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PanAsian Cuisine in the heart of Ipswich

China undoubtedly boasts one of the world’s greatest cuisines. Aqua Eight has given Ipswich an absolutely stand-out culinary experience, where home cooking and adventurous dishes from across East Asian have come together rather spectacularly.

Aqua Eight’s owners Patrick and Vincent Wing Cheung have been steeped in the restaurant business all of their lives. Their father Simon came to England from Hong Kong in the 1960s and opened some of the first Chinese restaurants in East Anglia, before opening one in London in the 1980s which is busy, successful and popular with celebrities even today.

So Aqua Eight is a restaurant with pedigree, as can be seen from its many awards, which include

  • Suffolk Food & Drink Awards – Best Restaurant
  • The Observer Food & Drink Monthly Awards – Best Place to Eat in the UK, runner up and Best Place to Drink in the UK, runner up
  • Open Table Diners’ Choice Award – Top 100 Best Restaurants in the UK
  • Wall Street Online – Top 20 Most Romantic Restaurants in the UK
  • Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2014

Many of the dishes at Aqua Eight are based on family recipes cooked by their parents at home; others are recipes they picked up during their travels in the Far East visiting friends and relatives. So the menu ranges not just across China but Thailand, Indonesia and the whole region; a pan-Asian cuisine made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

The restaurant is smart and stylish, the staff well-trained and professional, and the ambience is lively and upbeat. Aqua Eight hosts live music and DJ events each month, featuring soul, funk, dance, jazz and swing acts, so you can plan an exciting evening out to include food, cocktails and music.

Word about Aqua Eight spread fast and the restaurant is often fully-booked, so do phone ahead to avoid disappointment. On Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant operates two sittings at 6pm and 9pm, after which diners are invited to stay and enjoy the music with drinks in the bar or garden after their meal.

Commitment to Quality

Aqua Eight’s chefs work with East of England farmers and suppliers to ensure the main ingredients in their dishes are the freshest available, so fruit, produce and fish is bought daily from Suffolk/Essex, and the meat used is local and organic. Quality is everything.

Menus

The a la carte menu is extensive and this is just a small selection:

Starters

• Tea smoked honey ribs
• Crayfish and vermicelli California rice rolls
• Thai style spicy pork chunks
• Char-grilled sirloin beef salad with Thai chilli dressing
• Crispy duck salad with miso sauce
• Fried soft shelled crab with red chilli and curry leaf
• Honey glazed salt and pepper quail
• Tempura vegetables with spicy lemon dressing

Mains

• Chicken katsu in lemon yuzu sauce
• Massaman duck curry with potato, peanut and onion
• Sweet and sour organic pork
• Stir fry veal with XO sauce
• Char-grilled wasabi sirloin steak with soya and lemongrass
• Mandarin veal with wasabi red onion
• Pan-grilled fillet of sea bass with teriyaki sauce
• Aubergine and fine beans in miso
• Pan-fried tofu with macadamia nut in yellow bean sauce

As well as the a la carte menu the restaurant has numerous other menus including:

Special menus for vegetarian and gluten free diners

  • “Small Eats” menu which is ideal for children or anyone with a smaller appetite
  • Set lunch menu – all the dishes are chosen so they can be cooked fresh but very quickly. Perfect for a business lunch on a tight time frame
  • Early Bird menu served 6pm-8pm
  • “Leave It To Us” menu for when you just can’t choose!

Wine and cocktails

Fine wines and well presented, handmade cocktails are important to Aqua Eight’s guests. The wine list is extensive and is always updated each year. Over 20 fine wines and champagnes are also available by the glass. Staff are well trained and they are happy to help guests make the best selection so it complements the dishes ordered.

If you have a specific food/drink request or food allergy not catered for by the menus, simply speak to the staff when booking your table and they will always do their best to assist.

Events, Parties and Functions

It is possible to hire Aqua Eight for a private party or business event, so do feel free to call to discuss your plans. In fact Patrick and Vincent support many local charities and social enterprises, by offering complimentary use of the Aqua Garden and Aqua Bar area.

So if your tastebuds are screaming for PanAsian cuisine make Aqua Eight your choice for your next night out

To book your table call 01473 218989.


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