Koo, Ludlow

Reviewer’s rating * * *

When your date is used to the best restaurants London’s West End can conjure up, booking an intimate table for two comes with a bit of added pressure.

That pressure is multiplied somewhat when you know your date also has a thing about Japanese cuisine - sushi in particular.

In the quieter surrounds of Shropshire, this turns out to be something of a mixed blessing - because Shropshire only has one Japanese restaurant.

So, while you’re not exactly overwhelmed with choice, you can confidently tell them: “I’ve booked us into the best in the county!”

Despite being the one and only, Koo, in Shropshire’s food capital Ludlow, enjoys a good reputation, proving lack of competition does not necessarily breed complacency.

One look at reviews from national newspapers which the restaurant proudly displays on its website shows it must be doing something right.

We arrived to find the compact restaurant already quite busy. I must admit it was not what I was expecting, the homely atmosphere at odds with what I had pictured in my head.

Koo is a refectory-style venue in a converted house and many of the diners are regulars, creating a friendly, less formal feel.

If you think you might be overwhelmed by the thought of Japanese food, fear not. I’ve been told the staff are happy to explain anything - and there is even have a helpful leaflet on the table, which covers all sorts of topics, down to what to say in Japanese before tucking into your food.

The first course was a no-brainer.

It was always going to be sushi even if, as it turned out, that wasn’t the only choice anyway.

That does not mean to say Koo suffers from a lack of choice, it is simply that the owners have decided that rather than offering dishes at varying prices, they will serve up a four course meal for one fixed sum.

A lot of people have the wrong idea about sushi. They should go to Koo.

There were none of the more unusual things which tend to put people off, the dish instead being made up of fish and vegetable maki, which would make a perfect introduction for anyone who has not tried sushi before, as well as being satisfactory for those with a taste for it.

I think we would have preferred something a bit more adventurous, but it was enjoyable.

Then came the time to make choices. However, the joy of the Japanese menu was that we were able to select dishes from each course and mix and match.

For our second course we selected ebi zensai (king prawn salad with sweet chilli) and niku dango (pork meatballs in sweet and sour sauce).

I say the joy was that we could share, but this turned out to be more of a theory than actual practice. My dining companion had the prawns placed on her side of the table while the pork found its way to me.

Within a few chopstickfuls it became clear that if I was to sample both dishes I better grab some prawns while I could, as they were disappearing rapidly.

I took this to be a good sign, and was proved right. The generously sized prawns were cooked to perfection, firm to the bite without being tough, while the chilli dressing was about as good as I have ever had.

The pork was a close second, mind you. The meatballs crumbling under the chopsticks and again served up with a sauce which didn’t just complement, but made the dish.

Our choice of main course consisted of more pork - this time with a sesame sauce, as well as a sirloin steak with garlic and soy sauce.

It was while enjoying these that the evening’s only blips appeared.

Firstly it suddenly dawned on us that the wine we had ordered was not the wine we were drinking. Secondly, sesame sauce, described on the menu as ‘creamy’, actually wasn’t.

But by far my favourite blip was when my companion let out a yell as something furry pushed past her legs under the table. The culprit was soon spotted. The cat which is supposed to live upstairs had decided to head to where all the fish was.

I’ve since discovered he’s a regular visitor.

The wine issue turned out to be a blessing in disguise. To atone for the error we were presented with complimentary glasses of plume wine liquor. We ended up buying a bottle!

The meal was rounded off with okashi - a dish of Japanese desserts designed to finish off the evening perfectly. The jelly was light and fresh, as was the ice cream, proving that this particular combination is definitely not the preserve of kids’ parties.

Koo may not be as well known as some of the other eateries in Ludlow, but should be. If you’re tempted to give Japanese cuisine a go, this is a fine introduction.

By David Burrows

MINI GUIDE:

Sample starters: Pork and leek meatballs in Japanese sweet and sour sauce; Crispy rolls with mushrooms and noodles

Sample mains: Chestnut flour coated fried chicken with Nanban sauce; Seared salmon in white miso

Extra’s: Warm sake (£6.95); Japanese tea (£1.95)

Sample desserts: Okashi (Japanese dessert plate)

Atmosphere: Friendly, relaxed and infomal

Service: Good without being overbearing

Disabled facilities: Access could be tricky but disabled diners can be catered for

Contact: Koo, 127 Old Street, Ludlow. Tel: 01584 878462