Ruskins, Derby Road, Melbourne, Derbys

Ruskins wins "Plain English Award" for it's menu, 3rd year in a row!

(click to enlarge)

I'm sorry, but Friday night is lads night. After a long stressful week at work, there's nothing I need more than a few pints O foamin ale! But when I get a call at 5 0'clock asking would I like to make up the numbers at Ruskins in Melbourne (super sub!) for Dave's birthday, I jump at the chance, and my better half is more than happy.
He's hired the whole place, all 24 seats of this cosy single room restaurant. It's the 1st time in years I've been to an un-licenced restaurant, so a quick jaunt to the Offy for some bottles of our favourite tipple, was pulled-in before our lift arrived.
30 minutes later we're in Melbourne, a village (or is it a town?) with more than it's fair share of quality eateries, most of them congregated around the busy Derby Road. At first glance Ruskins appears to be a house, until I recognised some of the reprobates gathered outside, we'd found it!

Someone with a bit more notice than us had had brought with them, a plastic barrel of the beloved Pedigree Bitter (they probably installed it the previous day, that's planning!). Pint in hand we proceeded to play musical chairs, until everyone was happy with the seating arrangements.

Copies of the extremely difficult to read hand written menu were strewn around the two tables. Unless I'm mistaken, I ordered Scallops wrapped in pancetta, with courgette and scallop fritters, for Bec it was to be large field mushrooms stuffed with spinach, garlic and a type of cheese that we still haven't been able to deduce from this poorly written menu (see above). My scallops were cooked just right and tightly wrapped in salty slivers of bacon, er sorry pancetta, with plenty of leaves and a tangy hollandaise sauce, very bistro style. Bec's plate was also adorned with a heap of leaves, topped with the large mushrooms, still firm yet cooked and oozing with the garlic, spinach and the unknown cheese. Finger lickin good.

Main course I opted for fillet steak, requested rare it came slightly overcooked for me, but with a superb light wild mushroom cream sauce. Bec had the rack of lamb, cooked just right (slightly pink) served with a wine and mint sauce and seasonal broad beans. We both eagerly polished off our plates of food.

To date service had been pretty slow, but to be fair they were trying to serve all 24 guests at once from the tiny en suite kitchen, subsequently we both still felt there was room for a pudd. I'm impressed at the large selection, 12 in total, and all my favourites creme brullé, sticky toffee pudding, baked cheesecake, almond tart, etc, etc. Well I have a confession now, due to the fact that the table was adorned with various bottles of wine, I must have had two glasses on the go! and several pedigree's have been forced down my neck. A week later I can't remember what I chose. I know, I know, bloody ridiculous, but I can tell you that I do recall clearing the plate, so I can safely say, "it was good".

I start to hear words like "taxi" and "how long", next I know we're evicted onto the street. We then proceeded to wait at least an hour before a taxi came to pick us up, by which time I was soaked, tired and wobbling like a jelly at a kids birthday party.

At £30 for three corses, I reckon it's good value, however Dave sprung the entire bill. Top night Dave, thanks!

Ruskins was a little gem, but take it easy on the drinks and definately pre-book your taxi. Hic.
Food 7/10

Service 5/10
Venue 6/10

Tel: 01332 864170

"There were times, I´m sure you knew. When there was f**k, f**k f**k-all else to do" (My Way, Sid Vicious, 1978)

Martin, Friday 15th June 2007

Ebi Sushi Restaurant, 59 Abbey Street, Derby

It's Lads n Dads night, and now no.1 son is nearly 20, we're no longer forced to endure McDonalds or crap pubs with "family" rooms. It's time to take him to one of Derby's best kept secrets Ebi Sushi Restaurant on Abbey Street. "A Sushi restaurant on Abbey Street!?" I hear you saying. Honestly I was as surprised as you, when I first found out.
Named after owner and master of the knife Ebi, this brightly lit café style venue, was allegedly opened to cater for the increasing amount of homesick employees at Toyota in Burnaston.
Most nights getting a table can be difficult, but tonight wasn't a problem. Two cold glasses of Japanese Asahi beer were ceremonially ordered while I deciphered the menu.
I thought I'd go easy on the lad seeing as it was his first time. Six ornate salmon rolls to kick-off with (£4.00), raw salmon coated in sticky rice, neatly wrapped in dried seaweed, and with just a hint of the powerful wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Three pieces each, so far it's neck and neck. Next it was a large bowl of udon noodles with king prawn tempura (£7.80) to share. The clear, salty miso broth came with plenty of large slippery noodles to chase around the bowl, and topped with two large lightly battered king prawns. One a piece, so it's still neck and neck. I didn't want to hit no.1 with wave after wave of raw fish (most people think that's Japanese food in a nutshell, not at all), subsequently it was a plate of Tontatsu (£6.50), pork fillet thinly sliced, bread crumbed and deep fried, and a plate of sizzling Beef Teriyaki (£11.00), fillet steak marinated in the finger lickin Teriyaki sauce, and brought to the table spitting and sizzling. Our chopsticks clashed like swordsmen as we fought to get the slivers of sweet & savoury fillet Teriyaki into our gobs. Divine. Still neck and neck, this could be going to the wire.
No.1 pipes up "Dad, I thought we were going to have more sushi & try some raw fish?". OK, I'll show him, I order 4 pieces of sushi (£2.00 each). Consequently 2 large pieces of raw salmon and 2 plump raw scallop's turned up, each perched on a neat bundle of sticky sushi rice. They were larger than I'd expected. I darted for a salmon piece, no.1 opted for the scallop. The taste is subtle and the fish is extremely fresh, but the texture can be difficult, especially if you think about it too much. To be honest I struggled. No.1 attacks his second piece, loving it! There's one piece of scallop left, I can't face it. No.1 doesn't need to be asked twice. Drat, he piped me at the post!
A neat ceramic bottle of warm Saki rice wine (£6.40), suitable amuses no.1 and washes away any remaining fish tastes for me.
This is a great place, very authentic, but probably a bit expensive for a Thursday night bit of snap, £61.49 is more Saturday night with the missus price. Worth it though, for lovers of probably the healthiest cuisine on the planet.
Food 7/10
Service 7/10
Venue 4/10
Tel: 01332 265656

"I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so" (Turning Japanese, The Vapours, 1980)

Martin, Thursday, 14th June 2007

Anoki, 129 London Road, Derby

I was extremely pleased to hear the news that Anoki is now open on Sunday evenings. So when friends asked if we'd like to go for a ruby one dreary Sunday afternoon, we didn't need to be asked twice!
Housed on the upper floor of an old movie theatre, the dining room features are impressive. An entrance adorned with fresh flower petals, takes you up mirrored stairs to a large room with an ornate curved ceiling, walls dotted with contemporary prints, and a projector screening Bollywood musicals onto a wall, making Anoki's first impressions pretty breathtaking. It doesn't stop here, the staff are some of the most courteous and efficient in town, and certainly the best dressed in their traditional outfits, and the owner Nev invariably on hand to welcome you.
Poppadoms are complementary here, and come with the usual suspects, lime pickle, mint sauce etc, but the presentation is certainly above the norm. No stainless steel serving plates here.
Cold Cobra beers ordered, we hit the menu. Spicy grill selection pour moi (£6.50), a heavenly plate of various chicken and lamb morsels, for Bec it was here favourite Prawn Puri (£5.95), a better than average version of this popular bhuna strength dish, served on hot puri bread. I just love the starters in Indian restaurants, I think it's the heady aromas drifting through the air, they cause my taste buds to shout "order everything!".
The alert staff ensured our drinking vessels were never empty, and the main attraction soon hit centre stage. Chicken Makhani (£11.95)came in an exquisite square bowl with painstakingly hand carved vegetable decorations, as did Bec's Lamb Saag (£11.95), both supported by a bowl of shared pillau rice and a plain nan. The depth of tastes achieved in both dishes was simply adorable. For once I think we got the quantities just right, either that or we were extremely hungry.
Absolutely no complaints, impressive venue, top quality food, exquisite presentation and above average service.
I recently saw an advert for Anoki, the wording said "Not only Derby's best Indian restaurant, but probably Derby's best restaurant" I'm not gonna argue with that!
I tell you what, just writing this has made me hungry "Bec, fancy a curry tonight!?"
Food 9/10
Service 9/10
Venue 9/10
Tel: 01332 292888
www.anoki.co.uk

"I'll take all they can give me. And then I'm gonna ask for more" (Looking After No 1, Boomtown Rats, 1977)

Martin, Sunday 10th June 2007

Navigation Inn, Shardlow, Derby

Phew, what a busy couple of months it's been! I've been fortunate enough to go to The Seafood restaurant (Rick Stein's), Jamie Oliver's award winning 15 Cornwall (Best Restaurant view in the UK award) and more recently Aaron Patterson's Hambleton Hall in Rutland. Lunch here set me back nearly £240 smackers, severely denting my 'eating out' budget for May. Worth every penny though!
Anyway back to the task in hand, it's Sunday, it's sunny and me and the Mrs fancy a run out with a view to having a lunch. "Shardlow" I screech. A quick pint outside the picturesque Malt Shovel then it's back up the road to the Nagivation Inn for lunch.
Taken over a few years ago by Ian & Kim (formerly of various eateries in Nottingham: The Grill Room, etc) This large pub en route to East Midlands airport (I will never call it Nottingham airport!) serves better than your average pub food, with Ian still at the helm. On a sunny day it's perfect with stack's of tables outside and an area the size of an aircraft hanger for the kids to suitable run around. Drink in hand we scoured the printed menu. It was decided a Blue Cheese, potato & bacon salad (£4.90) to share as a starter, Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding with horseradish sauce (£8.50) pour moi & a main size portion of Tuna nicoise (£8.90) for Bec. My pint slipped down well under the warm afternoon sun, but Bec's Pepsi didn't have enough syrup (it was obviously one of those mixer taps) and was just a glass of Pepsi flavoured water. Yuck!
Due to Bec's dislike of strong cheeses, it was down to me to polish off the majority of the starter. No complaints from me. Mains arrived. My large piece of beef was accompanied by an abundant plate of veg, it actually looked like two plates of food, I suggest a different shape receptacle for accompanying veg. I could see Bec wasn't going to be happy with the large quantity of tomatoes & olives that adorned her salad, ah well....... My choice was just what the doctor ordered, beef still a "bit" pink, plenty of veg & gravy, however no horseradish sauce (well nothing that tasted of horseradish anyway). The only real down point was when Bec complained of the Pepsiless Pepsi, no "sorry, can I get you anything else" or "apologies, please accept a fresh one", just nothing! I hope the service doesn't start to let this place down, Ian's a great chef/cook, but you don't need all the hard work you've done in the kitchen, undone by young staff who don't really give a hoot. I recommended the Navigation to a friend a few days later, the friend who I will call Steve Bailey for fear of disclosing his real identity, reiterated my service fears, veg never arrived and they even forgot to bring the change back at the end of the meal.
Guys, tighten the service reigns and you'll have a good gastropub on your hands, not just another pub selling food.
Food 6.5/10
Service 5/10
Venue 7/10
Tel: 01332 792918

"Oh, the heads that turn, make my back burn" (She Sell's Sanctuary, The Cult, 1985)

Martin, Sunday 3rd June, 2007