minor miracle for pre-packed food), aromatic duck and pancakes, and a proper chicken chow mein that doesn't taste like school dinners. The star is usually a dish like sweet and sour chicken or crispy chilli beef—the kind of sticky, tangy, moreish stuff you eat with your eyes closed.
It’s a full banquet designed for two people who are serious about their comfort food but don’t want to fight over the last spring roll. Trust me, the portion size is generous, so you might even have a cheeky forkful for breakfast the next day (no judgment here).
Why should you care? (A little story might help)
Last Friday, my partner and I were that tired. You know the tired—the kind where even deciding what to watch on Netflix feels like a Herculean task. The idea of cooking was laughable, and ordering delivery meant a forty-minute wait and a driver who might miss our street entirely.
IS THIS REALLY WORTH £14.50? M&S Chinese Favourites Takeaway Box | FOOD
So, I said, “Right, we’re having a mock takeaway.” I ran to M&S, grabbed the Banquet Box, and a bag of their salted caramel cookies for dessert. Back home, I tipped the contents onto two plates, poured a glass of red, and we sat on the floor like delighted goblins, dipping, eating, and not talking about work. It was perfect. It wasn't fancy, but it was exactly what we needed.
That’s the magic, really. It turns a mundane Thursday into something that feels like a mini-event. You don’t need a reservation, you don’t need a side order of awkward small talk, and you definitely don’t need to wash up a mountain of pans.
