Soyful’s Kitchen

At time of writing (25 June 2024) Soyful’s Kitchen has managed to rack up an impressive total of 49 5/5 votes on Facebook and out of 144 Google reviews, managed an average of 4.9 stars. That is a pretty impressive total, if not outstanding!

Was it well deserved though? Read on to find out our full and honest review.

Midsomer Norton seems more than a little out of the way for an Indian restaurant focussed on fine dining, Yet as you look around the town, it has progressed in culinary terms with a bustling Thai restaurant, Simply Thai, a very popular breakfast and brunch eatery Jacaranda’s (Facebook | Instagram), even an ‘on-demand’, highly reviewed Korean BBQ restaurant Sewing-Sanctuary (call first to make reservations).

Soyful’s Kitchen is a modern, fine-dining style take the most beloved cuisine in the UK – Indian. Tucked away on the first floor of an unassuming Holly Court, a former shopping centre, you’d be forgiven if you think you’ve made a mistake. Soyful’s sits over the pub downstairs, but the rest of the building appears almost deserted. Yet when we arrived at 7:15pm, there were already several tables seated and several more waiting for takeaways. A definite confidence booster.

Soyful’s menu is one of two halves – first an imaginative, fusion-like adventurous take on Indian food Chicken Shimla Mirch, Lamb Rump Chattinad, Seafood moilee and Tiger by the river for example. Followed by the more familiar classics such as Balti, Korma, Makani, Bhuna and Dansak as well as Tandoori and Biriyani dishes. So whether you’re adventurous or wanting something familiar, Soyful’s should have something to satisfy.

The Interior

Once you trudge up the rather dreary fire escape, to head to Soyful’s Kitchen, it is a pleasant, welcoming space. Tables are simple but tidy, two sets of cutlery, paper napkins, comfortable looking chairs, even a small battery operated candle light. We were shown to window table which was brilliant for its light and pleasant views outside. The rest of the interior is tastefully decorated. A small counter service, doubling as a mini bar, soothing floral decorations on the walls and healthy potted plants on the window sills.

Rohid the head waiter was attentive, friendly and could not be more helpful. He certainly contributed to the dining experience.

It is obvious that Soyful is trying to balance the setup of a high-end fine dining style with the more in demand every day takeaway. This is where it is difficult to truly buy into fine dining experience. Price-wise the food is very, very affordable. It is certainly a great deal for the quality, presentation and ultimate service of the place.

Unfortunately this is also where the slight descrepancy lies. To truly provide a fine dining experience, as they say, the devil is in the detail. Soyful manages really well with the food, presentation even somewhat with the environment. However, they are let down ever so slightly by the overt lack of minor details that would make it a full fine-dining experience – such as white table cloths, quality of cutlery, real candles and cloth napkins. Perhaps it is a wise trade off to appeal and capture a larger market.

Food We Ordered

Where Soyful really shines is in the food it offers and presents.

Poppadums and chutney platter

While there was a very enticing and impressive starter menu, we were hungry and opted to quickly start with poppadums and the usual chutney platter. The poppadums could not be faulted at all. They were light, fresh and tasty.

The chutney platter consisted of what seemed to be three dipping sauces. It would have been nice to have a bit more bite in the chutneys, instead of just the pure dipping sauce style. But they did serve well. Smooth mango chutney, a mild mint sauce and another that was reminiscent of sweet chili dip.

Pani Puri

We opted to try the pani puri. As we were not quite certain of what it was, we ordered one to share. Rohid strongly recommended that we got one each, however, as we were saving space for the mains, we declined. He very kindly brought two any way, insisting that it was not possible to share the pani puri.

Pani puri, it turns out is a kind of street food in India. Little crispy puffed hollow dough balls filled with savoury potato chunks, a dash of finely chopped herbs and for the hint of fine dining, a smattering of pomegranate seeds. These were perfectly balanced on top of a shot glass of sweet, spicy tamarind sauce.

How to Eat Pani Puri

This popular favourite is to be eaten in one mouthful. Pour the tamarind sauce in to the puri. Then consume whole.

A burst of flavour and crunch fills your mouth as the first bite in to the puri breaks the outer crispy shell. The spicy potatoes provide a textured contrast. Complementing the crispy shell with soft mushy potatoes. The tamarind sauce is very slightly spicy and its sourness makes it an excellent appetiser.

Lamb Rump Chattinand

Soyful’s take on Lamb Rump Chattinand was an art piece in itself. A beautiful deep red smear of blended beetroot sauce was complemented with oil dots. Five pieces of generous lamb chunks were served on a base of rough chopped spring greens. This was garnished with a lightly pickled salad of sliced beetroot and a corgette pepper mix, topped with slices of radish and cress.

Taste-wise, the lamb rump was slightly overdone. Where pink would have been perfect, the rather dry texture of the lamb was difficult to reconcile even though the pickles and garnish perfectly complemented its earthy flavour. The spring greens provided a nice change of flavour although it too seemed a little fibrous.

Overall, unless you’re a real lamb lover, try something else.

Chicken Dansak

Chicken Dansak came from the Classics section of the menu. Here the portion was sufficient. It was a fiery flavourful mouthful with chunky pieces of chicken breast. As a Indian curry house staple, this was as expected and paired well with the pilau rice and peshwari naan.

Sag Aloo

We often order Sag Aloo (spinach and potato) as a vegetable side dish, in part to add vegetables to the meal. Often the mildness of sag aloo complements the more fiery main curry dishes. Here Soyful’s style of Sag Aloo was a surprise. Instead of the soft mushy style of potato, spicy roastie style potatoes were dressed with a soft, almost paste like mix of spinach. This was an interesting change.

The potato flavours were familiar and similar to the pani puri filling. Overall the dish itself was one with personality in which its flavours stood out on their own rather than complement the mains.

Did it work? In a way, yes. But if you’re looking for a mild gentle vegetable dish. This isn’t it.

We would recommend this mainly for the roastie style potatoes which was an imaginative fusion-style take on a very traditional classic.

Pilau Rice & Peshwari Naan

As staples go, both the pilau rice and peshwari naan were as expected. Portions were very generous. The pilau rice was delicious when paired with the curries. The naan was a little disappointing as it lacked the billowy softness of freshly risen oven cooked naan. However the slightly sweetened coconut filling of the peshwari added to the taste and texture of it.

Chicken Shashlik

The team at Soyful brought out a complementary Chicken Shashlik when we told them we were writing a review for this blog. And out of all the menu choices, this is where it really shone.

The chicken arrived on a sizzling hot plate – huge chunks of wonderfully marinated chicken pieces. It was complemented by chunky vegetables, thick cut onions, peppers, tomatoes and topped with pickled red onions. Everything on this sizzling dish was perfect.

The chicken was succulent and tender, yet the slightly burnt edges provided a wonderful contrasting aroma. The vegetables were cooked to perfection, none tasted undercooked despite the limited sizzling time. The pickled onion was a perfect complement to all the myriad of tastes and textures of this dish.

We would recommend this whole heartedly.

Chicken Tikka Makhani

We also ordered a Chicken Tikka Makhani to take away. Another classic, this was as expected. A thick creamy sauce smothering tandoor chicken pieces. The hint of honey complementing the overall spice and sweet taste of the sauce.

Final verdict

Overall, dining at Soyful’s Kitchen was a delight. Good food complemented by great service, it’s definitely a place to visit. The generous portions of the classics, and artistry of the fine dining menu make it an absolute steal. It’s a little far out. About 30 minutes drive from the centre of Bath. But if you’re in the area or fancy a change of scene, it’s worth a visit.