A Visit to Wok Cafe

Wednesday last week Jamie and I met up for a well overdue catch up dinner at Wok Cafe, which used to be Shanghai Nights. This building has been split up in to a variety of mini businesses including, a shop, karaoke, bubble tea as well as a little cafe. The cafe is a lot smaller than the old Shanghai Nights and a bit less fancy but the menu is pretty big so there is a lot to choose from.  What is rather good is that you can get a main and rice from £6 none of the dishes are over £10 so it is all in all a good budget option if you are not feeling like cooking but also not feeling like spending. 

Jamie and I ordered a pot of jasmine tea and I left the rest of the ordering up to Jamie, there were a lot of dishes I was familiar with on the menu and some that were new to me but as Jamie had been here before and she was the expert I let her guide the way. We decided to share the mixed meat crispy noodles, hotpot with Chinese sausage and preserved meat with rice, yam croquettes and some siu mai.

mixed meat with crispy noodles

siu mai

Yam croquettes

hotpot

The short of it, the food impressed me. The cafe only seats about 30 people but the food you get is really rather good, hot, fresh and tasty.  I particularly liked the crispy noodles as they are not something I have very often and the varying textures in the dish are enjoyable and a little different. Yam croquettes I also love but I know they won't be to everyone's taste as the texture is quite odd but the reward of roast pork inside with a tangy sauce is a delight. 

The whole meal cost us about £13 each which for all those dishes and including drinks is an absolute bargain. I am looking forward to exploring more of the menu and trying some new dishes, there are a lot of dishes that you will be familiar with and plenty that will be new to you, so be adventurous and give some of them a try.  To have a sneaky peek at the menu check out their website.

Dim Sum at Shanghai Nights

Way over due a dim sum visit, I am an addict you know, a recent Sunday, Jamie, Elisa, Mar, Gema and I went to Shanghai Nights for their dim sum menu. I was extremely hungry so we let Jamie, as the expert, lead the way in ordering. We had been in the restaurant for about 15 minutes and no one had come to take our  drinks order, so Jamie went up to the desk to enquire and was told we had to order them and the food from the bar. This was fine if we had been told the procedure before hand, it pretty strange that we had to guess what the deal was. 4 of us shared a pot of Iron Buddha tea whilst we waited for our dim sum to arrive.

Pork and Chive Dumplings

Salt and Pepper Squid

We had to ask for plates and chopsticks, for 5, we were delivered plates and five individual chopsticks, which was rather amusing and odd, so we had to ask for 3 more separately. The food however was great. We all agreed most of the dim sum we ordered was some of the best we'd had in Bristol so far. The flavours were fresh and the dim sum, extremely well stocked with filling. I particularly enjoyed my favourite Siu Mai and the Xiao Long Bao, which were very well made as the soup filling did not leak out at all so when you took a bite the lovely fragrant stock poured out. There is a great short film about their dim sum and an interview with the dim sum chef from Shanghai Nights on vimeo here.

As well as a variety of dumplings we also order some salt and pepper squid, cuttlefish cakes and shredded pork with crispy noodles to pad out the meal. All were wonderful, I have never had cuttlefish before and it went wonderfully with the chilli dip, nice and crispy with a subtle fish flavour. The noodles were greatly admired for the variety of textures in the dish, crispy noodles with soft vegetables and fragrant pork made a great combination. 

Cuttlefish Cakes

Siu Mai

Shredded Pork with Crispy Noodles

Delicious shrimp filled Har Gow (perfectly peachy coloured morcels)

There are a few tweaks they need to make with regards to service, but the dim sum at Shanghai Nights, bar about 2 dishes, is even better than Dynasty so if you are a dim sum fan, I recommend giving them a visit. We paid about £13 each including a drink which is pretty good value for what you get. Dim sum is always best when you go with more than two people as you get to sample more dishes I am looking forward to returning and sampling their buffet menu. For menus, karaoke and bubble tea flavours check out their website.

Chinese Feasting at The Mayflower

I have lived in Bristol nearly five years and never been to the Mayflower. I have heard so much about it since knowing of it's existence that I was well over due a visit. Sarah had set up our monthly foodies meet up dinner for the Mayflower, it seemed to take ages for Friday to come round but finally it did. The Mayflower is hidden under the Beefeater and next to the Bearpit if you take the subway, a little secret restaurant hidden from passing trade view. I invited Jamie to join our party and promised her she could order for Rich and I as she was the expert, plus I wanted to try some new and authentic dishes. Jamie had already praised the Mayflower as the place to go in Bristol to get authentic Cantonese dishes so I knew I was in for a treat.

Sizzling Beef (ordered by one of our party)

As in some of the bigger Chinese restaurants there are both English and Chinese menus, the Mayflower excels in it's Chinese menu, here you can get many Southern Chinese delights including a good variety of hot pot dishes. We were all pretty hungry by this point so a hush descended over the table whilst we studied the four page menu. Jamie helped with some of the menu details and after about 20 minutes everyone had come to a decision so I sat back and sipped my Chinese tea whilst I waited.

Three Roasties

Jamie had ordered; three roasties, salt and pepper squid, tung choy in Malaysian sauce and an oyster and pork belly hot pot. I'd had three roasties before at Dynasty and the squid was my one stipulation to the meal because I adore it. Three roasties comprises of honey roast pork, pork belly and roasted duck served with rice and this was the best I have tasted, really well flavoured meats and crispy skin on the duck. The only warning I have is this is served at room temperature so don't be surprised when it does not turn up hot.

Tung choy is a semi-aquatic tropical plant, known as water spinach in English. Definitely one of Jamie's favourites from home where she knows it as morning glory. So obviously there were a number of titters round the table when it rocked up announced as such. The Malaysian style sauce it was served in was made from fermented tofu paste and was totally delicious. I wanted to try something new and this was definitely new. 

Tung Choy

Salt and Pepper Squid with Chilli Salt

The Mayflower serves the best salt and pepper squid I've had. It was crispy and not in any way rubbery, it has recently become one of my favourite dishes to order and this was the pinnacle of my recent foray into this dish. Finally the hot pot, this was also something completely new and the variety of different ones you can get at The Mayflower is great, anything from fish belly and tofu to stewed beef brisket. I was slightly dubious of the oysters after my first introduction into the world of oysters two years or so ago I was pretty sick the next day. Since then never has a oyster passed my lips. However these were cooked with a light batter so I was willing to give them a go. I was glad I did because they tasted very different hot. The sauce in the hot pot was light, giving the tender pork belly and oysters a chance to shine I would love to try some different hot pots in the future the brisket one on the menu here sounds particularly delicious.

Oyster and Pork Belly Hot Pot 

The Mayflower may not be fancy inside but the food it serves is first rate. There were sounds of happy munching at our table for many minutes it was definitely some of the best Chinese food I have experienced probably ever. I look forward to returning, especially with Jamie, who is my secret weapon. Rather randomly The Mayflower is open until 3am most evenings so if you have a late night hankering, this is not a problem. To check out some of the many other dishes served at The Mayflower check out their website. 

Lunch at Toro Pan Asian

Rich gives the low down on our visit to Toro Pan Asian...

Toro Pan Asian is the latest offering to occupy the space that Beijing Bistro previously sat in, toward the top of Park Street. Although the bistro offered good food at a good price, after almost a decade of service it suddenly closed down. Then, after a long period of being vacant, it was converted into Riva Italian, which promptly lasted all of what felt like a month before also going under. Perhaps opening another Italian on a road where Jamie's Italian, Mamma Mia and about three others are all less than five minutes walking distance was not as sound a business decision as they thought. Regardless, within about five minutes of closing down, someone decided that what Bristol needed more than anything else was another Pan Asian restaurant, and Toro appeared almost immediately too hastily appease our insatiable demands.

Saturday was deemed the day to go and try the establishment out, and the first thing we noticed was that although clean, spacious and bright, the restaurant appeared to look exactly the same as Beijing Bistro and even use the same furniture. A cheap renovation then, and in a way happily familiar, but we were quickly reassured of the venue with the extremely friendly and helpful staff.

The menus offer all the usual choices of food and drinks that you would expect, so the four of us went for beers and soft drinks, four different mains, one starter of BBQ ribs, and three starters of spring rolls. Now, I don’t really want to kick a place in the teeth so close to its opening, and I’m not prone to exaggeration, but believe me when I say that without a doubt the starters were the very worst I have ever seen or tasted. Anywhere.

Spring Roll "Presentation"

In contrast, Spring Rolls from Hong Kong Bistro in Bath

BBQ Ribs

When you order spring rolls, or even when you get them served at a friends house, you generally expect a dip or sauce of some kind to accompany them, usually a sweet chilli, soy sauce, or perhaps a thick hoisin. Instead we received a handful on each plate dry, with nothing else, and worse than that, they looked and tasted pretty much like the pre-cooked re-heatable ones you’d find in an Iceland party pack (seriously, force yourself to watch the next Iceand advert on TV, they are exactly like that). The BBQ ribs too were appalling. When I say BBQ ribs you instantly imagine and expect four/five hot ribs coverd in a sticky and tasty BBQ sauce, these however were dry and warm, and with a slightly rubbery consistency. I’m not going to say that they had been re-heated in a microwave before being served to us, but if you've ever warmed up meat in a microwave before, and even if you haven't, this felt and tasted just like that.

Crispy Shredded Beef

So with a resounding failure of a first course my optimism levels for the main were decidedly low. We were however pleasantly surprised by the comparative quality of the mains. While by no means great, or even close, some of the mains were quite tasty and possibly even freshly cooked. Sadly my classic favourite, the crispy shredded chilli beef, was not one of them. For a start there was no chilli or even a hint of spice, the sauce was thin and horribly oily, and even the beef itself was fairly grim. The batter for the beef was hard and crunchy, containing very little meat, with some pieces consisting entirely of batter and nothing else. The vegetables tasted okay, and whilst it may be damning with faint praise, but the rice was cooked properly at least.

Abby plumped for the Singapore noodles and described them as being mostly alright, if a little dry, but at least fairly generous with the meat and vegetables. The shrimp though was decidely small, rubbery, completely flavourless and worryingly reconstituted. If the ribs and springs rolls had raised the idea of these being obviously re-heated packets foods, then the shrimp near as completely confirmed it. Our other dining companions fared better with this visit, choosing the trusty classics of sweet and sour chicken and kung po chicken. And their dishes at least looked quite nice, and were eaten with a small amount of enthusiasm, even if the description used for them was a simple yet lukewarm “fine”.

Singapore Noodles

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Kung Po Chicken

Most of us chose to skip dessert. However one lemon sorbet was ordered, which amazingly was actually very good. Crisp, zesty and refreshing, I should really have ordered one for myself to help clean my mouth of the unpleasantly oily feeling I was left with courtesy of my ‘beef’ dish, instead I relied on multiple cold beers.

Price wise it’s a fairly competitive establishment with the standard prices you’d expect, £3-5 for a starter, around £6-10 for a main, and drinks slightly more expensive than most pubs or bars. And the service is really very good, with attention and charm winning you over as soon as you walk in through the door, and crucially for me the lack of loud Nickelback and Westlife playing while we ate was a definite plus. The crucially important part of the restaurant though, the food, was frankly dire. Feeling cheaply sourced, prepared, cooked, and presented, it really didn't give the impression of somewhere where you can say they just had a bad day, as food wise it was it just got it all so wrong, but I would be interested to hear if anyone else has a different, and better, experience.

Personally for me, it left a nasty taste in my mouth, both figuratively and literally, left me feeling ripped off, and made me regret not having gone anywhere else. There is a huge bounty of good and great Chinese food in Bristol already, so why someone has thought they could contribute with such an obviously poor and cheap offering is if anything utterly baffling. If you're ever near Toro and fancy a Chinese meal, do yourself a favour and instead just keep walking and go to Wongs, Mayflower, Dynasty, Shanghai Nights or maybe even the new-look Cosmo when it opens later this month. Toro however, for me and without any doubt, is the absolute worst meal and dining experience I've had this year, and in a long time.

Noodles at Hong Kong Bistro

For quick, cheap but tasty Chinese dishes Beijing Bistro on Park Street used to be the place to go for a zippy refuelling. I was sad when it closed down a year or two ago because I am a noodle addict and you could always guarantee a generous portion for around the £6-£7 mark. Luckily Bath has the sister branch, Hong Kong Bistro by the bus station, still open. I very rarely visit my home town for nights out these days, but being I still have close friends there, and my parents obviously, I thought it was about time I started.

Last week Steph and Helen and I had a long over due catch up at Hong Kong Bistro, one of our old haunts. Hong Kong Bistro's menu is exactly the same as Beijing Bistro's used to be. You can find a big choice of starters, noodles in soup, rice dishes and wok fried noodles. I will generally choose wok fried noodles when at a noodles bar if I am especially hungry. But the noodles in soup from here are also very good much nicer and little bit cheaper than going to Wagamama.

Prawn Toast and Breaded Chilli Prawns

It had been a long time since I last visited here and I had forgotten how giant the portions are. So naively we ordered some side dishes of prawn toast, spring rolls, prawn crackers and breaded chilli prawns. Once our heap of noodles rocked up we realised the size of our tasty problem. Steph had chosen one of my favourites, the Singapore vermicelli, Helen went for duck and ginger noodles and I decided on char siu chow mein.

Duck and Ginger Noodles

Singapore Vermicelli

As usual the noodles did not disappoint, they were hot, tasty and everything I could want from a wok fried dish and I snaffled them up as fast as my dexterous chopsticks skills allowed, which was fairly fast. I miss having such a place in Bristol and I hope we get a similar noodle bar open again soon. The restaurant itself is rather no frills with basic seating and it is quite small. The staff are fairly hands off when it comes to service but  we were served quickly and efficiently which is all that was required on this visit.

Char Siu Chow Mein

Although I did not opt for their Pad Thai this time round but I cannot recommend it enough, it was always my favourite and it is very delicious and moreish. Hong Kong Bistro has a great selection for vegetarians everything was well cooked and fresh, so if you want something Asian but don't just want to go for a chain like Yo Sushi or Wagamama then it is definitely a cheap and tasty alternative. Particularly when looked at in contrast to the post that will follow this one.

Sunday Dim Sum at Dynasty

On Sunday we finally got to sample the celebrated dim sum at Dynasty on St Thomas Street. Armed with an expert, our friend Jamie, we headed down from the flat in a lucky dry patch, on an otherwise wet day. Although I have had the odd dim sum before at Chinese buffets, mainly gyoza and char siu buns I had never devoted a whole session to them.

We were surprised by how busy it was, these dim sum were clearly well renowned. We let Jamie order with guidance to avoid the snail involved dishes. With 12 dishes carefully chosen and some three roasties rice to go with we sipped our Chinese tea awaiting delivery. Everything arrived promptly and it all looked delicious.

Three Roasties Rice 

I have been well informed by Jamie that these are the best and most authentic dim sum in Bristol but Wong's is the place to go for the best three roasties rice, we were however quite pleased with it when it rocked up, honey roast pork is definitely one of my favourite Chinese dishes. The dim sum quickly followed and the talk slowed to a minimum except to occasionally to check what dish was which.  I couldn't fault any of them, however I had a few favourites, the prawn wonton with salad cream dip, yes you read that correctly and it worked very well. The crispy squid was very tasty also, as well as the pork dumplings and chicken rolls wrapped in bean curd. I think my favourite, by a whisker though was the yam croquettes they were amazingly delicious, Jamie told me how hard they are to make as you have to get the yam so smooth.

Prawn Wonton

Yam Croquettes and Crispy Squid

Jamie assures me that next time we should try the crispy chicken feet, I am curious but not committed to that yet, however definitely cannot wait to go back for more of their dim sum it was the perfect way to spend a Sunday. I would advise people get there early or book because it was so busy at 1pm when we arrived we were lucky to get seated. Our next Chinese mission hopefully will be The Mayflower where Jamie can guide us round more of the authentic delicacies! In the mean time, here are some more photos of our dim sum.

Siu Mai Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp

Birthday Food Bonanza at Lahloo Pantry and Wong's

After a 4 day weekend I am back. Had a lovely birthday full of many celebrations, afternoon tea at Lahloo's Pantry with Rich my mum and sister, then dinner at Wongs with Rich and our friend Phil. Monday we went to The Eldon House for the pub quiz and our team won which was very satisfying, however I think the set up with the prizes is a bit stingy.

I had been hunting for a suitable afternoon tea venue in Bristol for a while, being a big tea fan, then after visiting Lahloo for Valentine's Day, the search was over. For £13.50 you get as much tea as you want to sample and two stands of open sandwiches, mini savoury muffins, meringues with sweet pistachio filling, scones and pomegranate and champagne Turkish delight, amongst other things. It was all delicious, my particular favourites were the quails egg and rocket open sandwiches with smoked tea salt but the scones were some of the best I've tasted in a long while.

Tea wise I sampled Smoky and the classic Earl Grey. The Smoky tea was really good it was very strongly smoke flavoured but it went with the egg sandwiches perfectly. Mum opted for afternoon Darjeeling and although she is very particular about the brewing of her tea was extremely complimentary. Lahloo changes it's afternoon tea menu every month, I am almost tempted to book in every month if it continues to be as good as this one was, I cannot wait to see what they come up with next!

 It took me a while to pick a restaurant for my birthday meal. A lot of independent restaurants are not open on Sunday nights which I can see makes sense, but for this occasion it made things a little tricky. I love Asian food particularly so after recommendations from two Malaysian friends I decided to go for Wong's is on Denmark Street, just behind the Hippodrome and I have been curious about it ever since it opened so was looking forward to going.

When we got inside I was surprised by how beautifully decorated it was, all dark woods and gold plus the chairs were like thrones they were enormous. The restaurant was pretty quiet apart from a birthday party near the back. The wine is reasonably priced, many bottles just over the £14 mark and as usual we were all slightly overwhelmed by choice but this is not always a bad thing.

We all had starters Rich went for the lettuce parcels, I went for pork gyoza dumplings and Phil went for the classic spring rolls. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the food arrived promptly, it was well presented and tasted amazing. No greasy overly salty flavours that you can get in some lesser Chinese  takeaways.

For our mains we ordered four dishes to share and some rice. Rich and I chose the honey barbecued pork tenderloin, crispy shredded chilli beef and beef ho-fun noodles, whilst Phil went for the spicy chilli chicken dish. When it arrived it was well presented and the portions were very generous, again I cannot fault the food it was well seasoned, tasty and definitely the best Chinese I have had probably ever. The pork tenderloin was probably my favourite closely followed by the ho-fun noodles, they were so moreish.

Honey Barbecue Pork Tenderloin

Crispy Shredded Chilli Beef

Half way through the Beef Ho-Fun

Spicy Chilli Chicken

I cannot fault the food and friendly service at Wong's however I do have two small complaints. The first is the music, we had Nickelback and Westlife throughout the meal which although I can filter out the latter the former I cannot ignore. It seemed a bit sad to have such a good meal accompanied by intrusive music, why not go for something instrumental? The second gripe is that one of the staff, I assume was one of the co-owners, who was very nice, asked if we wanted tea or coffee, to which we replied no, but then she insisted she would bring us some Chinese green tea on the house, how could we refuse?

The tea was very nice indeed but when the bill finally arrived we noted we had been charged for the tea, we waited a while to ask about this but everyone seemed to have disappeared so we paid and left. As I said these are fairly small things and I would encourage everyone who enjoys good Chinese food to try out Wongs as it is very reasonably priced and the quality is superb. I am really looking forward to going again and trying something new.