by Cedric | Mar 7, 2020 | Food and Drink, General
Pardon the hideously predictable pun in the title of this post. Much like most readers of this post, St Nick and I stumbled onto River Beat quite by accident. This was a happy accident, of course. We had a few plates each and left feeling pleasantly full but not overwhelmed to the point of falling into the Tyne.
Our first Tapas were the oysters. Fun fact: St Nick mistook the salt positioning the oysters on the slate, as salt! Had the waiter not been extremely efficient I would have had to suffer his wheezing cough for the rest of the evening. Now, I did not partake in this abomination of a dish (I deplore fish) but St Nick grunted approvingly and didn’t sneeze so it must have been delightful.
Sticking with the seafood theme, our next dish was blurred prawn. Now I did have some of this dish as well as the smoked nuoc cham dip which went with it. The prawns were sizeable and suitably crunchy and the dip added a delightful layer of hazy sweetness to it.
The sweet potato bravas with sriracha mayonnaise were superlative. The red chilli and garlic sauce went beautifully with the sweetness of the potatoes. This was a filling tapas most welcome on our table. The ordinary potato chips were also delectable. Hand cut, chunky and just the right texture.
The East Java chicken Satay was a favourite of mine. Topped with crunchy roast garlic, sweet & sour salad and peanut sauce, it combined some varied flavours to make a wonderful amalgam. Though I will say I found the chicken a little overcooked.
The showstopper for me was the red braised pork belly with hoisin sauce. The crunchy outer layer of fat contrasted with the less seared middle layer of fat followed by the delicious soft meat at the bottom was a sensation. The hoisin sauce, comprised of soya beans, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and various spices, made my night.
Overall, this restaurant was relatively economical, well situated on the river front and generous with its portions. I do recommend it to you if you are ‘in the North’.
by Cedric | Feb 8, 2020 | Food and Drink, General
Situated in the centre of Harborne High Street, The Junction is a pillar of the local community. The weekly quiz here is legend. But alas, the gang and I did not visit this public house to answer trivia questions, we came for Sunday lunch and were richly rewarded.
The Junction menu comprises the option of three small dishes for £10, much like Wetherspoons. Much debate was had as to whether we should go for these, but we opted instead for the Sunday Roasts. Two of us opted for the nut roast. This is typically consisting of onion, celery, mushroom, carrots, breadcrumbs and assorted nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts. I believe this nut roast had a few pine nuts, which made it all the more delicious. This was served on a bed of roast carrots, parsnips, red cabbage and roasties, as well as a whopping great Yorkshire pudding. I was particularly taken aback by the nut roast, as it happened. It positively exuded flavour. The texture was moist and each constituent ingredient came to the fore beautifully.
I ordered the roast pork belly. This was served on the same marvellous bed of vegetables as the last dish. I’d like to talk about these veg for a moment. This is what I consider perfection in Sunday cooking. The cabbage was delicious and freshly made, sliced the correct size and held together by a gorgeous sauce. The roasties were cooked in fat and fell apart beautifully. The parsnips and carrots tasted as though they had been cooked together and both were the correct size and texture for Sunday Roasts.
The pork itself was divine. My one gripe was the skin was somewhat tough and difficult to get through as it cooled. So don’t wait too long to finish it! The meat was cooked over some time which made it fall apart. This pork had a deep, satisfying flavour, notes of fat throughout and a tender juicy texture. Combined with any of the other ingredients on the plate, and the sage and apple jelly we destroyed in the process, this was a winning Main course.
Finally, being enormous, hedonistic gluttons, we ordered some pigs in blankets and cauliflower cheese. I’ve always found cauliflower cheese to be a horrendously bland dish, no matter what is done to it. Pigs in blankets, however, are a game changer. These ones in particular were succulent, with brittle bacon and went deliciously with the gravy at hand.
Overall, this was a marvellous way to spend Sunday lunch. Mass can have quite a stark effect on one’s mood and such a fabulous lunch tips the scales towards the euphoric, rather than disdainful. Tilting thus is bolstered, of course, by their fine selection of alcoholic beverages. Their Aspall’s draught Cyder was a work of art. I recommend this pub for anyone with a mouth and teeth. Enjoy the fantastic fare and beautiful surroundings.
by Cedric | Jan 24, 2020 | Food and Drink, General
Let’s be honest here – this is not the most glamorous cafe, best placed or best kept cafe in Birmingham. However, and this cannot be said for many establishments, it is down to Earth. While other restaurants plaster the walls garish colours and throw avocados at you as if you were trying to pole-vault the Welsh border, Reservoir Cafe remains originally humble. In the dejection of this forgotten corner of Edgbaston, Reservoir Cafe stands as a bastion of common sense and straightforward food.
My colleagues and I had the chance to go for our yearly bi-annual Wellbeing Committee Walking Group luncheon. We ordered in advance and everything arrived at the table in excellent time. We all took tea and an ample helping of milk. So ample in fact that the rest of the place had to do without before we realised we had pinched the entire place’s milk jug!
I digress. The above photograph depicts the gorgeous club sandwich I ordered. This was filled with chicken, fresh vegetables and a lovely sauce. Forgive me for not going into detail – this was a month ago and my memory is foggy at the best of times. I remember it being really filling.
The colleague to my right had a chicken, tomato and bacon sandwich which I am told was quite divine, above is its photograph, taken in the macro style.
Let me distance myself from the food for a moment and talk about the style of the building. This must have been an hotel at some point in the past. The architecture would have been gorgeous. The windows are high and let in much sunlight (if any is available in this country). There is delightful wrought ironwork on the spiral staircase leading downstairs. The wood panelling backing the restaurant was also well preserved and helped give a quasi- ornate feel to the cafe.
Overall, this cafe makes good food at a good price in a good location. You know exactly what you’re getting and you know it won’t cost you. Seven of us ate and drank for a combined total of £30, which I found was extraordinary. This is the Edgbaston cafe to go to if you’re in the mood for something delightful and dependable.
by Cedric | Jan 12, 2020 | Food and Drink, General
Avid readers of this blog will remember St Nick’s outrageous review of the beatified Dope Burger restaurant in Hull. This is one of my favourite burger joints in the country if not the world. Their complete deference to healthy eating and non-nauseating decor makes for a thrilling experience. But this experience does not start at the point of entry, oh no. Your first foray into fun will begin by trying to convince your companions to go to such a superficially unattractive place. Personally, I think the garish decoration and questionable area of Hull only serve to keep away the numb-minded and unadventurous among us who prefer nice clean hands to a perspective altering dining experience.
I went for the Olde Amsterdam burger. This consisted of Raclette cheese, Guinness onions, bacon bits, steak pattie, dope sauce, gem lettuce, pickle, tomato, red onion in a toasted brioche bun. I love Dope Burger so much that I willingly and unflinchingly suspended my no beef rule. I put my own desires before the good of the planet for twenty glorious minutes. And they were astounding. The culmination of all these ingredients made for an amalgamation so glorious I almost fell off of my chair.
Louise went for the Smoked Dope burger, consisting of Maple bacon, cheese, steak pattie, dope sauce, gem lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle in a toasted brioche bun. I will always remember the picture of Louise eating the Smoked Dope burger, seated on a rickety chair over a table made from a barrel, while under a neon sign stating boldly ‘Home off the Smoked Dope’. Between breaths, one could hear Louise’s delighted squeals from miles around and she consumed this burger. ‘The best I’ve ever had’ was music to my ears.
Yet another highlight for me were the BBQ bacon and cheese fries and regular cheesy fries. These were wolfed down with such aplomb that I barely had time to cry with joy. I think the bacon was soaked in their own BBQ sauce for some time before being added to the fries because the flavour was wonderfully suffused. The cheesy fries were equally delicious.
In summation, everything about Dope Burger is wonderful to me. I spend so much of my time in stuffy conventional places where people expect me to act a certain way and not do anything wildly illegal. Coming to Dope Burger and experiencing the wanton creative freedom inside, from decor to dining, is liberating. In Dope Burger, anything goes. They represent everything we are told not to enjoy, all the things mother warned you about when you were a child. Dope Burger is the most delicious rebellion you will ever experience (in Hull at least) and I cannot recommend it enough.
by Cedric | Jan 4, 2020 | Food and Drink, General
For my sins, I have made it to Hull for a weekend. Ahead of indulging in the wonderful Larkin Trail and dining at Dope Burger, one of my favourite burger haunts in the country, I thought I would feast on Fish & Chips. Doing so in a coastal town is often a safe bet. Almost everyone in the country knows the famous Magpie fish & chips restaurant in Scarborough. I’ve never been patient enough to brave the queue but I am told it’s splendid.
Now, Papa’s was centrally located, with a view of the Prince’s Quay, one of Hull’s premium shopping centres. Naturally I abhor commercialism and try to avoid such places at all costs while frequenting Amazon with abandon, like any middle class hypocrite. We got the best table of the house, though being seated near a single glazed window in January in ‘The North’ is seldom recommended.
Being allergic to any mention of fish, I opted for the double battered saussie and chips. This came with a homemade gravy and ticked all the boxes. The sausage itself was lengthy, coated in batter made on site. They use a top secret recipe which they would not tell me at all. The chips were wonderfully cooked, though they did burn my mouth so I’d advise caution when consuming them.
Louise went for the famed Hull Pattie. For one reason or another I had never tried this. I have no frame of reference for whether this is the best in town but I found it absolutely stunning. These savoury patties are battered and deep fried mashed potato, seasoned with sage. This one was moist and well packed, adding to the joy in consuming it. The mushy peas were clearly made on site.
Nick and his festive jumper tried out the fish and chips. Having a fair portion of chips on my own plate, I only went for the fish. St Nick tells me the batter was the highlight in this matter; though this was by far the best and most upmarket place to sit down for fish and chips in town, the fish itself was not spectacular. I understand it is delivered freshly each morning. The fish not being to our exacting tastes does not detract from the overall merit of this restaurant.
The crowning glory of this dinner was the Lotus Biscoff Sundae. Deliciously layered and spectacularly presented. We were very happy to begin our Hull sojourn in this place and look forward to returning before long.
by Cedric | Dec 22, 2019 | Food and Drink, General
Pardon this inexcusable pun, this was not a place of intoxication but one of high altitude. Whilst I would love to inform you of the places to get most genuinely intoxicated, I fear this would not stand me in great stead with current and/or future employers. But Blue Amsterdam is worth bringing to your attention. This was our last meal in the wonderful city and we were most impressed.
One should mention that to access this marvellous places, you must go through a shopping centre and take a cylindrical lift up to the restaurant.
Louise and her good best silk scarf opted for the traditional Dutch croquettes. These are served with homemade mustard. I believe Louise chose the vegan ones. Beef is so terribly terribly unethical these days that I am glad she did not opt for that. I had a nibble of her croquette and I was impressed with the undeniable quality of the batter. Though I cannot say what was in them (time has passed and I was hardly in a fit state while on this particular trip).
I went for the halloumi, smoked red pepper and hummus sandwich. I remember thinking how unique the halloumi tasted in this. And the bread was superlative, coming from local bakery MAMA. The hummus was spread a bit thinly but otherwise this was a delightful flavoursome and morally positive choice.
This is the hummus wrap, making our environmentally friendly lunch a hat trick. He claims this wrap was “subtly smoky which complemented the rest of the wrap. There was no overpowering of flavours and it was balanced incredibly well”. Wise words indeed.
We must talk about the fries. These were the show stopper of the whole meal. They were hand cut, fried exactly right and perfectly salted. They were the correct size and the portion was generous, so generous we had to order two. That last point was sarcastic. The mayonnaise is made on site, I believe, which, again, blew us away. . These were some of the best fries I have had. Definitely in the top 13.
I would suggest dining upstairs, there are far more seats which yield a view similar to this one. One can see a 360 degree panorama of the city from up there. And while I cannot comment to the excellence of the service, I can guarantee you an awesome view of this beautiful city.
Overall, this is a great place to have lunch and economical to boot. I was most impressed by the location and variety of local produce found in the dishes. A highly regarded luncheon spot in Amsterdam methinks. I must dine here again.
