WHEN it was Nottingham's hot new food-and-drink destination, Chino Latino looked very much like a restaurant of its time. Ah, 2003. Gordon Ramsay made us laugh, George W Bush made us cry. And in kitchens across Britain, the whole "fusion" mania was at its pinnacle.

Modern pan-Asian mixed with influences from around the world, dressed up in sleek, modern surrounds and aided by bar staff who knew their way around a cocktail. As trends go, it wasn't a bad one.

Thing is, trendy restaurants come and go. And while it may have benefited from a time-sensitive mania when it first opened, the continued success of this popular Maid Marian Way restaurant and bar gives the idea that there's a lot more behind it than merely being able to find the cutting edge.

It's that quality behind the hype that's kept top chef Paul Thacker, and much of his team, in the same place for some time. Paul's been with Chino Latino since it opened; it's five years since he had a chef leave.

Paul refers to Chino Latino as a theme-style restaurant – the theme being that modern, pan-Asian vibe they've cooked up. And he says that usually, when it comes to five-year plans with theme-style places, you're not talking about chefs leaving.

"Usually with theme-style restaurants, they're lucky to last five years," he says.

The menu, which continues to include established Chino Latino favourites, offers up delectables such as spicy tuna roll, Korean spiced lamb cutlets and a dessert platter including the green tea creme brulee.

Then there's the sushi. Chino Latino has always done well at night, but lately Paul's been thinking about expanding the lunchtime business. That means bento boxes.

For the uninitiated, those are the little Japanese compartmentalised boxes filled with a bit of seafood sushi here, some veg there, maybe some edamame beans over there.

"It's quite cool – it's a whole meal in one," Paul says of the four-compartment boxes. "It's a one-stop lunch. It's all there in one box."

More sushi-based items are also making their way onto the main menus.

Among the chefs is a Far East-trained sushi specialist who's been busy concocting new dishes. Now's the right time for it, Paul reckons.

"It's just to lighten up the flavours for the summer, get this place to work with the seasons," he says.

"Sushi is probably the perfect thing to eat during the summertime. We're trying to make it more accessible for summertime."

When he talks about the new menu, Paul uses words like "streamlined", "lightened up" and "refined". In money-conscious times they've added a taster menu for two people (they previously just did the taster for a minimum of four).

There are more vegetarian dishes sprinkled into every section of the menu as well. He struggles to think of one particular dish that he'd highlight above the others.

"The whole menu has turned out to be a success, to be honest," he says.

Paul also wants to make clear that this is a tweaking, not a reinvention. Chino Latino didn't get to where it is by changing with fads.

"We're trying," Paul says, "to up our game."