We'd heard promises of spectacular seafood, sushi omakase-style, and — what's that? Actual oysters? Choosing from Cadet Beach Club's cornucopia was going to be hard.

So why choose? Before long, half a dozen dishes appeared.

We knew the sushi would make love to our cameras; tiny nuggets of delight colour-popping in our lenses. Golden bubbles of caviar; purple-stained sticky rice; naked crimson flesh arching invitingly, secured to its rice bed with a ribbon of seaweed paper.

Hiding beneath was the finest peppy pickled ginger, and a tiny but all-powerful emerald daub of real wasabi.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Tweezing the Japanese-style delicacies mouthwards, we paused to appreciate the detail. Some studded with tricolour seeds, another stuffed with artfully folded omelette. End-on chives peeped out among succulent slivers of raw salmon and that meaty slice of tuna. One by one we popped them into our eager holes, exclaiming at the artistry; savouring the textures and subtle flavours.

That tofu and peanut butter bao bun though. It was as pure as the first time. Bridal white. Yielding yet mischievous. Cat accepted it gently in her maw, the way a mother cat might pick up her kitten. "I feel like I've been dead for months," eulogised Cat, relishing the sweet satay-swaddled tofu, "And now I'm alive!"

Isle of Wight County Press:

The last of the sun glowed through the semi-translucent cases of the prawn har gow dim sum dumplings. Inside each pellucid wrapper was a delicate mouthful of mashed prawn. What gave the shrimp bonnets their zing was the lime leaf ponzu dip; tangy and tongue-tickling, both fruity and sour.

Breaded chicken luxuriated under the caress of an almost marmalady curry sauce; epic katsu indeed. This was no empty Instagram-fodder: the fresh, soft meat soaked in the aromatic sauce with hit after hit of flavour sensation.

And still our dinner made us gasp. The sweet bao bun doughnut-style overflowed with coconut ice cream and pineapple shavings; refreshingly tropical.

Cadet Beach Club delighted us with dense layered flavours; elegant nibbles, playful dips and unconstrained seafood flourishes. This new restaurant's breathtaking dishes and superlative service might just have what's needed to keep the venue alive outside the high season. If Ryde, and the Island, is ready to support a venue of this scope and imagination, Cadet Beach Club is going to be a huge success.

Matt and Cat's bill

Dumplings £9

Tofu bao bun £7

Sushi omakaze £20

Chicken katzu £15

Pudding x 2 @ £7 - £15

Total £65

RATING: Five stars. Exceptional – one of the very best places we have visited.

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