Opening a new restaurant takes bravery these days and Allan Yeung has to be applauded for his belief that he could make a run-down pub into a successful business. Mr Yeung happened to be passing through Nuneham Courtenay one day when he saw a sign for an open day at what used to be the Harcourt Arms.

For years, this brick-built building had stood empty, a symbol of what has happened to so many village pubs that have fallen by the wayside, unable to make a viable business from a very different society to that when it was built to serve local villagers and travellers.

Inside, Mr Yeung found the building to be in a shocking condition with holes in the roof and evidence of squatting and vandalism.

Effectively it was a shell but in five months he managed to transform the building from a dilapidated wreck into a cool, sophisticated restaurant capable of seating 100 diners comfortably.

Taking local advice, he dropped the Harcourt Arms name as it was not thought to be lucky, and hearing a particularly loud cockerel nearby he re-named it Cockadoo on the spot.

As far as the menu is concerned, Hong Kong-born Mr Yeung has created a pan-Asian theme with the menu a sophisticated fusion of food from Malaysia, Thailand and Europe, clearly designed to cater for a wide range of tastes.

When we entered the building, the first impression was one of space. Mr Yeung has made full use of it and on one side there is a bar area which can be used by locals and passers-by simply wanting a drink or bar snack in comfortable surroundings, while on the right is the main dining room.

This is again spacious and the low lighting, dark wooden tables and attractive carpeting add to the impression of chic splendour.

The menu is also vast and in typical Asian style, a little bewildering. So, typically we settled for the set meal which gave us the opportunity to sample a range of tastes, without having to think too hard about it.

We had to wait about 20 minutes for our starters to appear, so it was fortunate our choice of wine, a fruity French Viognier, was a good one.

But it was worth the wait, as the collection of dishes on the plate looked wonderful complete with intricately carved vegetables on the side.

They included spring rolls, crispy ribs, golden bags, crispy prawns, prawn satay and pickled salad.

I was particularly intrigued by the golden bags which apparently contains a mix of crab and pork, although the satay and ribs were perhaps the best of the bunch. There was also a range of four dips to complement the dishes, which just added to the flavours.

Having waited for the starters, we barely had time to draw breath before the main course arrived. This was another set of dishes heaving with sweet and sour pork, sambal chicken, massaman beef, stir-fried noodles with spring onion and bean sprouts and steamed jasmine rice.

I was particularly fond of the beef with its rich sauce, while the chicken was spicy and the noodles more delicately flavoured. Suffice to say there was little left on the plate by the time we had finished.

Talking with Mr Yeung, I learned he had been an interior designer before he turned his hand to the restaurant game, and this clearly shows in the decor.

And the service was also excellent, with the boss chipping in to help out his waiters and explain the range of dishes to interested customers.

As for the final course, the fusion theme spread to English and even American classics.

I chose cheesecake with a strawberry sauce, while my partner dodged the temptation of a rich chocolate dessert in favour of a stuffed apple pudding.

The cheesecake was sublime, while the apple pudding with its sweet pastry and fruit filling was also good. But both featured a vast array of additions including strawberries, cream, strawberry and chocolate sauce — the list goes on.

It was frankly too much and detracted from two desserts that could quite happily have stood on their own.

But this was a minor quibble after what had been a very good meal.

Now the hard part for Mr Yeung is to develop a reputation that will draw in customers and he is starting to succeed, despite the recession.

I wish him luck, and hopefully Cockadoo will become a mainstay of the Oxfordshire restaurant scene very soon.

Menu: Two set meals, £39; stuffed apple pudding, £4.95; cheesecake, £4.75 Drinks: Wine, £16.50; bottle of water, £3.40

TOTAL: £68.60

Contact: 01865 341030 Web: www.cockadoo.co.uk