FOOD REVIEW
Julie Fletcher samples the new weekday early bird menu
at Muse in Yarm, and doesn’t leave disappointed…
Heavenly food
at down-to-earth prices
P
an fried mackerel with bacon and
celeriac remoulade, beetroot relish and
lemon and dill yoghurt.
Not your average midweek tea, but Mr F and
I thought we’d push the boat out.
We headed for the popular Muse restaurant
on Yarm High Street and settled in with a
couple of well-earned drinks – a very chilled
gin and tonic for me and a pint of Moretti for
him.
It was just after 5pm, so it seemed the
perfect opportunity to take advantage of the
restaurant’s early bird menu.
Two courses £16 with the addition of paired
wines £24. Three courses £19 with the addition
of paired wines £31.
There’s a choice of three starters, three mains
and three desserts and, as we discovered, this
menu cuts no corners.
It’s fine dining without the fancy pants price
tag!
Head chef Paul Brown and his team don’t
mess around. Each dish is carefully crafted,
cooked to perfection and beautifully presented.
We started our meal with one of the Muse
nibbles – seeded sourdough served with
homemade aioli and hummus. It’s one of the
best sourdoughs we’ve ever tasted, and as lovers
of good artisan bread we’ve tasted a fair few.
We also sampled a dish from the specials
menu – the smoked salmon scotch egg with
baby gem and mango salsa. Mr F adores
salmon, but I’ve never been a big fan. However,
these gorgeous little crispy globes of fishy
deliciousness could seriously sway my opinion.
Next up were our starters from the early
bird menu. We opted for the mackerel, along
with a slow-braised belly pork and wholegrain
mustard risotto served with a butternut squash
croquette.
Incredible flavours and generous portions.
Absolutely delicious!
As we tucked in, the place began to fill up
around us, with families, couples and groups
of friends taking up other tables and creating a
lovely early evening buzz.
Soon it was time for the main event. I went
for the rump steak with fries and salad, while
Mr F chose pan fried coley with green beans
Muse on Yarm High
Street (above) served
up winning food via its
early bird menu.
and tarragon cream sauce served with seasonal
veg.
The steak came as requested – medium
rare – beautifully caramelised on the outside
while still pink in the middle. Served with well-
seasoned fries and crisp salad leaves. Perfect!
Across the table, the coley was equally
tasty. The tarragon cream sauce was balanced
beautifully with a sweet red cabbage.
We thought we should indulge in dessert –
well it would be rude not to!
For me that came in the shape of a tongue-
tingling raspberry baked Alaska with winter
berries and chocolate sponge. Sweet, sharp,
soft and indulgent – everything that ticks my
boxes in a pud!
For chocolate fan Mr F, it was the chocolate
brownie with honeycomb, chocolate and sea
salt ice cream.
Oh my word! This was no ordinary
brownie. Layer upon layer of chocolate
that delivered a scrumptious sweet end to a
sensational meal.
For quality, taste, presentation and price, the
marvellous early bird menu at Muse provides
heavenly food at a down-to-earth price.
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