Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, she was impressed with Harrogate’s DOMO Japanese Cuisine.
A good friend of mine whose culinary expertise I have great respect for told me I should visit Domo Japanese Cuisine on Montpellier Walk here in Harrogate. He had a fabulous takeaway as a birthday treat at home, so intrigued, I made my way to Domo. Domo is on the site of what was Lord’s Restaurant, which then became Van Zellers Restaurant. Tom having a terrific reputation as a chef and was lorded by the eminent food critic Marina O’Loughlin. Much has changed since then, as one would expect, and the style is now dark, atmospheric and simple. It makes a nice change from so many overgilded establishments.
This is an authentic Japanese restaurant and before the pandemic Japanese style of food was very in vogue amongst the great chefs of our country. As all chefs tend to do to cement their own style and identity, they play with styles and tastes. With the very warm weather that we have had recently, there were two little tables and chairs outside, one of which my young man and I took watching the world go by. Interestingly enough we watched Fisk, the fish restaurant opposite, fill quickly and easily.
It was a warm summer lunchtime as we studied the menu and on offer was a Bento Box. The choices of chicken, salmon, spicy BBQ beef or sushi, all served with a miso soup came in the form of a Bento Box.
The spicy beef bento box
There was of course an extensive menu with the style of dishes you would expect.
My young man chose the spicy beef bento box at £9.50 and myself the spicy tuna with sesame and ponzu with a bowl of rice at £14.00. The charming lady taking my order explained to me that the tuna would be rare – and I would have been disappointed had it not been so! The arrival of this dish was beautifully presented and the flavours were sensational. It reminded me of a dish that I experienced in a Michelin Starred restaurant that was beautifully crafted – but it didn’t have the wow factor I was experienced Domo. This was a lovely dish and if this is an indication of all the other dishes on offer, Harrogate is a very lucky place!
Frances’ spicy tuna with sesame and ponzu, with a bowl of rice
While on the subject of how food should be cooked, often the opinion of the chef seems to differ from the opinion of the guest. As we always ask guests how they would like their red meat cooked, perhaps we should do the same with fish?
My young man’s Bento Box came with the miso in a lovely little bowl and was once again so refreshing and stimulating to the palate. The actual box contained tofu, rice, sushi, BBQ beef and a little salad. At £9.50 for the complete meal, it was excellent value.
We were left feeling that we had a healthy and satisfying lunch and look forward to revisiting.
Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise Food at Daleside Nurseries, alongside fellow Michelin-starred chef Roger Olive and front of house manager John Tullett.
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Stray Foodie: Restaurant EightyEight, Grantley Hall review
Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. This week, Frances reviews Restaurant EightyEight at Grantley Hall.
The Japanese Garden at Grantley Hall is an amazing idyllic garden that has been created in this beautiful manicured establishment that sits in a dell of ancient trees and waterways.
Such creativity has been matched by the new Restaurant EightyEight Head Chef Shane Zhao… a lady Chef – hurrah!
Japanese Garden dessert
Being impetuous by nature, I have to tell you about the dessert FIRST. Shane has produce a sublime experience which is in keeping with the surroundings. Yuzu, Black Sesame and Raspberry are woven into a dish called the Japanese Garden. It was perfectly balanced in texture and on the palate, and a beauty to behold, instilling a lasting memory of a great experience.
First Impressions
On arrival at Grantley Hall my young man and I drove down the side of a waterway with an exquisite duck house, around the wild flower garden and into the car park for Restaurant EightyEight. Getting out of the car I thought I must have left the car radio on, which was funny as I didn’t have the radio on! The music came from the bushes in the car park, and it seemed to be somewhat at odds with the general tranquillity.
We walked down to the restaurant and were seated in a very atmospheric bar with great lighting, orchids on the walls and ceiling, and beautiful Oriental tables. Staff were proud, helpful and conscientious for our wellbeing.
Starter
Fighting shy of the usual large tasting menus (£65 per person for 8 courses), purely because of quantity, we were advised to have small plates to share to start with. These consisted of Korean Fried Cauliflower with a Chive Aioli; this is a sensational dish and the most humble one at £8 on the menu. One of the best treatments of Cauliflower I have ever eaten.
We also had Scallops with a pea puree, a bow to seasonality (£19.50) and Duck Liver with Blood Orange Marmalade (£18.50). These starters set the talented style of what was to come.
Main Course
Miso Glazed Sea Trout with Sesame Charred Asparagus, Shrimps and Fennel
Our main courses again, we shared. Flame Grilled Whole Quail, Smoky Aubergine Puree, Spiced Sausage & Pickled Cucumber (£29) was delightful. The Smoky Aubergine Puree an absolute hit as far as I was concerned with the Pickled Cucumber balancing the edge of the Smoke.
We are in the season for Sea Trout and Asparagus now, so therefore I felt it was appropriate to see how these ingredients were executed, with the Miso Glazed Sea Trout with Sesame Charred Asparagus, Shrimps & Fennel (£28). What a joy! It was the sort of dish that you would like to have ordered another one. The flavours of these two dishes were exceptional. It might have been nice to have been recommended some form of carbohydrate with these very elegant dishes, but hey, would I want to ruin such balanced flavours?
The Verdict – 4 stars
I can’t wait to return to the lovely terrace area overlooking the garden and to sample more of Chef’s Vegetarian and Vegan Menus if they are as great as the cauliflower..
The wines by the glass were slightly underwhelming. There was plenty of choice by the bottle, but who needs big wines with food like this?
I know bookings are in great demand. We felt very fortunate to be there and it is some time I have been wowed to this extent!
Well worth it and I am saving up for my next visit.
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Stray Foodie: Yorkshire Michelin-starred chef becomes food reviewer
The Stray Ferret is delighted to announce that legendary Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins, will become… the Stray Foodie!
Frances owned the renowned Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge for 20 years, where she held a Michelin star for 16 of them.
Now Frances is now turning her talent and experience to food reviewing.
From fine-dining restaurants to pop ups, Frances will be visiting all types of catering establishments and writing a review for the Stray Ferret.
Her first review will be published on The Stray Ferret next week on Saturday, September 26.
Frances told The Stray Ferret:
“I would see it as my job to encourage people to stay safe, take care, but at the same time enjoy what is on offer at the moment.
“I’m hoping that [my reviews] will encourage people to visit our industry more and not to be so worried about these times because most people in the hospitality industry are over-cautious now and they care about their customers.
“A friend of mine said to me the other day that he loves reading food reviews because they paint a picture for him, and he feels as if he is there and enjoying it. It also stimulates him to try new dishes at home himself and broadens his horizons, so he absolutely loves them.
“As for business owners, every business wants to be busy; it’s a form of advertising that people will read and see, rather than the establishment just saying they’re the greatest – there’s nothing like word of mouth.
“Also, if somebody builds up a following, a trust, that’s something I have to achieve. I think it’s important that the owners have a confidence in us to want to advertise with us.”
Frances Atkins pictured outside her airstream bus business Paradise Foods.
Frances discusses the possible challenges she may face when writing her reviews.
She said:
“It’s particularly important to give a clear picture of the feeling of the place in the first instance and first impressions. I think it’s important to take a positive view rather than a negative view because everybody’s opinions are always different, and I think during these times it’s very important to produce positive and honest feedback.
“It could be a challenge for me to make sure I don’t let my professionalism interfere with a review on a place that may be structured slightly differently to the way I would run it. Also, not to enjoy myself too much because I’m very good at forgetting when I’m enjoying it – on the other hand, if I am enjoying myself to that degree then that must be a good thing.”
“For me this is an exciting new world, away from the stove – and that’s how I see it. The benefit I see is having a great experience seeing other people’s style and the way people do things.”
“I wouldn’t be criticising; I will be writing about an experience. It’s something that I find exciting because I want to put my experience onto paper.”
After leaving the Yorke Arms, Frances converted an airstream bus into a mobile kitchen business, Paradise Foods, and stationed it at Daleside Nurseries in Killinghall. She was joined by her previous colleagues, John Tulett and Roger Olive.
Are you a restaurant in the Harrogate district – from pop-up to fine dining? Would you like Frances to review your establishment? If so, send her an email to: foodie@thestrayferret.co.uk.