1 day Ago
A new restaurant has opened which has proved something of an unlikely hit. If you want a weekend table at a vaguely civilised time you have to book at least two weeks in advance. Which is unheard of in Northallerton – at least since the glory days of the Romanby Court, which will only mean something to people of a certain age it’s that long ago.
Open since February, Soju by Sumo is a Chinese restaurant but not as you may have previously known Chinese restaurants in this part of the world. Much has been made of the heated and illuminated toilet seats in the loos and diners being greeted at the entrance by a drum roll, but there’s more to it than what might be be considered gimmicks. (Image: Malcolm Warne) Firstly, the interior defies easy description.
A cross between a New York loft style apartment and a tropical rain forest, there are textured surfaces everywhere, from the industrial elements to the luxury wall coverings. It’s novel. It’s fresh.
It’s also a bit unlikely because of the location – in the Treadmills. That’s the rather doom-laden name for the redevelopment of Northallerton’s former prison. Has the Treadmills mixed retail, leisure, hospitality and office development been an unqualified success? Well, at this point you would have to say probably not.
But you have to acknowledge that the project was conceived in another time, pre-Covid, when all things might have seemed possible – and sustainable. As things stand, I would say the cinema is a success – even though some might argue that its prices mean that is not for Everyman (or woman). The Governor’s House remains but the Universities of York and Sunderland have vacated the campus building and Barclays Bank’s Eagle Lab – “supporting start-up businesses and entrepreneurs to scale-up and grow” – has long since flown.
But despite all this Soju has taken the unit next to the cinema overlooking the central square. On a Thursday afternoon at 5pm – the only time we could get a table at relatively short notice – that square looked a bit desolate, the Governor’s House opposite having closed at four and there were very few folk about. (Image: Malcolm Warne) We noticed only because all the diners were allocated tables in that part of the restaurant and despite us struggling to book, the place was almost empty at that point.
A large section of the restaurant which looks out on to East Road was unused. It is clear that Soju is managing its bookings so as not to overwhelm its staff in what might be considered the early days of the venture. Which I guess is sensible but a little discombobulating when the apparent scarcity of tables during the online booking process is not born out by the reality.
No matter. The food is out of the ordinary for those of us whose Chinese restaurant experiences are framed by such dishes as chow mein and chop suey. (Image: Malcolm Warne) It is pricey but value is enhanced by additional little dishes – amuse bouche, I guess – in the form of complimentary starters and desserts.
Before our starters we were served with little dishes of bamboo shoots dressed in something tangy and after our mains came some very thin, very fragant coconut milk custard with sago pearls - remember the frogspawn of school dinners back in the day? We weren’t particularly excited by either of these but our starters were fabulous. Sylvia’s crispy duck salad (£10.90) was declared “spectacularly delicious” – good chunks of duck with hoisin sauce, sesame seed sauce, organic leaves and strawberries.
My salt and pepper squid (£9) managed to be exactly the right level of saltiness and pepperiness. So often this dish is ruined by over-seasoning which obliterates the flavour of the squid. Our mains of Singapore king prawn curry (£18) and sweet and sour chicken (£14.
90) were a bit more of a mixed bag. The curry was top notch, the prawns were the appropriate size for their royal status, the sauce fragrantly rich and creamy. (Image: Malcolm Warne) Sylvia was a bit underwhelmed by the chicken – more batter than meat she reckoned.
Sides of jasmine and egg fried rice (£3 and £4) were extra. Everything was beautifully and stylishly presented. The bill was £89.
71 which many will think is a bit steep but it did include a ten per cent service charge which we were very happy to pay – the young team were universally smiley, courteous and helpful – and some drinks. They included a G&T (£6.75) and a negroni cocktail (£12) which was unlike any negroni I’ve ever tasted.
Not unpleasant but certainly not the classic recipe. I think they had used a white vermouth rather than rosso. The only other quibble was the cutlery provided if you didn’t fancy wielding chopsticks.
Beautifully stylish but darned uncomfortable to hold. Soju by Sumo 6 The Treadmills, Northallerton DL6 1AU Tel: 01325 804846 Web: sojubysumo.co.
uk Open: Wed to Thurs, noon to 2.30pm, 5-10pm; Friday noon to 2.30pm, 5-11pm; Sat noon to 11pm; Sun noon to 8pm.
Ratings (out of ten) Food quality 9, Service 9, Surroundings 9, Value 7.
