Barn Asia

Barn Asia

Posted: 27 May 2010

Barn Asia, Newcastle

Like any thriving metropolis Newcastle has its fair share of fast food and restaurant chains.

The inexorable creep of the big boys (often into some of our loveliest buildings) seems to be an inevitable side-product of civic prosperity, like it or not.

I’m not really having a go at the national names (and am actually a big fan of Wagamama), but they are so popular because they generally appeal to the lowest common denominator.

It breaks my heart to see hordes of people crowding into a branch of the same pizza chain they could find anywhere in the land, eating the same safe dishes each time while the independent eatery next door struggles to the point of extinction.

Thankfully Asian restaurants seem on the whole to have survived this onslaught despite being family-owned and run rather than an outlet of some faceless corporation, and the local Chinese or Indian has an enduring and well-earned place in our affections.

But please spare a corner of your heart for Barn Asia.

Its fare is a far cry from the more accustomed Asian cuisine, drawing on Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and China for its influences but putting them together in its own, unique, modern, sometimes quirky British way.

Take, for example, the salt and chilli squid starter I had last time I ate there: the crispy but tender pieces of squid were cut to look like chips and served in a cone of paper like in an old-fashioned chippy.

I also like the laissez-faire attitude to eating implements: you won’t be forced to struggle with chopsticks if you’re a knife-and-fork traditionalist – you just take your pick from chopsticks or knives and forks already on the table.

This informality extends to how you want to eat. You can do it tapas-style with a range of dishes, arriving as they’re ready with everyone dipping in. Also on offer is a daily special menu of two or three courses for £12.50 or £15 respectively. Or opt for the conventional a la carte option of starters, mains and puds. The good thing about here is that they all work well and the staff are happy to advise first-timers about the best option for them.

Starters can be substantial, so sometimes two of these are quite enough for a smallish appetite. As well as the squid, I can recommend rendang beef – a large portion of melt-in-the-mouth meat in thick, tangy sauce - as well as Singapore roll or sweet and sour salad.

Other dishes we’ve enjoyed include tempura prawns, squid with tamarind and plum sauce, sweet miso salmon with pineapple and chilli noodle salad, tempura red snapper and Vietnamese shaking beef.
And the puddings – when we’ve had room for them – are also top-notch. Try crème brulee with lime leaf and lemongrass or sticky toffee pudding with lemongrass sauce.

The modern setting and cutting-edge décor also set this place apart. It really is a one-off and well worth a visit – or several. Just don’t let the conglomerates get their hands on it.

Anne Graham

Barn Asia
Waterloo Square
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4DN
0191 221 1000
http://www.barnasia.org/