A surprisingly stylish restaurant in the heart of rural Kent. Looking very new and spotlessly clean when we visited, the welcome at 1ThirtySix was warm and the service impeccable. Despite claiming to be a fusion of Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine I think it was 80% Japanese, as were the staff. Not being hugely adventurous we had teriyaki chicken and sweet tangy lamb, which were excellent (could have been served hotter, my wife said). The desserts were good too my chocolate volcano was wonderful, just like the choccy pudding my old mum used to make (a tad pricey though at £4.95).
A few minor gripes: our plates were whipped away as soon as we put down our knives & forks. They weren't doing it to hurry us despite being Saturday night they weren't that busy; it was just the staff's enthusiasm but it made us a trifle uncomfortable. The menus were largely in dark type on a black background all but impossible to read in the subdued lighting. And the 10% added to the bill for service is a habit that I thought had died out. I prefer to decide for myself how much of a tip I want to leave, and make sure it goes to the right person.
As an aside: why don't foreign restaurants get a native English speaker to proof-read their menus? Some of the errors can be hilarious! read more
