Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.
Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This week, Frances reviews Harrogate’s new fish restaurant, Catch.
More years ago than I care to remember, I have happy childhood memories of what a big treat it was to go to the original Harry Ramsden’s in Guisley. It was a warm, vibrant, exciting place through a child’s eyes, with great greasy smells and wonderful crunchy fish with a succulent interior. Harry’s had two sides to it, one was a takeaway in newspaper which added to the excitement and the other was where you had the vinegar and tomato sauce on the table, with bread and butter and you ate off a plate! The plate side never tasted so good as the newspaper!
Catch Harrogate has a great takeaway business with all those attributes I have just mentioned. On arrival at the seated side, no expense has been spared as far as the interior is concerned. It cuts a modern, clinical and safe impression. Hospitality at the moment is suffering in more ways than one, its latest problem is the lack of competent staff. Not so here at Catch, as its name suggests. The staff were charming, helpful and knowledgeable.
It’s ‘posh’ side with its Oyster Bar, which I am sure is very joyful experience at any time, leads on to its very extensive menu with breads, bao buns, prawn and crab nachos, sea salt and pepper squid, tempura of tiger prawns, monk fish wings and smoked salmon. These are all starters ranging from £4 – £8.
Then on offer, ‘Bigger’, as they call it, are platters of fish, fish pie, mussels, grilled steak sandwiches and grilled halloumi open sandwiches, traditional fish and chips and ‘sides’ galore. The ‘Bigger’ varies from £25 for a platter of fish down to a halloumi open sandwich at £12. The choice of 6 different desserts are around £6 each.
Frances chose the cod with seafood curry and monkfish pakora
I was reminded of a restaurant that I once went to where you chose your meat and you had the choice of two sauces to put with it, which always struck me as being somewhat odd, as trying to please all tastes was rather prostituting the experience of a kitchen. After being seated at a very comfortable table, I was told that I could have cod, salmon, sea bass or swordfish, all costing around £18. Having chosen my fish, I could have it with a choice of garnish: seafood curry, coriander rice, monkfish pakora and raita; Moroccan roasted vegetables, toasted giant couscous and halloumi salad; seasonal vegetables, new potatoes and herb butter (gf); or beef dripping chips with dressed house salad and salsa verde. Any of the said fishes would be finished with a Catch spiced blend and served with the garnish of your choice.
The Verdict: 2.5 stars
I opted for the cod with the seafood curry, and found myself dreaming of the succulent interior of deep fried fish of the aromas coming from the takeaway next door. Then I wondered, although very tasty, if the monkfish pakora was not a little on the ‘too crispy’ side, along with my chosen cod. Fish can be a very temperamental thing to cook and it needs care and attention, as does presentation of one’s food on the plate. This is a menu that tries to please everyone, but perhaps smaller offerings and a fresh fish dish of the day would be less stressful for the kitchen to produce, and to the customer’s advantage.
Opening a new restaurant in these times is a very hard thing to do and I take my hat off to Catch for what they have done. I look forward to returning as there is such a great need for an honest fish restaurant in Harrogate, and these are early days.
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