WHEN there’s a new place in town, you’ve got to give it a try – so my wife and I tucked in at Tuk Tuk Asian Bar and Kitchen. It has taken over that prominent spot, up a small flight of steps on the corner of the Imperial Centre in Darlington, occupied for the past few years by Joe Rigatoni’s.

It transpires that Tuk Tuk is part-owned by Vincenzo Arceri, who had Emilio’s in Durham. Vincenzo’s brother, Paulo, rules the roost at Joe Rigs, which has made way by moving into the basement. A close family if ever there was one.

Tuk Tuk is described as a fusion of Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian food and yet it isn’t cooked by an Asian, but by Vincenzo’s business partner Martin Quinn, an English chef with a background mainly in Mediterranean cuisine.

That may be seen as a let down by those looking for authenticity, but Martin – formerly head chef of Yarm 85 and Martha’s Vineyard in Kirklevington Country Club – has clearly done his homework to meet his new challenge because his food is really rather good.

After Tsingtao beer and spicy crackers at a candlelit table, my wife started with Yasai Tempura – zucchini, spring onion, Chinese mushrooms, aubergine and ginger soya dressing (£4.50). “Very tasty,” was the verdict.

I opted for the chocock – Malaysian satay chicken with peanut curry dip (£5.95).

Succulent chicken, beautiful sauce, I was very happy with my choice.

We’d been given an informal chopsticks demonstration, but gave up halfway through the first course. Chopsticks were a non-starter.

For mains, my wife ordered teriyaki salmon, with stir-fry pak choy and Japanese soy dressing (11.95). Again, beautifully cooked and bursting with flavour.

My choice was the gang keaw wan – Thai green chicken curry, zucchini, sugar snaps, and pak choy (£9.95). It had my tastebuds dancing with delight.

We often find on our eating out adventures that we can’t manage three courses, but this was lovely and light, with well-judged portions, so we had no hesitation in ordering desserts.

My wife finds creme brulee almost as irresistible as she finds George Clooney so she never got past the first choice – mango creme brulee with cinnamon and pistachio shortbread (£4.50). For her, this was the only minor disappointment.

She’d have preferred to see the mango more adventurously included in the creme brulee, rather than as an accompaniment.

Nevertheless, it was perfectly nice, as was the shortbread. For me, it was creamy coconut rice pudding and mango puree (£4.50). It was a lovely combination.

Martin might not be from Asia but full marks for his homework – the meal was superb. Our table was booked for 7.15pm and – only four weeks after Tuk Tuk had opened – it was busy by 8pm.

The decor is refreshing and smart, with the inevitable buddhas and elephants, although – at the clear risk of sounding old – we’d have preferred quieter, Asian music rather than the slightly too loud drumbased dance music.

On the other hand, the service by our waitresses, Vicki and Fearne, was friendly, but not over-bearing. They were delightful.

Vincenzo’s daughter, Gaynor, told me: “We just felt there was a gap in the market for this kind of restaurant and this opportunity came up. It’s a completely new direction for Vincenzo and Martin and, so far, it seems to be proving popular.”

As well as the main menu, there’s a good value express menu, with one course for £7.95 and two courses for £9.95. The express starters are: Thai bamboo basket; vegetable spring rolls with Asian papaya salad; tempura vegetables, Thai fish cakes with Chinese sticky ribs and dipping sauces. The express mains menu comprises Malaysian curry; Thai red curry; Tuk Tuk zingy noodles; or stir fry beef with mushrooms, spring onion and oyster sauce. There’s even a tea menu, featuring the likes of green tea and peach, lemongrass and ginger, and red berry and flower. I’m an ordinary PG Tips man myself, but they all sounded very exotic.

A couple of other points worth noting: all dishes are adaptable to vegetarians; and there’s a children’s menu (special fried rice, tempura fried chicken and skinny fries, mild chicken curry and rice, tasty zingy noodles, chunky fish coujons and skinny fries, and include ice cream and a soft drink) for £5.50.

The crunch question for my wife and I on these occasions is always “would we go back?” The answer, as far as Tuk Tuk is concerned, is “without doubt”. We’ve already recommended it to our 21-year-old daughter and her friends and they loved it too. Tuk Tuk Asian Bar and Kitchen is a welcome addition to the Darlington eating out scene, and we’ll be tucking in again soon.

Food facts

Tuk Tuk Asian Bar and Kitchen: Imperial Centre, Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5PE
Telephone: 01325-483777
Enquiries: tuktukdarlington.co.uk
Food: 4/5 stars
Ambience: 4/5 stars
Service: 4/5 stars
Value for money: 4/5 stars