Anna Mckay shares a recipe perfect for celebrating Chinese New Year
Ding Huang demonstrates the art of paper cutting
A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
Laura Reynolds looks at the habits of exam-weary students
My guest and I decided on heading there for lunch. We found the restaurant easily with its small sign poking out above the pavement, a few minutes' walk from the Minster. The décor is shabby chic with old staircases, open brick walls, battered furniture, and sweet little flourishes like daisies in shot glasses. The atmosphere was a little dingy, but the sunny staff helped counteract it.
The patio was out of bounds because of the threatening clouds above, but was still and spacious, and best of all permeated with large pots filled with herbs – an entirely edible garden.
The food is mostly inexpensive, with two main courses from a set menu available for £10 when eating between 12pm and 3pm. There's an early bird evening menu serving two courses before 7.30pm, and dishes are helpfully marked as suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and the gluten intolerant. A 10% discount is available to students at the University.
I chose the smoked salmon and parsley risotto with a side salad. To wash it down we ordered a bottle of the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, a typically citrus and bright offering from the excellent Marlborough wine house, priced at a reasonable £15. The risotto was simple – it really was pretty much just smoked salmon, parsley, and rice – but good. It had a moreish savoury flavour that is missed in cheaper risottos which are smothered in too much cream and assaulted with sweet vegetables. The aftertaste was pleasantly smokey and warm. Overall, balanced and tasty but not adventurous. Risotto is a nightmare to present because of its tendency to resemble something a baby might be fed, though perhaps an effort past the valiant sprig placed on it could have been made.
The salad was massive and very fresh, though the dressing was overpowering. It's a shame we asked for no tomatoes in the salad (my guest is a little scared of them) because the owner of the restaurant, Suzi, told me she has just been growing some outside her house.
We didn't follow with any pudding – they all seemed too full on – though the "naughty coffees" were very tempting, particularly "Dark Indulgance [sic]": coffee and amaretto topped with whipped cream and bits of chocolate. Maybe the restaurant is a better fit for an evening meal.
Sanctuary is a brave effort at an interesting concept. It could be punchier with the dishes served, and the grown produce should be much more celebrated in the food. Nonetheless it's certainly worth a visit: it's different to York's other restaurants and has a fantastic casual charm.
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