The spirits can really fall when the doors swing open at a restaurant that is totally empty - thank goodness at LSQ2 there is at least a warm welcome. The newly-refurbished brasserie is tucked away at the end of Birmingham Business Park, just a few minutes' drive from the NEC, Solihull, the M6, M42 and all its glorious connections. At lunchtimes it is becoming a popular venue for employees who must be thrilled to finally have a brasserie on their doorstep. At night it is currently a different story. LSQ2 certainly has a lot going for it - the owners are using a formula already successful in Reading and at first glance it seems to work. Stylish seating, spacious bar and semi-open kitchen to see the team conjuring up the dishes many, we are told, with an Australian influence. Even so, we gave the peppered kangaroo fillet with bok choy, black vinegar and green onion dressing a miss - too much to contemplate on a Monday evening. It might be worth dwelling on the bad, or maybe unusual points, first of all. The selections on offer for evening diners are not overwhelming and do not expect too many traditional standbys - the chicken has been transformed into panfried szechuan breast on a sweet potato risotto which sounded too spicy. The char-grilled aged sirloin comes with roasted vegetable salad, salsa verde and turriga syrup and the halibut, which was eventually selected, has its own surprise twists. The fish was tasty, although a little dry, but sandwiched between the cucumber gazpacho and the fish, topped with roasted tomatoes on the vine, were two greyish slithers of what we were told were oyster mushrooms. These have a real meaty texture and were not to my liking and looked grey and liver-like. (Sorry!) The other main course chosen was the vegetarian option - char-grilled marinated vegetables topped off with a healthy-size breaded goat's cheese that was well-presented and tasty enough. The desserts were another talking point - the tiramisu freddo is more like an overwhelmingly large rich chocolate torte with a tiramisu-flavoured sponge finger running through the middle. The other dessert chosen from the selection that included LSQ2's hand-made liqueur truffles or a mango and coconut panna cotta was butternut and vanilla mousse served with anzac biscuits. Not easily forgettable - the biscuits were even tougher to crack than I expected, the mousse was more like a whipped cream and the butternut, which seemed to have simply been boiled and cubed, was a bizarre twist. We should have stuck with the starters that were memorable for all the right reasons. Yet again there were unusual options -seared carpaccio of ostrich, salt and chilli squid and our choices, steamed duck and wombok roll with cucumber, mizuna and mango mojo and king prawns corn dog style. The 'home-made' dipping sauces that came with the prawns, including rocket pesto and Indonesian satay, were delicious and the presentation stunning. The service was also impressive - the staff were welcoming but not overbearing, even when customers were thin on the ground. The finishing touches like hot milk with coffee and drinks carried from the bar to the table all score bonus points. So does the staff's knowledge of the dishes - at least we knew what we were eating which is more than can be said for some places. And in spite of the butternut experience, LSQ2 is worth a go - bookings are now being taken for Christmas with a menu that includes turkey and brandy butter with pudding but boasts other surprises like rump of lamb and braised oxtail. To book call 0121 7709 133 or see the website at www.lsq2.co.uk
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