High Life

On the afternoon I was due to go to Zouk, I was discussing with a colleague the ramifications of new high rise developments across the region, especially in Leeds and Bradford.

Furnished with the current fad and fashion, they are often outdated before they are completed.

And these developments are planned and built with no sense of community, no doctors, dentists, local pub and shops resembling shops and certainly not a corner shop where you can buy your local newpaper.

With this thought lurking in the back of my mind, I drove down Leeds Road, Bradford, in search of Zouk. I passed restaurants with bright neon lights, shops with eye-catching logos and then, brightly lit in blue and pink, Zouk.

The entrance immediately gave way to an open kitchen, extremely reassuring and visually arresting. The interior was pleasently minimalist but strangely welcoming - even cosy. Tables were full and friendly.

Having become used to this very pleasent atmosphere, a million miles away from the friendless, soulless high risers of the first paragraph, I was greeted by Suheb-ul-Alam, the very pleasent manager.

He explained many things to me; Zouk had only been open for a few months, the product of it's very successful sister restaurant, and it had been conceived of as a "Tea Bar and Grill", open for most of the day apealling to changing clientelle.

He served me Mint Chai, an excellent Arabian tea with peppermint and a touch of honey, which I immediately became very fond of and partial to. In fact I ordered another; well Suheb did say it was a tea bar. That having been said Zouk does have an excellent range of very fine beers and wines.

The point of Zouk is that it specialises in healthy and extremely well cooked Asian food. Therein lies the rub. It may look and feel contemporary but the essence of its appeal is authentic and consistent, inherently traditional and appealing. I was now encouraged and looking forward to the foray on the meny.