It's hip, hip, POH ray for Exeter's newest restaurant!

As this is a restaurant review you would be forgiven for thinking that I would start with the food.

That, of course, makes perfect sense but what is put on your plate does not a meal-eth make.

The ambience, the décor, the music can all make or break a dining experience, but one of the biggest influences for me is the staff.

And that is a big concern for a lot of restaurant owners in Exeter… because there just isn’t enough talent to go around.

Having knowledge of just how difficult recruitment currently is made our visit to the city’s newest eaterie, Poh, even more of a delight.

From the moment we arrived, to the second we waddled out, the staff were incredible. Welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable and smiley.

The team were pretty much still at the soft launch phase when we booked our table but you wouldn’t have known.

I have dined in a number of newly launched Exeter restaurants  (not naming any names, but one was an Italian that is no longer here and owned by a guy called Jamie) but none have been a patch on Poh when it comes to customer service.

But, enough about the staff. What about the restaurant and, more importantly, the food? I hear you ask!

Those of you who visited Queen Street previously, will know that Poh used to be Polpo (a Venetian-themed restaurant which served small tapas-style dishes).

The interior décor has been transformed from crisp and clinical to raw and rustic.

With a clever twist you are transported to a side street in Ho Chi Minh City where Stephen and Juliette Wall first fell in love with Vitetnamese food.

The menus is bursting with lip-smacking soups, noodles, rice and abundant Asian spices. And if you want to wet your whistle there is a mesmerising range of beers, cocktails and juices (apple, beetroot and carrot anyone)?

For my starter I chose Muc Chien Gion (tender fried baby squid with a very simple salt, pepper & lime dip).

It came in a batter that was so light it could only have been made from angels’ wings. The squid was succulent and tender and each mouthful a salty and sour delight.

My dining partner opted for Cha Gio (crispy spring rolls served with lettuce and herbs). They were not only delicious but fun to eat. The four that came as a portion were more than enough even for our hungry bellies.

I must admit we let the review down when it came to the main beacuse we both chose Ca-ri King Prawn (a rich fragrant Vietnamese curry with veggies and mushrooms, served with broken rice and king prawns).

That was mostly because it ticked both of our Food Heaven requirements but also because neither of us wanted to share.

Thanks to a recommendation by the waiter, I could have been tempted by the Pho-bo Nam Trung (brisket, enoki and button mushrooms with creamy egg yolk, in beef broth) but with the king prawn dish winning the day, we both tucked in with gusto.

The rice was perfectly formed and the sauce was similar to Katsu but with more depth and intensity.

As a side we ordered - and I don’t know how the waiter kept a straight face when suggesting this - Rau Muong Xao or 'Stir Fried Morning Glory' (water spinach in garlic) along with some prawn crackers.

Every morsel we tasted hit the spot… until the dessert that is...

We shared a Banh So-Co-La Truffle (a chocolate truffle slab served with green tea ice cream) which was, in a word, odd.

The truffle was pleasant enough but we both agreed that green tea should stick to its job description and remain in a cup or mug.

All in all though, this was a delightful dining experience that we were able to sum up in three words… Hip, Hip POH-RAY!!