Restaurant review: Auradaze restaurant, Ambleside

I never thought that I would feel torn writing about a restaurant. For you to understand this opening statement, I will need to provide some background. It goes a bit like this. In one of many food-related conversations where I was extolling the merits of Japanese cuisine as I had experienced it in Tokyo years ago, a friend spoke very highly of Auradaze, in Ambleside, and its English owner Darren, a classically-trained chef in Japanese food.

I would not normally expect a restaurant recommendation to come with warnings, but Siobhan’s praise for the chef and his food was accompanied by an equal measure of caution regarding any potential inappropriate behaviour on my part as diner.

There was a code, it seemed, of acceptable customer behaviour that involved respect for the surroundings, the food, the chef, the fellow diners and the eating experience itself. I was reminded of a similar, tiny Japanese restaurant in Notting Hill where my boss at the bank would treat me on occasion, so I could not feel any more excited and apprehensive at the prospect of eating at Auradaze.

The small number of covers meant it took me a while to find a free spot. An exchange of messages took place with chef Darren Yates, where I explained that I had wanted to try his food for a long time but was also hoping to write about the experience. He made it very clear that he would be happier for me to enjoy dinner and not be preoccupied with taking photos (which I did promise to do very discretely and without flash) and taking notes for a feature. It was obvious that Darren and his wife Laura (who runs front of house) had all the business they want simply by word of mouth, but I was hoping to be able to share this discovery with you all.

Darren Yates, chef and owner of Auradaze (Image: Auradaze)

You know how you sometimes walk into a restaurant and know straightaway that you will enjoy the experience? This is how it was for me when John and I arrived. Whether it was the ambience, low lighting, smells, the tranquillity of the place or Laura’s welcoming manner, I felt completely at ease and very happy to trust in the Auradaze process. 

I was reminded of an experience I once had in Rome where my companion and I entered what we hoped would be a restaurant, sat down and were served, over the course of three hours, a number of dishes without the faintest idea of how many or what was coming next, or what lunch was going to cost us. It turned out to be the best experience of the trip.

On this occasion, after a brief introduction on how the evening was to unfold, Laura brought us two beautiful drinking cups – the restaurant operates a ‘bring your own’ drink of choice although some good Japanese teas can be purchased – made by the renowned potter Martin Miles-Moore.

Martin, like the chef, has in the past been initiated into and fully embraced the Japanese philosophy governing food and drink, and his tea cups and bowls are well known and loved.

Auradaze in Ambleside (Image: Auradaze)

What followed was the arrival of sharing plate after sharing plate of delicious food that included treats like organic white miso soup with king scallop, Loch Duart salmon and tuna, yellow tail tuna, giant prawns with kale, Kobe beef fillet, seaweed salad and Japanese rice.

The main ingredient of every dish was either raw or barely seared, in each case its texture respected and flavour left intact or enhanced in the most appropriate manner and with exacting care. Every mouthful provided proof that there was some serious passion and skill at play with little unexpected glimpses of magic thrown in the mix.

I was stunned by the quality of the ingredients and asked about their provenance. Darren’s response was simple and direct: “I follow the Japanese.” What he meant was that, having stayed in touch with the chefs who taught him during his years in Japan, he knows the suppliers to the Japanese food industry at all times.

The king scallops (I had only seen this size in Orkney years ago where the brother-in-law of the chef dived for them) came from the cold waters of Nova Scotia, the tuna from Barcelona and the pure Japanese rice from the Japanese Alps.

Food at Auradaze (Image: Auradaze)

Darren volunteered that he was a rice snob and soon enough it became apparent that I would probably need to sit him down for a few hours in order to understand the principles of selecting and cooking Japanese rice. All I can say is that as a diner I loved that it was both plump and firm textured and that each grain was distinctly separate and yet held together as if by an unseen force in a small cloud-like ball, the perfect little pillow on which the beautifully sliced fish rested.

When it came to the beef, it was clear that another whole conversation was needed. It was obvious that rice was not the only food about which Darren was snobbish. When it comes to the provenance and treatment of ingredients, it is apparent he is a man possessed. My mention of Wagyu beef was met by a disparaging look and claim that very little of what we eat in this country comes from Japan.

Instead of this heavily-marketed type of beef, Darren has chosen to work with grade A5 Kobe beef which means that its brightness, firmness, texture, colour and fat marbling are of the highest quality.

While eating it, both John and I said that it was like no other beef we had had before. In fact, if our eyes were closed, we might have struggled to say that it was beef at all. The juiciness and flavour were the perfect balance between the meat itself and its fat; it would have fallen apart and melted in our mouths even if teeth were not employed in the chewing process.

Food at Auradaze (Image: Auradaze)

Additional flavour was added where needed by fresh or preserved ingredients some of which were showcased with tremendous pride and joy. Laura explained that their wasabi was made over the years by the same people in Japan, who use every part of the plant; in taste and texture it was like nothing I had ever tasted before.

Yes, there was a little bottle of soy sauce on each table that we could help ourselves to but the seaweed salad was dressed with Darren’s sesame dressing and the giant prawn was flavoured by Darren’s special sauce. Little touches like crispy fish skin added texture and extra umami.

There was not enough time to go into the reasons why a lad from Bolton came to train for years in the art of Japanese food in the country itself. Reference was made to the ‘Magnificent Seven’ as the nudge the chef needed to change the course of his life and look for order, patience, focus and stillness which led to him finding peace, joy and fulfilment. Whilst not familiar with the film, I marvelled at how differently we all receive inspiration. On this occasion I was grateful to benefit from Darren’s own lessons and food journey.

Beyond the stunning food served at this small, intimate and very personal space, Auradaze feels like a little sanctuary where one is expected to fully immerse oneself in the moment, to engage with the food and to honour the craft of the chef with undivided attention.

The subdued lighting, the hushed conversations of the fellow diners, the focused and silent Darren working behind the counters and the attentively low tone of Laura all contribute to the sense of reverence that permeates the space; the perfect testament to the couple’s dedication to preserving the sanctity of the dining experience.

In the sheer joy of this occasion shared with John I could not help but think of all the enthusiastic, passionate and excitable foodies I know who would love to eat at Auradaze. This is definitely a restaurant to visit with hard core food enthusiasts able to recognise and appreciate quality. Just be mindful to do it with just one other at a time.

BIOG

Irini Tzortzoglou was BBC MasterChef Champion 2019 and is renowned for showcasing the dishes and food heritage of her birthplace, Crete. Her first book, Under the Olive Tree, came out in 2020. Irini is an olive oil and honey sommelier, runs culinary retreats and does cooking demonstrations and public speaking. She lives near Cartmel with her husband John. irinicooks.com