Marble Take Away

Marble Chinese Takeaway trades from Church Street in Cotmanhay, the post-war housing estate that sits north of central Ilkeston along the Erewash Canal. It is the village Chinese for Cotmanhay — close enough for most of the estate to walk, with a proper Cantonese kitchen and a long list of dishes that does considerably more than the bare-minimum sweet-and-sour-and-chow-mein routine.

The kitchen runs a full Cantonese spread alongside a useful Szechuan section. Sweet-and-sour chicken Hong Kong style and the crispy spring rolls turn up in nearly every review; the sizzling stir-fries and the beef in black bean sauce are repeat-orders. Chow mein in the heavier Cantonese style, foo yung, salt-and-pepper ribs and a roast-duck list with both plum and lemon sauce options round out the main book. The kitchen also runs a small set-meal range for two and three, which is what most local households order on a Friday night.

Trading runs Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday from five through to half past ten, with the kitchen closed on Wednesday. The shop's own website handles online orders alongside phone collection, and delivery covers Cotmanhay, central Ilkeston and the residential streets either side of the canal.