Ashfields, York College, Sim Balk Lane, York

10:14am Saturday 15th March 2008

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POSH nosh at student prices - it sounds too good to be true, but then again we are at the a la carte training restaurant of York College.

Ashfields is the fine dining eaterie situated in the atrium of the new £60 million college. It's a training establishment, so the kitchen and front of house are run by students.

A flyer for Ashfields stated that it was open from noon to 1pm for lunch, Monday to Friday, with dinner available from 6.30pm to 7.30pm on Monday to Thursday.

I couldn't understand how we would manage within the allotted hour to do three courses justice - in the interests of a thorough review, of course.

However, I reserved a table - you are advised to book although the restaurant was not full during our meal - and we arrived punctually.

At least, we would have been on time if I hadn't had to battle for a space in the crowded car park, which was as far from the ticket machine as possible. Once inside the foyer, I charged up to the reception desk to ask for directions to avoid further delay. To my dismay, I was given strict instructions to place a visitor's permit in my car before going any further. It's worth getting there in plenty of time to ensure your visit is more relaxed than ours.

With the clock ticking, I seriously considered re-scheduling as I made another mad dash across the car park. But my dining partners were unperturbed.

Uncle B assured me he could eat fast, and so we navigated our way through the lunchtime throng of teenage students.

Once through the heavy glass doors of Ashfields, our flustered appearance seemed out of place.

The restaurant is decorated in neutral colours - a few pictures would not go amiss - with plush, thick carpet, comfortable leather chairs and pine veneer tables with glass vases filled with bright green pebbles and a single flower.

The ambience was serene verging on subdued - there was a nervous tension in the air but our serious-faced waiters needn't have worried as they were very attentive and obliging.

We perused the simple but diverse menu over a sparkling mineral water and orange juice as James Blunt played quietly in the background.

As a starter, I chose the Chicken Caesar salad (£2.95) which came with large pieces of chicken which were lightly seared and succulent. They were on a bed of lush green salad with generous shavings of Parmesan cheese and lightly toasted croutons. It was carefully seasoned, with a distinctive garlic flavour.

Uncle B opted for the soup of the day which was leek and potato. The generous serving, which came in a deep white bowl, was creamy, fairly subtle in taste, with several croutons on top.

The other options were chicken liver paté served with bruschetta and spiced apple chutney (£2.95) or goats cheese and red onion tart with dressed salad leaves (£2.75). Something for every taste.

Portuguese chicken on lemon and bean rice was the day's main course special. Other choices included stir-fried Peking duck (£5.45), fillet steak with chunky chips and pepper or red wine sauce (£6), and breast of chicken with a Whisky cream sauce (£4.25).

I chose the wild mushroom stroganoff served with a pilau rice (£4.25), which came with an impressive selection of mushrooms, served in a rich and creamy sweet sauce with a hint of brandy. My only gripe was that the fungi seemed to be a bit gritty which was slightly off-putting.

The rice was lovely and fluffy, although a little buttery for me.

Uncle B opted for the sea bass (£5.75) which he said was tasty and delicately cooked, served on a potato rosti, drizzled with a spicy mango salsa which lent it a refreshing tangy flavour.

Each dish came with its own side plate of vegetables which were very neatly lined up like a regimental parade with sticks of carrots, florets of cauliflower and broccoli, mange tout and fine beans.

They were cooked just as I like my vegetables - quite firm, with something to bite into.

Full credit must go to the chefs for the desserts which were beautifully presented. My apple and raspberry crumble (£2.25) was a work of art, set to one side of a long rectangular plate complete with a fine drizzle of crème Anglaise, and a delicate tuille biscuit rising up from the other side of the dish.

It was delicious with crunchy bite-size chunks of apple and a refreshing, ruby-red raspberry sauce topped with a layer of fine, slightly sugary-sweet crumble.

Uncle B plumped for the sticky toffee pudding (£2.50) which was served in a ball shape with sauce trickling down from the top. It was rich in taste but a bit dry. However, the vanilla ice-cream was deliciously creamy and worked well as an accompaniment.

Other choices were seasonal fruit compote with a Kirsch sabayon (£2.25) and chocolate and Baileys cheesecake (£2.50) - incredibly good value for such delicious treats and I could imagine popping in just for a coffee and sweet.

I chose a latte to round it off (£1.75) and was pleased to see the coffee, milk and froth carefully layered in the tall glass cup.

Our bill came to £23.70 which seemed particularly good value for our feast.

We later learnt that our meal was prepared and served by first year students on the professional chef diploma course which started in September.

• Ashfields, York College, Sim Balk Lane, York. Telephone: 01904 770253
• Nadia Jefferson-Brown visited on Monday, March 10, 2008