Soyful’s Kitchen, Midsomer Norton

“Midsomer Norton, though? Isn’t that a bit of a long-haul, off the beaten track?”

Imagine a Londoner living in Hammersmith saying that about Finsbury Park, or a Brooklyn-dweller talking about a flit into central New York: it just wouldn’t happen. Okay, so the only direct comparison between the journey from Bath to Midsomer Norton is distance (approximately 10 miles/16k-ish) and the destination about as far removed, on multiple levels, from either Finsbury Park or central NY… but the journey itself is far, far easier, and much, much prettier. And anyway, what’s the problem with embarking on a 25-minute putter along Somerset’s abundantly leafy highways and byways south-east of Bath, especially when there’s a pot of foodie gold waiting for you at journey’s end?

Now it has to be said that, at first glance, Holly Court Arcade – a 1980s-era (I’m guessing) split-level ‘retail arcade’ and access thoroughfare twixt car park and high street, home to a tanning salon, a hearing clinic, and a promising pizza outlet, out back – doesn’t look or feel like it might be hoarding any kind of precious metal. Venture upstairs, though, and you’ll find Soyful’s Kitchen to the front of the building, where big windows overlook a pedestrian promenade lined with the kind of shops and businesses you’d expect to overlook in a pedestrian small town. The dining room is a smart, bright, spacious affair, uncluttered and gleaming, and elegant in a modern, minimalist way. Menus too could be described in a similar fashion… but before we begin to make our choices:

If you’re one of the many folk who believe that life in Bath begins and ends within the BA1/BA2 postcodes, you’ll be familiar with Soyful’s Kitchen Head Chef/proprietor Soyful Alom from his longstanding stint as Head/Executive Chef at The Mint Room Bath (read my most recent review here). Yes, that Mint Room – one of the most raved-about restaurants in Bath! And, in a similar fashion to how The Mint Room team transformed their Bath restaurant into the oasis of contemporary luxury that it is today, Soyful has magpied his way into a similarly ‘unlikely’ location and turned it into a very special nest, bringing (of course!) his fabulous flair for modern Indian dining with him.

Should you wish to take a traditional approach to your SK experience, all the classics (dansaks, kormas, baltis, jalfrezis, tandoori, etc) are all present and correct on the neat little menu – and come on, you know they won’t disappoint. But don’t disappoint yourself! There’s Mangalorean Sea Bass on the menu too, alongside Lucknow E Batak and lamb rump Chattinad, and starters of Sarsoi Salmon and Beetroot Tikki to consider before even any of that.

We began with grilled scallops, gently spiced to complement rather than overshadow the intrinsic mellow sweetness of the scallops, accompanied by a soft, friendly cauliflower puree. A second starter of Fish Amritsar (pictured) starring lesser-spotted Pangas fish fillets marinated in a spicy/herby combo and battered to crispy perfection was equally well-balanced, the neat little pile of cucumber salad accompanying it proving itself to be far more than a mere aesthetic sidekick too.

Following on, the Chicken Shimla Mirch – a sturdy, comforting dish bringing a massive moist, spiced chicken breast and a deceptively simple pile of fragrant, spicy red and green pepper curry laden with onions, tomatoes and all the good curry stuff together in perfect harmony – proved to be far more fascinating and complex than the menu description suggested, while my rich, luxurious Seafood Moilee, swimming with all manner of seafood including mussels, prawns and soft white fish fillets bathed in a divine, aromatic, mildly chilli- and ginger-infused coconut sauce, proved to be the taste of Goa personified.

Soyful’s Kitchen is one of those ‘expect the unexpected’ destination diners – if, that is, you don’t expect a chef with Soyful’s pedigree to live up to expectations, and anywhere less than half an hour’s drive from the city that you live in to be a ‘destination’ – all in all, a delightfully uplifting experience, well worth a little drive out of Bath and VERY interesting indeed.