I tried Beverley’s hottest new Asian restaurant and it did not disappoint
DINES OUT AT ROKU ASIA
ANEW Pan-asian restaurant has taken Beverley by storm, promising delicious food in a vibrant setting, and its social media pictures were enough to convince me to book a table.
Roku Asia has replaced my former favourite Japanese restaurant Ogino, and although most of the staff members have stayed on, the experience was meant to be entirely different.
The restaurant opened at the end of April after a major revamp and a new menu, and I visited a couple of weeks later on a Saturday evening.
With it being Eurovision night and my booking not being until 8.30pm, I expected it to be moderately quiet.
However, after reaching the top of the stairs of the Butcher Row venue, the place was bustling with customers eating in a funky interior.
The old monochrome décor has been replaced with colourful wallpaper, velvet booths and flashy tableware.
Despite the fresh new style, the restaurant still suit every age demographic, which was evident in the diverse range of diners.
My companion and I were seated straight away by a very friendly and attentive waiter, who directed us to the food and drinks menu.
I opted for a pineapple margarita, while he chose a bottled Asahi beer.
Unlike Ogino, Roku Asia is all about small plates, so sharing is encouraged. The main menu is split into sections: from the sea, from the land, from the sushi bar, greens and veg, and noodles and rice.
There is also a tasting menu for those who are a little more adventurous.
I was feeling ravenous, so splurged on seven different dishes to share, and tried to sample from each section.
I decided to go for the rock shrimp tempura, steamed prawn dumplings, venison gyoza dumplings, Yangnyeom chicken wings, shredded duck egg fried rice, beef tataki and softshell crab sushi.
The dishes were priced between £8 and £13, and looking back now, this was probably a little too much food for two people, unless you both arrive with a big appetite.
Each dish came staggered, so the table was never too cluttered but I was never without food in front of me. The plates were portioned really nicely so you definitely get your money’s worth.
First to arrive were the chicken wings, and they were huge and covered in plenty of the sweet and spicy sauce. I have always been a fan of Korean-style chicken but the wings had the perfect kick of flavour and had plenty of meat on them.
Next came the sushi, which I had high expectations for as an Ogino customer, and they did not disappoint. The rolls had the perfect filling to rice ratio, with a nice crunch from the cucumber inside.
Unfortunately, my companion isn’t a sushi fan, so I managed to eat all five rolls to myself.
The beef tataki and the prawn dumplings were the next to arrive and I must say, the beef was the star of the show.
The waiter recommended this dish as his own favourite, and I can see why. The meat was sliced to the ideal thickness and tasted delicious with its sweet garlic soy sauce.
The following dishes were equally tasty, with one of my favourites being the rock shrimp tempura. However, I wish I could have saved some of my appetite to enjoy them even more.
Despite my full belly, my companion was keen to champion on and ordered a sticky toffee pudding cheesecake with fivespiced caramel apples for dessert.
As delectable as it looked, I didn’t manage to have a bite, but he assured me it was very nice and cleared his plate.
We had a couple more drinks, as the restaurant began to wind down past 10pm.
The bill arrived and the whole meal was £100, which is certainly on the pricier side.
However, we did go all out and ordered four alcoholic drinks, seven
mains and a dessert, which actually made the meal decent value for what we got.
Next time, I would probably stick to around five dishes to fit in a pudding.
Roku Asia is perfect for special occasions, date nights and even a great lunch spot, as the lunch menu has a reduced price.
The atmosphere was second to none, with amazing service from staff and busy, but not too loud to have a good conversation over your meal.
Beverley is known for its amazing restaurants and I would love to see something similar appear in Hull’s food scene too.
Overall, I would like to go back to sample more items from the menu.
My advice for new diners would be to bring a good appetite to make the most out of your experience and be ready to receive an expensive bill that is actually worth it.
You can book Roku Asia at www. rokuasia.co.uk