Picture postcard Oxfordshire village may seem a million miles away from the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, but I discovered an interesting connection while visiting the Seven Stars pub in Marsh Baldon.
We had a Malaysian friend staying who does cross-stitch embroidery in her spare time. Having spent part of her life in England, Gek Cheng's favourite pictures are of thatched English cottages with honeysuckle and roses growing up the sides.
We thought it would be nice to eat out in a country pub, and Marsh Baldon, with its beautiful setting around a classic village green, seemed to fit the bill very well - particularly as it is only a 10-minute drive from the east side of Oxford, where we live.
The last time I went there, it was difficult to move inside for 'olde worlde' pub trappings like brass kettles, but the pub managers have changed, and the style is now more IKEA modernism. It's still recognisable as a pub, with a few locals propping up the bar, but there is now a sophisticated dining area at the side.
This isn't a closed-off restaurant area, and still allows you to feel part of the pub, so provided just the right atmosphere for our casual evening out. The bar staff greeted us immediately and allowed us to sit where we wanted, since only one other table was occupied.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE?
We got our drinks at the bar, though we could have had waitress service all evening if we had wanted. We ordered fruit juice and a large glass of white wine, which seemed very expensive at £4.80 for a (perfectly acceptable) Pinot Grigio.
My husband George chose a starter of smoked salmon with cucumber ribbons and lemon and dill dressing. This was beautifully constructed, provoking an exclamation from our guest: "Twin Towers!" Once we had cleared up the confusion with the buildings in New York, we could see that the carefully arranged towers of curled cucumber did indeed look a bit like skyscrapers. We also learned about the Malaysian Twin Towers, which boast 35 floors and a fantastic view of the city, but are closed on Mondays.
I shared bruschetta with roasted Mediterranean vegetables with my guest, who pronounced them very tasty. She followed this with duck breast on a bed of red cabbage, with fondant potatoes and orange glaze, saying the red cabbage was a bit like plum sauce, which seemed unlikely.
George had a Thai curry, which Gek Cheng tasted and, sadly, declared "not a proper curry" as it was "not hot enough and too salty" despite being fairly tasty. I had salmon with a sweet chilli sauce, green beans and mash.
WHAT WAS THE NOSH LIKE?
Hard to fault really, unless you are a Malaysian of Chinese origin with high standards. Definitely a notch up from the usual pub grub.
George enjoyed his curry so much that he ran out of sauce. He was given a big bowlful, with extra chicken, proving that it's always worth asking.
Gek Cheng ate every crumb on her plate, saying the duck was "quite good". My salmon was cooked just right, while the beans were not too crunchy and not too soft, and the sauce was pungent but not overwhelming.
So, what's not to like? Nothing, apart from the prices, which seemed a bit steep, but are probably par for the course when pubs go upmarket. We got a free jug of water with ice and lemon, though.
TELL ME A FEW OTHER THINGS: The service was impeccable. The food was artistically presented, including the puddings, which we were too full to try but could see being served at the next table - sticky toffee pudding, banoffee pie, bread and butter pudding or apple pie were all £4.50.
VERDICT: A bit expensive, but it does cost more to serve home-made, freshly prepared food than standard pub fare. It's the only pub in the village - unless you count the Mole at Toot Baldon, which really is expensive.
THE BILL Two fruit juices £2.80 Lge Pinot Grigio £4.80 Sml Sauvignon Blanc £2.70 Smoked salmon £5.95 Duck breast £11.95 Salmon with chilli £10.50 Thai curry £8.95 TOTAL: £47.65
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