By Gary Shipton
It was arguably the biggest gamble the culinary world has seen in Sussex in a decade. A former rather down-at-heel pub in one of the less high profile corners of a market town was given a five star makeover. More than one and a half million pounds was lavished on the Horsham building and inside a new Japanese restaurant was created. Wabi was born.
The food is exemplary. And despite early concerns about price and portion sizes, it has addressed these key issues of value for money with a reforming zeal. When I revisited Wabi to sample the lunch menu this month I was impressed beyond measure. There are four set lunches ranging in price from £6.99 to £12.50. But the real gems in the lunchtime menu are the Bento boxes, priced at £13.50 and £17.50 for the deluxe. You will simply not find better value - or better food.
The deluxe comprises miso soup, sushi and sashimi selection, crunchy chicken kara-age salad with creamy Kimchee dressing, spicy teriyaki vegetables with steamed rice, robata grilled pork belly with spicy miso and green apple, and roasted scallop with yuzu truffle egg sauce, yuzu tobiko and oshitashi. In particular, the pork belly and the roasted scallop are superb. Not surprisingly, even on a Tuesday lunchtime the restaurant was already busy. In less than a year it's won a well-deserved reputation as the ideal local dining experience as well as a regional centre of excellence. Wherever you live in Sussex, it's worth travelling to.
Not everything is perfect. I have reservations about the colour scheme: too much brown and not enough colour. From the exterior, too, the building lacks the wow factor that is needed to complement a menu of this quality. East Street remains an interesting choice of location. It has fast developed a reputation as the dining quarter of the town - but many of the eateries are price driven in their promotion. Only one other venue in the neighbourhood can lay claim to anything approaching the dining excellence that Wabi offers.
As gambles go, the launch of Wabi is a most courageous one. But the good news for diners is that they are on to a winner. With this kind of quality, you cannot lose.
Wabi, 38 East Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1HL. 01403 788 140; www.wabi.co.uk; reservations@wabi.co.uk