It’s a testament to Horsham - and the established restaurants the town offers, that new eateries looking to entice diners must now serve up something extra special.
Sanmae restaurant, which has been promising an ‘Eastern Fusion’ with dishes inspired by Japanese, Chinese, and South East Asian cuisine, opened its doors to the public last Friday.
The owners are smart enough to realise that average will not be good enough here. Sanmae is located in an area of town already loaded with Indian and Chinese restaurants, with Mr Li’s , Raj Kumar, Darchini’s and The New Curry Centre already vying for business.
And collectively they are in competition with the more accessible East Street eating out hub, which will add Cote and Wabi to its numbers in the coming weeks.
Sanmae has attempted to do this through a quite mesmerising menu, full of twists and surprises.
Take the lunch menu for example. Called the ‘lunchbox’, food is served in a Japanese style tray, with separate compartments for the main dish, rice, salad and spring rolls, with a set price of £7.95.
The full menu is still served throughout the day, but this option could well encourage many people through the door.
Manager Lisa Li said: “A lot of people don’t have time to sit down and order a starter and a main during a lunch break. This is an easy option as it all comes at once and means they can enjoy a great meal and be in and out in good time.
“(The lunchbox format) is popular in Japan but to be honest I’m not sure if any other restaurant in town offers anything like this.”
And it tastes superb too. While it’s always going to be preferable to eat off a plate than a tray, it’s an enjoyable way to have a filling meal (we went for the beef option incidentally, which was served in a strong and sumptuous sauce).
A second major selling point - and one that we expect to see develop - is the quirky ideas of the men in the kitchen. Already, the deep fried ice cream has won many fans (including one discerning diner who had scoffed at the idea!) and even sold out one one night at the weekend.
They like ‘deep fried’ here, but we’d advise you to treat yourself to the dessert as oppose to the deep fried Ebi (prawn) Tempura and Yasai (vegetable) Tempura on the starter menu. If you must go for King Prawns (and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t, the seafood on offer is superb - especially the Steam Salmon Fillet in Honey Black Pepper Sauce) you should go instead for the chef’s special Thai Sam Rod, which is a ‘must have’ if you’re sharing with friends.
There’s plenty of fish dishes to recommend, but amongst the meat dishes Crispy Lamb served with Mango Sauce is a dish that’ll have you telling your friends to keep their thieving mitts off.
Despite the size of the menu (there’s well over 100 dishes offered) the sweet and sour options are thin on the ground, as Sanmae veers off the beaten track, instead boasting tempting alternatives such as Mussels in Black Bean Sauce and green curry.
Which isn’t, incidentally, as mild as the menu suggests - it has more than a ‘slight zang’ to it. “People have been enjoying a little extra spice!” says Lisa. If you get in a sweat easily, do request a milder version or stock up on bottled water!
Time will tell if there’s really enough custom to support all of the town restaurants, as well as those coming soon.
But certainly, with friendly service and an exciting and delicious menu, Sanmae is thoroughly worthy of your attention, and should soon be regarded, along with the likes of River Kwai, in the town’s Asian restaurant elite.
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