Festive afternoon tea, Park Plaza

Greyfriars Road
Cardiff, CF10 3AL, Wales
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 2920 111 111
F: +44 (0) 2920 111 112
http://www.parkplazacardiff.com/restaurant__bars/
http://www.lagunakitchenandbar.com/afternoon-tea.php

I'm a big lover of the classic afternoon tea and have sampled the one on offer at St David's Hotel's Tempus at Tides on a few occasions. Judging by my recent experience of the Christmas Afternoon Tea on offer at the city centre's Park Plaza hotel, however, I think I may have a new favourite.

The Park Plaza isn't the only Cardiff establishment offering a festive twist on the traditional tea. The Hilton also has a similar experience over the Christmas season, which has been reviewed by Ur Last Mouthful here. We chose the Park Plaza, however, purely on an image they posted on their Facebook page - the power of social media is still strong!



We were lucky enough to be seated by the roaring fires in the lobby of the hotel - the restaurant and bar areas were fully booked with Christmas lunches and parties. The lobby proved to be an oasis of calm, however, and we were well looked after by the professional and friendly staff. The teas on offer included standard English Breakfast and Earl Grey but I opted for the festive choice of a cinnamon infused blend which was subtly flavoured but tasted perfectly Christmassy. We also decided to opt for a glass of champagne with the tea, raising the cost from £15 to £25 each. Still, we reasoned, it's Christmas!

The food itself was lovely and, as with many afternoon teas, almost overwhelming in volume. There were salmon and cucumber sandwiches, as well as egg and cress, cucumber and cream cheese and the festive twist of turkey and cranberry. The sandwiches kept coming for as long as you wanted and they were well presented and tasty.



The bottom tier offered freshly baked scones (still warm from the oven) with jam and cream, as well as delightfully firm but moist Welsh cakes. The standout of the tea was, however, the mince pie - possibly one of the best I have ever tasted. Crumbly pastry with a light mincemeat filling, I could have eaten another two and taken a half-dozen home with me.

The final touches were two tiny festive macaroons, a large slab of Christmas cake, and a generous slice of cherry cake. The final tier was too much, sadly, and we reluctantly abandoned the cakes. The macaroons, however, were gorgeous; full of clementine flavour and a good balance between the crunchy outside and the smooth filling.



Overall, we were really impressed with what the Park Plaza was offering. Sat by the fire, in front of the Christmas tree, the whole afternoon put us resolutely in the Christmas mood (as did the sight of slightly inebriated Christmas party-goers in their paper hats). If you have time and can get a booking, try to go along before Christmas. It'll certainly make you feel festive. :)

Food Bloggers Unplugged

There's a great food bloggers challenge on at the moment, called Food Bloggers Unplugged. The aim is to learn a little more about the foodies we follow on Twitter or read about on their blogs. I was challenged by Hannah at Love to Dine so, here goes...

What, or who inspired you to start a blog?

It came about in a few ways earlier this year. I’ve always loved eating, dining out, and cooking and I had a spate of eating in some really great places that I wanted to tell people about. I wasn’t really sure how to start, though, so I joined Twitter and loitered on there for a while, starting to follow some people who were posting really interesting blogs. The real catalyst was when Pier 64 opened round the corner from my flat. It seemed like most people I followed didn’t realise this was opening, and so my review of that in its first week or two got a lot of views. Things really took off from there in terms of the blog and getting to know some great people online.

Who is your foodie inspiration?

My favourite chef is Michel Roux Jr. I love his passion and precision and though I don’t aspire to cook in the same style as him I enjoy watching him work in his shows. Meeting him earlier this year was a genuine moment of excitement.

Your greasiest, batter-splattered food/drink book is?

My most loved cookery cooks are actually Weight Watchers ones! Balancing a love of food with trying to stay on the healthy straight and narrow is hard work (and involves arduous gym sessions) but I try to use as much fresh produce and make as much from scratch as I can.

I also love Gordon Ramsay’s cookbooks. I think his books are easy to follow and always seem to work, and are actually a big contrast to his on-TV personality.


Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

This is a tough one. Barcelona has some amazing food and one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had was in a tiny tapas bar called El Xampanyet around the corner from the Picasso museum. We were brought out a range of dishes we could choose from or send back and we had some amazing Cataluña tomato bread, cheeses, and meats. They also made their own cava and sold it by the litre bottle – we ate like Kings for around 30 Euros. The cava, however, made negotiating the Metro a little tricky…


Another food blogger’s table you’d like to eat at is?

All of them! I’m always impressed by what Cardiff Bites is cooking up – it always sounds really comforting and tasty. My friend Mudpies and Fries is also one I’d happily dine at – she’s really good at taking well-loved recipes and giving them a little twist.

What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

A set of Michel Roux kitchen knives. I really do need to improve my chopping skills since everything always looks like its been hacked to pieces! Or a Kenwood food mixer with all the proper attachments. Or some mini Le Creuset casserole dishes...

Who taught you how to cook?

A combination of my Grandmother and my Mum. One of my earliest memories is making sausage rolls and Scotch eggs with my Nan, and helping her to pick elderflower to make cordials and wines. My Mum was always happy to let me cook at home and create a mess (I’m a cook who doesn’t care about the washing up!) and from there, I’ve kept trying to learn more skills and get better.

I’m coming to you for dinner. What’s your signature dish?

I make a mean drunken lamb. It’s a combination of lamb, vegetables, sesame seeds, and lots of chilli and ginger. It tastes better than it sounds. There’s no alcohol in it – it’s called Drunken Lamb because I concocted it one night after too many Chenin Blancs at the pub. It turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever cooked up.

I also make a pretty good roast duck with Thai flavours, and a suprisingly tasty open lasagne with home-made pesto, feta, sundried tomatoes and roasted butternut squash.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

I have too many! I have a weakness for nachos and can happily munch my way through plates of them, loaded with melted cheese and salsa. I also have a soft spot for the Big Mac meal, especially when I have a hangover.

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

I’m a useless baker. I can work savoury dishes out fine but every single time I try to make a cake or pudding it fails. I think it might be too mathematical for me. Tips and advice are more than welcome!

The next nominees are:

1. Beth at Mudpies and Fries
2. The ever-lovely Project:Goddess
3.Dining Out in Cardiff
4.Stephen Nottingham
5. I don't have a fifth because I think everyone I know has already done this!

Review: Aegean Restaurant

Aegean Restaurant
72-74 Whitchurch Road
Heath
Cardiff
CF14 3LX
Phone: 02920 345114
http://aegean-restaurant.co.uk/
Open Tues-Sat 6-10pm

After a successful holiday to Zante a few years ago, my partner and I have developed a bit of a taste for Greek cuisine. We were, therefore, delighted when Groupon offered a recent deal of a two course dinner and a glass of wine for two people for a reasonable price of £16(total value of £40).

The Aegean restaurant on Whitchurch Road is a long walk or a short bus ride from the city centre (depending on your laziness) but we found it well worth the effort to trek out a little further.

The place looks authentic, with plain white walls, tiles and some Greek music for atmosphere. It has an open kitchen, which I always like, and the staff were plesant and attentive throughout the evening.

We kicked off with some calimari for me and saganaki cheese (Kefalotyri cheese fried with honey) for the mister. Without the Groupon deal these would set you back £4.80 and £4.50 respectively. My calimari wasn't the best I've ever eaten but it was piping hot, plentiful and just the right side of chewy and certainly better than some I've had in other Cardiff places. The cheese and honey, however, was delicious, both sweet and dry and the portion was very generous. It was divine with a squeeze of lemon. We also ordered some houmous with pitta (£3.90) which was clearly home-made and full of chunky chickpea. Our only issue was that the starters took quite a while to arrive - almost 30 minutes which was a little too long. However, the dishes were worth the wait and the main courses suffered from no such time delay.

When in Zante I had become addicted to Kleftiko, a dish of lamb, vegetables and cheese. The Aegean version was different to what I'd had in Greece but was delicious, offering diced leg of lamb, cooked with in the oven in greaseproof paper with carrot, potato thyme and garlic, topped with melted mature cheese (£13.50). Opening the greaseproof paper to reveal the dish inside was a nice moment of anticipation and the lamb and potatoes were perfectly cooked, moist and tender with a good amount of flavour from the herbs and garlic. It took me back to balmy evenings on the Greek island, as did the dry Greek wine we ordered with the meal. The Mister opted for Lamb Souvlaki, which came served with pitta bread, salad, and a healthy dollop of tzaziki, and was equally well cooked.

Although full I couldn't resist the dessert of champagne and raspberry torte (£4.50), which was full of creamy mousse, sponge and raspberried. Not too sweet but with a kick of champagne, it was a good end to the evening.

Overall, aside from the slightly disappointing calimari and the longer-than-average wait for the starters, the Aegean was a good experience. The food reminded us of the dishes we'd tried in Greece, suggesting a good level of authenticity, and the cheese and honey starter and my Kleftiko were particularly tasty. We'll definitely be back for another visit to try some of the other Greek dishes or the mezze.

All I want for Christmas

Some pointless food-related nonsense I wouldn't mind finding under the Christmas tree on December 25th. Maybe some of it will be suitable for the foodie in your life?

Ninja Bread Men - Play.com (£5.00)

I'm a terrible baker and maker of cakes, biscuits and, generally, anything sweet. Next year's resolution is to get better and I think the opportunity to make ninja-shaped cookies might be the inspiration I need.

Scrabble teatowel - The Literary Gift Company (£9.25)

Any cook knows that washing up the piles of pans, pots and plates is the worst part of any kitchen experiment. Maybe this excellent Scrabble tea-towel will make it more bearable? Handy if you cannot afford to buy a dishwasher.

A Welsh food hamper - The Welsh Hamper Company (various prices)

Too many selections to list here, but I'd be quite partial to the wine and cheese hamper or the afternoon tea one. Great to showcase some of Wales' best food and drink.

British Gastronomy Map Print - Not On The High Street (£25)

As someone with a limited grasp of geography and a keen interest in food, this would look excellent on the wall of my kitchen or study. It's also incredibly awesome for those who do know their Derby from their Durham.

Retro Sweet Tuck Box - Handy Candy (£6.99)

I'm not sure if the retro sweet fad is over and, frankly, I don't care. As a reminder of my childhood, this is a perfect gift. There's also boxes and sweet hampers for the Christmas period.

Blood Energy Drink - Firebox.com (£4.99)

The sort of gift that would be amusing for Christmas Day but probably no further. But as a fan of vampires, I'd laugh when I removed it from the wrapping paper. And then probably never drink it. (Also available in green Zombie blood flavour).

Vampire Chutney Gift Pack - The Garlic Farm via Firebox.com (£12.99)

Another vampire related gift. This time, one I would probably actually eat.

A Recipe for Murder cookbook - Amazon.co.uk (£8.99)

Confession - I already own this but it's another great present for foodie friends of a more macarbre disposition. Featuring recipes inspired by Dracula, Lady MacBeth and other fictional legends, it's also a very easy-to-use and beautiful book.

Cupcakes and cocktail experience - Lastminute.com (£47 on offer)

I'd love to be whisked off to London, taught how to decorate some lovely cupcakes and to make some cocktails. Sounds wonderful.

Christmas Goody Bag - Hotel Chocolat (£17.00)

Some may balk at paying so much for a bag of chocolate but for us, a goody bag or a giant cracker from Hotel Chocolat is a Christmas tradition. Much better than your usual selection box.

Cottage Delight Creative Cooks Mexican Kit - John Lewis (£15)

I love cooking and eating Mexican food but never get much more adventurous at home than ripping open an Old El Paso Fajita Dinner Kit. This might help with that.

Days out don't get better than this: Experiencing Masterchef Live

MasterChef Live
11-13 November, 2011
Olympia London
http://www.mastercheflive.com/

Like many people with more than a passing interest in food, I am a self-confessed Masterchef addict. I'll watch any version; the normal one, the celebrity one, the Professionals, heck, I've even enjoyed John Torode praising spag bol on the Children's Masterchef. It follows then, that I've wanted to visit Masterchef Live for a few years but have never quite managed it. This year, however, my trusty friend Project: Goddess and I set off for Kensington Olympia armed and ready for a day of foodie fun.

Offical publicity shot of day one


The basic ticket cost around £20 but we also signed up for sessions in the Chef's Theatre where Gold tickets set you back a tenner and the back rows a fiver. Our first session was with Michel Roux Jr, a man we both love to watch on the Professionals. His recipe of gnocchi with wild mushrooms looked delicious and easy to replicate. He was interesting and informative as well as being much funnier in the flesh than he is allowed to be on Masterchef where he is positioned very much as a man to be feared.

Waiting for Roux


At the end of the half hour slot, it was announced that Michel Roux would be doing a book signing which led to an enthusiastic stampede of foodie fans rushing to purchase copies of his 'Cooking With the Masterchef' tome. Meeting him was a true delight, he's genuinely a lovely bloke and this was the undoubted (and unexpected)highlight of our day.

After this, we tried out the Masterchef Restaurant Experience which offers the chance to sample small plates of dishes from a range of restaurants. Firstly we tried the Cola-Braised Pork Belly, Carmelised Celery, Fondant Squash, Roasted Baby Turnips, Shelled Peas, Miso Mustard and Dashi Sauce from 2011 Masterchef champion Tim Anderson which was flavoursome and well cooked.



I then tackled a Cape Sante in Padella – pan fried scallops served in their shell with lentils de Castelluccio, pancetta, red chilli, parsley and chopped wild rocket (5DC) from Theo Randall and was especially thrilled to see Randall himself cooking away in the tiny kitchen! Project Goddess sampled an apple crumble and custard from Gregg Wallace's Wallace & Co and reported it to be delicious, as you might expect from a man so famously in love with puddings. The restaurant experience isn't cheap - the dishes we tried were 5 DC (dining currency) each which equates to £5 of normal money, and the accompanying wines are also priced at 5 per glass. It's a fun experience though, allowing you to work out what types of food you want to try, and which restaurants you'd like to add to the do-to list.

Scallop by Theo Randall


Our second chef's theatre session was a cook-off between Tim Anderson and 2010 Professionals winner Claire Lara. It was hosted by Gregg Wallace and John Torode and characterised by a great deal of banter between the two. Claire cooked a red mullet dish with potatoes and braised lettuce whilst the ever-quirky Tim produced an edible hen's nest (!). He was judged the winner and we were just disappointed that we didn't get to try either of the dishes for health and safety reasons.

After this we wandered the veritable banquet of stalls and suppliers on offer, sampling a good range of cheeses, wines, liquers and oils. It's tempting to spend hundreds of pounds on the produce but I came away with some artisan chocolate, some Shropshire blue cheese, and some banana and garlic chutney from The Garlic Farm for the other half. You can easily while away several hours on the producers' stalls, and if you're in the market for gifts it does offer some unusual options.

Our final chef's session was a cook-off between John and Gregg. Both made fairly predictable dishes - John went for beef and Gregg a pudding, knocking up a fabulous looking Christmas Yule Log. Like the earlier session, they were hilarious, keeping the audience entertained whilst also offering some good tips on how to cook perfect steak or whip up the ideal butter cream.

The show at dusk


As the day wore on we began to flag a little but found the Masterchef demonstation stage to be a little oasis of calm. At this point, many people were starting to leave but we enjoyed demos from recent Masterchef contestants Sara Danesin, who created a venison and chocolate dish, and James Perry who produced some interesting looking chocolate spring rolls. Feeling a little peckish again, I tried a Rice Noodle & Beef Salad with Mint & Peanuts from the stand from John Torode's Smiths of Smithfield restaurant and found this full of fresh mint and crunchy nuts.



Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the day and were especially impressed with how much contact you can have with the stars of Masterchef. Admittedly, whilst John and Gregg and possibly Michel Roux Jr are recognisable to the wider public, not everyone would be as excited as we were to see Tim Anderson or Alexis Gauthier walking around or to have a photo taken with Monica Galetti. Throughout the day we caught sight of these and others including Michael Caines, Nick Pickard, Andi Peters, Jackie Kearney, and Tim Kinnaird and even John Torode was freely roaming around, giving us a cheery "hello" at the book stand. If you know who all these people are then you can see why we had such a good time. If you don't, then I think you'd still enjoy the live shows, the competitions and the food stalls.

We're already planning next year's trip and maybe this will inspire some of you to go along as well.

PS - Apologies for the cheesy title but I couldn't resist.

The Garden by the Sea - Penarth dining to-do list

Since moving to Penarth last year, I've tended to frequent the same few places to eat; the new Pier 64 in the Marina, the tiny Japanese San Kai which I constantly rave about, La Marina at the Custom House, and Ocho Lounge in the town centre.

However, Penarth is teaming with other places to visit so in the interests of research, I'm going to make a more concerted effort to try some new places and report on their foodie offerings.

So far, I've amassed the following. Do let me know if there's anywhere brilliant you think that I should try.

* The Fig Tree - I've heard mixed reviews but am intruiged by their chef's evenings and vegetarian Mondays. I'm also a sucker for places with sea views so their spot, on Penarth Esplanade, is enough to tempt me in.

* Cafe des Amis - Only noticed this place nestled next to the Washington Gallery a few weeks ago. Tea and cakes by day, candlelight and some tasty-sounding dishes by night mean that this is probably number one on my list.

* North Meets South cafe - Located at the top of Windsor Arcade this offers a range of interesting burgers and dishes from various cuisines and South African theming. Intruiging.

* Villa Napoli at the Glendale Hotel - The website promises an award-winning Italian experience whilst the menu offers a comprehensive range of dishes and a well-priced set menu.

* Neale's Restaturant at Holm House Hotel - A confession: I've looked for this hotel on Marine Parade a few times and never been able to find it. But once I do I'll be raring to try their Welsh inspired menu including dishes like Wild Sewin, or Welsh Pork Filler with Gwnt Y Draig cider, Carmarthen ham and mushrooms.Grady Atkins was their Head Chef before his recent move to the Park House in Central Cardiff.

* Jaflon - A Bangladeshi restaurant on Albert Road that was recommended in a Wales Online survey of best Indians in the area. They say "The lamb tikka starter is beautifully sweet and crispy on the outside and tender all the way through. The side salads are perfectly presented, the main course curries all haveconspicuously different, and interesting flavours and the service is polite and friendly". And that's good enough for me.

* Last but not least, The Olive Tree on Glebe Street. Recommended in the 2011 Michelin Guide and with a Head Chef trained by a chef from Le Gavroche, it's certainly on my do-to list asap. There are the usual A La Carte menus, an epic looking Sunday Lunch, and an early-bird option of 2 Courses £13.50 and 3 Course £17.50 before 7pm or 2 Courses £18.50 3 Courses £22.50 after 7pm.

If you've never ventured to Penarth to eat before, I recommend it. There's a range of choice and cuisine on offer as well as some great places to drink. That, however, is for another post...

300 Dishes Around the World: Red Hot World Buffet

Red Hot World Buffet
03-06 Hills Street
St David's
Dewi Sant
Cardiff CF10 2LE
Tel: 029 2034 2499
http://www.redhot-worldbuffet.com/redhot_cardiff.html

We all have our expectations of all you can eat buffet restaurants. They often involve lukewarm food congealing slowly under hot lamps, being elbowed out of the way by people jostling for tepid onion rings, and dishes often lacking their key component due to people shovelling the best bits of the dish onto their plates with gusto. A king prawn noodle dish without any king prawns, anyone?

Along with a range of other guests, I was invited to the launch night of Cardiff’s latest buffet restaurant Red Hot World Buffet but, due to other commitments, was unable to attend. You can read some thoughts on the launch on the blogs Cardiff Bites and Corpulent Capers . However, I was invited back to try the place on another evening and so ventured along with my other half last Friday night.*

Although located down on Hill Street, which is primarily an walkway linking the original St David’s shopping centre with the monolith that is the newer St David’s 2, Red Hot looks inviting from the outside with some dramatic flames and the ability to see inside through the huge glass windows. It was busy throughout the evening but didn’t feel too cramped, despite its size and capacitty. We were greeted by Sachin Bajpai, the Head of Brand and Corporate Marketing at the Red Hot company, who gave me a tour of the restaurant and introduced the mission statement of wanting to take all the good elements of a buffet and make them better. The emphasis is on service and quality of food, and he illustrated the ways in which the food is replenished and cooked with a focus on the customer being able to watch the dishes being created in front of their eyes.

In comparison to other Cardiff buffets there is logic to Red Hot that seems designed to prevent you from the usual all you can eat sin of throwing together random dishes onto a plate. A macaroni cheese taco experienced this year in America is a fine example of such culinary confusion. The flow of the food area presents salads and the sushi and fish first, before moving fairly logically from the Italian section of fresh from the oven pizzas and a live cooking pasta bar through to the British section (including some tasty cottage pie), the more typical fare of Indian and Chinese dishes, to the Tex Mex section and to the ready prepared desserts. The only lack of logic seemed to me to be that the live cooking dessert section was oddly located on the opposite side of the food area to the smaller desserts.

So, to the food. In the press release before the launch Helen Dhaliwal, Director of Red Hot World Buffet & Bar gave this comment; “At Red Hot, we aim to turn the image of the all-you-can-eat buffet on its head. Many people associate buffets with sub-standard cuisine, with vast vats of food that have been stewing all day. At Red Hot, our five-star chefs will cook food freshly to order in front of our customers’ eyes, so they can enjoy food of a very high standard.” How much does the restaurant live up to this aim?

Well, it's certainly better than any current buffet in Cardiff. Some dishes are obviously better than others but highlights were a freshly prepared creamy pesto pasta, the fresh salads, the Tex Mex tacos, and a small dish of lamb with spicy couscous. The sushi was slightly disappointing, however, and was the only thing that seemed like it had been sat out on display for a while. There had also been a case of shrimp theft by over-zealous eaters since the mooted shrimp and vegetable noodle dish only contained vegetables when I began to eat it. Not being a dessert lover I don’t feel qualified to pass judgement but my partner enjoyed the fresh waffle and banana ice-cream.

I’d return to Red Hot again in the future and its certainly somewhere I’d chose to go for a meal before the theatre or cinema, or whilst on a shopping trip. I like the policy of offering dishes in small ready-sized portions in bowls , like canapés, and there’s enough variety to ensure that a future visit would allow me to try the other cuisines on offer. It seemed to be very busy and I’m sure it’ll be a success. It may not be to everyone’s taste but it’s certainly a promising alternative to the existing buffets in the Cardiff area.

Costs: from £7.99 for lunch and from £12.99 for dinner.

• In the interest of transparency, our food and drink was complimentary on the night of our visit.

Masterchef Experience, Filini @ Radisson Blu

Radisson Blu Hotel
Cardiff,
Meridian Gate,
Bute Terrace,
Cardiff,
Cf10 2FL

As a newcomer to the world of food blogging, I was delighted and surprised to be invited to take part in a Masterchef experience at the Filini restaurant within Cardiff's Radisson Blu hotel. The invite promised a live cooking session with the head chef Mattias Wenngren and the chance to sample both dishes from the Filini menu and some of chef's other creations.

I somewhat nervously set off for the Radisson Blu, wondering whether my culinary skills were up to it. I needn't have worried since it was a wonderfully informative and fun evening throughout. There was a small group of people taking part, fellow food bloggers Cardiff Bites and Ur Last Mouthful, a journalist, and two of the PR team who set the event up. The small size of the group meant that the experience was informal but chatty and it was great to talk to the rest of the people there about cookery, restaurants and so on.

The evening began with a glass of Rose Prosecco and a wide range of antipasti including cheeses, meat, rosemary bread, olives, sundried tomatoes, some delicious piquant balsamic onions. Yum. After watching our desserts of panna cotta being made, chef Mattias knocked up a very simple salad of grated courgette, almonds, lemon and parmesan. This is something I could definitely try to recreate at home and was delicious and simple with some fresh flavours and bite from the almonds.

We moved on to make a squid salad – a dish that is on the Filini restaurant menu. Again, this was a simple but tasty dish of hot squid cooked in olive oil and lemon with chilli flakes and served on a bed of rocket, parmesan and sundried tomatoes. I was entrusted with mixing the salad ingredients and the dish overall was fabulous – the combination of squid and parmesan with the salty tomatoes was a taste revelation.

Our fourth dish was a pizza made by Mattias who added some rosemary oil, sea salt and pepper to a pizza base before topping it off with honey! When cooked it was topped with prosciutto and parmesan and to my surprise, the sweetness of the honey and the saltiness of the ham did work well together. Another very successful sample.

The next recipe was a bit of a challenge and was, by chef’s own admission, thrown in to challenge us and push our boundaries of taste. He rustled up a strawberry risotto which is as odd as it sounds. Mixing risotto rice with strawberry jus and chicken stock sounds weird and when it was finished off with some mascarpone cheese, parmesan and small pieces of strawberry soaked in balsamic vinegar it was a truly different taste experience. The texture and colour were not to my taste and the group remained divided over the success of this particular dish. One I’m glad to have tried but not something I’ll need to try again!

Although approaching the point of being very full, the food continued to arrive. Next up was another dish that can be found on the restaurant menu – a delicious spinozi pasta with crab, cream and mussel jus, and some wine, tomato and parsley. This was my dish of the night and I could happily have taken the leftovers home and carried on eating. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce and crab were delicious. I’d absolutely order this dish if at Filini.

The final course of the savoury dishes was lamb with mixed forest mushrooms. The lamb was tender and pink (as it should be) and the mushrooms had great flavour despite being cooked fairly simply.

After our journey through the savoury courses, we retired to the restaurant for a coffee and our desserts. Not normally a dessert fan, I found these to be sweet and creamy and just the right size to finish the meal. After some further chatting, I made my way home, stuffed but happy and having picked up a few cooking tips along the way.

Overall, this was a wonderful evening and a real privilege to be able to spend time with the chef who not only produced some fabulous food for us but was a pleasure to talk to. Whilst I remain unconvinced by strawberry risotto, I’d certainly visit Filini to try some of the other dishes on the menu in the future.

Review: Severnshed, Bristol

Severnshed
The Grove
Bristol
BS1 4RB
For Reservationst: 0117 925 1212
info@severnshedrestaurant.co.uk
http://www.severnshedrestaurant.co.uk/

The weekend before last I ventured over the bridge - well, under the Bristol Channel - to meet up with a friend of mine, the lovely Project: Goddess for lunch. Since we needed somewhere within walking distance of Temple Meads train station, we decided to visit Severnshed on the waterfront. I went there a few years ago for a hen do and remembered the food being fairly good, so we were happy to give it a try.

Before lunch we stopped for a mid-morning hot chocolate at the Mud Dock Cafe which is just a few steps away from Severnshed. An unusual place, located above a bike shop the menu looked great, offering some tempting brunch treats and some interesting specials. Next time I'm in Bristol I'm planning to try out their food.

To lunch itself then, Severnshed was as nice as I had recalled and offered a relaxing lunch in some well decorated surroundings. It was quiet for a Saturday lunch time and the staff were just attentive enough without us feeling like we were being rushed out of the door.

To start we shared a bread board of freshly baked bread served with extra virgin oil and balsamic (£3.95) which was much larger than we imagined but which offered a good range of breads. We werent too sure about the point of the breadsticks which were fairly useless at soaking up the accompanying oil and vinegar though.



For our mains, Project: Goddess opted for the chicken supreme of cornfed chicken breast with pancetta, savoy cabbage and carrots topped with a white wine sauce for£10.95. This was well presented and a good size portion, accompanied by some amazingly cheesy and rich potato gratin. I was quite jealous.



My own Achilles heel compelled me to order the House Fajitas, offered with cajun chicken, beef rump or tiger prawns. I opted for the chicken which came with the usual fajita accompaniments of mixed peppers , chillies , onions and garlic with flour tortillas spicy salsa, grated cheese, guacamole + sour cream. At £14.95 it was a little more pricey but an ample portion with extremely well cooked moist chicken, some tangy fresh guacamole and crunchy peppers.



Our only real complaint was with the state of the bathrooms which were far below what you'd expect in a place like this. Entering the shared bathrooms, seperating women from men with flimsy partitions more likely to be found in school toilets felt like walking into another, poorer, establishment. A real shame and, whilst it didn't detract from the overall success of the lunch, it's details like this which could do with some attention.

Overall, though, a good place for a casual lunch or dinner with solid, good-quality food and a good ambience.

Eating in America: Food is a theme park

I’ve recently returned from two wonderful weeks in Florida, doing the theme parks and generally having a brilliant time. Food was, of course, a key part of the trip and although I removed my foodie blogger hat for much of the time there were a few thoughts I wanted to share and some places I wanted to recommend for any intrepid traveller heading to Orlando any time soon. This post focuses on the food experiences within the parks themselves, primarily Disney. We sampled a range of food from the exquisite in EPCOT’s Coral Reef (see below) to the truly dreadful (giant mutant turkey legs sold for $10 from carts). Here, I share some of these experiences…

San Angel Inn, EPCOT, World Showcase
Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/san-angel-inn/

The San Angel Inn, based in Mexico within EPCOT is one of many highly recommended restaurants within World Showcase. The big names currently are the always highly mooted Chefs de Paris in France and the more recently acclaimed Le Cellier in Canada. As fans of Mexican cuisine, however, we opted for this experience and were not disappointed. Whilst the counter service option in Mexico churns out the typical nachos and chips we would expect, the San Angel offers an entirely different Mexican cuisine experience. With many menu items taken from its parent restaurant the San Angel in Mexico City it seeks to offer a more authentic taste of the country than the fajitas, tacos and burritos offered in the UK might suggest.

Having a close friend from Mexico who opened our eyes to dishes such as Green Nachos, Sopa di Lima and other bona fide culinary delights, we were pleased to find that our main courses of Sirloin con Chilaquiles (Grilled sirloin with chilaquiles (layers of fried corn tortilla, green tomatillo sauce, topped with queso fresco, onion, and sour cream) and served with black refried beans reminded us of our friend’s cooking in the best possible way. The steak was perfectly cooked and the accompanying tortillas added a subtle spice and warmth to the dish. My Dad’s Enchiladas Verdes con Pollo (Corn tortillas filled with pulled chicken, covered with green tomatillo sauce, topped with sour cream, queso fresco and onion) and my Mum’s Pollo a las Rajas(Grilled chicken breast served with a cream sauce of red peppers and onion strips, poblano rice, and queso fresco) looked good and received positive feedback. The steak dish cost $23 whilst the two chicken dishes were priced at $16-$17.

For those on a budget there is a set lunch which costs $25 for 3 courses. The San Angel is not a cheap experience (even at lunchtime when we visited) but it is good value for what you get and is also incredibly romantic, being located inside but under a permanently starry sky. It’s also one of the only places we came across that offered what we have come to know as ‘proper’ Mexican cuisine.


Coral Reef, EPCOT Future World
Location: The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion
Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/coral-reef-restaurant/

Another of EPCOT’s prime eateries is the magnificent Coral Reef, a seafood restaurant whose big lure is that the dining room faces onto the giant aquarium that forms part of the theme parks’ The Seas exhibit. The chance to watch fish, turtles and other underwater inhabitants whilst you eat seafood could seem somewhat perverse but the restaurant is actually a relaxing and impressive spot. We couldn’t have been sat further away from the aquarium, sadly, which since we booked online the very day that bookings for our date became available was disappointing. Once wonders who you have to bribe at Disney to be sat right in front of the giant fish tanks! Service, however, was efficient but friendly and the food was out of this world. Across the group we opted for lobster soup with tarragon and brandy ($7.99), fish tostadas with lime ($8.99) and crab cakes with tropical fruit salsa ($11.99), and each dish was a triumph, offering both the flavour of the sea and some other complementary tastes. The lobster soup was rich and distinctive whilst the tostadas were both textured and soft. The crab cakes were so nice I didn’t get a sample but am assured that they were equally delicious.

Fish tostadas


For our main courses we all selected different types of fish to sample, choosing Lobster Ravioli with Rock Shrimp, fresh Tarragon, and Lobster Cream ($26.49), Seared Rainbow Trout with Warm Salad of White Beans, Arugula, Tomatoes, Crispy Bacon, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, and Brown Butter ($19.99), Seared Scottish Salmon with Black Rice, Fennel, and Cardamom-Cashew Butter ($22.99) and my own selection of the Grilled Mahi Mahi with Rock Shrimp, Hearts of Palm, Jasmine Rice, Cilantro, and a Coconut-Lime Sauce ($24.99). Having never tried Mahi Mahi before I was impressed, it’s a firm fish that was more than able to withstand the other flavours on the plate, working especially well with the coconut and lime combination. There are steak and chicken options on the menu but, in a place specialising in seafood, it seems remiss to try anything else. The menu offers wine recommendations to accompany your chosen main course and my Riseling did work well with the mahi mahi. I’d suggest trusting the recommendation even if, as I found, the wine is not something you’d normally chose to drink.

Mahi mahi


Salmon (front) and trout (back)


Lobster ravioli


Despite being full of wonderful fish, I forced myself to try the Baileys and Jack Daniel’s Mousse which came with a Caramel Crisp ($7.99) whilst my Mum opted for Cheesecake Napoleon served with Berry Compote ($7.99). The mousse was rich in flavour, both creamy and with the slightly sharp cut of whisky through it whilst the cheesecake was, sadly, devoured before I could try it.

Coral Reef is at the upper end of what you might pay in a Disney restaurant and I was deeply disappointed in our table given the promptness of our booking but this didn’t tarnish what was otherwise an unusual and interesting dining experience.

Portobello, Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World® Resort
1650 Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista,
Florida 32830
Phone: 407-934-8888
Disney line: 407-WDW-DINE
Wesbite: http://www.portobellorestaurant.com/

I heard about Portobello in a guidebook, urging the Disney visitor not to overlook it since it’s located near the Fulton’s Crab House restaurant, impressively located on an old steam boat, and the T-Rex Café with its gaudy yet fun giant dinosaur skeletons luring you in. Portobello, on the other hand, is a relatively unassuming neutral building with little gimmick to attract the busy tourist as they navigate Downtown Disney. Convinced, however, by the recommendation we visited on our final night and experience what, for me, was a definite tie with Coral Reef for best meal of the holiday. Portobello offers Italian dishes with a modern twist although many classics can also be found on the menu. As with many eateries on Disney property, the place was heaving with people but we never felt crowded or rushed despite it also being a busy Friday evening.

Two of us selected starters; I went for calamari, whilst the soup was also selected. The calamari was plentiful but not overwhelming as many American platefuls of food can be, and was served with a tart tomato basil sauce. My main course was also delicious, black linguine with Florida rock shrimp and a sauce of garlic, tomato and asparagus. The flavours were unusual together since this was my first experience of black pasta, but the textures and tastes worked well together. Am definitely buying myself some black pasta to experiment with at home. My partner’s Chicken Farfalle of Wood roasted chicken, snow peas, asparagus, tomatoes, parmigiano cream sauce was creamy but not cloyingly rich whilst my parents choices of Ravioli Gigante (ricotta and spinach filled pasta, tomato, basil, toasted garlic) and Penne Bolognese (in which you could really taste the flavours of both the beef and pork) offered further evidence of some of the excellent dishes on offer. Alas, too stuffed for dessert, the total bill for 2 starters, 4 mains and 4 drinks was, with currency conversion, under £80. When the bill arrived, we felt a little like we had robbed the place.

Black linguine & rock shrimp


Chicken farfalle


Raglan Road Irish Pub, Downtown Disney
1640 E Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista
Florida
32830
USATel: Work (407) 938-0300
Fax: Fax (407) 938-0310
Email: hello@raglanroad.com
Website: http://www.raglanroad.com/

Whilst the familiar dishes of bangers and mash, fish and chips, and Irish stew looked tempting, we only had drinks at Raglan Road. It’s a huge monolith of a pub, boasting an authentic bar that was shipped to America from Ireland and is a lively and bustling place to stop for a drink. It’s expensive as all Disney bars are at around $8 for a 175ml glass of wine but a nice place to watch the world go by from. It’s also attached to Cooke’s of Dublin, a sit-down or takeaway fish & chip shop which smelled divine but, alas, was not something we had the chance to experience. Next time, though…

Yak & Yeti Café, Animal Kingdom

In the theme park homogeneity of burgers, hot dogs, fries and doughnuts this little fast-food outlet, located in the Asia part of the park, brought a smile to all our faces. Mass-produced it may still be but I’ve never been so happy to be faced with options such as sweet & sour chicken with boiled rice or orange beef. The Yak & Yeti restaurant is also supposed to be excellent and it’s definitely on my to-eat list on the next trip.

Giant turkey leg carts, Various Disney Parks

Carts that sell turkey legs should have been avoided at all costs but curiosity got the better of me on our final day. If you find yourself feeling similarly curious, please don’t. Ten dollars would have been better spent on anything other than this greasy, salty-but-otherwise-tasteless lump of meat, the size of which borders on the absurd. Avoid.

Happy birthday ffresh

ffresh restaurant
Wales Millennium Centre
Cardiff Bay
Tel no: 029 2063 6465
http://www.wmc.org.uk/eatanddrink/ffresh/45151/

Despite only being what can loosely be called a 'food blogger' for a few months, I was lucky enough to be invited along as a guest to ffresh restaurant in the Wales Millennium Centre to celebrate the restaurant's second birthday. I've only visited once before - at an academic conference dinner - but had been impressed by the quality and consistency of the food and the helpful staff both before and after the evening.

I was also very excited to hear that the meal would be overseen by the restaurant's consultant chef Shaun Hill, from the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree in Abergavenney. I hoped we'd be in for a special night and were not disappointed.

The evening kicked off with some gorgeous canapaes of crisp warm blue cheese and sesame biscuits (as my Cheese loving other half exclaimed " you can actually taste the cheese!") and warm and moist Arancini with a lovely taste of mushroom. This was served with a fruity and fizzy wine from the Ancre Hill Vineyard and kicked the evening off in style.

We were lucky enough to have a seat in front of the kitchen and, along with chatting to fellow bloggers and other guests, this provided a great deal of entertainment. It was wonderful to see the chefs working and to feel part of the action.



The first course was red mullet with anchovies and herb crème fraiche. It was my first experience of this fish and I was impressed; the creme fraiche was creamy but light and the dish was a wonderful introduction to red mullet.



The main course consisted of roasted partridge with its own pudding, hispi cabbage and lentils and what I think, in my ignorance, was a potato fondant. Whilst I'm sure the cooking skills here were good I wasn't taken with the taste of partridge (another first for me), finding its gamey meatiness too strong for my palette. Strangely, it reminded me of liver in its strength and I'm not sure I'd order it from a menu out of choice. The sauce with the dish was lovely and rich but a little more would have been nice - the meat was also a little dry for me and some more sauce would have compensated for this. I was also confused by the pudding - it seemed eggy in texture to me and, again, was too strong for my tastes.



The dessert of hot chocolate fondant, hazelnut praline sauce and vanilla ice cream however, was a masterpiece. A hush descended on the room as we ate the soft pudding, oozing with chocolate sauce and the sticky nut sauce. Despite the apparent obsession of Masterchef contestants with making chocolate fondant I had never had one before. Even as a non-dessert lover I was utterly converted. Truly one of the best puddings I've ever experienced.



Overall, the evening was a great experience and it was also lovely to see and meet some of the Cardiff foodies I follow or chat to on Twitter in the flesh. As a newbie to the world of food blogging - and as something I do for fun - I felt privileged to have been allowed to go along to this. Whilst I'm not sure I'll try partridge again, I'm now on the hunt for a chocolate fondant to rival Shaun Hill's and am also about to place an order for some Welsh wine from Ancre Hill. We'll also be returning to ffresh in the very near future to try out some more of their food. I sincerely hope they get to celebrate more birthdays in the coming years.

A hidden gem: San Kai, Penarth

San Kai
46 Plassey Street
Penarth
Vale of Glamorgan CF64 1EL
Phone: 029 2070 8357
Website: http://www.sankai-restaurant.com/
Closed Mondays

San Kai is something of a hidden gem in Penarth which already has its fair share of well-known restaurants including The Custom House and the new Pier 64 at the Marina and The Fig Tree on the seafront. It’s therefore easy to overlook San Kai which occupies an unobtrusive corner of Plassey Street in the town centre. At first glance one would assume that it was just another Chinese takeaway. It does offer a takeaway service but this tiny restaurant offers much more than that.





Promising that it is Penarth’s only sit-down Chinese restaurant it also offers some delicious Thai dishes and Japanese offerings that rival those I’ve had at Canton/Roath’s Ichiban and City Road's Tenkaichi. It’s usually the Japanese that draws my partner and I to San Kai every few months. The place itself is housed in a former corner-shop and is intimate without meaning you have to listen to every word the couple seated next to you are saying. It’s decorated with colourful lanterns and has the unique distinction of playing karaoke videos of pop classics in the corner. On weekends, the opportunity to sing karaoke presents itself although there’s no pressure to do so and this doesn’t happen until very late into the evening. Having visited 4 times, I've never actually seen anyone partake in this! The staff is also friendly and efficient; the owner remembers you and details about you and visiting is always a hugely welcoming experience.

What, then of the food? My partner and I are creatures of habit and almost always opt for the cucumber (£3.50) or California maki (£4.50) from the sushi menu and the Ebi Tempura (prawn) (£5.50) or vegetable tempura (£4.95). The sushi is always fresh and the vegetables crisp and textured. The tempura is equally good with a light crisp batter and huge prawns. On our last visit we added some Nama Hotate (breaded scallops) to the mix which, at £5.95 were a little more pricey than our usual choices. However, they were a revelation; meaty and well cooked and served with a spicy sauce and we'll certainly be ordering them again. There’s also a complimentary bowl of prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce if you decide to espouse starters altogether.

For the main course I usually plump for some form of udon dish – so far I’ve tried the chicken (£7.95), seafood (£9.50) and pork (£7.95) options and all curried favour although the seafood dish was a little too heavy on salmon for my tastes. The other half always choses the spicy pork yaki soba (£7.95), so convinced is he of its quality. All the noodle dishes are plentiful and full of flavour and good value for money .

Pork yaki soba


Yaki udon


In the past, we’ve also shared the set Chinese menu for two which offers mixed hot starters of spare ribs, prawn toasts, chicken satay, spring roll, deep fried squid) and mains of sizzling beef in satay sauce, Kung Po pork, chicken in honey and lemon, and egg fried rice all for £13.95 per head. This was also really impressive and offered more food than the two of us could reasonably consume without losing flavour and quality. It’s not the Chinese menu that draws us back to eat out at San Kai but we’d certainly try it again or order it to take-away. There is also a more elaborate set menu for £19.95 for those with even bigger appetites.

Overall, a meal in San Kai for two people, with starters, noodle main courses and two drinks each will set you back around £20 a head. If you’re in Penarth it’s well worth a visit. But don’t tell *too* many people about its secret…

Pub lunch: Marston's pubs

Red Admiral
Hacket Place
Trowbridge
BA14 7GW
Tel: 01225 767400
http://www.redadmiralpub.co.uk/

Although the last few weeks have tended to involve eating at relatively high-end eateries such as the Crown Social in Cardiff, Pier 64 in Penarth, and L’Escargot in London, I’m just as happy checking out more budget-friendly places to eat. Indeed, sometimes a good pub meal is just what you need. This weekend saw me visiting some family in the Trowbridge area of Wiltshire where we happened into a Marston’s 2 for 1pub, The Red Admiral. It’s a newly built pub and still looks it; it’s also fairly large with a decent sized beer garden and so likely to be able to withstand hungry Sunday hoards or the summer beer garden crush.

However, I’m interested here in focusing on the food since the Cardiff and Vale area has a few Marston’s pubs of their own – the new Sand Martin by the Cardiff City stadium (not a 2 for 1 restaurant), the long-established Cayo on Cathedral Road, the Cherry Orchard in Barry and the Barn near Llantrisant. The Cherry Orchard is the only one that shares the exact same menu with the Red Admiral whilst The Barn has some of the dishes but not others.

Overall, the comments below will hopefully help you to decide if these are the sort of places for you or not.

For a starter I chose the Ham & Orange Terrine with parsley, served with salad and bread - I was pleased to see something slightly different to the usual pub starters of soup, breaded mushrooms, nachos and potato skins on offer so opted to try this tasty sounding terrine. The portion was a good size for a starter but the terrine was a little over-salted and needed a stronger citrus lift from the orange zest to balance this. A little splash of dressing on the salad leaves would also have been welcome but overall this was a fairly pleasant starter.

The Ale & Hearty pie (Beef and Pedigree Ale Pie on the Cherry Orchard menu) – with chips, peas and gravy. The pie was excellent, with perfect pastry and copious amounts of beef. A little more of the taste of the real ale in the sauce would have been good but overall, as a pie connoisseur, I was very impressed.

For main courses, we also sampled the sea bass with crayfish and haddocks in cheese sauce from the specials menu and a steak and mushroom salad which was bursting with steak but contained far too much strong raw red onion which overpowered the entire dish.

The desserts of Peach & apricot frangipane, Strawberry Waffle Cheesecake, Deep Dish Apple Pie and Chocolate Indulgence Sundae were all very nice although you can get similar fare in most pub chains. They were well presented though and made a tasty sweet treat at the end of the meal.

There are a handful of dishes containing less than 500 calories for those watching their waistline and a copious range of specials on the specials board. It was also great value for money with five 3-course lunches, three glasses of wine, two pints of real ale, and 4 soft drinks coming in at under £95.

The Marston’s group seems to be aiming for a range of clientele however, and the Cayo for example has a slightly more refined menu whilst still offering a range of deals such as £4.95 meals, £7.99 bottles of wine and sharers and a bottle of wine for £15.

Overall, based on my experience of the Red Admiral I’d certainly give other Marston’s pubs a try. It’s not haute cuisine and many of the dishes are tried-and-tested but the food quality and service is good for the price. For a bite to eat after a day out or a cheap mid-week meal out, it’s worth a visit.

Food - 7/10
Service 7/10
Atmosphere 7/10

An uneven evening: Crown Social, Cardiff

Crown Social
The Parc Hotel
Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3UD
Tel. No: 029 2078 5593
Email: crownsocial@thistle.co.uk
http://crownsocial.co.uk/

In many ways, writing a review of the Crown Social, housed within Cardiff's Parc Hotel, seems slightly redundant. Firstly because, as most Cardiffians with an interest in food and dining will know, the partnership between the Crown group (who also run the Michelin-starred Crown at Whitebrook and the Crown restaurant within the Celtic Manor) and the Parc is due to finish at the end of the month.

Chef Martin Blunos is to look for another Cardiff location to open a Crown restaurant within the city and the hotel is to resume running of the Social. This is, apparently, all very amicable. I had hoped that this might be the place to finally bring a coveted Michelin star to the city and it's disappointing to see a place that had that promise (and managed to acrue 2 AA rosettes so quickly) has apparently not taken off.

The excellent local food blog Corpulent Capers also last week posted a thorough review of the Crown Social and some musings on the reasons for its failure. I'm not sure how much I can add to those thoughts but I'd suggest checking out the post.

My rush to visit the Social this week was, thus, born from the fact that I was in possession of a Travel Zoo dining voucher that I wanted to cash in before the opportunity to sample the place was forever gone. The voucher offered £90 worth of food for £45 for two - including two nibbles, four starters, two mains, two sides, and two desserts. On the face of it, this sounds like incredible value but when you consider the small plate sharing ethos of the Crown Social, it becomes less of a bargain.

Nevertheless, despite the news about the imminent parting of the ways between the Parc Hotel and Crown and despite some of the less than positive reviews and comments I've read on Twitter and other blogs, my partner and I set off to try it out for ourselves.

The first thing we were suprised by was how busy it was for a Monday night. Although I've seen many people comment that the place is like a ghost town on their visits, the place was around half full when we attended. How much of this is due to Travel Zoo punters rushing to use their coupons is unclear but it did add some atmosphere to the dining room. I can easily see how a quiet evening would seriously detract from the experience of the visit.

We started with drinks - an Oriental Sparkle cocktail was surprisingly small for its £8 cost and lacked the kick of lychee and mandarin I was promised. We thus opted for a bottle of wine with our meal which was perfectly servicable (but, hey, we're on a budget!).

The sharing concept has also come in for some critique and again I can understand this. We ordered our 2 nibbles and 4 starters and agreed that these would all be brought at the same time. This allowed some sharing between the two of us but it also meant that some of the dishes were less than warm by the time we tasted them.

Cheese fondue


The cheese fondue was my favourite of the starters that we tried. I'm a massive fan of this anyway but the cheese was gooey and just strong enough. We had to order a side of bread to finish it all off but at 90p for a fairly substantial loaf (nicely presented on a bread board with a knife) it didn't break the bank.

Beer battered whiting with tartare sauce & Grilled mackerel with Russian salad


Apparently the whiting was mostly pointless, providing some nice tartare sauce but little in the way of flavour or texture. The mackerel was reported to be well cooked but uninspiring, with the Russian salad really being a tarted-up coleslaw. Not excellent on the fish nibbles/starters front at all.

Leek and potato terrine, roast garlic and toasted hazelnuts


This was another missed opportunity; cold and bland with a fairly unpleasant texture and the toasted hazelnuts didn't add anything at all to this dish. We both sincerely wished that we had ordered something else.

Welsh pork boudin and shallot piccalilli


This was tasty and, sadly, as a nibble, too small for much of a sharing experience. Nicely seasoned meat and a very pleasant mouthful.

Seared lambs liver, cauliflower and hot caper butter


This was my partner's highlight of the meal. Having never tried liver before he was impressed with the flavour and the combination of the liver with the capers and cauliflower. I hate liver but tried it and found it better than most other livers I've tasted. Well cooked and interesting, this was one of the best dishes of the night.

For the mains we went for one fish and one meat dish and ordered them with sides of a salad and chips. The chips were chunky and soft on the inside but could have done with being crispier on the outside.

Crab tortellini and crab cream sauce


The crab tortellini looked pretty but was pretty much what it said on the menu: 5 piece of pasta with a little sauce. The tortellini had a good fish flavour but my partner reported the odd bit of shell in the dish - a cardinal sin at any restaurant but especially one aiming for such high levels!

Slow cooked lamb shoulder and crisp lamb breast


My lamb dish was very good, the meat was well cooked and tender and the sauce that accompanied it was rich. Aside from the fondue, this was my favourite dish of the evening - with a slightly larger portion and some extra garnish I would happily eat this as a main course in any restaurant.

For dessert we chose the honeycomb souffle which was light and fluffy and full of delicious surprise honeycomb textures. The lime sorbet didn't really add much to it though and the flavours didn't really match up. The souffle itself more than made up for it though.

Honeycomb souffle and coconut lime sorbet


The salted caramel chocolate slice was also very good. My only critique was the presentation - no matter how you look at it, a brown smear on a plate is not attractive. It's one of my pet hates. But the slice itself was both salty and sweet and a good size for the end of a meal.

Salted caramel chocolate slice


Overall, we enjoyed the experience at the Crown Social but there were a number of flaws. We both agreed that whilst there were flashes of excellence (the fondue, liver, the lamb dish, the desserts) there was also a great deal of mediocracy (the shell in the crab dish!, the bland lifeless potato terrine, the whiting) which made the food quality very uneven. I can see how the concept of sharing such small dishes might also be off-putting to some people and how the usually high prices also seem to jar with the concept. If we hadn't used the Travel Zoo voucher the meal would have easily set us back nearly £150. At that price, it just isn't worth it.

I think the concept of 'fine dining tapas' could work if prices were lower, portions were larger, or both. I also do hope that the Crown finds a suitable location in Cardiff although I'd wager that this won't be in the city centre. The success of more 'high-end' restaurants such as Bullys, Woods and Oscars outside of the main areas suggests that punters don't always associate the city centre with this type of place. I may well be proven wrong though (and the recent buzz around the Potted Pig does offer a counterpoint) and I'm interested to see whether that is the case.

At the moment, though, the search for a restaurant to bring Cardiff its first Michelin star goes on...

Restaurant review: L'Escargot, London

L'Escargot
48 Greek Street
Soho
London W1D 4EF
Tel:(0) 20 7439 7474
Web: http://www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk/Lescargot/HOME.html

Over the weekend, a very hectic and tiring daytrip to London to meet up with a visiting friend from overseas led to a surprising and very welcome trip to Marco Pierre White's once Michelin-starred L'Escargot restaurant in Soho. A friend has been raving about the combination of fabulous food, atmosphere and the reasonable prices for a while so we took a chance on tables being available and managed to get in for the pre-theatre menu on Saturday evening.

Fortunately, we were not disappointed and my expectations were more than met. The restaurant is unassuming from the outside, located in a street just off the bustling Old Compton Road.



Inside, however, the place is tastefully decorated and intimate; the only moment of over-the-top opulence was a gold dinosaur with glittering teeth located in one corner of the dining room. I'm sure it's worth a fortune but it did elicit some bewilderment on our entry.

Of the four in our party, three of us opted for the pre-theatre option at an amazing £15 for two courses or £18 for three. Our vegetarian companion went for the veloute of carrot soup, ginger and creme fraich which was reportedly smooth and sweet but with a nice punch of ginger. We chose the duck rilette served with cornichons and pickled onions with melba toast. As a bit of a duck fan (in all its forms) this was, for me, the standout course of the meal. The duck rillette was full of texture and flavour, and the pickled accompaniments added a sharpness and a tang that complemented the richness of the duck perfectly. I could easily have eaten another of these and been more than happy.



The person in our party who chose from the a la carte menu selected the Carpaccio of Scottish Beef Fillet with Parmesan, with Aged Balsamic Dressing (£9.75) and we were all surprised by the size of the plate which was full of beef and a generous portion of Parmesan.



The mains were equally outstanding; the slow roasted pork belly with fricassee of peas, beans and carrot that I chose boasted the best crackling I have ever tasted; crisp and salty with real bite, whilst the pork belly was soft and melted in the mouth. The sauce was also rich and strong but didn't overpower the taste of the meat itself; a genuinely delicious and well presented dish.



The other dish of roasted vegetable and mozzarella tart with balsamic reduction from the set menu was apparently also very good whilst the a la carte diner decided to push the boat out and opt for half a lobster. This dish was smaller than the others but looked amazing. However, the accompanying chips were the only disappointment of the meal, lacking crunch and texture.



Finally, desserts were ordered and I decided to sample the selection of cheeses with raising bread and chutney. At first the sweetness of the bread tasted odd against the cheeses but as I continued with the dish, the tastes and textures worked well, especially when paired with the chutney.



The other desserts of summer berries and elderflower jelly with sauce cardinal and a creme brulee (£7.50) looked pretty and were reported to be very good. Sometimes I curse my lack of a sweet tooth.



Overall, the bill for 2 three-course dinners, 1 two-course dinner, a starter, main and dessert with three glasses of wine, a kir royale and a glass of champagne came to £137 including service. We were not charged for coffee and the service throughout was faultless. In an experience earlier this year at Michel Roux at Parliament Square I found the staff to be efficient but cold, whereas the staff at L'Escargot were more friendly and the atmosphere was slightly more relaxed.



The website promises fine dining and affordable glamour and it certainly delivers both. If slightly limp chips and a strange gilded dinosaur are the only issues I can find with the place, then that's fine with me.

Recipe: Green nachos

One of my closest friends is visiting this week from Mexico and I'm thrilled to see her for the first time since January. I also miss her amazing Mexican cooking; via her I've tried octopus ceviche, the hottest chipotle spaghetti ever, sopa di lima, and a range of other wonderful things.

In her honour, I share with you my absolute favourite dish of hers; the famous Green Nachos. Very simple and easy and incredibly tasty and all with ingredients you can pick up in the supermarket or easily order online.

This is great as a snack and also works wonders for a hangover if you have it at breakfast. Also, you can use half or low fat crème fraiche and cheese if you’re watching the pounds (as I am).

Ingredients
Cooking oil (vegetable or sunflower)
2 bags of plain nachos (plain Tesco Value nachos are perfect for this – and under 30p per bag)
1 pot crème fraiche
1 medium sized mild cheddar cheese, grated
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves
2 green chillies, roughly chopped (if you like things really hot, leave the chilli seeds in)
Dona Chonita - Available online at Mex Grocer
Dehydrated Salsa -Available online at Mex Grocer
Coriander (fresh or dried)



Fry onion in some oil until golden, add garlic and fry for a little longer, until both are soft. Add chopped chillies. Add Dona Chonita sauce, and a pint of water. Wait for mixture to boil before adding dehydrated salsa and coriander. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes,



In a Pyrex dish, mix nachos and grated cheese (you can add some shredded chicken at this stage if you like).



Pour over the salsa mixture. Cover with crème fraiche and a layer of cheese.



Bake in oven until cheese has melted and is golden.

Serve warm or cold.



Done.

Life is like a box of chocolates....

I have to confess: I'm not a massive lover of chocolate. This, along with my relative lack of interest in ice cream, has subjected me to many confused looks over the years. However, I stumbled across this image and thought it was an interesting way of looking at chocolate differently.



These are American 'candy bars' but there's a meme going round about how many of them you can recognise. I can spot a Mars bar, and that's about it...

Via A Cup of Jo

Good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used: Some foodie treats from Stratford-Upon-Avon

If there's one thing I enjoy as much as trying new eateries and drinking spots, it's travelling and exploring new places. I suppose the two are very closely intertwined since the memory of a good dinner or even a suprising snack can evoke strong feelings; the smell of certain foods or colours can be incredibly evocative (I'm thinking of a food memories series of posts at some point).

There is also something nice about returning to the same places again and again, developing routines and habits and I recently returned from a weekend in Stratford to see 'Midsummer Night's Dream' with one of my closest friends. It's an annual jaunt and we tend to visit the same lovely places for food. This year, however, we branched out a little and found two very good restaurants to try if you're ever in the area.

Shakespeare himself had a lot to say about food and drink (the quote that forms the title of this post is from Othello: act 2, scene 3) and dining out is always a big part of our trips away.

This time we opted to try the new RSC Rooftop restaurant in the recently renovated RSC Theatre.

RSC Rooftop Theatre
Tel: 01789 403449
http://www.rsc.org.uk/visit-us/stratford/rooftop-restaurant/menus.aspx

The theatre itself is a beautiful building, with faithful use of the older elements and some intruiging new design features. There's a lovely little tribute to Shakespeare near the Riverside Cafe part of the building which was especially interesting to me, as a big Shakey fan.



We opted to eat in the Rootftop restaurant because of the ease of getting from there into our seats for the performance and also because the online pre-theatre menu had sounded both intruiging and value for money. The restaurant itself has amazing views of the river and the park in Stratford and also boasts a round room for private hire. The bar is also worth a visit for one of the lovingly made cocktails (I sampled a very fine and very peachy bellini).

Menu


We both chose the three course set menu, and plumped for the confit duck with peach and shaved fennel to start. The duck was tender and well cooked, moist but not greasy, and the taste combination of the sweet peach with the aniseed taste of the fennel was a new one for me. As a starter it was perfect; light but with enough different tastes and textures on the plate to keep you interested.



As both of us have foodie interests (my companion is more of a baker and cake maker than I) we opted for different main courses to better sample the menu. I went for roast hake which came on a tower of crushed potatoes and with a gorgeous creamy pea, lettuce and bacon sauce. The other main was corn-fed chicken with turnip, broccoli and wild mushrooms which recieved glowing praise for the tenderness of the chicken and the general quality of the dish.

Hake


Chicken


We were encouraged to order sides by our server and went for french fries and vegetables. These were very tasty but not really necessary and in future, I'd avoid the tendency to fall for the encouragement of the waiting staff to add a few sides to the order.

For dessert, we went for different forms of cheese based dish; I went for a selection of local cheeses which were served with some unusual crackers, a fruity and spicy chutney and some small shards of fruity marmalade. My friend (a confessed lemon addict) went for the lemon cheesecake with raspberry compote which was wonderfully presented with a tuile and some creme fraiche.

Cheese


Cheesecake


Overall, the set three courses for £18.50 is an absolute bargain. The service is attentive and polite, the views are lovely, and the food is good quality but with a few extra details that make it something a little special. There's also a good range of wines and a premium wine and champagne list for those celebrating a special occasion.

A quick visit to the website shows that the set menu has now changed with the season but, either way, the dishes on the new menu sound equally delicious as the ones we sampled on the weekend.

Moons Restaurant
9 Chapel Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tel: 01789 267069

Foregoing our usual Sunday lunch at The Dirty Duck (see below) we tried out Edward Moon's Brasserie , foregoing the assumption that this was in any way related to David Essex's character in Eastenders. This branching out from our usual routine turned out to be an excellent idea - Moon's offered a reasonable set lunch of £11.99 for two courses and its a la carte menu is also very well priced with starters averaging at £5 and mains starting at around a tenner for sausage and mash and rising to £15-£16 for steak or duck.

The Sunday lunch menu was concise but tempting and I opted for a goats cheese and beetroot salad to start whilst my companion forewent the starter option. The salad was light and fresh with a slightly acidic dill dressing. The cheese was soft and plentiful (I always worry with a cheese-based salad that I'll be faced with two slices and that's it!) and worked well with the beetroot. It's a tried and tested combo and this one did not disapppoint.

For the mains I went with beef and all the trimmings which was also very good. The portions were'nt huge which was a relief and contained two well cooked and still pink slices of roast beef, a lovely herby yorkshire pudding, perfect roasties and a selection of vegetables. The other dish sampled was roast pork with crackling and roast apple which recieved equally high praise from my friend.

There are no photos of this meal, sadly, but for a well-priced and well cooked Sunday lunch with friendly service, we'd certainly return there on a future trip.


Other recommendations:

The Dirty Duck - a lovely old-fashioned pub which serves huge Sunday lunches and can often be a watering hole for the actors from the RSC. David Tennant was spotted here several times during his tenure as Hamlet in 2008.

Will's Place -The restaurant of the outstanding Legacy Falcon hotel, this place offers some excellent food and good pre-theatre set dinners.

Ettington Chase Not strictly in Stratford but only a short drive away (around 7 miles) this is a stunning country house location that offers some divine and reasonably priced afternoon teas (with or without champagne but, let's face it, why say no to champers?)