Chakana, Birmingham: ‘It’s all kinds of fabulous’ – restaurant review

Chakana, 140 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8HT (0121 448 9880). Starters £8-£10, mains £14-£22, desserts £8, wines from £24

Something odd is going on. It’s a very good kind of odd, but odd all the same. It is as if my brain, the reflective, processing part of me, is lagging far behind my tongue, the boisterous, bluntly sensing part of me. I’m being knocked sideways by the bold hit of citrus and chilli; by flavours with the brightness turned up to maximum, alongside the bash of seaweed and the softness of sesame. And then there are the dizzying visuals. The plate in front of me is a ravishing blast of crimson and green. There are lozenges of the deepest purple overlaid by lacy fronds of micro herbs. There is an awful lot going on in this plate of tuna Nikkei ceviche, and it’s all kinds of fabulous.