Sushi is fantastic. It's fresh, flavoursome and is a very clean option of eating out. Independant restaurants like Nudo and St. Sushi do it very well, even the culinary conveyor belt franchise Yo! Sushi do a decent job. In fact, even bleeding Tescos have had a stab at knocking up these all-natural fishy delights. All have helped commercialise what was a less well known variant of oriental cuisine just 10 years ago. There's only one issue the Fat Spoon has with Sushi....how the hell is four measly bits of salmon, a slither of avocado and handful of rice supposed to fill you up?! Thankfully Tenji has the sashimi solution that everyone has been waiting for - a Japanese buffet restaurant. You'll half expect a katana-brandishing Uma Thurman to fly over the buffet counter and kick you in the face as you walk into this stunning Japanese styled restaurant given how much it looks like a movie set. The lowered seating area is particularly cool. A bountiful variety of sushi, sashimi, crab, mussels and scallops over ice is an ideal start to your dining experience here. But it doesn't stop there, they also offer a horde of authentic curries, steamed dishes, spicy noodles and soups. Look out for the slow cooked oxtail and belly pork stews, they've got enough flavour to make you have a minor accident in your pants. Excellent. There's even a chef on hand to casually grill the life out of a selection of delicious meats at the Teppanyaki station, including heart skewers on occasion! Got a sweet tooth? Not to worry, they even cover desserts, including the well known Japanese classic ... macarons! The evening buffet might be a little pricey for some, however they offer an eye-watering drinks deal for diners. All inclusive drinks for a mere £6, including Tsing Tao, house wine and warm Sake...making a trip to this house of rising stomachs well worth it. 86%
Who'd have thought it... Apparently American food doesn't have to been grotesque, greasy and covered in dubious cheese. Someone tell those very mediocre American diners of Newcastle that they can hang up their bbq sauce covered aprons and turn the fryers off.....they know who they are. dAt bAr is yet another new kid on the block, brilliantly located near Monument. And in the fight or die scenario that all new restaurants and bars are faced with in their opening months, dAt bAr comes into the ring with more fight than a smackhead radgie on match day, with horns. They've done everything right, combined a smooth but vibrant atmosphere with great food and an exemplary selection of local and not so local beer. The perfect place for a man date or to treat a lady or to take your mam next Sunday....it's that accommodating. The starters are interesting and worldly inspired...a fresh outlook that definitely trumps the done to death fried calamari and potato skins that you'd usually find in a bar-restaurant. The American influence comes in with the mains...super succulent steak, burgers and pulled pork, as well as innovative sourdough pizzas. The menu looks and sounds fun, which really complements the funky vibe at dAt bAr. Interesting quirks like their beef being sourced from "The Fat Butcher" (possibly a relative of the Fat Spoon) and their mix-and-match charcuterie Berkel Boards will make any visit to this joint truly enjoyable. And the pizzas are there to give those funny vegetarian-types plenty of choice...how considerate! Some of the staff are newbies (so may be a little awkward) and the beer prices aren't exactly student friendly but at least there's LOTS of it! Definitely worth a visit soon! 87%
Just a stones throw away from the (relative) bustle of Haymarket is what seems to be a new installation of actual Turkey (the country, not the munter of a bird). That being an exceptionally authentic three storey cafe/tower serving delicious home cooked Turkish cuisine. You may begin to question your safety as you climb the first hostel-like stairway, but once you're tackled with the distinct aroma of their open BBQ grill coupled with an almost agressive amount of spice and garlic, you will know you've made a solid choice. These sorts of establishments can be judged on your inabilty to pronounce the names of dishes, the more drunk you sound...the better the selection; and at Istanbul they don't disappoint! Here they over a wide range of healthy but flavoursome grilled meat dishes, all of the expected classic hot and cold mezze dishes as well as those taste infusion dishes involving lamb and lentils and aubergine that you would expect from a proper Turkish diner. They also have some interesting breakfast dishes and some frankly weird desserts for the bold. As is also typical with such places the food is very very well priced, the decor is plain ugly and the staff are a little moody - possibly incapable of smiling at all first, though a few jokes in they'll warm to most people. But thats part of the package, so rough it up and get some doner meat done properly down you. 72%
Despite the UK still very much recovering from a lengthy stint of recession, the social bubble that is Newcastle has seen an exciting number of new eateries pop up in late 2013/early 2014. The Fat Spoon being both greedy and insatiable, has of course already been on a feeding rampage to trial many of these new places. Peace and Loaf is exceptionally different to any of the other new restaurants and in fact different to anything else Newcastle already had to offer. Boasting a Masterchef: The Professionals finalist as the restaurant's head chef, as well as a very extravagant menu and a beautiful interior to match. Being a top-end dining experience, this new kid on the block certainly has enough bite to make some of Newcastle's other big guns quiver in fear and check their underpants with shaking hands. That's because the food at Peace and Loaf oozes arrogance, flare and sensation like none other. The menu has been put together with originality at the very forefront and thankfully has the skill to deliver these gastronomical bombs with devastating effect. The finest ingredients matched with explicit flavours, an outstanding level of service and well balanced atmosphere will make a venture to this beauty truly special. Although students will have to sell a kidney to afford stepping inside Peace and Loaf, the experience itself will make any special occasion a long lasting memory. What's also great is that the menu is constantly changing and developing, each dish as impressively artistic as the last. It isn't just about aesthetics here, the flavour heroes here will leave you feeling hot and bothered...and possibly a little wet....in a good way of course. 94%
Some restaurants tart themselves like many of the Bigg market's Saturday night clientele, serving very amateur and weak cuisine under the guise of a stylish modern restaurant. Playing the 'contemporary card' coupled with over zealous price tags can often fool many a restaurant goer. But you can roll a turd in truffle oil all you want, it's still going to smell of sh*t, even if it costs a lot. On the other hand, there are some restaurants that are quite the opposite....the relatively new Lock and Key Restaurant is a prime example. Situated in a shady and confused pub/bar hybrid near St James', this gastro-pub is likely to go unnoticed by the majority people. But their very fairly priced menu is surprisingly strong, offering some classic dishes delivered to a good standard. The Lock and Key is no Cafe 21, but with a decent wallet friendly menu, various cost-cutting set menus and 2-4-1 cocktail deals....you literally cannot go wrong! Interesting starters such as "Black pudding Magic"; very affordable Chateaubriand, shoulder of lamb and sea bass mains; as well as crème brûlée for a mere £3.50 all make the Fat Spoon very happy. OK, the menu makes about as much sense as the city centre's roads, but for what you are paying, a visit to The Lock and Key is sure to make for a very prosperous meal out. You will receive typical Geordie pub hospitality, which is charming of course....but don't expect anyone to ask if they can take your coat, unless you are hoping to never see it again. 75%
Paradiso is a funny one, but not necessarily a bad one. It advertises itself as a caffe, bar and a restaurant. And it isn't really any of those to be honest, it's an interesting eatery. The Fat Spoon often rages at such venues that claim to greedily span across several trades, but Paradiso does generate an unusual vibe of it's own. The menu, possibly put together by a food lover on crack, is as random and as mismatched as the serving staff, but it does offer some delightful dishes amongst the confusion. With heavy Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish influences delivered with a slightly contemporary slant you are sure to find a dish to suit your taste, thus making Paradiso ideal for a mixed or fussy table. The open kitchen on the first floor makes for a lively atmosphere but other levels of the crystal-maze-like venue have a far more subdued feel to them. What is particularly good about this place is there ability to produce simple dishes to a solid standard. And even an ultra radgie real life Italian wouldn't complain about their homemade pizzas. There are no major thrills here, but the price tag across all of their numerous, buffet, al a carte and tapas menus will please almost any wallet. At busy times however, you will find yourself wondering whether you should just start clearing the table yourself, but at least the staff are very friendly. If you can fight through the chaos you are sure to enjoy an experience at Paradiso. 73%
Although there isn't a huge abundance of Thai restaurants in Newcastle, the competition is truly fierce. It is relatively easy to recreate classic Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Thai green curry and Massaman curry; however to deliver accurately authentic Thai food it requires a certain level of finesse and actual Thais of course. The Old Siam is shy; hidden under a bridge on the Quayside shadowed by the loud and obnoxious fine dining restaurant of that area. But based on it's two biggest competitors in terms of real Thai food - Love's Thai and Bangkok Cafe, The Old Siam really needs to grow a pair and jump in the ring. It's a real heavyweight, the food is a million miles away from generic, screams intense Thai flavour and is both very fresh and healthy. Although the other two are great, The Old Siam has something a little extra. Those that have traveled to Thailand might recognise the extra bite that this place can deliver, don't forget to ask for your food 'Thai' hot if you want the real deal. Even seasoned vindaloo munchers should be wary of Thai heat however. The level of service is spot on here and although it isn't the biggest of restaurants, it will do everything it can to make sure your visit is excellent. Portion sizes and prices are very reasonable, there range of dishes isn't huge but it's all about quality here not quantity. Every dish has it's own character, the way this vibrant cuisine should be. It's time to sack off the lazy, feeble and generic eastern Asian restaurants and give somewhere that possesses sensual banter for the eyes, nose and taste buds. 90%
