THE JOURNEYMAN, MELLINGEY MILL, ST ISSEY, NR PADSTOW.

‘East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet’, wrote Rudyard Kipling. Well, they do at The Journeyman in the small Cornish village of St. Issey in the form of an innovative and interestingly balanced menu.

The Journeyman is not an Indian restaurant, and sensibly makes no pretence to be. However, it does offer a wide range of curries, both Indian and Thai, on the menu. Therefore, although I don’t usually report on non-Indian restaurants I’m happy to make an exception in this case as it is well worth visiting.

The restaurant is situated in a picturesque 17^th century mill house cocooned in the countryside up a narrow lane in the hamlet of Mellingey near the village of St Issey. The chances of attracting casual passing trade are therefore marginally less than zero, so it must attract custom by reputation, repeat business and advertising in order to survive. It opened in its present form in August 2004, before which it offered teas and light refreshments to visitors to the mill. The change came when the chef – Steve Lloyd – approached the owner with a view to re-inventing the place as a restaurant to feature Indian and Oriental cuisine as well as traditional English fare. The result is this splendidly innovative restaurant in partnership between Mrs Old, the owner, and Steve Lloyd.

Steve Lloyd originates from Birmingham, and trained as an engineer rather than a chef. However, he has travelled and worked extensively in the Far East, and lived for a while in Hong Kong and India, where he developed his love of their cuisine and cooking. He tells me he has cooked (although I guess not professionally) in the Far East, as well as cooking ‘Balti Nights’ in Birmingham (although again I presume for family and friends rather than professionally). He also has the benefit of Indian relatives, from whom he has studied Indian cuisine and practised. Therefore, although not previously running a professional kitchen, he has some good experience, plus the essential ingredients of enthusiasm and dedication to make it the success that he has.

The dining area is fairly small, seating 20 in an intimate, cottagey ambience, which still has the rather twee atmosphere of the old English country ‘tea-shoppe’ that it originally was, complete with chintzy blue and white china and ornaments in the window (although I gather it will close round about January 2008 for refurbishment, but I hope it doesn't lose its 'olde-worlde' atmosphere). I understand that there is further seating downstairs which can accommodate private functions or parties. Children under fourteen are not encouraged. It is closed on Sunday.  

The menu should satisfy all tastes, as in addition to quality English dishes (Beef Wellington, Fillet of Beef, Lamb Shank, Salmon, Duck etc.), there are some Thai dishes (Thai Red Curry, Thai Lemon Chicken, Thai Duck), Chinese (Szechuan Beef, Black Bean Chicken, Peking-style King Prawns, Cantonese Sweet & Sour Chicken) and even a representative of Vietnam (Vietnamese Cari Ga – a Vietnamese family-style chicken curry with potatoes, carrots in a coconut, lemon grass and herbed sauce). And, of course, there is the Indian selection, which is the reason for this report.

In addition to Nepalese Lamb, which features as one of the three 'Chef's Specialities' (the others are Penang Duck and Rare Pave of Beef), there is a separate list of Indian dishes that reflect different facets of Indian-style cooking! The menu indicates the level of spicy hotness for each dish by chilli symbols: 1 = very mild to 4 = very hot (and 5 = ‘make the chef’s day!).

I first visited in 2005, almost a year after they opened, when we started by experimenting with Tandoori Yuk Sung (marinated ground lamb sautéed with garlic, ginger and tandoori spices), which is the chef’s own invention and presumably an amalgam of Indian (as suggested by tandoori) and Far-Eastern (as the name Yuk Sung implies) cooking. The dish was attractively presented, nestling in a bowl of a fresh iceberg lettuce leaf, and was accompanied by a dish of sweet chilli sauce and a mint raita. The lamb was of good quality and subtly spiced, although personally  I would have preferred a little more 'body' to the spicing (more Indian-ness). However, to be fair it was marked with a single chilli, denoting very mild and made a pleasant starter. On more recent visits I've started with home made Thai Fishcakes served with a sweet chilli sauce, and Chicken Tikka, served kebab style with raita and salad. Both were very tasty indeed.

On my first visit we ordered Chicken Karahi (no longer on the menu, but the chef will oblige if you ask) and Balti Chicken Dhansak. The Dhansak was marked with two chillis – moderate to medium – so remembering that one chilli on the starter really did mean very mild, I asked for it to be upped to 3-chilli strength – medium to hot. I’m glad I did, as it was just the right heat for my taste. The large pieces of chicken were cooked in a thick, lentilly sauce, and it was extremely flavoursome. The spicy heat of the dish gradually encroached on the palate as I ate (which is how it should be rather than a sudden assault on the taste buds), and I thought it was very good. The Chicken Karahi was a much milder curry (we could have asked for it to be hotter, of course, but decided to have it as it came). The large pieces of chicken were in a dark, slightly tomatoey sauce of good consistency, cooked with onions and capsicums, and had a fresh, herby flavour. Again a very tasty curry, although with hindsight perhaps I should have upped the strength by a chilli to medium. 

On my next visit I tried Nepalese Lamb, which is very much the chef's creation and described on the menu as 'a fusion of the spices of North India and China with the Southern Indian influences of coconut and fresh herbs' .  It was marked at two-chilli strength, and I asked for it to be upped to three chillis. Once again this was a good move, as it was just right, with the hotness being sufficient to set the tongue tingling but not so fiery as to mask the flavours.  And flavoursome it was, with chunks of splendidly tender lamb in a rich, mellow aromatic sauce with the flavour of coconut redolent of the dishes of Sri Lanka and Southern India. I was told that it is one of their most popular dishes, and I'm not surprised as it was delicious (so much so that on my next visit my wife tried it and was similarly impressed). On this next visit I tried Minted Lamb Mirsch Pathia, again upped from two chillis to three, and like the others I've tried it was also first class. It is one of the chef's new dishes, but it will doubtless will prove popular.

On each visit I've accompanied the main curry with  an Aloo Gobi, which was also good. A pleasantly, if mildly, spiced combination of cauliflower and potatoes that that had been lightly cooked (i.e. each piece properly discernible rather than cooked to a squashy mixture). Pillau Rice was fragrant with cinnamon and clove flavours.  

The curries are generally served sizzling in an iron karahi, and the service is excellent – welcoming, friendly and attentive without being pushy. Mrs Old looks after the restaurant, but Steve appears from his kitchen from time to time to serve a sizzling dish, and have a chat with customers if time permits, which is a nice touch. As one might expect for the type of restaurant and location, at first sight prices of the Asian dishes are slightly above your average high-street Indian or Chinese restaurant across the country, although broadly comparable with the better Indian restaurants in Cornwall. Having said that, however, the portions are extremely generous – those karahis hold much more than meet the eye - and the quality first rate. The prices for the English food are very competitive, particularly bearing in mind the style of restaurant and quality of food. And the prices include complimentary tea or coffee, which is another nice touch. Taking everything into account, therefore, it represents excellent value for money.

On my fist visit I managed to have a chat to Steve after the meal, and he kindly invited me to his kitchen to show me a little of his work. All the ingredients are fresh, top quality and locally sourced - even the chillis are grown in Padstow. Only the more unusual items (such as paneer and certain spices, for which Steve goes to Birmingham) are obtained further afield. Steve makes his own base curry sauce of the usual onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, plus his ‘secret ingredient’ (yes, I do know what it is, but I’m not telling) and roasts/grinds his own spices to create his masallas.

Curry aficionados, which is who this report is aimed at, will certainly not be disappointed, although my advice to enthusiasts would be up the chilli heat as shown against the dish by one notch, as my feeling is that the spiciness of the Indian food is aimed more at the local population and holidaymakers rather than, perhaps, more hardened curryholics. Having said that, however, for those whose palate prefers more delicate  spicing then it is ideal as is is, and Steve will even adjust the spicing downwards as well as upwards if requested.

As a final comment on the food, I repeat that the menu covers a much wider range than just curries, which makes it an ideal place to visit if your wife/partner or someone in a group does not like curry or spicy foods.  On the last two visits my wife has ordered fillet steak, as I did on my most recent visit (we visited twice within a week, which illustrates our appreciation of the food). Although I don't usually comment on non-Indian foods on this website, I have to say that the fillet steak (Simply Steak on the menu) was superb, as was the Fillet Napoleon (fillet steak cooked in a thick, creamy sauce with garlic and brandy, and served on a thick bed of wholegrain mustard mash), and I was gratified that the mustard mash had a good flavour of the mustard rather than just a faint tincture often found in the mustard mash in pubs/restaurants.

All in all an excellent restaurant with an imaginative and wide ranging menu that should satisfy all tastes. In addition, although most dishes are meat or fish, Steve will make any of them with quorn or paneer to satisfy vegetarians, thus offering a far better than average selection for veggies. Although only three years old at the time of my most recent visit, I am sure this restaurant will continue to thrive, and I look forward to eating there again when next in the area. 

Finally, I always listen to the observations of other diners for pointers, and on each of my visits every comment I overheard was of praise and approval, whether it be for the Indian or English food. That bodes well for the future, and for anyone thinking of going, they now have an excellent and comprehensive website - www.journeymanrestaurant.co.uk - that includes details of the restaurant, the menu, and directions how to get there. Believe me, both restaurant and website are well worth a visit.

Malcolm Wilkins – September 2007