FEATURES
T R I E D & TA S T E D All you can eat at low prices? We’re already tempted. New continental restaurant Scene Asia in central Bournemouth has already seen an influx of students after opening its doors at the end of last year. We sent our resident Food Critic, Andrea Avellano, to find out what the fuss is all about.
T
here’s a certain buzz every time a new restaurant opens its doors for the first time. Scene Asia has only been open since December so is very much the new kid on the block. Located on Old Christchurch Road, Scene Asia is a modern, all you can eat restaurant offering a wide range of rustic Asian cuisine. The focus is on the three amigos of Indian, Thai and Chinese; Indian leading the way. I lunched on a Tuesday afternoon after seeing a flyer and thought it seemed like the perfect place for students who want to treat themselves – while still having money remaining in their overdrafts, of course. The costs fluctuate depending on which day you go. Luckily for me, Tuesdays meant that it was only a feeble £6.95 to dive into an oasis of noodles, curry, bhajis and more - a good start! On first impressions the building is beautifully chic and modern; it’s certainly a head turner. The chocolate coloured wood flooring and the black tiling by the food stations all match the wooden theme in the seating area. The interior is very cool and certainly generated high expectations for the food. Be warned howev-
Ratings
er – it’s cash only, so remember to hit the cash point before arriving. We paid upfront and were left to our own devices. The starters section consisted of Asian street food, from crisp onion bhajis to chicken pakoras and chicken tikka. All went down well. The chicken tikka was slightly dry, but was counteracted when combined with a delicious and refreshing mint yoghurt. You have to go up and ask for poppadoms as they are cooked to order in the open kitchen. These were the real highlight, something very simple just made the meal worthwhile. Crispy, salty and crunchy poppadoms with coarse mango chutney and a tangy lime pickle really sent the palate into a celestial overdrive. So far so good. A breather between courses is necessary to allow for further gluttony – you don’t want to peak too soon after all. The main courses offered a decent selection. I chose to continue with the Indian theme and had a plate of chicken tikka masala, beef korma and a beef dish with chickpeas. All well executed, the masala slightly overly tomato based but still pleasant. Many Asian restaurants don’t hit the spot when it comes to cooking beef, however
Atmosphere
Food
7/10
7/10
the dishes at Scene Asia were beautifully tender. The korma was fragrant and sumptuous, and a second beef dish was paired with plump chickpeas, having an overtone of spice which was really lovely. Served with some light basmati rice and crispy vegetable samosas, it was overall a thoroughly enjoyable main course. However, in sampling the Chinese and Thai food stations, disappointment struck in that nothing really stood out. The Singapore rice noodles were bland and rushed with raw onion, the sweet and sour chicken was somewhat gungy and syrupy, and the Thai green curry wasn’t reduced enough. All disappointing, but nevertheless there are sparks of brilliance at Scene Asia, to which hopefully can only be attributed to teething problems. Overall, Scene Asia is a good independent restaurant and has the potential to be great. After all, I did leave content with a 15 pound food baby. My only concern is its quest for quick success which ultimately doesn’t occur overnight, so it might be worthwhile waiting to visit a few months until it has found its feet.
Words Andrea Avellano Design Rachel Burke
Service
Overall
7/10
7/10