The open kitchen which gives this new restaurant its name is strikingly impressive – immaculate, silvery, spacious and meticulously organised. Along with bottles of olive oil, rows of fresh fruit and vials of orchids have been neatly compartmentalised along the walls. It’s a very contemporary-looking place, but homely at the same time.

Your gregarious waiter will serve excellent bread on arrival, always a good sign – crumbly, seed-heavy and brown with a freshbaked crispy edge. On to the starters, and with a perfectly pitched balance between sweetness and spiciness, the tom yan goong soup, with prawns, shrimps, straw mushrooms and lemongrass, is a joy to consume. The smoked salmon, served simply with two slices of toast, is fresh but fairly routine.

Their well-portioned pizzas, made with fresh basil leaves, segments of artichoke and gooey mozzarella are an excellent choice, if a little lacking in the vegetarian department. Meat-eaters, meanwhile, are spoilt for choice. Galvanised by sprinklings of hoi sin, chilli sauce, and a squirt of lime, the nasi goreng, an Indonesian dish, is a tasty meal with a whole fried egg sitting on a layer of rice, skewers of chicken satay, a lump of fried chicken, and prawns that twist into themselves like curly fries. The skewers come with generously chunky peanut sauce and the fried chicken is succulent and tactfully spiced. The duck breast with honey, shallots and mushrooms, is deftly smoky, thanks to it’s tandoor preparation, and the meat is sweet, if not entirely succulent.

Boasting no fewer than 14 different types of chocolate, the dessert buffet is cruel, irresponsible and potentially lethal to anybody remotely concerned about weight gain. Nearly all the items are delicious and of a high quality. Thick, fluffy, and with a delicious biscuit base, the cappuccino cheesecake is marvellous, and a wonderful chocolate cake, rich with cocoa, is even better. We particularly admire The Kitchen’s gentrified interpretation of the deep fried Mars bar – Scotland’s latest gift to the culinary world – but we won’t expect to find deep-fried truffles in chip shops anytime soon. Also available are melt-in-the-mouth cookies full of chunky chips, choc-covered dried fruits, and a pleasantly smooth white chocolate mousse. After the sheer indulgence of sampling all 14 items you’ll feel very guilty indeed, but will be secure in the knowledge that this meal at The Kitchen is worth every single inch added to your waistline.