Despite an incongruous position in city’s clubland, KATHERINE MACALISTER finds a Chinese restaurant that gives a real treat

It’s been 18 months since I last ventured to Sojo when I was dazzled by the plaudits showering down upon it. How I’ve managed to stay away remains to be seen but last week saw me perched on the door of manager Teresa Leong’s wonderful establishment, knowing that a treat was in store.

Incongruously situated under The Bridge nightclub and wedged between the backpackers hostel and The Glee Club on Hythe Bridge Street, its dark interior and neon signs belie the fabulousness of all that lies within. Sojo is a dark horse stabled in Oxford’s clubland district, making it somewhat of a mystery destination, and one of Oxford’s best kept secrets.

Having recommended it to everyone I’ve met since, including random people on the street, I thought I deserved a revisit, defiantly returning to find that Sojo is still as deceptively spacious inside as I remembered, the dark wood stretching back to the bar, full of sleek trestle tables and meek staff, making the interior both welcoming and discreet.

They give you the menus for appearances’ sake, but most people ask Teresa and her staff to order for them from the vast array of unusual dishes. We did the same and sat back to see what she would bring.

Broccoli as it turned out, and I looked at the plate of steaming vegetables thinking I could do that at home, until I had a bite and realised that unless a fairy godmother appeared and waved a magic wand, this was not the case. Sojo blanches the broccoli and stir fries it in a garlic sauce and how good it is. Ditto the green beans, this attention to detail being what it has built such a formidable reputation on.

But I’m jumping ahead, bypassing the delicious tempura vegetables and the lettuce wrap, where you take a lettuce leaf, fill it with a chunky satay mix, roll it up and pop it in your mouth. The salt and peppered prawns were another massive hit.

Next up were said vegetables, the spicy aubergines and the Shanghai sweet soy duck, which we marvelled over. The aubergines were equally as spectacular and boy they had a kick. But it’s the combination of the dishes that work so well – a wonderful mirage of tastes, silky smooth sauces, the crunch of the veg, the duck flesh that falls from the bone, the tang of the prawns, the crispness of the batter, the slipperiness of the noodles, the kick of the chilli, all of which combine to leave one not only replete but content.

If our feast sounds girly, it was. Teresa finds that her male clientele prefer more meaty dishes to those of her female customers, and caters accordingly, but we were happy. How we managed the banana and pineapple fritters for dessert I’ll never know, but down they went, along with several bottles of wine.

Eating enough for several coach parties paid off, as we went on afterwards and needed all the ballast we could get. At £25 a head without booze, Sojo was not only delightful but brilliant value for money. I can’t recommend it enough, even if it does mean the secret’s out.

SoJo, Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford Call 01865 202888 or visit sojooxford.co.uk