CityLife

Pasa

Pasa

Pasa
Wilmslow
February 2010

Cuisine: Turkish
Average three-course cost: £23

Overall: 4/5
Decor: 3/5, Service: 5/5, Food: 4/5

IT is a pity that most people’s only experience of Turkish food comes from the Saturday night haloumi kebab. But the good people of Wilmslow can experience the real thing at Pasa.

The restaurant takes up a decent spot on Water Lane, one of the main high streets in the golden Cheshire town, among the designer wedding gowns, WAG fashions and specialist homeware shops only places like Wilmslow can afford.

But there wasn’t a sniff of a snooty air inside the restaurant and the prices are eye-openingly low considering the location.

On a Friday night, we arrived to an empty room but our hosts showed no awkwardness or bother about this, excited and beaming as they told us to take our pick of the tables. The place soon started to fill up.

Décor was nothing to write home about but nothing to dislike – smart enough and as typical of a modern restaurant as it could be, floral-print wallpaper, chrome detail lighting, tea-light lit tables – but not particularly Turkish.

Though that didn’t matter, it set a pleasingly carefree vibe, suggesting a need to try but not try too hard.

The real effort came with the service and food, with head chefs who have over 35 years experience cooking Turkish dishes in prestigious restaurants such as the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul and at Manchester’s stalwart Cafe Istanbul.

The menu’s introduction told us that the name ‘Pasa’ refers to a high-ranking person in the ancient Turkish Ottoman empire, the equivalent to a ‘Lord’.

While this could imply the restaurant is similarly grand and lord-like, there was nothing pompous about the place.

Good presentation

We were served a complimentary grenadine-based aperitif, beginning a series of welcoming little gifts scattered throughout our evening, and looked over the menu of cold and hot starters, chicken, seafood, vegetable dishes and, obviously, large lamb section. Skewered and marinated meat is the way to go with Turkish cuisine and ingredients which abound include feta, yogurt – as a sauce, on the side or mixed as a dip – and aubergine, a Turkish staple.

The beaming waiter cheekily teased my indecision when ordering and the vibe was friendly and relaxed with an air of silliness.

To start was the Pasa Special Mixed Platter (£6.75), with hot and cold starters which included haloumi, spinach with yoghurt, stuffed mushroom, spicy sausage, stuffed vine leaves, aubergine bake, houmous and feta triangles.

The beautiful serving dish appeared to be making us an offering from Turkey itself – good presentation started here.

The sausage was spicier than its chorizo cousin, the vine leaves pleasingly subtle, the spinach very garlicky, the feta naughtily creamy and the aubergine the perfect accompanying tang.

Starter number two was Manti (£4), mini Turkish pasta stuffed with mince meat, with tomato sauce and thick yoghurt – a great combination.

This folded pasta speciality is similar to a Japanese dumpling, something our waitress could remember her grandmother rolling out in the kitchen when she was young. When I asked how the aubergine was cooked, our host looked proud that I cared and prouder that I liked it.

The pride in the cooking was obvious, not ­more so than when I asked for my lamb main well-cooked, and our waiter looked shocked, reluctant to serve it anything more than juicy and medium rare.

I told him to bring it he thought it should be cooked. And I was glad – my Chargrilled Skewered Lamb was wonderfully tender. It came with dauphinoise potatoes and seasonal vegetables (£12.75).

Well looked after

I am a real potato stickler, but their flavour was expertly cooked right through, without being sloppy, and the perfect presentation continued.

My dinner partner had Skewered Shish Lamb, with rice and salad (£12.50), with well-herbed meat slightly resembled the kebab shop preparation of the meat we know and love.

These richer meats need a good glug of salad and the Feta Salad (£3.95) was our choice, with good quality cheese, spring onion, cucumber and celery.

At this point I was drinking a Wilmslow Special cocktail (£5).

It seems the only thing ‘Wilmslow’ about this whisky, Bacardi, orange juice and coconut creation is that it was mixed there.

It came with resort-like over-the-top umbrellas, lemon slices and straws, but at least it made me feel like I was on holiday.

“May I let you know,” the restaurant manager said, “that you will have 20 per cent off tonight.” It was a January offer which became the evening’s second gift, though there is still an £8 lunch deal.

Squeezing in a dessert, we had baklava with ice cream (£4.25) and I expected something rather more biscuit-like than the oozing syrypy pastry which arrived; well-deserving of its ice cream companion.

Gift number three came with the bill, a pretty silver box which revealed a diary for 2010.

We left feeling well fed for our money and well looked after.

Pasa is honest and charmingly unassuming – more elegant than my local take away – and with pride, warmth and hard-working dedication.

Pasa, 31 Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AR, (01625 532890, pasarestaurant.co.uk).