FORGET the nation's favourite chicken tikka masala or even pizza marinara, garlic bread with tomato and the tastiest of Chinese starters.

While such culinary delights would undoubtedly feature in my takeaway top 10 there is only one dish that will ever occupy the number one slot.

As far as I am concerned you cannot beat the combination of steak pudding, chips, peas and gravy as the perfect meal and similarly you would be hard pressed to beat the serving from Haslingden's New Happy Fish -- which confusingly bears the name the Golden Fish and is also known locally as Alan's in reference to a former fryer at this Chinese takeaway and chip shop.

The Chinese menu is varied, reasonably priced and I'm assured the standard of the Oriental output of the New Happy Fish is excellent. Only I'm afraid I've never actually got that far.

You see the chips are too good to miss and you get a massive portion for your money. If you are extra-canny you can ask for your chips and pudding to be served seperately from the peas and gravy which inevitably leads to an even bigger portion as the server is not restricted to trying to get everything into a tray.

Altogether two portions come to about a fiver, so even if you go for a range of optional extras such as a teacake and can of Diet Coke each everything comes in at under £7.

Good value compared to the more exotic takeaway choices and just as good.

NEW HAPPY FISH

Manchester Road, Haslingden

TASTE 10

TEMPERATURE 10

VALUE 8

SPEED 9

CHOICE 9