FOOD REVIEW: Spice Market Cafe, Ecclesall Road
SO the season of merrymaking is in full swing and most of us have chomped our way through enough mince pies and turkey dinners to weary even the liveliest of palates.
If you're longing for a meal that's guaranteed to spark the tastebuds, then the latest arrival in Ecclesall Road is right up your street – and the 'no reservations' policy means it won't be booked up.
Spice Market Caf is the eagerly awaited new offering from BrewKitchen, the Sheffield group that includes Artisan, Canteen and the Cricket Inn at Totley.
Master Chef Richard Smith is the culinary force behind it and, once again, he seems to have hit upon the perfect ingredient to round off the company's offer. The Spice Market borrows elements from each of the other outlets but is, essentially, different from all of them.
"An exciting mix of the fantastic cuisines of Asia with the British love affair with spices," burbles the publicity leaflet. "Let us take you on a journey of cooking through Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Malaysia, all with a great British take."
To be honest it sounds like a recipe for disaster. The kind of place that's hedging its bets; trying to cater for every taste; doing a bit of everything – and none of them well. But for once I'm happy to be proved wrong.
The caf is on the site of the former Santino's Italian restaurant, latterly Azzurri. But the poky space, once two separate shops, has been opened out into a single room with a bar in one corner and smart slatted-wood screens hiding doors to the new kitchen and toilets.
White walls and stone-tiled floor present a blank canvas for quirky features including six clocks showing the time in Beijing, Bangkok, Tokyo, New Delhi, Jakarta – and Sheffield. The minimalist look is a master stroke: clean, sharp and contemporary, allowing the food to take centre stage.
That aim is further highlighted by a 21st century take on the open kitchen: two wall-mounted screens giving a fly-on-the-wall view of the chefs at work.
Initially that stars a veritable Who's Who of local gastronomic talent, including award-winning head chef Jack Baker (who has moved over from the Cricket Inn), newly-appointed executive chef Les Rennie (who already has a Michelin star), and other BrewKitchen luminaries including Smith himself.
"It's been a bit of a learning curve and we've all been helping out," says Richard's wife and fellow director Victoria Smith. "It's so different from anything else we've done, it's a real challenge. But we're really enjoying it."
The team have worked together on the menu, drawing up a final selection that features appetisers, snacks, main courses and puddings from each of the different cuisines, as well as bento box lunches and naanwiches.
You won't find onion bhajis and Japanese miso broth alongside tandoori salmon, Thai green curry and sticky toffee pudding on many menus. In fact you'd imagine the spicey flavours might clash but somehow they don't.
My only complaint is a lack of set menus for parties of fewer than six: it's difficult to imagine how the different dishes will go together and some guidance would be helpful.
The drinks menu is designed to match the breadth of choice, offering 30 wines (starting at 15 per bottle), sake, cocktails and beers including Cobra and Kingfisher as well as local ales. We settle down with glasses of fruity house red (South African Drakensberg, 3.95) to apply ourselves to the task of ordering.
This may be a more overtly commercial enterprise than we are used to from BrewKitchen but don't expect Canteen prices – starters are around 6, mains between 9 and 20, puddings 5 and nibbles cost extra.
I start with Spice Market prawn cakes, a Smith special, which are firm, meaty and beautifully served on a leaf-lined dish. They come with a wedge of lime and three dips – fragrant Thai-style, sweet chilli and spicy mayonnaise – which should be approached with caution, as my streaming eyes and smarting tongue testify.
My companion is impressed with his Bengali sweet potato cake: a soft, crisp-fried pure served with chickpea relish and Yorkshire Blue cheese.
We can also vouch for the delicious lemongrass-scented chicken and coconut soup and crisp-coated king prawns with onion tempura, which Jack later insists we try.
Presentation is excellent but not at the expense of portion sizes; customary Smith-style hearty servings are de rigueur.
Four-hour braised lamb shank is a veritable monster, cooked spicy rogan josh-style, fall-off-the-bone tender and dished up with coriander mash, green veg and naan bread.
My noodle bowl of Japanese miso broth is crammed with noodles, crisp broccoli, sugarsnaps, bean sprouts and savoury onions, topped with carved, pan-fried chicken breast and fresh coriander. It's tasty, great value at 9 and a complete meal in itself.
I'm not in a fit state to even consider dessert but my companion presses on manfully. The sticky toffee and ginger pudding – complete with wonderful buttery sauce and vanilla ice cream – is pronounced "divine".
We complete our meal with good americano coffee and mini bamboo steamers of coconut and chilli fudge. Dinner for two, excluding drinks and service, is 41.
Verdict: if variety is the spice of life, this restaurant is aptly named. It's the perfect answer for those with eclectic food tastes – and the perfect antidote to turkey and mince pies.
Open: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm and 5-10pm for meals; Sat & Sun noon-10pm; closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day only.
Spice Market Caf, 371-373 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield (0114) 266 5541.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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