Panasia

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Panasia

Panasia – the brand new ‘Oriental Bar and Restaurant’ on Bath’s George Street – is (to my fickle mind, at least) absolutely gorgeous: a beacon of glittering, glamorous exotica where once there existed only a humdrum Thai restaurant. Today, a chorus of politely welcoming waitresses dressed in beautiful gowns fashioned from jewel-coloured silks and flaunting the kind of flawless maquillage rarely seen this side of an airbrushed photo greet diners with a cocktail menu – yes, a proper cocktail menu! – and swiftly usher us into a dining room decorated with enough spangles and sequins to dress the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ set (and probably the competitors too), offset with intricate tapestries wrought from panels of richly embroidered fabric: if 007 where to arrange a date with Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, this would be the lobby of the chic Pacific Rim hotel they’d meet in. Once seated (banquette seating! Gold-braided cushions! Lights with velvet tassels! Hoorah!), expect to be presented with a menu that takes diners from sushi to traditional szechuan by way of soups, noodles and rice dishes – promising indeed, on so many levels.

To begin our voyage of discovery, Beloved chose a mixed sushi roll set: a selection of California, sesame, kappa and oshinko rolls that would easily serve four grazers for £12.95. While the rolls were rockin’ (spankingly fresh and wrought with confident competence), it was the garnish on the edge of the plate that sent me to swoonsville: an elderly Chinaman carved in intricate detail from a turnip, sitting on a ginger rock and holding a fishing rod that dangled carrot bait into mini-waves of shredded cabbage. While I was distracted by such artistry, (un)Beloved took the opportunity to bite the head off the Chinaman in one fell swoop; his declaration that the sculpture wasn’t as tasty as the sushi selection itself wasn’t anywhere near the comeuppance he deserved for such a crime. Meanwhile, I slurped my way through a steaming cauldron of tom yum goong (huge, fresh king prawns in a classic hot and sour soup, £5.95), taking great care to avoid the devilishly hot slivers of chilli that gave the glorious galangal/lemon grass-infused broth such depth: so far, so very, very good indeed.

Next up, a main course of Korean pork featuring tender flesh melting into a hearty chilli and soya paste marinade served with rice, silky miso soup and fresh kimchi (Korean pickles), and another of perfectly roasted duck – crispy on the outside, seductively moist within – resting on a tangle of soft noodles bathed in a garlicky gravy. Both dishes were supremely satisfying, hugely flavoursome and very good value at £10.95; exactly the same could be said of the house wine.

While Panasia may not, as the name suggests, represent the food culture of an area that covers almost 10% of the Earth’s surface (but then again, what fusion-themed eaterie could?), it does an admirable job of covering several far-flung bases with style. The bling quotient, meanwhile, comes as standard. (Melissa Blease)

PANASIA 2 GEORGE ST, BATH, BA1 2EH. TEL: 01225 481001, WEB: WWW.PANASIA-UK.COM

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