Danomey Kitchen has been packing out The Stanley pub in Norwich since launching its food menu there in the summer. Louisa Baldwin headed along to try it for herself.
Food
Danomey Kitchen launched in August at The Stanley in NR3, a postcode which is brimming with brilliant pubs, and offers a range of small plates and mains with brunches at weekends.
Since reopening after lockdown, many pubs have brought in an external food business to diversify and get more punters through the doors, with orders for food and drinks done separately.
I headed to The Stanley on a Wednesday evening with my boyfriend, after failing to get a table the night before as all were taken up (they don’t take bookings) for the weekly quiz night.
After finally managing to get in and ordering our drinks from The Stanley’s bar staff, the waiter for Danomey Kitchen came out to take our order.
We said that my boyfriend had a dairy allergy, so he nipped back to the kitchen and came back with another menu marked with the things he could eat, which luckily was most of it.
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Danomey Kitchen doesn’t focus on one particular style of cuisine, with everything from crispy duck and hoisin sauce to roasted cauliflower with curried paneer cheese, and the menu changes regularly to mix things up.
We ordered crispy squid with sticky soy sauce, chilli jam and spring onions (£8) and roasted garlic hummus with chilli oil, served with homemade za’atar flatbread (£7) to start.
The crispy squid was a pyramid of pure delight and the squid was fresh and soft, not rubbery as can often be the case, and it was encased in a crunchy, light batter.
The tangy chilli jam and crunchy spring onions elevated it even further and I would have ordered another portion if I wasn’t getting a main.
The hummus was moreish and silky smooth, with a whirlpool of chilli oil and sesame seeds on top, and the flatbread was warm and comforting.
For my main I ordered the chargrilled beef burger (£10) which came in a brioche bun with caramelised onions, cheese sauce and beef dripping mayonnaise and I added pickles for £1.
READ MORE: ‘Clever dishes with big flavours’ - our reviewer’s take on city restaurant
The burger was a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds with a perfectly cooked, well-seasoned patty topped with creamy cheese, which was just the right amount without making the bun soggy.
This combined with sweet caramelised onions, crunchy onions and wafer thin pickles ensured this was comfort food at its best.
My boyfriend had the pan-fried pork loin (£12), served with black beans, chilli peanuts and bone marrow and I tried some of the meat, which was tender and cut like butter.
It looked very inviting on the plate and was floating in a rich dark brown sauce, with lots of different textures and bold flavours on top.
We also shared togarashi fries (£4) with Japanese chilli, citrus seasoning and sesame and it was a huge portion that packed a punch - though it would have been great to have an accompanying dip to balance the spice and dry toppings.
The Danomey kitchen doesn’t do desserts, but I couldn’t have eaten another thing.
Setting
Since having a full renovation a few years ago, The Stanley looks slick both inside and outside, while still having a welcoming atmosphere. It is easy walking distance from the city centre and there are other great pubs nearby too if you fancy visiting a few over an evening.
Price
It cost £39 for the food, which we felt was reasonable considering the quality.
Drinks
The Stanley has a huge range of drinks and my boyfriend was very happy his favourite beer was available - Mangolicious from Laine Brewery in London. I opted for the Whitley Neill pink cherry gin with tonic, which was refreshing.
Toilets
The toilets were clean but are small, so you may need to wait for people to leave to go in due to social distancing.
Accessibility
The main section of the pub is all on ground level so there wouldn’t be any access issues.
Service
The staff for both Danomey Kitchen and The Stanley were friendly and attentive and we didn’t have to wait long for food or drinks.
Highlight
The crispy squid was wonderful and I’ll definitely order it again next time I go.
In summary
Interesting and tasty dishes that take inspiration from around the world and it is something new for Norwich.
If you like that try these...
1. Xo Kitchen @ The Artichoke, Norwich
Just a stone’s throw from The Stanley, The Artichoke teamed up with Xo Kitchen last summer and since then it has been packing out the pub with its innovative small plates.
2. The Cabin, Cromer
The Cabin, already a popular street food van, opened a shop in Cromer earlier this year and offers Asian-inspired dishes to takeaway, with tacos, burritos and rice boxes.
3. The Urban Eatery @ The Fat Cat and Canary
Freddie Griggs, the former head chef at Bishop’s Dining Room in Norwich, has started his own business and has a residency at The Fat Cat and Canary, where he serves stylish small plates and amazing roast dinners on Sundays.
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
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