The Spice Mill, Riccall
An almost full restaurant at 7pm on a Friday night is something of a rarity these days. A busy, newish one that has yet to prove its longevity and is off the beaten track, even rarer.
The Spice Mill at Riccall, housed in an amazing 12th century windmill – minus sails and grindstones – was buzzing on my visit and within an hour the queue which had formed at the bar was impressive.
The newly refurbished restaurant encircles the mill with the original exposed brick walls serving as a backdrop to the sleek, modern interior. The ratio of staff to customers is impressive, but as they – quite literally – circumnavigate the room, being asked were we ready to order every two minutes by a different waiter became irritating. The extensive menu at the Spice Mill is such that it needs time to explore the diverse range of dishes on offer, and as in parts it is printed on black, it also needed a little more light.
The menu offers meat, fish, and a nod to vegetarians. There are the usual crowd-pleasing tikkas, tandooris and baltis lurking in and among, but overall there is a tempting range of specialities begging to be tried. There is also a clue on the menu to the popularity of the Spice Mill – the prices. They are very reasonable, 11.95 is as high as you can go for a main course and as the three dishes (out of 50 to choose from) included either duck breast or king prawns was not surprising.
Despite my resolve to refuse the pickle tray, I am always tempted and so glad I gave in here. This was definitely one of the better ones. The usual culprits of raitha, onions, mango chutney were sharp and fresh with light, crisp poppadums.
It warmed me up nicely for a delightful starter of Morich Bahar; fresh peppers cooked in the Tandoori and filled with a medley of vegetables and lightly spiced with herbs and spices. The balance of flavours was exact, giving my mouth a very pleasant journey from soft and fragrant to tingling heat. They could have left the English side salad of cold iceberg and cherry tomatoes off the plate. It added nothing except unnecessary bulk.
A sharing platter of marinated meats, again cooked in the Tandoori, left me a little less impressed as I found the different meats merged into one texture and flavour. The other-half, however, ate the duck, lamb, kebab and sizzling vegetables with a carnivorous relish.
After my meat blow-out, I looked forward to Macher Handi, described as a traditional Bengali fish cooked in a mild sauce with ginger, cumin, coriander and lime, some of my favourite flavourings. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. I guess I was expecting the delicate fusion I had found with my starter, instead it lacked finesse.
The fish, though tasty, was drenched in a lethargic brown sauce, and as I ploughed my way through became irritated with the numerous bay leaves lurking under and in the fish. I gave up counting after eight.
Redemption came though with a golden, puffed up, buttery soft naan which gave a new lease of life to the fish and sauce when scooped up and eaten with the bread.
Podina Murgh was the better choice for mains. Chicken pieces marinated and cooked in a paste made from garden mint, green peppers, green chillies and coriander, then finished with yoghurt cream and spices. This dish showed again the subtlety and verve I expected from the kitchen after my starter.
It would seem that kitchen prowess ends after the main course when presented with a plastic, laminated menu of glossy dessert pictures. Though our charming waiter highly recommended dessert, it was also apparent that our table would be gratefully received by any number of the guests waiting patiently in the bar. Therefore, we paid and left.
Overall, I left feeling very pleased with our meal despite a few minor hiccups. The numbers flocking there may be because of the prices, or that there
is little competition in the area or because the restaurant is still in its infancy. I suspect it's because the food and service – in the main – is good and represents value for money. In the current economic climate, what more could you ask for?
The Spice Mill, Landing Lane, Riccall, Nr. York YO19 6TJ. Tel: 01757 249707.
Monday-Saturday: 5pm-11.30pm, Sunday: 1pm-10pm.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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