Earlier this month, the five-star Celtic Manor Resort opened its first Asian fine dining restaurant, Cen (pronounced ‘sen’) at Celtic Manor with Larkin Cen, 2013 BBC Masterchef finalist and former co-owner of Hokkei, a popular pan-Asian pop-up and takeaway based on Crwys Road, Cardiff that went into administration in early January.
Whilst I was sad to see Hokkei go (there are no words to describe their triple cooked crispy beef!), the launch of Cen at Celtic Manor certainly helped to lessen my disappointment.
The restaurant is based within The Manor House – an elegant, 19th century country house full of historic character and charm. Inside Cen, however, the decor is contemporary and vibrant with an Asian vibe created by an elaborate floral centrepiece, wooden shutters and a white linen ceiling canopy.
There is also a private dining room to seat up to 14 guests, pictured below.
The menu centres upon dishes from Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisines, but British influences can also be seen in options like triple cooked chips, sirloin steak, Welsh beef rib roast and even a trifle for dessert. There isn’t an overwhelming range of choices – four small dishes, two salads, four filled steam buns, six main courses (for one) and three sharing dishes for two, followed by four dessert options. However, the focus definitely seems to be on quality as opposed to quantity.
The Asian theme extends to the drinks menu, which boasts a variety of Japanese beers, sakes and wines. We sipped on a glass of champagne each as we examined the menu.
We also shared some crispy, golden prawn crackers and a sweet chilli dip.
A starter of scallops with bacon dashi (£8.50) consisted of three plump scallops, fried until golden and served in a silky, broth-like bacon dashi, topped with Japanese Bonito fish flakes and decorated with edible flowers. The scallops were scrumptiously succulent and the bacon dashi was delicious.
Meanwhile, a tender roast duck salad (£8) was served with Pomelo (like a large grapefruit, but sweeter and not as bitter), pomegranate seeds, beansprouts, fresh green leaves and coriander, drizzled with citrus-y Ponzu dressing.
In addition, we shared a portion of Korean chicken bao £7; two light, fluffy Taiwanese steamed milk buns, filled with deep-fried spicy chicken, spring onions, kimchi, Gochugang chilli and tangy Yuzu mayonnaise. These were so good, I’d have happily ordered them again for my main course if I could.
As we moved on to our main courses, a duck tamarind curry (£24) contained slices of lean, pink duck breast in a strong, thick and slightly spicy tamarind sauce, topped with lotus root flower crisps and fresh pak choi.
The curry was accompanied by a generous serving of triple cooked chips. A deep golden brown in colour, the chips had a crunchy coating and a soft, fluffy centre. They tasted pretty good as far as chips go, although they were a little too crispy.
As much as I enjoyed the chips, it would’ve been nice to have had the option to switch them for rice. It felt strange eating a curry without rice and triple cooked chips aren’t the healthiest of choices for any guests who might be trying to eat a better diet.
My guest ordered the sirloin steak (£27) for his main course. Medium-cooked as requested, the steak was so tender that the knife simply slid through it. It was served with a fiery, yet creamy wasabi dijon mayonnaise, spring onion, black bean jus and triple cooked chips.
For dessert, I opted for the Welsh honey and yuzu cake (£7); a moist, zesty sponge accompanied by yoghurt ice cream and bubbly, aromatic honeycomb, finished with edible flowers and drizzled with honey.
Fancying something chocolate-y, my guest went for the aptly-named ‘chocolate’ (£7); a rich, dark chocolate torte served with chocolate ganache, chocolate aero, malt ice cream, chocolate brittle and mandarin sauce. This looked very appealing and it would be the ideal dessert for any chocolate lover, although it would have been too sickly for me to eat as part of a three-course meal.
I really enjoyed my first visit to Cen and it certainly won’t be my last, although with main courses costing around £25 each (and £40+ for sharing dishes), I would only attend the restaurant if I happened to be staying at The Celtic Manor Resort, or for special celebrations like birthdays.
Cen at Celtic Manor
The Celtic Manor Resort
Coldra Woods
The Usk Valley
Newport
South Wales
NP18 1HQ
www.celtic-manor.com
(0)1633 413 000
I was invited to CEN as a guest and our food and drink was provided complimentary. However, I was not obliged to write a positive review.
Do you like Asian food? What’s your favourite dish? Leave me a comment below 🙂
oh wow looks amazing I love that table and chairs I could do with that here. My eyes are always drawn to the dessert which looks incredible
Thanks Emma. It’s a lovely new restaurant 😀 The dessert was indeed delicious, too 🙂
Look like you had a wonderful evening, I do love Asian food:-)
Thanks, we had a fab evening!
The food looks so amazing! I love eating out at a good restaurant.
Me too, it’s great to visit new places for food.
I love the idea of a load of different Asian cuisines! A bit of thai and a bit of Chinese x
I agree, it’s good as there’s usually something to suit all tastes then 😀 As long as you like Asian food that is…
Oh wow! The food looks absolutely amazing – you are making me hungry!
Hehe, oops 😉
I love asian food. I personally love my chips but they never go well with curry x
I like chips too and I do like them with curry when I’m having them from a chip shop, but from a restaurant like this I thought it was odd they didn’t at least offer rice as an option. xx
mmm delicious! The bao looked amazing-I really want someone! x
Thanks, the bao was my personal favourite from this meal 🙂
Oh wow this all looks and sounds delicious! It is nice to have the option to dine somewhere that little bit unusual so close to home for me! Will have to try it out.
Thanks Leanne. It’s well worth a visit but it is rather expensive, so I’d definitely save it for special occasions!
Those Taiwanese buns are my favourites!!! Such a lovely looking restaurant with what looks like great food too 🙂
They were my favourite course too 🙂 So good!
Triple cooked chips sounds intriguing, although, like you said, is not the healthiest option. It looks you had a wonderful evening. xx
Definitely. They were nice but it all felt a bit naughty, haha.
The chips look fat and chunky just the way I like them!
I’m the same with chips. They were pretty good, just a little too crispy.
That chocolate dessert looks amazing. I would have happily eaten that for all 3 courses 🙂
Thanks Danii, it was very yummy!
really like that ceiling canopy. Food looks nice, but portion sizes are a bit small. You can tell I am a bit of a pig LOL
Haha me too 🙂 It was lovely, I found it quite filling but there was definitely room for more.
Love the canopy. The food looks great too. I need to try chicken bao! x
Thanks Charlotte. The baos were just out of this world 🙂
Food looks great and so does the atmosphere.
Thanks, it was very nice here.
That looks wonderful, great food and a fabulous atmosphere. GG
Thank you! 🙂
What a lovely restaurant, the ambience looks great as does the food.
Thanks Nayna, I love it here too 🙂
The decor and presentation look amazing. I’m not sure the food would be for me but it all looks beautiful.
Thanks Leandra, the decor was lovely. The food was good too, but if you’re not into Asian food then you’re right, it probably wouldn’t be for you. Each to their own 🙂
The duck tamarind curry looks great but I couldn’t imagine paying that price as it’s a pretty small dish. The chips look nice though
Yes, it was nice but not nice enough for that amount of money. Mind you, I wouldn’t be happy paying on average £25 for any kind of meal.
i love the interior. the food looks so delish as well. i would love to visit there one day
It was very elegant in here! I had a great evening 🙂
It looks beautiful with lovely food! I really like the private dining area, so elegant
Thank you! I thought it was very elegant too. Perfect for a dinner party!
This looks like my ideal meal; those scallops look absolutely delicious. Yum yum yum! xxx
Thanks, they were delish 🙂
Would love this place. Filipino and korean food are my top taste. 🙂
Thanks Jessica. I would love to go back here, it’s just a shame it’s so pricey!
This place looks amazing. I love Asian food and the scallops look amazing.
The scallops were a great way to get things started 🙂 They were so yummy!
Tripple cooked chips sounds yummy to me at the moment. Could do with a bowl of them right now. I do love Asian flavours. I usually go for duck because that is something I don’t cook at home often.
me too, I tried cooking duck once and it was a disaster… so I haven’t tried again! Lol
I am intrigued by the chips with the curry, which is usually my preference over rice x
I like curry and chips, but just think the option should be there to choose from. The chips were tasty though 🙂
The food looks lovely. I’ve stayed here too and it is a lovely place.