tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43228441082706762852024-03-05T16:38:05.012+00:00Bristol Eating AdventuresBristol food blog. Come read about our adventures cooking and dining and occasionally wining out in our fair city of Bristol. Restaurant reviews, recommendations plus food and drink tasting in and around Bristol.Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-35317326955080101152018-02-13T22:47:00.000+00:002018-02-13T22:47:27.066+00:00Poké Bowls at Poké Shop Bristol <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My love affair with Japanese food is well documented. When I walked past the window of Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Shop, where Hanoi Coffee Company used to be, I was thrilled. Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> bowls in Bristol? Surely just a fantasy of the future? But no. Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> bowls have been speeding up the trend food charts faster than a coyote after a roadrunner. The Hawaiian/Japanese crossover was already a household name in California and the like but is still fairly new to the UK. Poke bowls are a raw fish salad, mostly spicy tuna, salmon or octopus it is also filled with rice and pickled veg topped with a number of items such as spring onion, sesame seeds, avocado and crispy onions, but the list is fairly extensive to what you can top your poke bowl with. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The first place to offer pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> bowls is by the owners of ramen joint Sticks n Broth. The Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Shop in Bristol offers Spicy Tuna and Salmon as their fish options currently but they come with 5 different selections of toppings. I have so far sampled the Oki poke and the smoky pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> bowls are a great lunch alternative to those who enjoy raw fish. The idea is you poke around in the bowl and see what combo you come out with. This has fast become a firm favourite with work friends for a healthier lunch alternative that tastes delicious. Being able to enjoy a sushi vibe without having to spend a tonne of money on a set or selection of dishes. My smoky pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> for example had raw and smoked salmon, seaweed, edamame, spring onion and sesame seeds topped with Japanese mayo. If you can’t decide what pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> to have they also offer a tuna or salmon lunch pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> bowl which is filled with whatever they fancy on the day for £6.50. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Shop also offer sushiritos, a sushi burrito with rice instead of tortillas, although they have just started trying out Japanese style fish tacos which sound pretty interesting. The sushiritos needed a tighter roll and a bit more work before the reach the levels of the one I had at Sushirito in NYC but the idea is a good one and I hope they work at it because I personally can’t get enough of this concept and am looking forward to seeing more poke bowl options in the future. If you are looking for more details about the Pok</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">é</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Times;"> Shop, visit their twitter account @pokeshopbristol.</span> </span></div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-36871148409141426962018-01-24T10:24:00.000+00:002018-01-24T10:40:00.093+00:00Pizza Workshop, on my Doorstep <div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 16px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am always particularly happy when I hear of new restaurants opening up near my flat. Partly because I am lazy but mainly because I enjoy eating at new places, obviously. So when Pizza Workshop opened up on Whiteladies Road I was somewhat excited. I had heard good things about their first venue on North Street and was looking forward to trying it out. The restaurant is pretty small but no smaller than Flour and Ash. Pizza Workshop have 10 pizzas on their menu as well as weekly specials listed on their blackboard. At lunchtimes they offer Boccas, a calzone/panini experience, all £5 each with a variety of fillings leaning from the more traditional Italian to British fried eggs and bacon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The dough they make is the now almost universally present sourdough, but unlike some of the most popular places at the moment they do not have as much of a raised crust. Pizza Workshop also offer gluten free bases which will be a relief to a lot of people. Most of the pizzas are tomato based but they do offer one white based pizza with lots of mushrooms and truffle oil. I sampled a number eight which is prosiutto, salsiccia, chorizo and n’duja, basically a meat feast. N’duja is becoming more prevalent on pizzas these days but I personally could see more places offer it because it’s simply delicious, spicy and meaty, and perfect for pizza. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The base is chewy and enjoyable, I didn’t leave many crusts which is a good sign for me. I was also able to request for some mayonnaise to dip them in. They make the mayo fresh and it is extra indulgent with chewy pizza edges. Although dips are not offered as standard in Pizza Workshop you should definitely ask them for a dollop of their mayonnaise because it will enhance your pizza experience. To think that dips in a pizza restaurant were not that common place a few years ago but thankfully due to countless suggestions and feedback from social media and the love people have for Domino’s garlic and herb dip more restaurants are starting to offer dips as an add on. Although it would be good if a standard dipping sauce was offered included in the price of your pizza and the ability to upgrade was there instead, but this is just my opinion.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The number eight pizza was one of the best meat feast pizzas I have had in Bristol because it the toppings were so tasty and plentiful. They certainly weren’t shy with the n’duja, I know I go on about it, but it is sublime. The dough isn’t my favourite from the ones the city has to offer but it was very good. I am so glad to have this pizza place on my door step, the generosity of toppings alone are worth the visit. They mostly stick to the standard Italian meats and veg on offer, toppings wise, but there is something for most tastebuds here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We have a lot of pizza restaurants in Bristol and each has their own loyal following of fans. The best ones offer something different so you can have a selection to rotate, depending on your preference on a particular day. I am fairly sure this one will enter my rotation under the, close by and traditional. To find out more about the pizza selection check out their </span><a href="http://www.pizzaworkshop.co.uk/" id="id_f93a_7b35_ee2e_1685" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">website</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. </span></div>
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Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-69145851969371925782018-01-16T22:40:00.001+00:002018-01-16T22:45:27.240+00:00Gopal's Curry Shack at Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After my first run in with chaat at Sholay I was interested in trying other examples of this dish. Gopal’s crowdfunded their permanent home at Wapping Wharf and after reaching their goal, thanks to many loyal fans they opened up about 6 months ago. Sporting an all Vegetarian and Vegan menu that will warm you through the Wintery months. A menu of Indian street food with dishes such as a selection of dhals, the Mumbai toastie as well as seasonal curries. With chaat on my mind I went in to order the samosa chaat dish. Whilst a good deal of the cargo containers are designed for takeaway, and Gopal’s is no exception, there are a couple of stools to perch on. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Gopal’s samosa chaat consists of crushed up samosas topped with spicy chickpea curry topped with various chutneys, yoghurt and pomegranate seeds. At £7.50 it might seem a little pricey for lunch but the portion is enormous, if you can finish it in one sitting you are a hero to me. This was just what the doctor ordered on such a grey day, and we had braved sitting outside. The chickpea curry was a tad hot but I popped back in and they gladly gave me a pot with extra minty yoghurt to cool it down. This dish is wholesome, warm and comforting. The samosas are still slightly crunchy and add a nice texture, and the fig and tamarind chutney adds a wonderful sweetness. Because the flavours change with each mouthful it was a delight to eat, and even when I was full I still wanted to go back for another mouthful. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_752f_6a06_8c4_4a5b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xh1fagyZYGo/Wl5_WxEnhII/AAAAAAAAHSM/Y01J9bL27MU4R6g8dsb3wUIvZkEvs7C8wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 672px; height: auto;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><o:p> </o:p>I find it really heartening when street food stalls build up enough of a following to open their own permanent premises and Bristol is lucky enough to have converted the dreams of many a street food favourite. It was something I wrote about last year for Wriggle, our love affair with street food doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of a cooling off period. Check out the article <a href="https://www.getawriggleon.com/magazine/bristol/miscellaneous/bristols-street-food-obsession" id="id_fbf0_21fc_fa7f_8a10">here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Gopal’s shows how imaginative Vegetarian and Vegan dishes can get. The vibrancy and flavours certainly don’t make you miss meat at all. I am looking forward to exploring more of their menu over the next few months whilst we endure more freezing temperatures. To find out more about their food visit their </span><a href="http://www.gopalscurryshack.co.uk/" id="id_dea5_10f0_50cf_83f9">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Gopal's will also cater for events and parties if you are looking for something a little out of the norm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p>Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-90189159298777164442017-12-07T20:05:00.001+00:002017-12-07T20:05:25.623+00:00Modern Indian Dining at Sholay<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The most recent restaurant opening at Cargo 2 is Sholay. An Indian kitchen from the owners of The Mint Rooms with a more casual approach to Indian cuisine. Named after the 1975 smash hit Hindi language film, Sholay is regularly named in the top 10 lists of best Indian cinema. Sholay, the restaurant, has quotes and scenes from the film painted on it’s walls. The menu consists of snacks and medium sized plates, with the idea that you order a few and share. Whilst there will be some dishes on the menu that are recognisable to those that are fairly familiar with Indian food there are a lot of different ones to explore. My companion for the evening was Annupa, to help me guide my way through the unfamiliar and cast a focused eye on what was offered up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c8ce_54b4_54f_f8e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-metrcKB3JA0/Wime_bVTA3I/AAAAAAAAHRA/qP--VkP_lew52h_JZl7IZQDyQSSqXJ4zACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 656px; height: auto;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We decided upon the Sholay chaat. Chaat is a street food dish but also one that is served with many other dishes, it’s rather hard to describe but it’s sort of like a textured salad, normally made from samosas with lots of sauces. We also ordered some vegetable patties (sabzi ki tikki), baby aubergines in yoghurt and coriander(dhal baingan), grilled poussin with a pepper sauce(tawa poussin) and paneer and chutney sandwich. Most of the dishes hover around the £7-8 mark and there are plenty of vegetarian options too.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4cb6_7450_2123_81a9" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2De99JR5cIA-XIQf70Q0PJDMjaGdwXHS1zHVZ_Qc_dOtStD3MfUQbk6rIsFlgfZqSM20PC17NRVsa-NLOEz8xFb4uVliFHoZB2ilM5yUaJLPNvSX3PS5nWATzzwG69Q0ghiTB6KWcGlA/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="chaat" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 731px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As with most places that offer small plates the dishes appeared when they were ready, which when you’re sharing is not so bad because it means you don’t have to stare misty eyed and longingly after plates being placed in front of your dining companion whilst your setting remains empty. The chaat was first to arrive and as this was my first experience of this dish I wasn’t sure how to take it. It was fresh, zingy and moreish. I was assured that this was not exactly how it was supposed to be with the samosa bits being more like thick poppadoms and the crispy topping being more thick. We did enjoy it however and it was probably one of the best dishes of the evening. The sabzi ki tikki, vegetable patties, whilst crisp were in my opinion pretty bland and we were disappointed to have ordered them. The sauce that accompanied them had a nice depth of flavour with the dot of beetroot sauce giving a nice sweet earthiness, a much needed boost to the otherwise fairly plain patties.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_51cc_803_2c56_4e5e" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TjMU8SaNQc57Mz2RT6HxsmnPRmtsJkZI7FH3jjb6Wk1PTIAGbGTBhcj2eB0av50GUXuKoK-ilEos29uJ7MyKbNKlMsSs3mzdeq9tQBQ62uhnfKuKQjOLb8bVLUbBI1D7c1n1a-RisjA/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 526px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_418c_a4ac_3ce7_e2fb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbmBQSVepWI5Zy0nuNKRMweoP7Y2jatiTckSDYZwcc4HDdwp-gBxOzHRtKW8BzAW-T3KM0kzMfioRzTHLuHG0fp9-z8VUNkCpLwZ6ZPLfBhp2JUohnCqfEPQICw3KhXzPyijIBg8LDZ8/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 459px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our other favourite dish of the evening was the baby poussin. The bell pepper and onion sauce that accompanied it was tangy but with a good kick of chilli. The poussin itself was juicy and full of flavour, definitely one to order if you end up visiting. The only thing wrong with this dish was the rice was quite dry instead of being fluffy. The other bigger dish, the baby aubergines with a yoghurt and coriander sauce was a bit of an odd one. Aubergines can be extremely flavourless, they aren’t one of my favourite vegetables but given some love they can be transformed. The sauce was grainy and tasted of very little. What those aubergines needed was a dollop of the poussin sauce to bring them alive. We left some of the dish because it just didn’t work for us. </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_78e8_d32c_57be_b42e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FH37XOAPzM0/WimfAZNLCXI/AAAAAAAAHRM/jptIuVeB_Ic30QGhJABez25zdhd1PiC_QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 720px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_61b9_5034_80e5_cacd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u19NZFycOYA/WimfAvcy9TI/AAAAAAAAHRU/mD3JrlBHEkU1c0SQVeh7XQTJKjvH4yhzwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 480px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The only thing left to sample was the paneer and chutney sandwich. There was a great amount of flavour imparted onto the often bland paneer which was tasty. This would be a great lunch time item, just for dinner it didn’t quite sit right. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sholay for me was a mixed bag. I think some of the dishes need tweaking but there were some tasty moments. I will be keeping an eye on the changing menu and specials to see if there are any new dishes that peak my interest. To find out more about Sholay visit their </span><a href="http://www.sholayindiankitchen.com" id="id_b948_d979_302d_5cfe">website</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. This meal was complimentary but it did not impact my opinion of the meal,</span></p><div><br></div>Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-74975925067049165152017-09-27T22:27:00.001+01:002017-09-27T22:27:27.827+01:00Taco Frenzy at Cargo Cantina<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It’s no secret that Wapping Wharf is knocking it out of the park with their food offerings. I have only tried a small number of them but everything I have had so far has been pretty special. So when Kym messaged me to tell me we had to go to Cargo Cantina, I sat up and listened. The brains behind Bravas set their sights on Mexico’s favourite snack, the taco. The menu consists of five different types of taco, plus sides to go with them, and some specials. To make it simple everything here is gluten free. From the blue corn tacos to the chilli sauces. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_81bf_3868_9c68_c6ef" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXwSuf3kBOs_2DHQn3wPlrCe-tCIypjyJyJNEiUrKz9UPMg2xOl4RnsNtiOIvHIZLCtohvefm7d0HuIoFb8lbq6DcRTCIqkOdMc7z6pXLaHZu6uHWzs8QOyqIV4J4Ae6dquGScTH7q40/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 385px; height: auto;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you like tequila you are well provided for here, they offer up a variety of ones to sample and some cocktails for those who don’t want the mixers for their spirits to just be salt and lime. As with much of Wapping Wharf booking is not offered but Kym and I sauntered up in the rain with hope and a dream and we were welcomed in by two handsome angels just as two spots at the bar opened up. It was kismet, one might say. As Kym had been here before I followed her lead. For £18 a head you can get all five of the regular tacos with all the sides and salsas, which is just as well because I enjoy a full sample of a menu. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><img id="id_d2aa_6557_7e3c_efee" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0K3MqiI8iY7W_dPWanTQRyZuNjb9lhOEYZEX0A-lWARUHY727nYUFSRd_SUgxLRiUcF_cycqL-omXQdQpVC3Q1iexCPUMXPDgBdmmyC-4nugyH26b-rRkwkeJHynGKU-Ak6Yu3qupI_o/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 432px; height: auto;"> <img id="id_5c42_b975_713f_1a2a" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohApW9QuE_ST9Y9VlNhR4TI0YV3kuQhylW3waj61w1Xe_uh0U8wMxGRbyUFTN7iqau6aLos1a-5nytIDGDOO53DKAJdfZqLpSF_fB12CmhpPZP6hGd84LTPrlFVuXRS0_BsoiDLKh2tI/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 427px; height: auto;"><br><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A tray of delights was brought to us shortly afterwards, blue corn tacos make for a moody insta food shot I can tell you. Being able to build your own combination of taco means that every experience will be different but the food is nothing short of superb. One of my surprising favourites was the avocado and cactus the ancho chilli gave it a real warmness and was bursting with flavour. The slow cooked meat options of pork shoulder, pibil style and the rich ox tongue and cheek, braised overnight, melted in the mouth. The food is fresh, clean and moreish. The only filling that didn’t shine for me was the seafood mix of octopus and prawns. To me it could have had a bit more oomph, octopus can be sublime and I could have taken a smokier flavour. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5428_c51a_4a9_bd46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOw2gLbzfsjlvUm01C_TZDxvhJvxdzPNdzYIV5zZDJsFaw4XHu0fnR9RoLZ1rNrBnOBWUrXr6BywsEuDn2QuLmt0M3YYHJPxrTR0QigcV1tXLo3r2XSw2QaS_9t7PDimp57ovYraYZcI/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); width: 588px; height: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><img id="id_5117_c1b9_406e_3870" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxDLgU3UWbS5lZJydDL4LgVhQET9VoVh1Y1HSigqjmCSIMgt4ZGw-uyPOH0YKpojbX_3D9waGZVx7ES1rCKZ5eJCe4vUV3BLlRopY_4J72-HWMPDkSPlqffvZRVh38GWiItdASzDqyIY/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); width: 420px; height: auto;"></div><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5d70_4e26_b81d_4d75" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J-m1BKTwlbw/WcwXvrAeSbI/AAAAAAAAHP0/kRRppP_7vfQQB9KfFoDiVN7v7EpMn4kvACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); width: 545px; height: auto;"></div></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cargo Cantina’s food excites and judging by the constant queues of an evening, the rest of Bristol agrees. I can’t wait to return and sample some of their specials. Bare in mind you cannot book tables at Cargo, it’s small so is a turn up and see affair. With some great food options at Wapping Wharf you won’t go hungry if you can’t get a spot at your first choice, you should be able to find something just as good and a new favourite behind door number two. To see what Cargo Cantina has to offer visit their </span><a href="http://cargocantina.co.uk" id="id_d7f3_2e46_2ea8_6f17">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><br></div> Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-40507796290038611132017-09-18T21:09:00.001+01:002017-09-18T21:09:43.881+01:00Burger Cures at Hubbox<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What feels like Bristol’s umpteenth burger restaurant, Hubbox opened this Summer to a few teething problems but soon they were smoothed out and serving burgers to the citizens of Whiteladies and beyond. One Sunday when we were <s>hungov.. </s>tired and emotional we managed to drag our carcasses off the sofa in search of salt and a hope that one day we might be able to be out in sunlight again without wincing. We stumbled in to Hubbox to check out the latest new burger in town. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hubbox does offer up a selection of beef, chicken and veggie/vegan burgers but it also has the choice of two fish burgers which is something a little different. You can also order hotdogs, some barbecued items as well as loaded fries, wings and mac n cheese. As is the current trend burgers do not come with sides but as the burgers hover around the £8 mark adding on fries doesn’t make this too pricey. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_55bd_7513_227a_d554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjBY0kxVlC55MGI-7wNU9MIWbdsz-b64PgoG3f6EtdnQ_NX29VIPKQ0CBZYfXE3dHr-jnuyQ0hlcb_mvZ4Ro27fQgTz-eotkjeC6-tDr-GPbpU9o9GfpPphTxirTUwshE5h85vQdjSwc/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 619px; height: auto;"></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1c47_5b2a_537_6cec" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzo6wF7seo40iTaT-JzM-BpTTtKyiFqMrJ9ahx6MSQ5ZRGA2-rIhju0-ekzAOc3qNLa2-lqOgEKxEAokW8UqwMIIxl06YC8ue0hcZrRGhwsgvJPYvBf7xxnIsGhPzhTdaQIS1ylPqDZQ/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 434px; height: auto;"></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have been here three times in the past few months and here are my findings. Their Kim Yum Chick, Korean influenced fried chicken burger really is something special. Spicy, tangy Korean mayo sauce and a particularly crunchy batter elevate this for me. To be honest I will only ever order this burger I can’t see anything topping it at Hubbox. I tried the Brie B King, chicken breast with brie and caramelised onions and garlic mayo, it was pretty nice but not enough to order again. The portion of fries is a little small in my opinion but when shared with a partner in crime with some mac n cheese (I recommend the blue and bacon) it does fill you up nicely. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_e2ff_d224_3d42_725" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfP1vst9TJyEkMGTuL34-NSb6YzOmI21IO9Lt21YvUyTvwqo3P6ysjsGhYKw3Ghbpv8YQ87GLSCuUb5nS4bDDXRWAUc_sybULRbKmuuZhB0562qQuOEi31IxjIiyP3r7ryaHADyYXnS10/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 531px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1cb_771b_1d40_411d" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi05ZqFHSluvBOlZHYzwM8SxlT4kV1y4Htu-MCeidMHqjSR4Sb7b8tHnZoqWnDRsN7H5ARUmHHVXKJ6RJo-3NWLhIqH5c8AmNzSKpy7Y9LHN8OjPdZhMZXbJp4miHCjmYWvtHrYDjpq4/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 531px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When you have so many burgers to choose from you do start minutely detailing how they differ from each other. Hubbox doesn’t crack my top three but you know what? That fried chicken burger is enough to get me back there especially with a hangover the size of Brazil. They offer up just few different things to give it a second glance over the behemoth that is Bristol’s Burger scene, of which I still have many more offerings to sample. To find out more about Hubbox visit their </span><a href="http://www.hubbox.co.uk/locations/bristol/" id="id_3978_3467_9afd_6409">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><br></div> Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-71335277921570368342017-09-05T22:06:00.001+01:002017-09-18T21:16:10.764+01:00Souvlaki Realness at The Athenian<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Greek food. Often relegated to the post beer kebab category strips of greasy mystery meat that tops a grilled pitta glistening with intent and lots of garlic mayonnaise. You want a kebab now don’t you? But it gets a bad rep being the drunk’s choice, Greek food, done right is a wonderful thing. Bristol doesn’t have much in the way of decent Greek restaurants, maybe 4 ish at most, the somewhat secret Cyprus Kebab House being a particular favourite of mine. However Cargo 2 has come to the rescue with the arrival of The Athenian. Athenian already has a few openings across London, including Boxpark, the first shipping container retail and dining mall which Wapping Wharf is based on. What the Athenian is offering up is souvlaki. Souvlaki are derived from the Turkish doner kebab, in fact gyros comes from the word to spin. The Greeks have made them their own by adding fries into the meat and salad combo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Athenian offer options for carnivores, veggies and vegans alike. You can choose from beef and lamb bifteki, the Greek word for kofte, chicken, pork, halloumi, mixed veg and mushrooms. It also offers options for varying states of hunger. Which is lucky because I am usually ravenous. Each main filling comes with a designated sauce, chicken for example comes with a honey mustard style one, and the kofte with a light tzatziki. There is also the option to add extra meat and/or halloumi. The halloumi is proper imported Hellenic stuff and it’s texture is a lot firmer and more delicious than what you can buy in the supermarkets, so well worth a punt I’d say.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_e3c9_508a_7ca0_dfe5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByH9_sO7BKke5EdteDm0TtlAKSe5RdZelLVGULBYVz8QwpAdVJR5MTPaqI9nFl511OmsKsjKmd3qlyUoMMfavRzyyqB5yS7-xr7AHHlYwnRle3Q2G1ArT7lf_3U0FrwA2O8GrvKP_Vqc/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 695px; height: auto;"></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;"><br></span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_91a5_ee0e_a88f_a51b" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3VPzt0XIV7mRl0DgUUDXe-malxwTmMXwQE23uIfIX6OFPC8ZHSBaJbKaL7gkBMQ3fFbHQqAydeKS_0Xa4Lj-uGc9JDIGpBmvj68XbW1FJ9w6X56Kl7gydtifQo94-mjGA6w1a4xVr2A/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="the Athenian gyros" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 634px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I sampled the kofte on my first visit along with a side of oregano fries and some of the feta and smoked chilli dip, which I believe is the accompaniment for the pork. I also opted for a chunk of halloumi to make sure I sampled my first gyros by The Athenian, properly. After several visits to the Athenian I can categorically say that this is a great place to get a quick and tasty feed. Certainly a welcome sight if you are hungover and have to count on Deliveroo bringing tasty Greek treats to your door, they travel very well. But it’s nicer if you can visit in person, plus if the sun is shining you can grab a cool drink and watch the boats wizzing up and down. </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_fd9c_458f_58dd_6d5d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-swpCkNTfH5g/Wa8R1dLZp1I/AAAAAAAAHOM/3vQma4v0ckkgUiGjZwkXDLDIo7FZOpKdACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="oregano fries with feta dip " title="" tooltip="" style="width: 453px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><br></div> Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-17084292367051329712017-08-01T21:28:00.001+01:002017-08-01T21:28:23.371+01:00 Burgers at Asado<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How many ways are there to offer up meat patties in a bun. If Bristol is anything to go by, hundreds. You have your build your own places like the ever fabulous, Burger Joint. American style, such as 3 Brothers' Burgers and then you have the unchanging set creations such as Chomp. Months of developing the perfect tasting burger without having to add anything extra. Asado, Spanish for barbecue, falls into the latter category and puts a slight South American spin on our favourite fast food. A small menu of carefully crafted burgers and a few sides to go with them. You might think that Bristol is over-run with burger and pizza places but the number of decent burger joints I return to again and again I can count on one hand. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Asado opened last month with great flourish as a heap of bloggers descended on the restaurant for a preview night. Situated on Colston St just down from the Colston Yard pub. Asado cooks it’s beef patties and chicken wings on a wood fired grill so you get the chargrilled flavour on the meat. Championing Bristol from the off, with Minirig speakers providing the sound in the restaurant, and Ruby and White’s providing the organic meat, you know you’ll be in good hands. </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c892_9a2c_48f6_3145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUq08S4kYXeOBMns-VYx965bdoUu6Yrvq7ql4pYCXB5j6-aJwKyTLMX-Qff_6h0JwyvT7pTJkWxHlJ7oOQVG3T5Xe-pT04z3z2iZJSbx0J-7HmKJyMckXh3L7lTv3fr-xKxfxd_MPvr4/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 497px; height: auto;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The menu has two beef options, one fried chicken and a veggie. The signature Asado burger tops organic beef with West Country cheddar, pickled red onion, chimichurri sauce, ketchup and confit garlic mayonnaise Likewise with the other beef option, El Don, you will find cheddar, pancetta and bbq onions to go with the garlic mayo and salad. It’s a burger Jim, but not quite as we know it. Tweaking what we expect from the traditional burger and twisting it a touch. It’s making small changes such as these that take a burger from delicious to sublime. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_24f_e620_1e73_53cc" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwQ2p4nQRSS-AsohGYqJUfPquAJ9r9PuPD6ze4dRFjvASMZ_gAXgEfCFCfXbegUTTZr5SznYsFQAc7geKfqyN_xUgxg_6zMTQ1USlMZ1JSELX6l7j47TnFY7xQoPy4C9HzgCARTzx0kI/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 532px; height: auto;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_76b3_42e3_727c_6d5f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yk6vWWNFRw0/WYDkYw8tepI/AAAAAAAAHNU/F7ICSRpoqEYKIG07BRHcNKvHKWqClPvLgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 615px; height: auto;"><br><br></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The only controversy is that Asado prides itself on cooking the burgers pink and juicy which does tend to divide people. It’s not exactly a problem as you can ask for your burger to be cooked a bit more. I am more in-between when it comes to burgers, I like the texture of a more cooked burger but the juiciness of a pink one. So for me a rosy blush is ideal rather than rare, and as it was pointed out unless you are following the rules pink burgers can make you poorly. Asado have some astringent policies in place regarding this and have been found a safe venue in which to chow down on a pink burger without worry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What impresses me most with Asado is the attention to detail. Making their own habanero hot sauce and mayonnaise for the table just for your fries, which with the rosemary were excellent. Even the oak smoked chicken wings had their own spicy yet creamy coriander sauce drizzled over the top. This sauce has quite a kick and it’s glorious, many places are too afraid to give any real heat to sauces, not Asado however. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_77c9_ceb7_36ba_844e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OVaMpIgvBxk/WYDkZqHdscI/AAAAAAAAHNc/fmhbAROQdB8-hkq4DrkLXRxlZYxhuSy1gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 569px; height: auto;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">It takes some serious cajones to open another burger place in Bristol but I can guarantee you that it will elbow it’s way to the top of your list with all the charm of Ferris Bueller, you’ll want to bunk off work just to hang with these burgers. I was privileged to be amongst the group of bloggers, but I also returned as a paying customer just under two weeks after the preview evening. It was the perfect birthday lunch treat for Rich, he almost couldn’t believe the flavour that came out of a burger. It immediately shot straight into our top 3 burgers in Bristol. Look out for limited edition specials, a small number being made each day, the current one is flying out the door. A beef burger made with bone marrow and topped with crispy shoestring onions and cheese. I am salivating just thinking about it, it is next on my burger hit list. </span></p><br><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Asado are open every day for lunch and dinner bar Monday. They are a very welcome addition to the restaurant scene of Bristol and I am looking forward to my next visit. To find out more about Asado, visit their </span><a href="http://www.asadobristol.com/about.html" id="id_8ef7_905f_d40b_f3c1">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></p>Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-43551754865310126072017-06-28T21:53:00.001+01:002017-07-20T09:19:59.297+01:00The Inaugeral Pudding Society of Bristol<div style="text-align: justify;">Before I went to New York I had the great honour to be invited by my friend Charlie to sample her first stab at a pudding pop up. What stemmed from a Twitter conversation amongst Bristol pudding fans soon snowballs into an idea. It was revealed that there was a distinct lack of classic puddings available to us Bristolians. So Charlie, decided to start her own tribute to great puddings of old, resurrect some classics and introduce some soon to be favourites. What was quickly first established from a poll was that treacle tart was a much longed for and hard to acquire dish so this was one of the first pudding courses to be thrown in to the ring. </div><div><br></div><div>Less than 20 tickets were offered up for the first pudding society, hosted at Bristol Spirit in Easton. Run by Espensen Spirit creator Sam, who creates the most wonderful concoctions of flavoured spirits all from fresh fruit, expect to find rhubarb and custard vodka and blueberry gin. Charlie and Sam worked to create a wonderful menu of puddings and matching cocktails. An exciting prospect to those who particularly look straight at the dessert offerings on a restaurant menu or to those who are merely disappointed with the often lack of thought that goes into pudding menus, </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b740_f5b7_4860_7ea2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NrlChXSURUA/WW-9snTgjkI/AAAAAAAAHMY/EQjurca9YooWNxqLXJv-5JGhFwtAXYcSACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="pudding society menu" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 569px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><br></div><div>To cleanse our palate a home made slice of sourdough toast with beetroot ketchup, goat's cheese and rocket, salty and slightly sharp. What was the most amazing thing was how good the bread was. I've often been under the impression, in fact in a hugely humorous blog post by Charlie herself on failed starter doughs, that sourdough can be quite the beast to master. But master it she has and it was just the ticket to get the tastebuds flowing for the start of our journey into Sugarland.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_78fa_421d_3dd3_5cf" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSBZrLNXWQCdhnVPClzzTlWKlWJoGqIaz1n5OCUlYOEvHF_i2KogisRl7AtR0MsH-V4QgAaDCZhvlKcwu6RExDQpYQ-z11DOkaA-u9O6GDoWNAHqP1-3NO7W_NQjPIy8JnApeaoReVkI/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 702px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><br></div><div>A British favourite to begin, a constructed Eton mess. Crispy meringues topped with booze soaked fruit and whipped vanilla cream. Just the right amount of booze on the fruit and a fluffy innard to the meringue shell. I have to confess early on that this was probably my favourite pudding of the day. It is hard to get meringue just the right texture and they evoke a deep nostalgia in me. Meringue shells with fruit and cream was often a go to pudding when I was growing up, not that puddings were a very regular thing. Spoons were licked and there was barely a plate left unscraped, but I was in a room of pudding fanatics and they were in their element.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1b2e_e7fc_10d1_bea4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmM-IbbiULrDdtxwAWuzZUm4YvJj3mMp3oP5VcFjTH_2yZrRdt27ehhkg9cQACO0j8g1POKFmg19i8wdsY_PCCe-gMjmHqOUxTGZQU8FA26p9iGkUXWtWnJiYS-9ZIsAoaCsR_8vFHJw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 731px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><br></div><div> We weren't waiting long when the much talked of treacle tart made an appearance. The staple of the lunch room's dessert arsenal at my school, along with jam roly poly and cornflake tart, and in all honesty it had been about then when I last had it. But banish all visions of pink or mint green custard as the expected accompaniment this individual tart was crowned with a scoop of Brozen's brown bread ice cream. An ice cream flavour first popular in the Victorian era and then in the 90s, it could well be due a renaissance. The tart was sticky and sweet but the pastry was buttery and short enough but not that it was dry and crumbly. A good treacle tart is a wonderfully comforting thing, and this was just that. Which is what a good pud should be, happiness on a plate. We voted for a pause in proceedings whilst we digested the first three courses. As I don't have a big sweet tooth I was glad because I was struggling a touch.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_cfed_3320_5024_de20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_40ldDFs435ZhYy8tG2LBlVZFxe1pQ6AoZAvREXSyyYIVnCRW45FOuMHWC8Vimv9Hq-C5x56jJcO532og5WmYG9RM-WtXc1t8iTXfMQhMhTlBmp0J5dChhOVqyB8cyc3MiUmKNvzLno/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 692px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><br></div><div>On to the penultimate pud. Chocolate stout cake with salted caramel and whipped mascarpone. Charlie was the first to admit this course had not gone to plan but she improvised with plating differently to accommodate and we were greeted by old fashioned mini pint glasses filled with cake and rich promises. This was my least favourite I think because I found the cake a little too heavy and rich for my tastes but the mascarpone was light and sweet enough to be divine. I made a tactical decision to leave some of this dessert to make sure I had enough space for the finale.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_465d_bce9_a980_97ad" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R21i2GZBC3w/WW-9tptPrmI/AAAAAAAAHMg/Ss24atms6aU3sdbimpQeLXG8zYOA3isDwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 653px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div></div><div><br></div><div>To finish a light last course. A gin and Prosecco jelly with rhubarb curd and fruit compote with shortbread. If anything was fighting for first place with the meringues it was this. Slightly sharp and clean tasting, Charlie should bottle that rhubarb curd and sell it. I guarantee a chorus of: "shut up and take my money" if she did. A perfect end to a pretty successful afternoon of eating. </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_51b2_7748_c3f9_9353" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Aaty8UwI72Y/WW-9uHPJl4I/AAAAAAAAHMs/-HSXvgW0gY4qXaK72gRtjBVpwuewYLdjwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 624px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><br></div><div>I realise that as a friend it can be hard to remain impartial. I think what surprised me the most was just how accomplished and organised it was for a first pop up. I don't want people reading this to think I believe Charlie to be incompetent but she is pretty quiet about her skills but I never doubted her passion. And that is what is the best thing about Bristol, it has so many people who are passionate about food but have the goods to back it up, quietly building their rep up and gaining a following on their merits. Two more pudding societies have been and gone since I visited, each one sold out and each time a couple more tickets have been made available as word spreads. If you haven't had a chance to eat your body weight in puddings there are now tickets available for the September - December societies each with different menus so get <a href="http://bit.ly/2udvrhg" id="id_de96_71d9_97a6_a18e">buying</a>.</div>Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-9917963440370832302017-06-28T21:40:00.001+01:002017-06-28T21:43:03.782+01:00Fish and Chips at Catch22<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">
Fish and chips, the signature British takeaway. Synonymous with seaside trips and post pub munchies. The humble chippy has made an appearance in most of our lives at some point. Fish and chips, so British it puts an appearance on every pub menu and if you watch American sit-coms it’s what they think we eat every day. However unless you are by the seaside it can be difficult to find a chippy to sit down and enjoy the crunchy golden delights at your leisure. Catch 22 opened at the bottom of Park Street earlier this year in what used to be a recruitment agency. I was invited by them last month to test out their wares and so one Wednesday evening I took one of my closest friends, Steph for a fish supper.<u></u><u></u></div>
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After sinking a pint at the nearby Hatchett, a pub where we have spent many a weekend dancing away, we headed the short distance to Catch 22. As you enter the counter and frying station are the first things that greet you and it is just like stepping into your local chippy, but with a restaurant with seating out back. The back is actually more spacious than I imagined the walls are covered with 50s B-movie posters, which greatly appealed to me as I enjoy kitsch very much. So you can happily dine whilst being watched by the creature from the Black Lagoon.<u></u><u></u></div>
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There are a number of options on the menu, the standard fare but for those looking for a healthier option they will also pan fry you some fish with garlic and herb or chilli for a bit of pep. They also have a separate fryer for gluten free fish and chips which I know can be a hard thing to track down for the gluten intolerant. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">A friendly waitress buzzed amongst the tables and we ordered cod and chips, the classic, and steph went for scampi and chips with some battered mushrooms and curry sauce for dipping. We waited about 15 minutes whilst we chatted away about up coming plans, the smell coming from the fryers was intoxicating to rumbling bellies such as ours. The waitress arrived with two plates filled with golden treasures and with gleaming eyes we got stuck in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><img id="id_70b3_1c38_3000_4508" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mWxY2DD5I2c/WVQUUDlwhoI/AAAAAAAAHL0/MUMR5gQ4MbQ0p_9fr313Cv0qZO92ofGAQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><img id="id_14ff_4511_a373_c39d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OoOQqH7DP5E/WVQUUodlrTI/AAAAAAAAHL4/A8xh_lv--QkT973t_zPo2c9mqI2iyDFOQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 974px; height: auto;"><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The batter on my fish was as crisp as you always hope for it to come but often are disappointed because it has come into contact with steam or rogue water from peas and become a bit too soggy. My cod had a good batter to fish ratio and the fillet was plump and very fresh. Chips were just as enjoyable, with enough chunky fluffy ones but also some good salty crisp ones to satisfy all fried potato enthusiasts. The portions for both the scampi and the cod were generous, you certainly won't go hungry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;">The only real disappointment were the battered mushrooms, no real effort to flavour these with anything that might make them sing out and worth ordering as an extra with your fish supper. Catch 22 is definitely worth a visit, you'll be warmed by a very enjoyable British classic, that's a cut above most offerings in the city. Plus afterwards you can pop up the road for a scoop of Swoon gelato, if you have enough room that is. Although this meal was complimentary it did not sway my opinion. To find out more about Catch 22 visit their <a href="http://www.catch22.restaurant" id="id_9af_eb9d_9da3_a593">website</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; background-color: white; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><br></div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-18543770122095178682017-04-16T14:24:00.001+01:002017-04-20T10:17:55.794+01:00Friday Night Birthday Curry at The Mint Room<div>
A couple of weeks ago Phil had booked us a table at the Mint Room for his birthday, with mixed results, Rich takes a look over our experience there.</div>
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I don’t usually like to split reviews into ‘sections’, but the service at The Mint Room was uniquely weird that it needs its own discussion. Lazily aggressive is the best way you can sum it up. Requests for water for the table and asking for someone to come and take our drinks order would be met with agreement sounds, before our waiter would disappear, and then not come back. Ten minutes later they or someone else would reappear and we’d have to ask again. And it happened a few times.</div>
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When taking food orders, bear in mind we were eight people on a long table in a busy restaurant on a Friday night, the waiter would stand one end and shout at us, and we’d have to shout back, rather than him just stand closer to us. This lead to lots of back and forth and having to repeat, and one person inevitably getting the wrong dish. Luckily being a vegetarian, it was still a paneer dish, but very much not the right one.<br />
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The worst, and most cringe-inducing aspect however was a female friend attempting to order a hot dish with this waiter. Asking what the hottest thing on the menu was, it took a few attempts to get something that clearly wasn’t medium heat. And then when it was agreed that the jalfrezi was the hottest thing on the menu, he was insistent (quite condescendingly) that she should only have the milder version, not the hot one. It reminded me of a time a friend of mine tried to order a drink at a bar, but the barman refused saying “<i>No, you don’t want that. You want something sexier</i>…” – presumably as some flunked attempt at barman-customer seduction. It didn’t work – she got bored and had a drink elsewhere - whereas this waiter-customer interaction just came across patronizingly as “<i>I don’t think you can eat hot food</i>”. What proved it was when another one of our group (male this time) asked for the same thing, was met with a nod and “Sure thing”.</div>
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<img alt="" id="id_a645_acbf_74be_52cd" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV1pgzD8VYIwod-D4ao0pD04FAWxASBDTZbVusXTLikLxoBj0AW83hL5Rib7Am8LT1lsoqsDWNU3eLJnveH69Ouf67q5JAcyCQ0zrJaa4J_e0lEKG9fql2sDjhfTRRc2-RGXFLvwYnno/" style="height: auto; width: 974px;" title="" tooltip="" /> </div>
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As for the Food, the Mint Room menu is a decent affair, with an interesting blend of some familiar dishes (with a twist) and some lesser seen things, so it was a good opportunity to choose something a little different. We were brought two dishes of poppadom fragments with some dips for us to share, although these were removed before they were finished once we had ordered our mains, which I thought was somewhat odd. As for my main I opted for the Marinated Lamb Rumps ‘Chettinad’ Style, whilst Abby decided to go for the Chicken Lababdar, and a peshwari naan. The menu description for mine was “6oz lamb rumps marinated in freshly pounded black pepper corns and hung yoghurt, then seared over hot plancha, served with saffron Basmati rice and seasonal vegetables”. The slices of lamb was hot, and very tasty, and the bed of spiced yoghurt had a distinct and tasty flavor that went well with everything on the plate. However my seasonal vegetables consisted of just one baby carrot and two tiny heads of broccoli, and the rice seemed to consist of a lot of the sticky ‘stuck to the sides’ rice you get when using a rice cooker and leaving the rice in a bit too long. It was shame as the main event itself was very good and, a little bit different, and eminently recommendable.</div>
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Abby’s chicken lababdar was a more ‘traditional’ style curry dish but with a whole chicken breast cooked in sauce with ginger, green chillies, coriander and cream, and some rice.. It had a bit of a kick to it and actually was delicious, but as with my main there just wasn't a lot of rice. But she remarked that the naan was excellent and was perfect for mopping up any curry sauce.</div>
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One big problem with the food was that it wasn’t particularly filling – a rarity with when going out to eat Indian food, and particularly for one of us who’s missing a substantial part of stomach these days. That said what we did eat was good and I can recommend it for the food. The price is at the higher end of what you’d be happy to pay for a curry (our dishes on their own were £16 each, a pint of beer was £4.50), but the overall experience because of the service and the price means we’d be unlikely to choose to go back – especially when there is such a good selection of Indian cuisine to eat out or order in from many other venues all over Bristol. Nutmeg in the village for example is tastier and less expensive, plus the service is much more what you'd expect. To find out more about The Mint Room visit their <a href="http://www.themintroom.co.uk/bristol/" id="id_5676_1af9_2c2c_faa">website</a>.</div>
<br />Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-56350989520650561122017-03-31T11:35:00.000+01:002017-03-31T11:35:51.266+01:00Cheering gyoza at Eatchu<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When Jess at work decided she was up for a trip to St Nicks for lunch it was just the thing I needed to pick myself up out of the doldrums I’d been feeling for most of last week. We had the idea of popping our heads into Eatchu and seeing what was available and then passing through the glass arcade to find something to munch on for lunch. Well we didn’t get any further than the little premises of Eatchu, it smelled so good we decide to grab some gyoza to take back to the office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bristol has a great turn around of street food businesses setting up with permanent premises in a fairly short time. Eatchu is another one of those success stories. Specialising in Japanese gyoza, or jiaozi if you are in a Chinese restaurant. These little dumplings can be filled with whatever your imagination can think of however the most common filling is pork and chive. These can be steamed, fried or both. Eatchu have upgraded these snacks to make them into more of a meal. They have a selection of 5 different fillings, three meat and two vegan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Eatchu has occupied a little space down Exchange Avenue diagonally opposite Trailfinders. It’s a small space but there’s enough room for a handful of people to sit in and chomp their way through their dumplings of choice. Plus the walls are decorated with kitsch Kawaii pictures which just add to the welcoming atmosphere. Plagued by indecision I asked for a recommendation. Chicken and nori butter gyoza with a portion of rice was what was suggested and it sounded delicious so I went with that. You can have as many sauces or toppings as you like. You can choose from chilli sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, enoki mushrooms and spring onions, to name a few. I adore Japanese mayo so this and chilli oil were the choices for me and Jess and I waited patiently for our gyoza to be cooked, all the while being tortured by the wonderful smells wafting over from the pans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After short wait we were handed some boxes of food, with the idea of taking them back to the office. Jess and I were overwhelmed by hunger and desire to taste the aroma that had been swirling around us whilst we waited. So we sampled just one for the road. Wow. It melted in the mouth it was sublime. The butter made it extra rich and flavoursome, I was in love. Rushing back to the office so we could properly get stuck in I discovered my rice was topped with a hefty amount of pickled ginger, nigella seeds, mayo and chilli sauce. I can honestly say that this lunch had me bouncing round the office, my mood was officially lifted. Fluffy rice with superb gyoza and toppings made for a heart soaring experience. Eatchu is getting a lot of recognition at the moment and with good reason, they offer something a little different for lunch and people should grab it with both hands. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Six gyoza will set you back about £5-6 with £1.50 extra for rice. I just wish I was able to get my hands on these at dinner time, it's the perfect post work snack with a drink or two. To find out more visit their </span><a href="http://www.eatchu.co.uk/" id="id_13f2_6789_e789_623">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-62850564774566002072017-03-14T10:57:00.001+00:002017-03-14T10:57:25.276+00:00Celebratory lunch at Pasta Loco<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pasta Loco hasn’t been open a year yet and it has already become one of Bristol’s most talked about and lusted after restaurants. The carbonara alone has become the stuff of local legend. To fully extend my birthday celebrations I decided to take two days off after the day itself to indulge in eating and spending time with Rich, cats and friends. I had earmarked Tuesday for a lunch trip to Pasta Loco. For £10 you can have two courses, or for £13 you can go the whole hog and have all three. An exceptional deal such as this required company, so when I saw Charlie was looking to celebrate news of her own we joined forces and she kindly booked a table of four. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The restaurant is small, but charming, so booking is definitely advised for the evening. However if you find yourself passing by on a lunch time you will probably be lucky to pop in and find a free table. Lunchtimes offer a simple 3 choices per course on the menu which keeps indecision to a minimum. We were welcomed in very warmly from the rain and swiftly set about choosing our lunches, after ordering a round of drinks of course. Birthdays call for Prosecco so naturally I indulged. A selection of local beers are available such as Wiper & True and Lost and Grounded so you will be in good company when it comes to hops.</span></p><img id="id_dc79_fc0c_226d_29d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qXJKnUJ1ozQ/WMfMk4Xn7VI/AAAAAAAAHJk/rYJ6eWWw4Lg/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My choices from the menu were easy to make, starting with something fairly light I opted for the roasted beetroot with goats curd and rocket. I also ordered some of the focaccia which I was informed, was still warm from the oven. My main was the option that had me particularly excited. Fettuccine with tomato, mascarpone and n’duja. N’duja is a little bit of an obsession of Rich and mine. This smoky and spicy salami is often found in the form of a spreadable pasta often stored in oil, great on pizza or in pasta. However it’s not often on many menus so as soon as I find a dish that has it in, I am there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><img id="id_f765_25ab_bd15_4db3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_X2WkO8G9q0/WMfMiTLz_bI/AAAAAAAAHJc/lSuIWjrch8I/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">My starter was simple but tasty. The creamy curd worked wonderfully with the earthy beetroot. Having said that it only made me more hungry for my fettuccine that was on route. My will power was strong enough to leave some of that springy focaccia to mop up any leftover sauce. Not too long after were were brought steaming bowls of pasta. All of us, bar Chris who went for the linguine with mussels, had ordered the fettuccine. A nice sizable heap of pasta sat in front of me with a healthy grating of Parmesan on the top. The smell was intoxicating, although that could have had something to do with the Prosecco. Pasta has long been a source of comfort for me, there is never a time when it won’t perk me up at least by 25-50%. </span></p><br><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><img id="id_51bd_4b33_f47e_2b06" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5uxRUpfc7utMhEQBjUiyJXvo0RN9yerLHPxLBsjQGVHeiyrheseEPbITy-Lz0oe3tuseV5VoQEIZD4h_TvOEdWtywGqsP4EB6SUclSbfdHLSjsOn5Oqznx1C4b-4INHa-M6u24-02Ic/" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 353px; height: auto;"> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">Fork in hand I stabbed a chunk of n’duja and started twirling the nearest orphaned strand of pasta. I don’t really have enough superlatives in which to describe how much I enjoyed this bowl of fettuccine. Creamy, tangy and spicy. It was perfection that’s all I can say really. I am still thinking about it now almost two weeks later, already thinking about when I can take a week day off just to get a fix of their pasta. I had some good news this week at work and I think this calls for booking up an evening here to celebrate. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To find out more about Pasta Loco visit their </span><a href="www.pastaloco.co.uk" id="id_f7b1_bde4_b49c_d594" target="_blank">website</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. </span></p>Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-88539809955711609772017-03-03T12:08:00.000+00:002017-03-03T12:08:36.064+00:00Time for Pho<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Pho is a dish that originated in Vietnam traditionally consisting of an aromatic beef or chicken broth with rice noodles, meat, beansprouts and fresh herbs. Usually you’ll find a selection of sauces to mix into your pho for extra flavour and spice. Pho is the healthier relative of ramen. It’s not something I’ve had regular contact with partly because of the expected presence of a great deal of coriander and also the availability of Vietnamese food in Bristol is quite small, but having walked passed Pho a number of times and heard mostly positive things I decided to take a punt. Kym and I were well over due a catch up so we picked this spot for lunch. Pho is a chain of just over 20, mainly London based, restaurants providing an entirely gluten free menu or options to make gluten free. Most bowls are under £10 so it’s a good place to go on a budget of an evening. </span></div>
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<o:p style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pho" height="320" id="id_d272_5e9c_4088_67be" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOT2AfGQf_q0F7rHH9hHn0MTpr0QTLYNywvny4Ir48TqvX5v3ZhSUDPsjWvE7H49ja7kzo9xcGpOSmxEeank7BRCLnHDzNpQeUWVXH3YX2ny6O1DUOT0-C8VPBZqrJulF1b1LQqe8ZJ0/" style="height: auto; margin: 4px; width: 960px;" title="" tooltip="" width="240" /> </o:p></div>
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The tables are populated with lots of Pho paraphernalia, fish sauce, pickled chillis, sriracha hot sauce and chilli oil so you can season your Pho to however hot or not you wish. Wanting to get started on the eating part we made up our minds fairly swiftly I opted for a Phở tái chín; steak and brisket pho with a starter of crispy squid. Kym meanwhile went for the Phở đặc biệt; prawn, steak and tofu in garlic beef broth plus a starter of spring rolls, with your dip of choice, which in Kym’s case, was satay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our starters arrived fairly promptly, which was just as well because we were tipping over into hanger. I was advised to squeeze my lime wedge into a pot of flavoured salt and fresh chilli with a quick mix this was a delightfully fresh dip for the small bites of crispy tempura squid. Spring rolls are often something that is denied to the gluten free but not at Pho. Crispy rice paper rolls stuffed full of pork and veggies, and a creamy nutty satay dip to compliment them, these were some of the best spring rolls I’ve had in a long time. The portion is generous and will satisfy any craving, gluten free or otherwise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our Pho arrived after a bit of a wait and two large steaming bowls were set in front of our widening eyes. The herbs, chilli and beansprouts are thoughtfully placed on a plate so you can add as much or as little to your pho as you wish. As we both like fairly spicy food we added all the chilli and set about sampling most of the aforementioned pho accoutrements so each of our bowls had a delightful kick. I was particularly impressed with the brisket, it was tender and melted in the mouth. The steak wasn’t as full flavoured as the brisket but with the additions I had made to my bowl it didn’t matter too much. I was hugely impressed with the food at Pho. The service was a touch slow and inattentive at times but it wasn’t bad enough to stop me from returning, which I did the following week with Jane after work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pho offers something a little different for lunch in the centre. I would hesitate to recommend going in a lunch hour if you have a deadline but if you have enough time to while a way a lazy lunch it’s an excellent option and I am looking forward to slurping up my next bowl. To find out more about Pho visit their <a href="http://www.phocafe.co.uk/" id="id_52ce_9f9b_73b2_84ec">website</a>.</span></div>
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Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-37643372420173960892017-02-13T10:57:00.000+00:002017-02-13T10:57:27.367+00:00New Menu from The Burger Joint<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week Rich and I were invited to the launch of the new Burger Joint menu. The Burger Joint is a bit of a Bristol institution. Born in 2009 on Cotham Hill in a tiny restaurant with about 20 covers, owner Dan Bekhradnia and his team serve up create your own burgers with a choice of about 30 toppings. This proved hugely popular and soon Dan was looking for a larger venue, so when Planet Pizza vacated their Whiteladies premises it proved to be kismet. Fast forward to 2017 and you can find branches in Bedminster and Fishponds. </div>
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To keep up with the increasing trend of people moving over to vegetarian and vegan diets and choices the Burger Joint has refreshed their menu with some new vegetarian and vegan picks. You can also find some new hardshakes, alcoholic milkshakes, I first came across these at The Diner in London several years ago. There are some suggested combinations, but Dan encourages people to make up their own from their selection of ice cream and spirits. I chose vanilla, salted caramel and dark rum and very tasty it was too, not too thick so it doesn’t fill you up too much before your burger.</div>
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As well as the pre-existing veggie joint and the, much celebrated, mushroom with garlic and herb burgers, veggies and vegans can now order the vegan joint or the gluten free beetroot and feta burger. There is also the addition of vegan cheese to top your burgers with as well as over 10 meat free toppings. We got to sample the new beetroot and feta burger patties and I have to say they were excellent. Full of flavour the chopped basil really added something special. I think it would surprise meat eaters everywhere. I think adding these as a falafel optional side dish would be a winner because having to choose between the patty options is just too difficult.</div>
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Another key item added to the menu is the truffle and Parmesan fries. I had my eyes on these from the off and Dan brought out dishes of these to share between pairs. I am not normally much of a fry person, more a chunky chip girl. Fries can be limp and flavourless, this was not the case here. Crisp golden fries with a good grating of Parmesan and a dash of truffle flavour coming through. Rich and I were fans and these disappeared in the blink of an eye. </div>
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Once sampling of some of the new items had finished we were encouraged to tick our orders on one of the Burger Joint tick box forms. I tend to have a standard order which is the beef burger topped with brie, blue cheese and chilli con carne, it’s tried and tested and remains to be creamy, spicy and messy all in one bite. However I thought I should try some different toppings, so I went all veggie with my toppings but sticking with the beef. So guacamole, roasted peppers and the newly added smoked Applewood cheddar crowned my Ruby and White sourced patty.</div>
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I am never disappointed when I go to the Burger Joint and this night was no exception. Dan knows his burgers and you will always leave feeling full. Unlike many burger places one side is included in the price so you can choose between a saintly salad, fairly sensible sweet potato chips or go full out with onion rings, as well as the normal fries you’d expect from a burger place. Like Dan and his staff who have welcomed so many Bristolians already, the new menu makes room for veggies and vegans alike to feel more at home. So if you’ve not paid a visit to one of the Burger Joints in a while, go check it out, and take your veggie friends with you. To check out the new options head to their <a href="http://www.theburgerjoint.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-43128539017129544532017-01-17T11:31:00.001+00:002017-01-17T11:31:41.574+00:00Birthday Celebrations at The Kensington Arms<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The first Friday of January we were celebrating the birthdays of two good friends born two days apart. As we were all still recovering from New Years Eve, either from hangovers or genuine illnesses we opted for a plan of low key dinner and drinks. Josh Eggleton has recently taken over the ownership of the Kensington Arms we thought this would be a good spot to check out. The Kenny has always been a super cosy pub with a reputation for good food, a browse of a sample menu before our visit had Rich and I both salivating at the options. Table was booked for 7.30 which was lucky as it meant we missed the downpour that followed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The menu on the night contained a varied selection of mains, including three fish dishes, some pub classics and one vegetarian option. What I was particularly drawn to was their selection of puddings mostly all containing ingredients that conjured up cosy Winter evenings. I am not normally a dessert person, it has to be something particularly intriguing to sway me, but sway me they did so I opted for a lighter main choice to accommodate room for an indulgent sweet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rich chose the rare onglet steak with roasted tomato, field mushrooms, chips and peppercorn sauce whilst I picked the vegetarian option; ricotta gnocchi, cavolo nero, tomato compote and caper salsa. Whilst some of our table opted for starters such as, devilled whitebait with aioli and a plate of fishcakes with warm tartare sauce, Rich and I chose a little taster of a quail scotch egg each. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The scotch eggs arrived with a runny centre, as expected and a blob of smooth chutney. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what flavour it was, it reminded me of fig but I was told that it was a branston pickle puree. It was tangy but sweet, hugely enjoyable. The crumb round the scotch egg was crisp but I found the actual sausage meat lacking in seasoning which was a bit of a shame. </span></div>
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The pub was busy so we waited quite a while for our mains. Once our plates arrived most of the portions seemed generous, except mine, it was a touch on the small side. However gnocchi is deceptively filling and it looked appetising so I ventured on in. I have to say I loved this dish. The cavolo nero came crisped in part which added a nice texture, the tomato compote was my favourite element, full of rich tomato flavour. The only thing I might have added was some toasted nuts of some description for even more crunch. Was I hungry afterwards, a little, but that was the objective, to leave room for dessert. Rich’s steak was plentiful, juicy and rare as expected. A wonderful cut of meat, lovingly prepared and cooked, a triumph. The only downside was the absence of the listed mushrooms, these did not make an appearance on the plate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">It was time to pick a dessert. There are only a few flavours that if they make an appearance on the menu I have to order them. Chocolate is not one of them, caramel or toffee is however. So I ordered the sticky toffee pudding with Christmas pudding ice cream which Rich chose the orange pannacotta and burnt orange caramel. Other offerings included a chocolate mousse cake with peanut butter ice cream and maple and pecan tart with clotted cream ice cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I would say that the dessert, for me at least, was the highlight of the meal. It’s a course that for some places can be a bit of an after-thought. However the sticky toffee pudding was as light as anything but coated in a rich buttery toffee sauce. What elevated it was the Christmas pudding ice cream. When I first tasted it I described it as complex, for which I was some what derided, however they agreed it had layers of flavour. What you get is a spiced ice cream and then you gradually tasted the soaked fruit and then the torched whiskey at the end. In a word, wonderful. Rich loved his dessert he said the burnt orange caramel was smoky and filled with a deep orange flavour. A pretty successful visit and we were sleepy, warm and full. </span></div>
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We all enjoyed our trip to the new Kensington Arms definitely would return for dinner again. It is important to note that the service, though friendly, was slow. Replenishing drinks was a little tricky as was asking for the bill. There seemed to be enough staff on the ground but perhaps not as attentive as they could have been, but perhaps this is something you might expect on a busy <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" style="-webkit-text-decoration-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.258824); color: black;" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">Friday night</a>. To find out more check out a sample menu on their <a href="http://thekensingtonarms.co.uk/#the-kensingston-arms" id="id_f6e4_55e7_977d_d974">website</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-38113896638117386442016-11-24T11:18:00.000+00:002016-11-24T11:18:10.275+00:00Birthday celebrations at Nutmeg<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The other weekend we went out for our good friend Jamie’s birthday. She had wanted to go for a curry after much deliberation and many messages between us, newly opened restaurant, Nutmeg in Clifton Village was chosen. I had seen many good tweets appearing about Nutmeg and was hoping that our experience would be just as wonderful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Situated in what used to be Bombay Spice, a particularly good curry house in my opinion, Nutmeg has modernised the interior with a lovely bright peacock frieze which catches the eye and gives a warm feel to the place. The menu here is a bit different to regular curry houses, so although you can find a few familiar faces such as Saag, Rogen Josh and Jalfrezi there are also a number of strangers, but the kind of strangers you want to get to know. They have a 29 at the top of the menu one dish to reflect each of the 29 states of India so there are lots of different styles of curry to sample.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Complimentary mini poppadoms and chutneys were brought to the table for us to snack on whilst we tried to narrow down our food choices. The chutneys were not the standard offerings but were tasty, although I did mourn just a touch for regular mango chutney, the spicy lime and coriander offering was delicious. After a lot of back and forth I opted for the lamb saag, because a good base test of a place is to sample a standard, a portion of saag cheese aloo and some rice. Rich chose the lamb shank which was slow cooked with Nawab kitchen spice and served with baby naans.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Whilst we waited we soaked up the atmosphere, it was very busy in the restaurant on this particular evening so I would say booking is highly advisable. Consequently it meant the service was a pretty slow and occasionally uncoordinated but our food arrived after a reasonable wait and was greeted with hungry hurrahs. Rich’s in particular when the big lamb shank, sitting up proudly on the plate coated in spiced sauce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is worth noting that the menu doesn’t have an indication of spice level, so for those of you with a sensitivity to heat it’s worth inquiring. My saag was pretty nicely heated, I love hot food so was surprised to experience more of a kick in what is normally a fairly mild curry. Earthy and with a generous helping of melt in the mouth lamb I was delighted with my choice. The saag cheese aloo had the addition of cheddar cheese into the mix made it a more indulgent side dish to share with my carb loving bestie. </span></div>
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<o:p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </o:p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With some of Rich’s fluffy mini naans I had the opportunity to have a dip in the sauce of his lamb shank. What a sauce. Aromatic, spiced but only a medium heat it was a showstopper and he was pleased with his choice. Finally the birthday girl was extremely pleased with her beef madras. Jamie is a chilli fanatic so she was a little concerned that it wouldn’t be hot enough but it satisfied her need for heat and the portion was a decent size.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We were pretty impressed by Nutmeg and totally stuffed, which was a shame as I had been recommended the chai crème brulee on Twitter. I hope to return to Nutmeg again very soon the curry was excellent and offered something a little different. To find out more about what Nutmeg has to offer check out their </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/www.nutmegbristol.com" id="id_d9b_d0c7_3063_7530" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">we</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">bsite</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">. </span></div>
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Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-72387474906846274212016-09-30T11:28:00.001+01:002016-09-30T11:28:34.284+01:00Tuesday Night Testing Polpo<div style="text-align: justify;">
This month we were invited, along with other bloggers and food enthusiasts to sample the newly opened Polpo restaurant on Whiteladies. Situated where Entelia used to be, Polpo describes itself as a bacaro, a Venetian word for a humble restaurant serving simple food and young Italian wines. Basically I think it is quite hard to describe yourself as humble it's for other people to decide really, and to be honest I am not sure whether this fits the brief of the description, for reasons I shall explain shortly.</div>
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Polpo opened its first branch in Soho in 2009 and has expanded over the years to eight restaurants, mostly in London but now also one each in Brighton and Bristol. Polpo is the Italian word for octopus and you can get a few dishes of the eight armed creature to sample. The menu is one of small plates to share or keep to yourself depending on how territorial you are about your food choices. I still don't really like small plates but if the food is good I can warm to them, it is a case by case basis for me. Rich and I were welcomed by owner Russell Norman, which was a nice touch. We chose an Aperol spritz to start which is a favourite after honeymooning in Venice in April. We were brought some of their stuffed fried olives to munch on whilst we perused the menu.</div>
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The menu is set out in sections such as pizzette, meat, fish, vegetables and also cicheti. Cicheti bars can be found all over Venice serving bite sized snacks to accompany an after work drink or quick lunch. We chose a few more cicheti, more olives, arancini, potato and parmesan crocchette and coppa and peperonata crostini. Polpo have a section for just meatballs so seeing this as a sign we opted for the pork and fennel ones with spaghetti. We also went for a gorgonzola & prosciutto pizzette, some fried gnocchi with rainbow chard pesto and peccorino. </div>
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With more dishes than arms arriving in front of us we started off with the cicheti. For me the most enjoyable elements of the whole meal were in some of the little snacks we started with. The deep fried olives are something I've never seen before. They are stuffed with anchovy, coated in breadcrumbs and fried, and they are incredible. Easily the best thing Polpo do. I also really enjoyed the arancini - creamy, crunchy and light. The crostini were crisp and topped with roasted pepper, prosciutto, capers and I think ricotta, very tasty indeed. I wasn't totally sold on the crocchette it was a bit like a hash brown with more finely grated potato.</div>
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On the the 'main' dishes. For £9 you can have three fairly large meatballs of your choice with spaghetti, not exactly a bargain. But I thought for a place that has five varieties of meatballs these have got to be worth it. They weren't. Fennel overpowered the meat I could barely taste any meat flavour at all and the tomato sauce was fairly bland as well. The pizzette had some tasty toppings but the base lacked salt. </div>
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Lastly the gnocchi with rainbow chard pesto and pecorino, the gnocchi were soft and potatoey but the pesto was just too oily and flavourless to make the dish stand out. All in all a bit disappointed with the dishes we chose. We decided to finish with a coffee and ricotta doughnuts with cinnamon sugar to share. These were almost raw and doughy inside with a floury taste. It was a shame about how the rest of the meal went because the cicheti were really delicious. In fact I would welcome having a cicheti and drinks bar in Bristol. As it is I find Polpo a little expensive for what you get and the taste isn't quite there. Humble makes me think of homely food at a low price such as your mama used to make and I am not sure that describes Polpo to me.</div>
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I think despite this Polpo will be quite popular. It is a fairly well known brand and the location will catch some great after work traffic. Our meal was free of charge but did not impact my opinion. To find out more about Polpo check out their <a href="http://www.polpo.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-74433598153305294022016-09-09T12:09:00.000+01:002016-09-09T12:10:19.053+01:00Lucy's 30th Birthday Afternoon Tea at The Ritz<div style="text-align: justify;">
Recently my sister turned 30. To me that is strange to behold. No matter how old she gets I think there will always be that instinct to look after her, that's what older sisters are for right? Anyway Lucy decided that a week long celebration was in order, a series of treats which included; roller disco, home made pizzas and stall seats at Phantom of the Opera. Before going to the show however Lucy had booked in afternoon tea for two at the Ritz. Intending to take her friend the night before I got a message saying that unfortunately her friend was still recovering and could I jump on a train to London the next day? For my sister, anything. That and tea at the Ritz is one of those things you have to cross off the list, and Phantom is my favourite show.</div>
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The Ritz requires dressing up a bit so we scrubbed our faces extra hard and put on a nice dress each. It is as you would imagine inside, lots of gold accents and the tea room has a lot of mirrors, so the light is rather wonderful. Seated at a table for two we browsed the tea menu and once the smartly dressed waiter came round we ordered a pot of chai and a Russian caravan for me. Dietary requirements discussed, Lu is a vegetarian, we waited for our food to arrive and spent the next few moments marvelling at the surroundings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvLfAIphsJ2MDdnnh2MtgtONFrRygGyQz0entECVKdWrf_mKZseoInZEdCMFjGVBY2qxOuA9sItM4jIW0OLftNobo8mC9zUMNQAirTux0Oy-RwkpjHi9JsTVRPQnTTFDTgc59Kk9FnS0/s1600/IMG_2982%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ritz" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvLfAIphsJ2MDdnnh2MtgtONFrRygGyQz0entECVKdWrf_mKZseoInZEdCMFjGVBY2qxOuA9sItM4jIW0OLftNobo8mC9zUMNQAirTux0Oy-RwkpjHi9JsTVRPQnTTFDTgc59Kk9FnS0/s640/IMG_2982%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Devouring all the sandwiches, which were generously filled. We eyed up which cake to tackle first and got stuck in. Afternoon tea is always more filling than you remember so soon we were almost stuffed to the gills and ready to throw in the towel. However as I plunged my fork into the last cake, the white chocolate coated one in the photo, I realised that this was something special. A hidden passion fruit centre and the softest most delicious dessert I've had in a long time. I urged my sister to sample hers, despite being full. Happiness ensued from both sides of the table for several minutes. By the time the waiters brought round the cake trolley to offer a slice of one of their specials we had to decline.<br />
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Full to the rafters with cake this had certainly been an experience and it was wonderful to have shared it with Lucy. At £50 per person this is probably one of the most expensive afternoon teas out there. But it is one to tick off the list and a happy memory of sisterly time well spent. It is advised to book well in advance for afternoon tea at The Ritz although weekdays are obviously easier to get a slot for than weekends. To find out more visit <a href="https://www.theritzlondon.com/dining-drinks/afternoon-tea-reservations/" target="_blank">The Ritz site</a>.</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-23570318821451029312016-07-18T11:15:00.002+01:002016-07-18T11:15:11.737+01:00Lunching at Mockingbird Cafe<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mockingbird on Alma Vale road has long been on my to eat list. Luckily two recent Fridays Wriggle gave me the opportunity to sample Mockingbird's sandwiches of the week. One was pulled pork in brioche and the other pulled brisket with cheddar and horseradish mayo, both with homemade coleslaw. But I am skipping ahead of myself. Mockingbird offers a nice variety of brunch dishes as well as some specials, cakes all with a nod to Southern states in America. All dishes can be washed down with local roasted beans from Extract coffee or tea also Bristol based from Canton Tea Company. All run by a friendly and welcoming team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG4jtA71JBV0av7_O2A1GsU7mOtyTjdg8ijIxaV_9MUymo9fUTWpQEqc2wR6v5HPZ7m8gaZ4fZ3cJ2CvKOUZ674lZCY9KRjYVsid6M6tVcSEXWMtu88EP_WaDviOp3jBTrMQNwo-CDbc/s1600/IMG_2783%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mockingbird Cafe Bristol" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG4jtA71JBV0av7_O2A1GsU7mOtyTjdg8ijIxaV_9MUymo9fUTWpQEqc2wR6v5HPZ7m8gaZ4fZ3cJ2CvKOUZ674lZCY9KRjYVsid6M6tVcSEXWMtu88EP_WaDviOp3jBTrMQNwo-CDbc/s640/IMG_2783%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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My oh my these guys know how to make a kick ass sandwich. The pulled pork was hands down the juiciest and most tender I've ever had and the brioche was pillow soft and complimented the pork without detracting from the star of the show. Likewise with the brisket, it was wonderfully flavoured and the horseradish mayo was perfectly judged in quantity. I personally could have done with a touch more cheese but the gorgeous Hobbs House sourdough more than compensated for that. The coleslaw was light on mayo and big on flavour, apple works so well in slaw that it was the best tangy accompaniment for such sandwiches.<br />
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Mockingbird has captured my heart for a hearty lunch, sandwiches for the soul. I am looking forward to sampling their brunch menu, but for now this is my favourite spot for a tasty sandwich it is a charming cafe with a lot of things to love. I am just sorry it has taken me this long to check it out. To find out more about Mockingbird visit their <a href="https://twitter.com/mockingbirdAlma" target="_blank">Twitter </a>or their <a href="http://mockingbirdcafe.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a>. </div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-23928137358618009962016-06-28T11:58:00.003+01:002016-06-28T11:58:40.410+01:00Tuesday Night Dining at Fishers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Summer in the UK seems to consist of a few fairly hot spells punctuated with multiple days of humidity. It was on one of these humid evenings that I headed over to Clifton Village to meet friend Naomi for dinner. Fishers had invited me to sample their menu and I was delighted to accept. The menu at Fishers has a host of tempting fishy options, a couple of token meat and vegetarian options for those that way inclined.<br />
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We were warmly received by the restaurant and eagerly began glancing through the menu. There were many options that caught my eye but what I decided to go for in the end was the calamari with sweet chilli sauce followed by herb crusted cod fillet with spinach and puy lentils. Naomi opted for home cured Scottish smoked salmon with horseradish creme fraiche and a kilo of steamed mussels with white wine, cream and garlic for her main. Most mains come with a choice of new potatoes or chips as a side, unless stated otherwise. Whilst we waited we sipped at our rather enjoyable glasses of Pinot Grigio and nibbled at the freshly made bread.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7dZPw7jOcKsvtN2fnwsuF7JnI0q-keBmVeGU3nnU2LPbO2TArwH4PSLS7b8DlHLfxJbfPvPe5wwwPL2VzYgQjC6MTkw4qAUjxziti26VAgql7uYsxxcuWfOj25BY8OBIOsM9NZaMY7c/s1600/IMG_2478%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fishers Restaurant Bristol" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7dZPw7jOcKsvtN2fnwsuF7JnI0q-keBmVeGU3nnU2LPbO2TArwH4PSLS7b8DlHLfxJbfPvPe5wwwPL2VzYgQjC6MTkw4qAUjxziti26VAgql7uYsxxcuWfOj25BY8OBIOsM9NZaMY7c/s640/IMG_2478%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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The calamari was perfect a good portion with a crispy light coating. I personally thought the sweet chilli dip was a little too sweet for the calamari but it was just a small issue. Naomi's salmon was wonderful the quality of the salmon was excellent and the horseradish creme fraiche gave it an extra lift.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ6eaHNeYflucj1Swv1PM-OJTx_N1PRrRDJx6NxvplHlZkKTiPoSmsW9CZw1IAyTurdYf1SSGSeKIqBYw1t7GYtAkQRMco6Yp-s1FjfwWGiWxxqHf2vCB_hvkxuMtJjt3UDxe22_X3Eg/s1600/IMG_2484%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fishers Restaurant Bristol" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ6eaHNeYflucj1Swv1PM-OJTx_N1PRrRDJx6NxvplHlZkKTiPoSmsW9CZw1IAyTurdYf1SSGSeKIqBYw1t7GYtAkQRMco6Yp-s1FjfwWGiWxxqHf2vCB_hvkxuMtJjt3UDxe22_X3Eg/s640/IMG_2484%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">moules with cream, garlic and white wine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cod fillet on puy lentils</td></tr>
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My fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and the herbs and lemon made the whole dish wonderfully fresh. Naomi was delightedly making her way through the kilo of mussels plenty of cream and garlic sauce to mop up with some of the bread. We were both really impressed with the flavours of the mains. The one thing that I was disappointed in was the chips. They were quite dry tasting and floury so I left most of them to concentrate on the citrussy lentils below my cod fillet. We still had room for pudding so I ordered one of my all time favourite desserts, sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and Naomi had a scoop of elderflower sorbet.<br />
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Oh my word. This was quite simply the best sticky toffee puddings I have had in years. Super soft and sticky with a lovely toffee sauce I would return just for this alone. We left Fishers nicely full having been well fed. Fishers offers some great fish dishes, some classic some a bit different but what you can be assured of is a good meal. The offer a early evening deal 5.30 - 6.30 you can have two courses for £9.50, this is also available at lunch. Although our meal at Fishers was complimentary it did not impact my opinion or the outcome of this review. We were so pleased with the service we left a tip on what the bill would have been. To see what else Fishers have to offer check out their <a href="http://www.fishers-restaurant.com/bristol" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-41180148166836930412016-06-08T11:44:00.005+01:002016-06-08T11:44:38.813+01:00Three Course Dining at The Square<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just before we jetted off to Budapest we were invited to sample the new menu at the Square. I had not been to the Square in some time, probably about 4 years in fact. The Square is a private members club but the restaurant is open to the public, as long as you sign in at the door. They have smartened up the place a bit since I was last here, it is more welcoming and the staff who greeted us were friendly.</div>
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The dining rooms at the Square are beautiful. Long tables and candelabras dotted around the place make for a relaxed atmosphere. As for the new Spring menu. First impressions were good. The menu is a modern British one with lots of classic combinations. For our starters we decided to opt for the Wiltshire bred pork belly with pressed ham hock and pickled vegetables and the wild mushroom soup with truffle and a poached egg. As for the mains Rich picked the 8oz rib-eye steak with triple cooked chips and myself, the Upper Wraxall lamb, two ways with spinach puree and pommes mousseline plus a port jus. We also picked side orders of asparagus and creamy leeks.<br />
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My soup was wonderfully earthy and rich. I was impressed, definitely up there for mushroom dishes I've had before. the egg in the centre just added to the creaminess. The only slight let down was the bread, it was nice enough but nothing over whelming. Rich loved the pork belly it was juicy and the flavours all worked together nicely.<br />
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My lamb dish was great. The lamb belly fell apart and was well seasoned. The meat was full of flavour and went perfectly with the glass of Malbec I had chosen to go with it. The pommes mousseline was rich and creamy and the vegetables were cooked properly with a slight crunch to them. The only slight problem was the rump was a little too underdone in parts for me, yes I like pink lamb but this was boardering on very rare indeed, so I left a little end bit of that.<br />
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The creamy leeks were very tasty and buttery but the dish was so huge we shouldn't have ordered too sides. Rich enjoyed his steak said it was well cooked and juicy and the asparagus was full of flavour. I tried one of his chips and it was so huge, a breeze block of potato but with a fluffy centre. I could have built a delicious potato brick house to hide from the world in with these chips.<br />
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We hardly had room for pudding but I had spotted something on the dessert menu that ticked all my boxes. Creme brulee with rhubarb and ginger and spiced shortbread. Rich decided to test out the selection of cheese.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOkUwEN5S-ZeJfrjyvZ75JE7Dio7tTO2vJGvIQuhMJzNkvrNuLslAnJd12t71UwEVeEWkqiOy8xaQ9IWx6DmRsYqTkkox05Mg1oCXg1uDDFs6NZLIZJ-at2TcgKin_Ou1ziYOzlk71nU/s1600/IMG_2163%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Square Bristol" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOkUwEN5S-ZeJfrjyvZ75JE7Dio7tTO2vJGvIQuhMJzNkvrNuLslAnJd12t71UwEVeEWkqiOy8xaQ9IWx6DmRsYqTkkox05Mg1oCXg1uDDFs6NZLIZJ-at2TcgKin_Ou1ziYOzlk71nU/s640/IMG_2163%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYfvNA9rtQDxoDvGubo4__OUy5WlsY3RSfP-ud191ZWs02Sukul0ZVjqXAc5V-nSJ_POw-K5s09fNVe8pQ8_vMPqNAEych20JtFHwGbBARg_beZivGbh9lOWHiUKPEEu-o6xD1EcteNk/s1600/IMG_2166%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Square Bristol" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYfvNA9rtQDxoDvGubo4__OUy5WlsY3RSfP-ud191ZWs02Sukul0ZVjqXAc5V-nSJ_POw-K5s09fNVe8pQ8_vMPqNAEych20JtFHwGbBARg_beZivGbh9lOWHiUKPEEu-o6xD1EcteNk/s640/IMG_2166%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rich enjoyed his selection of cheeses and the crackers were a nice quality. It is hard to get a cheese board wrong to be honest. My creme brulee was tasty but the rhubarb was too sweet it would have been great to have that sharper contrast, The shortbread was nice and gingery in flavour but overall the biscuits were a little dry and floury for my taste.<br />
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There were a few tiny little things that weren't 100% but overall we had a great meal at the Square and the staff were wonderful. The food definitely deserves more people visiting the restaurant. When we were there it was quite quiet and the people who were eating seemed to mainly be hotel guests. It is a shame because the food and atmosphere equal a nice evening out, people of Bristol, if you haven't had a chance check out the Spring menu at the Square give it a go. To find out more visit their <a href="http://www.thesquareclub.com/square-kitchen-restaurant/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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This meal was complimentary in return for a review, it did not impact my opinion. Rich and I decided to leave a 15% on what our bill would have been to thank the staff for the evening. </div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-11449067527472269682016-05-31T11:43:00.004+01:002016-05-31T11:43:33.221+01:00Testing Out Wriggle at Steak of the Art<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ever since I switched to an iPhone I have been putting the Wriggle app to the test. Wriggle is an app on iOS and Android that brings daily local deals from high quality independent restaurants. It helps restaurants conserve waste in real time by advertising deals that are local to you. You can leave your meal plans in the hands of the Wriggle gods to decide what you are going to eat for lunch or dinner. With new restaurants being signed up all the time the daily list keeps on growing. I have been enjoying Bagel Boy and Yume for lunch quite a bit as they are closest to my flat and frequently on Wriggle. The guys at Wriggle wanted to give me some credit to test Wriggle on a place I'd not tried before, so I chose Steak of the Art. Two Steak and chips plus a sauce for £18. The app is easy to use you just click what deal you want and the amount and process the payment, and you are given a code to show the staff at your selected restaurant.</div>
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Steak of the Art is squirrelled away down on Cannon's Way and reached the restaurant soaking wet after being caught in an aggressive downpour. We arrived and were told there would be an hour wait for a table, which was a bit confusing but we sat down in some comfy arm chairs ready to order a drink whilst we waited. Steak of the Art offer a selection of cocktails as well as the usual beers, wines and some cider. We were about to order when we were told there was actually a table available so we followed the waitress to the main dining area. Steak of the Art's selling point is their commitment to 'funky' interior and decor, There are paintings and pieces of art available for purchase as well as the pieces in each area being for sale, such as the furnishings. Steak of the Art is a restaurant gallery, which is a little different. The type of art is pretty commercial, lots of eye catching colours and pop culture references so there will be something for most people.<br />
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We sat down at a high booth overlooked by a large metal bull head. Rich ordered Bristol Beer factory beer and I went for a glass of Malbec. We also decided to opt for two starter plates so I ordered buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese dip and Rich chose the chorizo and smoked sausage on ciabatta. We also decided to both add a side of rocket and parmesan salad to our steaks for a bit of colour and freshness.<br />
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Rich found the meat on the ciabatta to be really flavoursome but the ciabatta had not been toasted and was too soft to hold the sauce and meat without disintegrating. My chicken wings had been quickly fried to give the extra texture, as per buffalo style, but they didn't really taste that chickeny. The dip was really wonderful though a good sharp strong kick of blue cheese much punchier than a lot of blue cheese dips you come across. This should be offered as an option for the steak as well in my opinion. On to the main event.<br />
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We did not have to wait too long before our rump steaks rocked up with a healthy portion of thick triple cooked chips, peppercorn sauce and rocket salad. The steak was cooked as we ordered so my medium rare had a good pink colour running through it and was really juicy. Rump is not my favourite cut of steak but this one had lots of flavour. The star of the show were the chips. Crunchy and fluffy these were seriously moreish. The only let down was the salad, it looked a little sorry for itself and had too much parmesan compared to the amount of leaves.<br />
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A tasty experience at Steak of the Art. Was it my favourite steak? No but it was tasty and with Wriggle you can get it at a bargain price. The app offers great value at some fantastic <a href="https://www.getawriggleon.com/s/bristol" target="_blank">Bristol restaurants</a> but you can also find Wriggle offering deals for many <a href="http://getawriggleon.com/s/brighton" target="_blank">Brighton restaurants</a> as well, so spread the word if you know any friends down there or are visiting the quirky city yourself. To find out more about Steak of the Art check out their <a href="http://www.steakoftheart.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>. Wriggle kindly supplied the credit for two steak deals, any drinks and extras we paid for on top of this, my opinion was not impacted and this blog remains as impartial as ever. Want to try Wriggle for yourself? Download the app and with my code ZKJXKA you can get £3 off your first Wriggle, happy Wrigglin'.<br />
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Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-78388116641690399172016-05-16T10:51:00.001+01:002016-05-16T10:51:04.869+01:00Friday Night Testing Out Yatta<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last Friday evening I was treated to a visit from my best girl Jessie, so we decided to take her out for some food. It was decided we should test out Yatta, the latest incarnation on Nelson Street. Over the years this has been many different Asian restaurants, Shanghai Express, a personal favourite, the Wok Cafe and Buddha Lounge to name but a few. Yatta offers an all you can eat sushi experience for £16.80, per person, but also a half price on all al la carte menu items at lunch time. </div>
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We were given a warm welcome by the staff and led to a table for four. They provide a tick box menu to order your chosen dishes. One side of the menu consists of sushi and the other hot dishes and sides. You are limited to ordering 6 from each side for each round. There is a pretty large selection, gyoza, wok fried noodles, teriyaki and tempura as well as futomaki, sashimi and nigiri to name but a few. We ordered a selection of dishes from both sides and waited for them to arrive whilst sipping our drinks. The lighting could be a little more subtle in the evening I found it a little too bright for my tastes. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken gyoza</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjaACp7sGz-8u17WwnfPgYgPkajTlqYM3K4tbqQxtQuJp8BtM2rt7khw3kNovokJE6NSXHQeyZN5qPyRrjc8iUCpLzGq0Jfof3_Hfvr75qUTQqLAe1ce94goL-C3PUmf2WfVf3_CPg2g/s1600/IMG_2015%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yatta Sushi Bristol" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjaACp7sGz-8u17WwnfPgYgPkajTlqYM3K4tbqQxtQuJp8BtM2rt7khw3kNovokJE6NSXHQeyZN5qPyRrjc8iUCpLzGq0Jfof3_Hfvr75qUTQqLAe1ce94goL-C3PUmf2WfVf3_CPg2g/s640/IMG_2015%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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The food arrived promptly. The dishes I found to be mixed in quality. Our chicken udon ramen was tasty and well cooked, the sushi was well prepared and pretty delicious. The sashimi in particular was thick and fresh. Some of the other dishes could have done with a few changes to make them a bit better. The tempura prawns for example were a little soggy and needed more frying for colour and crispness. The chicken kara-age were nothing like any I've ever tasted and were not at all crisp. They need to make just a few tweaks to some of their hot dishes to bring them up to the same level.</div>
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Having said that for £16.80 for unlimited orders you could quite happily order a lot of sushi, sashimi and noodles. I would return again but it wouldn't be the top of my list. But for groups it is quite a good way of trying out lots of sushi dishes for a decent price. I certainly have my eye on the karaoke place above Yatta. To find out more about Yatta visit their <a href="http://www.yattasushi.co.uk/" target="_blank">website </a>for more menu details,</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4322844108270676285.post-57077932417540347092016-05-09T10:23:00.000+01:002016-05-09T10:23:31.930+01:00Eating Noodles and Sipping Bubble Tea at Cupp<div style="text-align: justify;">
On a recent warm Spring day, Naomi and I decided to meet up for lunch. Browsing local deal app Wriggle I posed to her the options available in the centre and she chose a noodle dish with Cupp, opened on St Stephen's Street just before the new year, which came with a bubble tea of your choosing. The decor is bright, geometric and fun with a few tables for dining in but as the focus is on the bubble tea most customers would probably be taking their tea away.</div>
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You can choose from rice noodles in soup, with a supplement of £2 if you want to add beef to the soup, or a vegetable noodle salad. I chose the latter and Naomi went for the former. For the bubble tea I picked my favourite flavour, taro, complete with coconut jelly. There are a few more options at Cupp now since I last visited their other home down in Cabot Circus; grass jelly and basil seeds which can be added to your tea. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTXU-42nYZ4fVOvUZbCeOiHWC5RhceiyA6OUt1xl6PrpbmRZm1myVT3hFBQ5F4NFvnBHTIbzVgc2ew25h40BxqCf2hqSaM8YpR6AjuiC4SZNdtzA_ppDV9BBptPwQKEc44gcDbM5pBeM/s1600/IMG_1409%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cupp Bubble Tea" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTXU-42nYZ4fVOvUZbCeOiHWC5RhceiyA6OUt1xl6PrpbmRZm1myVT3hFBQ5F4NFvnBHTIbzVgc2ew25h40BxqCf2hqSaM8YpR6AjuiC4SZNdtzA_ppDV9BBptPwQKEc44gcDbM5pBeM/s640/IMG_1409%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxifplAunEoN559wz4d5_0WQihEg6W5OFU20XWG8snnvr3QJIKt2yQIRk8jpY9ZfEH12ldAEdRzIy-IImZvbulwr8lkBFmZe0kxLW5b4KVWvrdOgoE49VE1TCJbA26IU-nXmewuC2Yfs/s1600/IMG_1415%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cupp Bubble Tea Noodles" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxifplAunEoN559wz4d5_0WQihEg6W5OFU20XWG8snnvr3QJIKt2yQIRk8jpY9ZfEH12ldAEdRzIy-IImZvbulwr8lkBFmZe0kxLW5b4KVWvrdOgoE49VE1TCJbA26IU-nXmewuC2Yfs/s640/IMG_1415%255B1%255D.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljb_g2kQ4yYrx3c1azfmSCFJanVSdjhOUzTjlkHWO-CMsPCvCFvdKavgqCQKWfqHdIFFWalJSoAQFVfGw9xxd994nOfhZAjzCu6qHfsrId5MfSsB5QrriYbQjBBocFbVY_-sYBSkt_eI/s1600/IMG_1410%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljb_g2kQ4yYrx3c1azfmSCFJanVSdjhOUzTjlkHWO-CMsPCvCFvdKavgqCQKWfqHdIFFWalJSoAQFVfGw9xxd994nOfhZAjzCu6qHfsrId5MfSsB5QrriYbQjBBocFbVY_-sYBSkt_eI/s640/IMG_1410%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lovely fresh and healthy ingredients with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts. The actual flavour was fairly mild but luckily I livened up with a healthy amount of sriracha sauce and a good stir. The bubble tea was as great as usual. Taro is quite sweet but there is something about it that I can't get enough of. For £5 for a bubble tea and some veggie noodles Cupp offer up a bargain that is hard to ignore. For a fresh and quick lunch option in the centre you can't go too wrong here. To find out more about Cupp visit their <a href="http://www.cuppteabar.co.uk/" target="_blank">website </a>or follow them on Twitter.</div>
Abby and Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783204720351532880noreply@blogger.com1