FORK

First time at Fork, and I'll be honest — I wasn't expecting much from a spot tucked along London Road in Sunninghill. Ascot's not exactly where I'm hunting for a meal. But someone vouched for it hard, and I've learned to trust that over Yelp.

Walked in on a Saturday, late June. The room is small and deliberate — nothing wasted, which I respect. Service was attentive without being hovery, and that's a line a lot of places in this price bracket trip over.

I ordered across the menu rather than committing to a lane, which is what I always do on a first visit. I want to see range, see where the kitchen's confidence lives and where it fakes it. Without getting into every plate, the cooking felt considered. Not in a precious way — more like someone in that kitchen actually gives a damn about what leaves the pass. Seasoning was honest. Proteins were handled correctly, which sounds like a low bar but isn't.

What I noticed: the ingredients felt sourced with some intention. You can usually tell by the third bite whether a kitchen is buying on price or buying on quality. This leaned toward the latter.

What I'm reserving judgment on: consistency. One visit tells you what a place *can* do. I've been burned before by restaurants that front-load the effort. The second visit is where cracks appear. The third is where you know if the kitchen holds its standards or drifts.

I'll be back. Already thinking about what I want to reorder versus what I want to explore. That's the real signal — if you're plotting your return before you've paid the bill, the place has done something right.

Visit two will tell me more.