Eastern promise - Etasia, Tarporley

Mar 14 2008 By Ben Coulbeck

Etasia, Tarporley

High expectations when trying something new or dining somewhere different can often lead to disappointment.

But given the high standard of restaurants and hospitality across Cheshire, it is almost unavoidable to expect certain standards to be adhered to and often surpassed.
 
At Etasia, a Tarporley restaurant serving a mix of Japanese, Thai and Cantonese dishes, it is fair to say that the owners still have a little way to go in finding the formula which leaves customers licking their lips and looking forward to making another table booking in the future.
 
The restaurant itself, positioned at the start of the rural villages High Street, is contemporary in style and despite being faced almost immediately on arrival by the in-house take-away counter; the interior is simplistic, warm and inviting.
 
Decorated with just a few authentic Japanese-style screens and a choice selection of traditional paintings, the open-plan dining area is typically Japanese but with Etasias kitchens hidden away rather than openly viewable from your table the atmosphere is much more relaxed.
 
Accompanied by my cousin Nancy, visiting from London and inevitably a huge fan of eating out, we poured over the extensive menu and at first glance it offers a wide range of traditional, specialist and intriguing dishes to suit most palates.
 
At weekends, Etasia offer a taster menu and a special menu but we both decided to select our starters and main courses from the winter menu currently in operation. Choosing to ignore the array of soups, dishes that caught the eye were the crystal dumpling (steamed vegetables in rice pastry at s3), Har Gau (king prawn with bamboo shoots at s3.50) and Shu Mai (pork and king prawns in pastry at s3.50). Spoilt for choice we decided to share a Dim Sum platter (s6 for two people) which combined all of these dishes and to avoid the possibility of under-eating, a portion of Thai fishcakes (s5) and a Cantonese special of salt and pepper soft-shell crab (s8.50) also made it onto our little decorative starter plates.
 
The platter as a whole left a little to be desired although the Shu Mai were fresh, tender and moreish everything one wants from a starter. The fishcakes however were dry and the chilli sauce slightly overpowering. The success story was the soft-shell crab cooked delicately and full of flavour, they are worth their slightly expensive price tag.
 
Selecting a main course was equally as tough an assignment as choosing our starters. The impressive variety and imaginative dishes certainly lends itself to long bouts of procrastination in the hope of finding the perfect choice.
 
Etasias speciality dishes seem to be the favourite with whole sea bass (s15), beef randang (s10.50), rib-eye steak with wasabi (s14) and spicy seafood rice stew (s11.50) tantalising the taste buds.
 
I went for scallops in chilli ginger and spring onion (s13.50) while Nancy chose the teriyaki salmon (s11.50) with a portion of prawn crackers (s2.50) and jasmine steamed rice (s1.50) to share between us.
 
Whether it was the time we spent choosing or just customary to allow a long time to pass between courses, I am unsure, but in a half-full dining room the very friendly waiting-on staff certainly keep you waiting. Polite and helpful? Yes, but attentive and efficient? Perhaps not on this occasion.
 
However, it must be said that both main courses were worth the wait, especially Nancys teriyaki salmon which was cooked to perfection in a honey soya sauce which was divine. The scallops were also beautifully cooked although were not in the same league as the superior salmon.
 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was not enough room is our over zealous stomachs to sample one of the six deserts on offer. Although the hot waffles with cinnamon (s4) or the rich chocolate brownies (s4) were almost too tempting to resist. Despite Etasia being an oriental restaurant, such dishes are a positive feature of the menu as the almost traditional offering of a banana fritter or such like is never really the appetising climax to a meal.
 
Tarporleys Etasia is a thoroughly enjoyable place to dine with speciality dishes delicately cooked to perfection but the slow service and the fairly awful fishcakes means its eastern promise certainly needs a little refining.
 

Etasia, 90-92 High Street, Tarporley 01829 732777

Two Singha beers, one jasmine tea and a glass of white wine, two large courses: s37.60

Best things: Variety of menu, the amazing teriyaki salmon and the decent price.

Worst thing: Terrible Thai fishcakes.

Would suit: Large or small groups looking for something a bit different.