Royal Oak, Havant

The Royal Oak pub in Langstone, near Havant, is located in a row of three terraced cottages that date from the sixteenth century. It has been a pub for more than three hundred years, and some of the original beams and fireplaces still remain. It is situated at the north-eastern end of Langstone Harbour, with Hayling Island just to the south. There is a fine view looking towards Thorney Island and Chichester Harbour, with Langstone Mill just a few yards away. You can see swans, ducks and perhaps white egrets by the shore and on the mill pond nearby. It is a beautiful spot.

We arrived at about 6.45pm one Sunday evening in May, having walked from Havant railway station along the Hayling Billy trail – the old railway line that once ran from Havant to Hayling Island. The weather was warm but rather windy, so having had plenty of fresh air we decided to sit inside rather than at the picnic tables in the garden. There was a choice of several tables, but by the time we left the place was almost full.

It is rather dark inside the Royal Oak, but that adds to the atmosphere. In some places there is open brickwork which I prefered to the rather dull beige paint in other areas. The ceiling has dark wooden panels alongside the older beams, and the tables and chairs are similarly in dark wood. The chairs and long seats by the walls do have padded cushions, so they are comfortable. There were two of us but we were able to have a table for four – thankfully, as my son had his tripod and camera bag with him as usual.

Menus are provided on the table alongside a wine list, pepper and salt mills, a pot of oil, cutlery and serviettes. We didn't order starters, but they range from seasonal soup of the day with thick-cut bread and Somerset butter (£2.95) through tempura battered king prawns (£4.65) to oven-baked garlic and herb sharing bread topped with red chard and olives (£5.05).

Main dishes are divided into five sections, starting with steaks. You can choose from sirloin, rump or rib-eye with or without toppings, and prices range from £10.95 to £13.95; they are all served with chips and various other accompaniments. The Classics section includes British beef and Ruddles ale pie with chips or mash, vegetables and gravy (£8.15), hand-battered cod and chips with tartare sauce and petits pois or mushy peas (£7.45) or Kadai chicken curry with lemon and parsley basmati wild rice and poppadoms (£9.25). There are three kinds of Gourmet Burger priced between £6.95 and £9.25. The Chef's Selection has slow-cooked New Zealand lamb shank with pea mash and minted gravy (£9.95) as well as a classic paella of chicken, chorizo and seafood (£9.45). There are three main course salads, for example Loch Fyne smoked Scottish salmon and king prawn (£8.45). More mains were listed on the specials board, but the Sunday roast had been crossed off and we weren't tempted by any of the others.

The only vegetarian main dishes are peppered mushroom suet pudding (£9.45), Wensleydale grape, Tiptree honey and mint salad (£6.95), Red Leicester and spinach burger (£6.95) or butternut squash, spinach, lentil and spicy coconut curry (£7.95).

Side orders include carrots in chive butter (£2.29), dressed side salad (£2.09) and garlic ciabatta(£2.09). There is a notice at the bar where you order the food saying that if you are not asked if you would like any sides, the pub will offer you some free of charge. My son was asked when he ordered our food, so we didn't get any. That was probably just as well, as I don't think we could have eaten any more!

My son had a few weeks earlier enjoyed the fish and chips at the Royal Oak and decided to try something different. After considering the Tandoori chicken breast salad (£8.25), he eventually chose the paella. I was tempted by the traditional beef lasagne (£6.95) but decided to go for something more original. From the Chef's Selection I picked the farm-assured 'smothered' chicken breast with grilled bacon, goat's cheese and tomato Provencal sauce, topped with watercress and served with chips and a salad garnish (£8.65). We each ordered a fruit juice, and our bill came to £22.

It was around fifteen to twenty minutes before a waitress brought our food. We were asked if we wanted any sauces, so I asked for some tomato ketchup to go with my chips. My chicken came in an oval dish on a large plate, next to the chips and salad. The salad consisted of a few rather tired looking lettuce leaves and one very small cherry tomato, cut in half. It made me feel glad that I hadn't ordered a main course salad. The chicken was topped with a generous amount of watercress which I moved on top of the salad so that I could see what was underneath. There were two good-sized pieces of chicken which were very tender; one was topped with bacon, the other with goat's cheese. The Provencal sauce was very rich. My only criticism of the cooked food is that it had just started to burn around the edges of the dish, and one end of the bacon was rather burned. I actually quite like my food like this, but I'm sure there are people who would not have been happy with it. The chips were good and chunky – too many for me to finish, but I expect a lot of people would be able to polish them all off. My son was quite satisfied with his paella, and we both felt full by the time we had finished eating.

We considered going for a walk along the shore and coming back for dessert, but in the end neither of us felt we wanted any more to eat. The Puddings, as the menu calls them, range from Cornish clotted cream ice-cream with chocolate sauce (£3.75) through sticky dark chocolate and walnut brownie (£4.45) to a trio of classic hot puddings served with custard or double cream (£5.25) which you could perhaps share. There is also a cheese platter (£3.95), and lemon meringue pie featured on the specials board that day. Beside the bar was a small board showing various types of coffee that are available, but it was too late in the day for me to sample one.

I found the ladies' toilets to be very clean, pleasantly decorated and well appointed. While drying your hands you could even look out of the window at the view across the harbour if you wanted to!

While we were eating the waitress came over to ask if everything was all right. She came to remove our plates not long after we had finished, asking again if the food had been satisfactory and whether we wanted to order any desserts. At one point the owner/manager was clearing the next table but one from ours and chatting very amicably with a couple seated at the neighbouring table; I got the feeling they were regular customers.

The strong points of the Royal Oak are its location and atmosphere. I have no complaints about the service. The food was good, but I can imagine that if this pub was situated in the middle of Portsmouth, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to visit it. As it is, it is the perfect place to combine with a walk that includes a wooded path, a field with horses, and a picturesque shoreline. The Royal Oak offers curry and a pint on Wednesday evenings for £6.95 which would attract me if I lived nearer. There were quite a few children on the evening we were there, and the garden in particular would be an ideal place for families in fine weather. If you like the sound of the location, I would definitely recommend a visit.

The Royal Oak

19 Langstone High Street

Havant

Hampshire

PO9 1RY

Tel. 023 9248 3125

www.royaloak-havant.com

Yo Sushi - Gunwharf Quays

Restaurant chains seemed to have realised that Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth is the place to be, and hot on the heels of Wagamama came Yo! Sushi at the end of April. Situated opposite Marks and Spencer and next door to Cotton Traders, Yo! Sushi doesn't have the advantage of views from the waterfront, but it makes up for this in other ways.

Having visited Wagamama in Bristol as well as Sakura in Southsea, I wasn't totally unfamiliar with Japanese food, but I was quite unprepared for the conveyor belt experience. I also wasn't sure I would be comfortable sitting on a high chair with a low backrest at a counter, but here I was wrong. The back rest gave good support, and there was at least enough room under the counter for bags. The English waitress who had welcomed us brought menus and asked if we had visited Yo! Sushi before. When we said we hadn't, she explained we could help ourselves to the sushi and desserts that were going round on the double conveyor belt in front of us but that we could call her if we wanted to order hot food. She showed us in the menu that all dishes are priced according to a colour code: they are served on small plates or little shallow bowls with a coloured rim. They go from pale green rims at £1.70 through orange rims at £3.30 up to grey rims at £5 with a couple of others in between. When you finish your meal, the waitress counts how many plates you have of each colour and gives you a slip with details of your drinks as well to take to the till.

The waitress showed us that on the counter there were taps for both fizzy and still water; you can drink as much water as you like for £1. You can also order limitless Japanese green tea for £1.25. My son decided to stick with water, but I ordered a Frobisher's orange juice for £2.30. Yo! Sushi does also offer several wines, sake, Japanese beer, and one or two other soft drinks.

Also on the counter in front of us were a large supply of wooden chopsticks, some wooden teaspoons, glasses for water, a bottle of soya sauce, a pot of wasabi, a container of very thinly sliced fresh ginger, and some very small white dishes for the ginger. The waitress had also shown us that there was a help button you could press to call her. When you do this, the nearest vertical plastic tube, several of which are placed at intervals along the counter, turns from blue to red. Much more fun than having to catch someone's eye!

The waitress left us and we started to look at our menus, which are square booklets with sushi at one end and everything else at the other. There are illustrations of all the items, circled in the appropriate colour so that you can check the price code. I soon decided that I would try the salmon teriyaki, and started to watch the two rows of food passing by on the conveyor belts. They are all covered in transparent plastic domes. I tried to work out what some of the dishes were, but by the time I'd found them on my menu they had gone past! I wondered where the salmon teriyaki was, having already forgotten that hot food had to be ordered from the waitress. My facial expression must have been one of utter confusion, as my son asked me if I wanted to leave. I didn't, but I did feel rather flummoxed. The waitress came back so I ordered my salmon teriyaki and my son asked for a chicken katsu curry. He had already chosen a dish of assorted fish maki (filled rice rolls wrapped in seaweed) from the belt; there were six very small ones, two each of salmon, tuna and prawn with chives. I realised that I was going to have to pick something, but much as I love fish I cannot bring myself to try raw fish. I decided to play safe and grabbed a plate of tamago nigiri – two pieces of rice topped with sweet omelette. The omelette is bound to the rice with a thin strip of seaweed. It was very bland, but I didn't mind this as I had it with some gorgeous fresh ginger and soya sauce. If you aren't keen on ginger, though, stay away – it is a very strong flavour. I passed on the wasabi, which is very spicy.

My son had by that time enthusiastically taken some spicy chicken with grated Asian radish, assorted sprouts and green beans. He also chose a plate of two vegetable futomaki – rice rolls wrapped in seaweed and filled with cucumber, pickled radish, tamago (omelette), carrot and avocado. I tried a tiny piece of the chicken but didn't like the soft consistency, so I agreed to have one of the futomaki rolls. Although I don't normally like either cucumber or radish, I actually enjoyed this. The only problem was actually eating it; I couldn't cut it with the chopsticks so I picked the whole thing up and tried to bite a piece off. Let's just say I'm glad there were no cameras around at that point.

Our hot food was handed to us by a member of the kitchen staff, who work in a central area and are therefore in full view of the customers all the time. The teriyaki salmon was grilled and consisted of three small but quite thick slices, garnished with ginger, cress and a slice of lemon. It was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious; I can't say I've had better salmon anywhere. My son was impressed by his chicken katsu curry, which is fried chicken on rice with a mild curry sauce and Japanese pickles.

I decided not to overdo the savoury food as the desserts chugging along in front of me were just too tempting. The fresh fruit salad, with slices of pineapple and melon as well as green and purple grapes and a strawberry, looked enticing and healthy, but we decided to try something new with a Japanese slant. My son reached for a plate of mochi – glutinous rice cakes with sweet fillings which are described in the menu as nutritious. I had no hesitation in going for the chocolate mochi, which have a dark chocolate ganache filling and are dusted with cocoa powder. There were two of each, mostly cut in half, so we decided to share them. The ordinary ones were pleasant enough and reminded me a little of marshmallows. The chocolate mochi were absolutely gorgeous, especially the cocoa powder, which had a strong but irresistible flavour. We ate the mochi with chopsticks, except for one that was whole which I cut with a spoon.

When you are ready for the bill, all you have to do is ring the bell and the waitress appears quite promptly. She counted our dishes and gave us a slip of paper with numbers against the colours of the plates, as well as details of the orange juice and water. When we checked, however, it looked as though she hadn't included our desserts, perhaps because the plates were still in front of us rather than stacked in the pile. The waitress came back and adjusted the numbers. Her mistake had been in our favour, but it would always be worth checking in case you are being overcharged.

The bill came to just over £28 to which we added a tip. We paid by card at the till, beside which is a takeaway counter. There were various boxes of sushi available here for around £7 or £8, but it was not fully stocked.

The ladies' toilet was very clean and well appointed. I should perhaps emphasise that the restaurant had only been open for just over forty-eight hours, so I hope the standards of cleanliness will be maintained.

When I went along to the toilets at the back of Yo! Sushi, I noticed that there were a couple of tables with comfortable sofas either side which are presumably intended for larger groups of people. There were a few children around that day, but I didn't see any babies or any sign of high chairs. The restaurant is accessible by wheelchairs.

I have no idea how close the food at Yo! Sushi comes to authentic Japanese food, but I can only say how much I enjoyed it. After my initial confusion, I felt that it was a refreshing change from the usual restaurant experience. Next time I go I will have much more of an idea of what the dishes travelling before me are and what has to be ordered separately. If you have a liking for Oriental food and enjoy variety, I would definitely recommend a visit.

Opening hours

Monday – Saturday: 12 noon until 11pm

Sunday: 12 noon until 10.30pm

Yo! Sushi

79 Gunwharf Quays

Portsmouth

PO1 3TZ

Tel. 023 9280 8110

www.yosushi.com

Spice Village, Emsworth

Considering Emsworth is such a small town, it has a surprisingly good choice of restaurants. A couple of them are right out of my price range, but the Spice Village, an Indian restaurant right in the centre of town, offers very good Oriental cuisine that is affordable as well.

Spice Village took over one of Emsworth's pubs a few years ago, and it is surprisingly spacious – larger than any Indian restaurant I've been in Southsea, for example. We arrived at about 6.15pm one Sunday evening, and things were still very quiet. I suggested we take a small table as there were only two of us, but the waiter encouraged us to sit at a table for four as my son had a tripod and camera bag and I had a couple of bags as well. The tripod went on the floor, safely behind the table, but we were asked to put everything else on the two spare chairs. Menus were brought and the waiter hovered a while until we each asked for a fruit juice.

Spice Village is very stylish, but if you are not keen on pink you might find it's a little overdone. Almost everything, from the walls to the tablecloths to the lighting, is in shades of pink. It is very comfortable, but it did occur to me that many of the tables are very close together so there wouldn't be much privacy at busy times. The waiters, thankfully, do not wear pink; they are smartly dressed in purple shirts and black trousers.

Taking a look at the menu, starters include onion bhaji (£2.50), mulligatawny soup (£2.95), king prawn butterfly (£4.75) and even prawn cocktail (£2.95). We decided just to order three plain papadoms (60p each) which were served with the usual mango chutney, raita and raw onion finely chopped with a few slices of cucumber and tomato.

Looking at main dishes, which are divided into several sections, I was tempted among the fish dishes by ayre delight (£10.50), having once enjoyed it at the Spice Merchants in Southsea. Passanda is another favourite of mine, and this was listed under the chef's recommendations in a chicken or lamb version (£5.95). The meat and chicken dishes offer the usual varieties such as korma, madras, bhuna, rogan and korai, and most are priced under £6. Biriani dishes range from mushroom or vegetable (£5.95) to king prawn (£9.95). Then come 'some modern favourite regional dishes' which include shahi duck (£9.50) and Himalayan chicken or lamb (£8.50). There are just four Persian dishes, such as meat, chicken or prawn dansak (£6.75) and king prawn patia (£9.50). The seafood section actually consists only of prawn curries of various kinds. A good variety of tandoori cuisine offers, for example, duck korai (£8.50) or lamb tikka massala (£6.95). Spice Village balti specials are served with nan bread and include balti jhinga massala with king prawns (£9.50). There is a special section for vegetarian curries such as dupiaza, jalfrazi and balti, all £5.50. For those who aren't fans of Indian cuisine, the choice is between sirloin steak (£8.95), fried chicken (£6.95) and chicken, prawn or mushroom omelette (£6.95).

There is a good choice of vegetable side dishes such as Bombay potato (£3.20), keema aloo (£3.10) or dhall tarka (£3.20). Various types of nan bread include coriander and cheese nan (£2.25), and the bread section also offers paratha and chapati. If you find plain rice (£1.95) boring, there are four other kinds to choose from, such as special fried rice with peas and egg (£3.10).

I eventually decided on tandoori chicken served with salad (£6.50), and my son chose Goan chicken (£8.50), a 'fairly hot' dish of marinated chicken cooked with garlic, ginger, coriander, Goan red chilli, coconut and cumin. We also ordered a portion of plain rice and a paratha stuffed with vegetables (£2.50), both to share between us. When I asked for the tandoori chicken, the waiter was at great pains to explain that it was dry, in other words served without sauce. I assured him that I was aware of this, but it sounded as though they must have had some complaints or misunderstandings in the past by customers expecting lashings of curry sauce with everything.

Our order was taken while we were enjoying our papadoms, and we didn't have to wait too long for the main dishes to arrive. My tandoori half chicken came on a large plate with finely chopped lettuce, one slice each of tomato and cucumber, a wedge of lemon and some lime pickle. A small bowl of raita was also served, but I'm not keen on it and left it as it was. The Goan chicken and vegetable paratha were both placed on a hotplate, with the bowl of rice on the table. The tandoori chicken was topped with finely sliced vegetables – mostly onion; the chicken was well cooked and very tender. I had a helping of rice alongside the salad, and almost forgot about the paratha. Eventually I had a few pieces of it but, delicious as it was, I just couldn't manage to finish my share. My son certainly enjoyed the Goan chicken; he had been to an excellent Indian restaurant on the Isle of Wight the previous weekend which had impressed him slightly more, but we both agreed that the food at Spice Village was as good as any we have had in Portsmouth or Southsea.

We asked for a glass of water each but were far too full to even think about having dessert. Hoping to get down to Emsworth beach before sunset, we asked for the bill. It came to just over £27, to which we added a tip. Payments by card are accepted.

The service was polite, attentive and efficient; all but one of the waiters had heavy accents, but we managed to understand them fairly easily. I think I do have to mention, however, that when my son went to wash his hands one of the waiters walked over and eyed up his camera (complete with extra lens) that was sitting on a chair. He then started chatting to one of his colleagues, and I heard the word 'camera' mentioned more than once. After we'd finished eating my son got out his iphone; in a twinkling there was the same waiter, peering over his shoulder. We concluded he must be a gadget freak, but I think it was bit of an odd way to behave.

The ladies' toilet was very clean and extremely pink, of course, right down to the toilet tissue. I forgot to ask my son whether the pinkness extended into the gents as well!

Spice Village offers a takeaway service and accepts telephone orders. There is an area by the bar with comfortable chairs where customers can wait for their takeaways. I remember visiting Spice Village three or four years ago when we lived near Havant and they were very obliging over calling a taxi for us. We were able to wait in that same area by the bar.

If you are visiting Emsworth or passing through, Spice Village is the place to go for Indian cuisine. I believe it gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings, so a reservation would probably be necessary unless you arrive at around 6pm. It's not far at all from Havant, and both Portsmouth and Chichester are no great distance from Emsworth. We combined our visit with a walk along the shore of Thorney Island, which is just a few minutes' walk away, and an evening stroll by the beach in Emsworth. It's a refreshing change from the city.

Opening hours

Sunday – Thursday: 12 noon until 2.30pm and 5.30pm until 11.30pm

Friday and Saturday: 12 noon until 2.30pm and 5.30pm until midnight

Spice Village

47 High Street

Emsworth

Hampshire

PO10 7AL

There is a car park at the rear of the restaurant. The Coastliner 700 bus from Brighton to Portsmouth stops just a few yards from Spice Village.

Tel. 01243 379222 or 01243 389333

www.spice-village.co.uk