Dining at Ivy Asia in Leeds can be likened to taking a culinary vacation to enjoy the food of the different cultures of Asia.

Prepare to be amazed as you step  into the city’s most opulent and stylishly elegant restaurant The Ivy Asia

From the moment you pass through the heavy wood polished door into the ground floor reception area the décor will take your breath away.

There’s a wonderfully stylish designed reception desk with an equally wonderful friendly and welcoming receptionist who will take your coats and make  you feel a truly special and important guest.

I loved the fact that the reception was spacious and had seating including a velvet sofa, always welcome when you are waiting for other members of your party or someone is parking the car.

Taking the lift after a long day spent mostly on my feet was an experience in itself and one that I wanted my colleague to share. When the lift doors open be prepared for what they reveal –  the mystical oriental splendour and amazing ambience The Ivy Asia possesses.

The décor is striking and decadent to say the least with murals, art inspired gilded wallpaper, tasteful golden statues and a sculptured ceiling that wouldn’t look out of place in a palace. The lighting is mood matched but it’s the green gem stone floor that is lit from underneath that really impresses.

The seating  and tables at  Ivy Asia are expertly choreographed so wherever you sit you are guaranteed privacy. There are tables for two or four plus velvet upholstered banquette seating in a semi recess positions filled with gloriously matched cushions.

Attention to detail is always a prime consideration at all Ivy Restaurants and the Ivy Asia is no exception. Sparkling crystal glasses sit next to gleaming cutlery and designer napkin rings and chopstick holders with exquisitely matched napkins.

Our server introduced himself and explained the menu to us . He offered advice when we asked questions and never rushed us. We were his main priority at all times.

For our culinary feast we had decided to try the Ivy Asia Experience Menu and we were excited by what we saw on the menu.

It’s a summer experience menu that takes you on a journey through the flavours, colours and cultures of Asia, from the bold heat of Thailand to the vibrant colours of the Philippines and beyond.

The menu is for a minimum of two persons and has to be taken by the whole table.

We started for experience with one of the special cocktails inspired by the flavours, colours and cultures of Asia. These have been specially created with The Orientalist each signature serve brings together distinctive Asian inspired ingredients and is designed to be enjoyed alongside the summer dishes.

I chose the Bangkok Mule. The cocktail contained Orientalist Vodka, Mango, Ginger, Lime, Yogurt, Lemongrass and Ginger Beer. I fond it wonderfully refreshing and ideal for summer drinking.

My colleague chose the Ca Phe Trung Martini a great mix which contained Orientalist Vodka, Pandam, Coffee Liqueur, Custard and Expresses. It was rich and smooth yet had an element of lightness.

Dishes are brought to the table tapas style as this is a banquet made for sharing. Our experience started with Wonton Crisps and Poppadoms served with a very tasty and lightly spiced dip.

This was accompanied  Lobster Crisps with a delicious , but not too spicy yuzu dressing and avocado. There  was Rainbow Roll which consisted of snow crab and avocado with a creamy spicy mayonnaise and a hand pressed sushi rice with delicate sliced of yellowtail and wasabi salsa were also part of this course.

The presentation was beautiful and we loved the sharing element of the meal.

The next wave consisted of Spicy Salmon Laab. This is a Thai style salmon ceviche, with a nahm jim , a perfectly balanced dipping sauce with a salty, sweet and sour and slight spicy flavour. The thinly sliced salmon just melted in the mouth and was so tender and smooth.

Alongside this was a Vietnamese Summer Salad which became my favourite.  There was just about everything include Vermicelli noodles, chilli and roasted peanuts and lots of greens. It was deliciously flavoured with fragrance herbs and mint – ah oriental heaven.

The next dish is a main course and can be shared or is an indulgence for each guest.

I chose to upgrade to the Black Cod Miso one of  my favourites – that I can never resist. It was tender as its slow roasted and had a great flavour due to it being marinated in Miso for around 48 hours. The fish was succulent beautifully presented and cooked to perfection.

My colleague stuck to the menu offering with the Nasi Goring. This is an Indonesian style friend rice with sweet soy marinated chicken and garlic and chilli. The dish contained large piece of chicken which were tender and succulent. But she warned it’s a rather spicey dish and not for the faint hearted.

With our dishes came a great selection of Wok Fried Greens with ginger and a hint of chilli.

The Grand Finale as I call it at The Ivy Asia was as usual theatrically presented with a flourish of dry ice that makes it so exciting.

The Ube Doughnuts were like no other doughnuts made with Filipino yam and coconut and served with a Kalamansi yoghurt dipping sauce– a flavour mixture  that is a mixture between orange, lime and lemon.

Soon it was time to disembark from our culinary holiday and take to the streets of the city after experiencing a truly wonderful evening enjoying The Ivy Asia Experience Menu.

The Ivy Asia, 55-57 Vicar Lane, Leeds. Tel: 0113 388 6222

The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11.30 am until late. On Sundays it opens at 8.30am For closing times and last order food times please check with the restaurant.