Ark Restaurant, Wavertree, Liverpool

Jun 13 2008 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

THERE’S a delicious sense of satisfaction you get when other people are placed in embarrassing situations, primarily caused by the basic fact that it isn’t you for a change.

This feeling increases exponentially, the more the following conditions apply: 1. you are in no way responsible for causing the incident; 2. you have never met or even seen the person involved before; 3. they aren’t physically hurt (although there is no way of identifying mental scars at this early stage); 4. the event does not spark flashbacks to a situation when it was your own turn to be humiliated.

There’s the old “meeting someone you have known for years and can’t remember their name” scenario, and the “not realising you have spilled food down your front” is a good one, too.

On this particular occasion, however, it was the “being brought a surprise cake in a restaurant that’s small enough for everybody to join in singing Happy Birthday”.

There it was – carried in by a waitress with the care of a new mother lifting her baby for the first time, so the blazing candles wouldn’t singe the coiffeur of an unsuspecting diner.

Most people joined in the singing, apart from a few who continued their conversation with the dogged determination of a missionary priest in the Congo.

Then – disappointment. There was no 30-year-old solicitor or 45-year-old dad, caught in the dreaded oxymoron of trying to look both happy (can’t disappoint the family) and mildly embarrassed at the same time.

Instead, there was a very delighted eight-year-old girl (I’m guessing she was eight as I didn’t have time to count the candles).

How much my personality must have changed if a child’s joyful face triggers in me only a sense disappointment. I ordered creme brulee to sweeten myself up.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, there were starters and mains to tackle first.

We were in Ark, a nice little bistro on the corner of Smithdown and Church Roads – that impossible corner that is where the boundaries of Wavertree and Allerton collide so, if it wasn’t for the toilets from the song Penny Lane being stuck in the middle, you would never quite be sure where you are. Ark has recently been refurbished and now has a very tempting offer – any two courses and bottle of wine per person on Mondays or £9.95 for two courses Monday to Saturday (with a couple of supplements for the more expensive dishes). There is also a children’s menu available until 7pm.

There were a few dishes unavailable, which was a little disappointing, but did point to ingredients being sourced daily, so full marks there. To start, I went for Black Pudding with Crispy Bacon served on a Baby Pancake, which, even without the meal deal, would have been extremely good value at £3.45.

It was beautifully presented but couldn’t be accused of style over substance. The saltiness of the black pudding and bacon was undercut by the dressing and the different textures worked well, too.

My friend had wanted the intriguingly named Asparagus Cappuccino Soup with Curry Foam, but there was none left so instead he ordered Salmon Fish Cake Served with Caper Dressing (usually £3.95), which was also good value for money.

Although he praised the herby flavour of the fishcake, it was the dressing he was most impressed by, later admitting to scooping up the last few drops with a finger when I wasn’t paying attention.

Looking for something light after my meat-heavy starter, I went for Pan-Fried Feta on a Bed of Rocket (usually £8.95). The chef’s generosity with the cheese meant that this was less palate-refreshing than I had hoped, but it was good nonetheless.

The mixture of cold and hot ingredients was strange at first, mainly because the ones you’d expect to be hot (potatoes) were cold and those you expected to be cold (feta and salsa) had been heated.

The balance of creamy cheese and spicy tomato salsa worked, though, and it was surprisingly tasty.

Thankfully, my friend resisted using his fingers to eat the Oven-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Watercress Mash (usually £9.95) or we’d have soon suffered one of those embarrassing experiences I mentioned earlier.

He found the meat really juicy, not too overcooked, and again enjoyed the herby flavours. His only criticism was that the potatoes weren’t hot enough for his personal taste, although he admitted he does like his food at almost volcanic temperatures.

Then, as I confessed earlier, I attempted to sweeten my acerbic personality with the Creme Brulee (£4.50), which was so creamy and the caramelised sugar top so satisfyingly crunchy that I was distracted from negative thoughts for at least 10 minutes.

Food Facts

Location: Ark Restaurant, Smithdown Place, Wavertree, Liverpool

Tel: 0151 734 0202

Menu: English food given a bistro feel

Decor: Modern but cosy.

Service: Very friendly and attentive

Value: Competitive

The bill: £40.90, including a bottle of red wine

lauradavis@dailypost.co.uk