Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of geomancy. Actually, it’s not so much an art, as a feel for the lie of the land.

Mystics talk about the energy forces that bind the universe, harmonising all things. Arrange your life in accordance with those energies, and you’ll find peace, prosperity and good health, goes the theory. Feng Shui is all about how you can do that. Think leylines, but with an ancient Chinese twist.

It’s all nonsense, of course - particularly when crystal-worshipping westerners use it to justify the arrangement of bath salts around the jacuzzi. But stand on a high Chinese plateau as the sun lowers below the horizon, with the fangs of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rearing to one side and the wind sighing through a bamboo grove that shelters a village of mud-brick huts rising from the earth as though they’ve grown from it, and you can’t help but get a little shiver down the spine...

Feng Shui was briefly fashionable amongst the above-mentioned crystal-worshippers a few years ago: the hygge of its day. That craze died down. But now the term has popped up again in York - in the name of a smart new Chinese restaurant on Fawcett Street.

I’m not entirely convinced the restaurant complies with the precepts of the ancient Chinese art whose name it bears. Its location in the middle of the Fishergate gyratory doesn’t seem all that harmonious - and at rush hour it’s certainly neither peaceful or quiet. Thanks to a handily-placed zebra crossing, however, at least it isn’t too difficult to get to.

Inside, the restaurant has gone for an uber-cool décor of almost unrelieved black that seems very modern and oddly in contrast with its name. But it is airy and spacious enough to carry off the look.

The tables are a reasonable size, and there’s a decent amount of space between them. A long bar occupies one wall, and a serving hatch on another leads through to the kitchen, where you can both see and hear the chefs at work: always a nice touch. Our two waitresses were smiley and attentive.

But what about the food?

There are two menus: one headed ‘English-style Chinese’, the other ‘Authentic Chinese’. From the former, you can order familiar favourites such as spring rolls, crispy duck, beef in black pepper sauce and sweet and sour chicken. From the latter, you can choose ... well, all the things my Chinese wife Lili loves. Dishes such as fried pig’s intestine, stewed pork skin, braised ribbonfish and spare rib soup.

We were hungry, so prepared ourselves for a feast. I couldn’t resist trying at least one dish from the ‘English-style’ menu, and opted for the vegetarian spring rolls (three for £4). For the rest, we stuck to the ‘Authentic Chinese’ bill of fare, ordering a mix of vegetarian dishes for me and meat dishes for Lili: the home-style tofu (£8.80); aubergine in chilli garlic sauce (£8.80); pork intestine fried with green chilli (£9.80); and shredded pork with green soy beans (£8.80). We also ordered boiled rice for two (£3.60), a pot of Chinese green tea to share (£2.00) and a bottle of Tsing Tao lager (£3.50) for me.

When last we visited Feng Shui, soon after it opened, the service was slow. Things have improved since, and we didn't have to wait long for our freshly-cooked dishes to arrive (though we had to prompt the waitress to bring our rice).

The spring rolls were a bit heavy on the sweetcorn for me, and the filling was mushy. But the pastry was crisp and light, and they made a reasonable starter. The 'authentic' Chinese dishes were much better, however.

The tofu came in the form of juicy, chewy triangles of deep-fried dried beancurd. They had a surprisingly spicy kick and a nice, salty overtone from the soy sauce in which they had been cooked. They were served fried with slices of green chilli pepper and garlic, making for a wonderfully warm and satisfying dish for a veggie.

The aubergine was cooked to a lovely, gooey texture that melted in the mouth. It had a rich, exotic flavour, again with a spicy kick. I also filched a couple Lili’s sliced, fried green chillies from her pork intestine dish. They were delicious: juicy, tender with just a bit of bite, and with a lovely clean chilli taste that made the mouth tingle.

Lili was equally impressed with her food. The pork intestine was very tasty, she said, and cooked just right - not too dry, as can sometimes be the case. Her shredded pork, meanwhile, was 'very tender, and very hao chi' (delicious).

We couldn't finish our feast, so our friendly waitress provided a couple of takeaway cartons in which we packed the leftovers - and had them for dinner the next day. The total bill, drinks included, came to just under £50. Given that we got two good meals for the price of one, we left feeling very satisfied.

Feng Shui Chinese Restaurant, 2 Fawcett St, York YO10 4AH

Phone: 01904 466877

Food: Authentic 3.5

Service: Friendly 3.5

Ambience: Modern 3.5

Value: Decent 3.5

Reviews are independent and paid for by The Press