YOU would imagine the worst place to be on a diet is in a restaurant where you can eat all you want.

Especially if the food is tasty and of good quality. But I have been pursuing my goal of losing kilos while dining in a Barcelona establishment which is pure culinary Babylon.

Well, not quite Babylon, since it is more far eastern than middle eastern. It is called Wok Dao and is a Chinese buffet joint. I normally disapprove of such places. The cooked food has been lying out for too long. Greedy people heap enough calories on to a plate to feed an African village for a month then throw most of it in the bin.

The Wok Dao is different in that you can choose from an array of fresh seafood, fish, lean meats, and vegetables to have cooked in front of your eyes.

The cuisine is Chinese, Japanese, and Mediterranean with a nod to such Spanish delicacies as jamon and paella.

So where does the diet bit come in? You choose not to have any carbohydrates. No chips, rice, pasta, or noodles. But as much healthy protein as you like.

No heaped plates for me. Being a suave west end type, I construct a degustacion menu of six or seven small courses.

Some salmon from the sushi counter; a selection of the many varieties of prawns on offer; one calamar, a few slices of sepia, and a handful of baby quid; some small scallops in the shell with a scattering of baby clams.

What about main courses, I hear you ask? A salmon fillet with grilled asparagus; a chunk (just the one) of rabo de toro (oxtail to youse) with carrots; a small bit of duck, skin off; and a mere sliver of pig's cheek with roasted red pepper.

Pudding was watermelon, although I did have a spoonful of sorbet and two marshmallows because you can't be a good boy all the time. All this and a bottle of healthy fizzy water for 17 euros.

I also had some lobster. When the platter of lobster is laid out, it disappears in seconds midst scenes of fleetness of foot and martial arts skills.

The Chinese lad at the next table noticed my deficiency in these matters and gave me some of his.

When I lose a few more kilos, my sprinting should be closer to his Olympic standard.