This review of a Nottingham restaurant is a break from the Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage.
I occasionally wonder what Japanese people think of the Japanese food they encounter outside the Home Islands. There must inevitably be a mixture of curiosity, bewilderment, mirth, along with more outright negative sentiments too. But kept politely bottled up, of course.
Everyday People in Nottingham doesn’t claim be a traditional ramen-ya, but it’s similar enough to draw comparisons. There’s a relatively small selection of starters ahead of a compact choice of ramens, of which the tonkotsu was naturally of the most interest to me.
Starters and small plates at Everyday People
The starters here are, in a way, hewn in similar way to the restaurant’s minimalist decor – inspired by Japanese dishes (or at least those of its neighbours), but with the proprietor’s own twist in evidence here and there.
Pickling is an art and the pickles at Everyday People come close to the level of pickling artistry as practiced in Japan. The assorted vegetables range from sweet to vinegary to sour. The standout morsels were undoubtedly the mushrooms though, with the tart sourness of fermentation elegantly emphasising the mushrooms’ inherent earthiness.
Clik here to view.
Fried radish cake was similar to the Cantonese archetype, albeit with the coarsely cut chunks clumping together more loosely than would be typical in a dim sum rendition. The version at Everyday People not only benefitted from the modest richness of a languidly oozing egg yolk, but also from a heavy dusting of parmesan. Although arguably cheating, the combination of the cheese’s umami with the chunks of radish and the mild tack of the yolk made for mouthcoatingly sumptuous eating.
Clik here to view.
The dimpled, grainy surface of each squash korokke was free of excess oil. Inside each deep-fried parcel was a gently sweet and moreish mash of root veg, while kewpie mayo added touches of creaminess and extra umami.
Clik here to view.
Inside the soft and pillowy maw of the gua bao was an expansive hunk of pork belly. Its fatty rim guarded a porcine hinterland that was tender and sinewy. Aside from the fat, the pork was arguably a little bland, but it had plenty of backup to call upon. The nutty graininess of the crushed peanuts and the peppery warmth of the mustard greens added plenty of character to a pork gua bao that would otherwise have been overly reliant on fat and texture for scoffability.
Clik here to view.
Tonkotsu ramen at Everyday People
While the cloudy beige tonkotsu broth had reasonable levels of fattiness and creaminess, the effect was ultimately rather thin. It couldn’t match the same levels of deep unctousness available in the best tonkostsu broths available in London. Even if it had had more of the shio tare and garlic – ostensibly Everyday People’s unique additions to the art of tonkotsu – I’m unconvinced they’d have been able to paper over the broth’s flaws.
While reasonably tangy, the thin and narrow noodles weren’t as firm and bouncy as I would’ve liked. Oddly, the cabbage leaves had more firmness to their name. The thickly sliced slab of gammony pork, on the other hand, had plenty of yielding bite and meaty charm. All in all, an uneven effort.
Clik here to view.
Desserts at Everyday People
Attempting to distil the qualities of Thai iced milk tea into a creme brulee is an intriguing idea, so it’s a shame that Everyday People failed to pull it off. While the caramelised sugar mantle was suitably brittle, the creamy pud underneath didn’t capture any of the milky, refreshing or tannic qualities of Thai iced milk tea.
Clik here to view.
Although the mango panna cotta was very only mildly evocative of the fruit, I still enjoyed this quirky take on the classic dessert more than the other more traditional, more restrained versions available elsewhere. The addition of roasted coconut and lychee jelly added, respectively, a distinctive nuttiness and juicy fruitiness to the proceedings.
Clik here to view.
The Verdict
It’s an odd ramen restaurant where the starters/small eats are more accomplished than the ramen itself. Perhaps the kitchen had more latitude to infuse its playfulness into the small plates, away from the technical constraints of bone broth and kansui-structured noodles. Whatever the reason, Everyday People’s tonkotsu would inevitably disappoint all but the most neonatal or senile Japanese person.
While there are plenty of reasons to visit Everyday People, their tonkotsu ramen isn’t one of them. For now, at least.
Name: Everyday People
Address: 12 Byard Lane, Nottingham NG1 2GJ
Phone: none listed
Web: https://theeverydaypeople.co.uk/
Opening Hours: are far too irritating to reproduce in full – just check their website
Reservations: highly recommended on and around weekends
Average cost for one person, including soft drinks, when split between two: £40-50 approx.
Rating: ★★★☆☆