Located on the East Side of the Red Lion Building in Wirksworth, Don’s Pan Asian Street Food takes a bit of finding – but it’s well worth the effort. The distinctive archway is a solid visual marker if you’re not familiar with the town, and once you go through the arch, you’ll see the colourfully painted doorways of Don’s restaurant.
When you enter, you’re enveloped by bright spice colours, and these adorn not only the walls, but also the chairs and fabric-upholstered banquettes. I loved the main, multi-branched chandelier that was in the form of Oakleaf branches that were adorned with jewel-toned raindrops and flowers – you all know that I have a bit of a fascination with lighting by now! An incense burner was releasing its smoky fragrance, transporting us all to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), a task picked up very ably by Mister Don himself; to say he’s one of life’s bubbly characters is to do him a dis-service – this guy is happiness itself.
Our lovely server brought over a jug of chilled water and glasses for us, informing us that other drinks need to be bought over the alley in The Feather Star Pub. I love little quirks like this; they always add to the experience. His Nibs was soon dispatched across the way, and came back with a glass of Malbec for me and a pint of Shiny Brewery’s (a Little Eaton business) lager for himself. Seeing as it was Sunday, that meant only one thing: it was ‘Thali’ day at Don’s Pan Asian Street Food venue! The rest of the days that Don is open (Weds-Sat) he offers Thai, Japanese, Sri Lankan, Korean and Indonesian dishes, and the menu is quite extensive; Sunday, though, is dedicated to Thali, the Indian Smorgasbord.
Don wanted to offer us something a little extra to go with our Thali: a starter platter of Parippu Wade (Chana Dahl Fritters, £5.50), Paneer Spring Rolls (£6.50 for two), and Ceylon Mutton Rolls (£7.50 for two).Disappearing into the kitchen, it wasn’t long before Don came out with a large Banana-leaf garnished platter with the starters on, accompanied by Tamarind Sauce, Mango Chutney and Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce.
I tell you what, Chickpeas and Lentils have never been so damn sexy as they were in the Parippu Wade – the innocent-looking patties were blooming phenomenal! The crisp-fried outers were a lovely dark gold hue, the filling was a lighter, two-toned number. A cascade of spices and a gentle skip of Chilli washed over our palates, and we grinned happily as we dunked them into all three dips as we munched. Paneer melts beautifully when warm and it swirled throughout the mixed Vegetables in the super-crispy pastry rolls that encased it. The same bright spices, with the addition of Coriander, brought joy to our taste buds, and it was the same with the fatter Ceylon Mutton Rolls, although these were richer and earthier than their non-meat cousins.
Having polished off the starters (and feeling relieved that we’d skipped breakfast and the temptation of a ‘nibbly’ lunch) we were heartily looking forward to seeing this particular feast that Don was cooking up for his diners. I say ‘this particular feast’ because Don changes the Thali selection every Sunday, even down to the choices of ‘main curries’. His Nibs chose the Black Pepper Pork Curry for his main dish, and I opted for the Ceylon Fish Curry (which carries a surcharge of £3); both of these dishes have a Chilli symbol at the side of them – heed the warning!
There’s no denying the wow factor that a carefully presented Thail has, and Don pulls out all the stops with his offering. A verdant Banana Leaf lays on top of a pristine white platter, the contrast of colours already looking super…and that’s before all the gleaming metal Katori’s (bowls) and their contents enter the fray! When faced with such a tremendous choice, it’s hard to know where to start, so we began with the familiar: mini Poppadoms and Seeni Sambol (sticky Onion Chutney). A properly crunchy Poppadom has a super-power all of its own: the ability to lift the spirits as soon as it hits your lips and splinters apart, releasing that sharp sound. I have to say that the mixed Vegetable Pakoras did the same, their wafer-thin spiced-batter outer being beautifully crisp. Needless to say, these were soon getting dunked in the dips that we’d saved from the starters.
Kale Mallung is a curious thing; the Kale is chopped microscopically fine and combined with shredded Coconut and spices to produce a bright, clean ‘condiment’. It sounds a bit strange but, trust me, it’s surprisingly tasty – even His Nibs wolfed it down! The Coconut Sambol is much more what you’d expect it to be; that is, sweet and gently textural – it made a superb partner to the spicier, tangier curries on the Thali platter.
Fluffy rice formed the central point of the Thali, and the fragrant grains came in very useful to mop up all the tasty curry sauce left behind. My Ceylon Fish Curry was a little minx; I was feeling quietly confident for approximately 3 seconds…and then full belt of Chilli heat smacked me full-on! Thankfully, the firm fish was mild in the mouth, tempering the ardency somewhat and the Cinnamon stick that I fished out (no pun intended) added a gorgeous sweetness to the spice profile. Fresh Tomato and Onion had been gently softened, adding more flavours to dissipate the Chilli’s ping. I do love a Fish Curry, and this is one of the nicest I’ve had; I would be cautious if spiciness really isn’t your thing, though.
The Man was chuffed to bits with his choice of Black Pepper Pork Curry though, as it title (and Chilli symbol) suggests, this too packs a hefty wallop of heat in the mouth. Chunks of Pork were tender and soft to the bite and not a single piece of tendon or gristle was encountered. Where my curry was bright and fragrant, His Nibs’ Pork was an altogether, deeper, richer type; the spices were earthier and more savoury which suited the meat perfectly.
Don clearly has a way with vegetables, transforming them from ‘whatevs’ to ‘wow’. Both of us loved the Chickpea and Spinach Curry; this was the perfect example that mild doesn’t mean boring. In contrast, the Butternut Squash Temperado was [nothing short of] amazing with its generous amounts of spices and seasoning that brought a marvellous complexity to it profile. The biggest surprise, though, was how tasty the ‘Soya Meat’ Curry was; if you didn’t know it wasn’t meat, you’d ever guess it from the texture – seriously!
After so many tasty savoury elements, it was marvellous to be sampling the splendidly sweet Watalappan. This dessert is very much like a Crème Caramel, though it doesn’t have the distinctive two-tone layers. Silky and cossetting in the mouth, this is made with Jaggery, an unrefined sugar that is made from concentrated Sugar Cane Juice or Palm Sap; the flavour is deeper, like Caramel, and it had the benefit of containing trace minerals. Watalappan only needs to be consumed in small amounts to be appreciated, and we really did enjoy it.
To conclude our time at Don’s, Don brought out cups of freshly-made Masala Chai. This blend of spices and whole milk, gently sweetened with Jaggery, was the perfect end (and a jolly tasty one at that!) to what had been a memorable meal.
It wasn’t just adults that were tucking into the Thali, either; one group of diners included a younger member, and those aged 4-12 years old pay £12.50 per head, rather than the adult price of £19.50. Don serves his Sunday Thali Noon-5pm, and when it’s gone, it’s gone! Don’s Pan Asian Street Food restaurant is fairly small in size, seating maybe a couple of dozen folks, so I would definitely ring ahead to book a table. To book, call 07507 588367.
Hot Wings more than happily given to Don and his terrific Wirksworth venue. You can also sample this marvellous force-of-nature’s offerings a la ‘Grab-n- Go’ (a sort of one-stop meal) for £13.50, available Weds-Sat 5pm-9pm. If you’re enjoying a drink in The Feather Star pub, across the archway, you can order takeaway and still stay supping, thanks to a beeper that will ‘beep’ when your order is ready.
I have a feeling that this incredible man’s popularity will soon spread around Wirksworth town! Rightly so, too.
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