Spicy Lunch at Chilli Daddy

I have a confession to make. Forgive me Father for I have sinned, I have become obsessed with something to the point it consumes all my lunchtime thoughts.  Yes readers, I have finally tried Chilli Daddy and I adore it, in the past month I have been 4 times. What started as a street food stall has quickly grown into having two central shops one just off Park Row and one on Baldwin Street.  I was a bit slow in becoming a convert to the Szechuan dishes that Chilli Daddy provides, mainly because I wasn't sure how customisable they are. One of my only real dislikes is coriander and I knew the noodles came with quite a bit, but once finding out that you can order without I headed to the Baldwin Street branch as soon as I was able. Accompanied by Mr Popple on my first visit he was able to give a little advice on the heat levels and additions you can make.

The menu at Chilli Daddy is fairly simple choose chicken, beef or tofu in either noodle salad, rice box or hotpot. The heat ranges from 1-5 with 5 being the spiciest. I decided to go for the chicken dan dan hotpot, level 3 spicy with no coriander. Tim was brave opting for the same dish but at level 4. Note that there are potato noodles for those of you looking for gluten free options. Another point to mention is it is cash only so remember to plan ahead when you go there.

chicken dan dan hotpot

chicken dan dan hotpot with added tea egg (2nd visit)

takeaway beef hotpot (3rd visit)

Oh my word. Chilli Daddy know how to do a hugely tasty and addictive lunch. Level 3 was just right for me a good spicy kick  but not over powering. I have sampled level 4 and I could eat it but whether I would want a whole bowl of it is uncertain. Although the next time I have a cold could well be the best time to try. If you haven't already tried Chilli Daddy do check them out the food is simply amazing. Prices range from £4.50-6 and the portions are huge and very filling. I am lucky to be surrounded by such temptation every day. To find out more and hear where Chilli Daddy got his inspiration from check out their website.

Lunching at Edna's Kitchen

My first trip to Edna's was one that was long overdue. I have no excuse at all. Edna's is two minutes from my office. Anyway after all the good things I'd heard, especially from my desk mate at work I decided to meet my friend Abi there, it was a sunny day after all. Abi is vegetarian so my choice for lunch was perfect. Edna's Kitchen is the little hexagonal hut at the top of Castle Park, they do pittas, wraps and salad boxes all vegetarian and some vegan.  I decided to go for a salad box which is £5 and comes with cous cous, crunchy salad, a stuffed vine leaf, falafel, houmous and optional chilli sauce. 

Oh Edna you minx. Why had I been resisting your charms all this time? Best houmous I've had from a falafel joint and the chilli sauce has quite a kick. I personally prefer my stuffed vine leaves to be warm but that is personal preference. The falafels were the stars of the show crunchy but soft in the middle, not dry, and full of flavour. Short and sweet but if you want a falafel salad box or a pitta stuffed with falafelly goodness, look no further than Edna's Kitchen, does the best falafels in town. Great choices for veggies and vegans alike so get on down there. For £5 I was stuffed so it's a good feed for sure. To find out more about Edna's Kitchen check out the website.

Anniversary at Allium Brasserie

Last month we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Some of you know this has been a particularly difficult first year of marriage for us. Fighting off the big C for Rich has been more draining than we could imagine, but with hopefully the worst over we are starting to look forward to the years to come.  Postponing our honeymoon is one of the first things we did so in the next 12-24 months we hope to be able to see Italy as planned and eat many of the delicious foods it has to offer. For our first anniversary we booked a meal at Allium Brasserie, run by head chef Chris Staines, in Bath because I'd heard such great things.

Sure enough the weather was really sunny when we arrived and we were a touch early so we headed to the Artbar for a drink. The bar is really beautifully decorated and feels pretty cosy. They have a fairly large cocktail menu as well as the usual stuff. I decided on the gingerbread mule whilst Rich went for a bourbon. Please go and try the gingerbread mule if you find yourself in Bath and passing Allium, they have a nice outdoor seating area and everything, it's the best cocktail I've had in a long time. Hugely refreshing and light, full of gingery goodness you will not regret it.

Once our table was ready we were led into the dining area and handed some menus. The dining room is quite eclectically decorated, part modern part abandoned chateau, I'm not entirely sold on the salmon pink walls but they sort of go with all the gold curtains. Allium do set menu deals for lunch and from 5.30 - 7pm, two courses for £17.50 or three for £23. As we were booked in after 7 we went straight to the ala carte menu. Sipping our glasses of fizz we decided to share some olives and some crab and prawn croquettes with aioli plus we each ordered a 28 day aged black Angus rib eye steak for our main which came with triple cooked chips and beer battered onion rings.

prawn and crab croquettes with aioli

Those crab and prawn croquettes melted in the mouth and went splendidly with the creamy aioli. A perfect little appetiser before our mains.  The steaks arrived along with a glass of red wine each. It was a healthy portion that sat before us. The meat was perfectly cooked and melted in the mouth, right up there with some of the best steaks I've had. The chips were crunchy yet fluffy and well salted, basically what you want from a triple cooked chip. The onion marmalade went very well with the meat.

Personally I found the raw onion in the salad a bit much with onion rings and onion marmalade, but that is just my taste. The onion rings were golden brown and had the crispness longed for in a good onion ring. It was a very tasty and indulgent meal. We didn't have quite enough room for a full dessert so we decided to order a selection of sweet things to go with our after dinner coffee and tea.

In addition, because it was our anniversary, they brought us out a wonderful chocolate mini cake to take home, which was so light and delicious it had to be chiffon or genoise sponge, a touchingly sweet end to a fantastic meal. We will definitely be back to try more of the menu. to find out more about what Allium has to offer visit their website. Allium is a great contribution to the Bath food scene so definitely check it out, if not just for that gingerbread mule cocktail.

Lunching at Fuego

Fuego is looking to fire up your soul by bringing their Latin/Caribbean spirit and food to Bristol. I have lunched at Fuego, what used to be My Burrito until two months or so ago, twice. Each time having different items off the menu. The first time Jo and I had burritos one steak and one pork, although suspending the idea that burritos are not Latin American but tex-mex. However they do a handy burrito and a drink for £5.55 at lunch time which is a great deal.  I like the newly revamped seating area it makes it look a lot tidier and inviting as restaurants go.  My second visit, with Sarah, I branched out and tried the chicken Mofongo, at £9.99. Mofongo is a dish from Puerto Rico made from smashed fried plantain, spices, stock and crackling. This is then shaped to contain pretty much anything, vegetables, meat or fish, the description grabbed my attention as something a bit different. 

Firstly the burritos. They were tasty enough, but did not set my world alight, but I did enjoy the range of hot sauces that are on the table to spice up your lunch, the chipotle one was rather delicious in particular. My other main gripe is that the whole shebang was just not wrapped tight enough so it fell apart more than it should, which is not the point really. It sounds harsh but I have strong feelings about compact burritos.

Mofongo!

the whole meal

pinto beans and chorizo

The Mofongo however was a real surprise. A huge plate of food was brought to me and it smelled intoxicating. It tasted even better. It is a little hard to describe but it's a bit like having a bowl lined with stuffing and the stuffing tastes out of this world but then the bowl is filled with a hearty chicken and tomato stew which is smoky. The black beans didn't do a lot for me but the pinto beans and the rice were really nice. I couldn't quite finish my plate, which considering my healthy appetite was quite a feat. Basically the burritos are fine but if you want to taste something extra delicious go for the Mofongo. To find out more about Fuego visit their website or follow them on Twitter.

Sunday Roasting at the Victoria Park

Last month Mr Popple messaged me asking if I fancied helping him eat a free roast and dessert at the Victoria Park pub in Bedminster. Not one to turn down free food I accepted very readily, whilst also inviting Rich and our friend Michael. It was my first time at the Victoria Park and it's a charming pub, lots of light coming through the windows and a pretty good drinks selection. Our table was booked for 12 so when we got to the pub it was fairly empty and we were shown to our spot, how we all laughed at the reserved sign for Jim Popple (sorry Tim).  With a choice of a hearty nut roast, beef, pork and chicken or a mix of all three meats we quickly decided, three mixed and one pork for me. What is quite a nice touch is that for £1 they will let you add a Yorkshire pudding to any of the roasts that wouldn't normally have them included.

First things first, you get a big plate for your £10, or £12.95 for all three meats. Let's start with the good things. The veg was varied and plentiful and not in any way soggy, a bonus if you ask me, The Yorkshire was huge and both fluffy and crispy perfect for mopping up gravy. The roast potatoes were decent, nice crispy edges and soft centres. The crackling was some of the best I've had for a while nice and crunchy with lots of salt.

My main gripe was the pork was quite dry and flavourless and I personally found the mini onions dotted around the plate unnecessary. I tried a bit of the beef that Rich had and it was really tasty, definitely made me wish I'd gone for beef. Beef can be cut so thinly and cooked too well for my liking so I usually pick a safer option like pork or chicken when I am out. But this time the beef was definitely much better than the pork and much more thickly cut than I expected.  A solid roast for the money just aim for the beef in my opinion. We ordered our desserts, a good mix of the usual suspects, brownie, sticky toffee pudding, cheesecake and earl grey creme brulee.

Tasty desserts, Rich particularly enjoyed the banana ice cream that crowned his brownie, a touch different to the standard vanilla. I was pretty full and glad of the journey back to temple meads to walk off some of the food. I enjoyed visiting the Victoria Park pub it was relaxed and the food was pretty tasty. I am curious about the weekday menu so that might be one to check out in the future. To find out more about the Victoria Park pub visit their website.

Michelin Dining at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Last month I was surprised. My good friend Kathryn said she was taking me out for dinner and drinks for my birthday present, what she didn't tell me at the time was where. I was due to go on a copywriting course in London at the end of March so we decided to combine business with pleasure in one trip.  A few days before Kat told me there was a dress code for the restaurant we were visiting, basically be smart. Finally the name of the restaurant was revealed as L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, which is in central London very near The Ivy. There are a dozen of these L'Atelier restaurants dotted around the globe, Paris, Tokyo, New York and so on and they have collected up 25 Michelin stars between them all with a reputation for theatre and precision, according to their website.

So I was pretty excited, to say the least. Dressed in my best, which is a bouncy floral Ted Baker skirt, I hurried off my train to meet Kat at the restaurant. Jay Rayner once described the decor "like being locked in a PVC fetishist's knicker drawer" I know what he means with all the heavy curtains, accents of red, shiny black surfaces and no daylight but I guess that is all part of the theatre. L'Atelier do a set lunch (12-3) and early evening menu from 5.30 if you order before 6.15. The prices start at £31 for two courses or £45 with matching wines. We decided to go with the full four course set menu with wines, and Kat had very kindly already ordered a glass of champagne to greet me, well we were celebrating. 

watching the chefs work

We ordered our chosen selections from the three choices for each savoury course; cold starter, hot starter and main and were left with the excited feeling of being brought something extra special. I decided for my courses to pick lentil salad with foie gras shavings and smoked duck breast followed by shitake in a chicken broth with fresh herbs and finally braised beef cheek cannelloni with seasonal vegetables.  But before all that we were brought an amuse bouche which was all foam and foie gras mousse but still very delicious and with the champagne felt very decadent indeed.

lentil salad with foie gras

beef cheek cannelloni

Dreamy sculpted Mash

Paris-Brest

Everything I ate was divine. Lots of textures and flavours working together in perfect tasting harmony. Plus all of the wines I had paired with my dishes were excellent. My favourite things were the lentil salad, so much flavour and richness from these little pulses, the mash, hands down the best mash of my life, the man even brought me a second bowl when I cleared up the first one.  The mash was buttery and velvety smooth and there was comfort in every bite, although technically I didn't even need to chew. And the Paris-Brest dessert, perfect choux pastry filled with the lightest praline cream one of the best desserts I've had in a long time.

They even brought over a birthday plate with caramel chocolates, pistachio cakes and yuzu flavoured marshmallows, which tasted very gin and tonic like. Basically if you fancy a treat then definitely try and check out the lunchtime/early evening set menu at L'Atelier if you find yourself in London and fancy a treat. I definitely want to head back for a special occasion again soon. To drool over the menus head over to the restaurant's website.

Lazy Roasting Sunday at The Steam Crane

A few Sundays ago we were celebrating. Beth had just finished her massive almost 20k word dissertation and my treat to her was lunch or dinner of her choice. A roast at the Steam Crane was chosen. We decided, as it was a sunny day, to take the boat down to the S.S Great Britain and then walk the rest of the way via Southville Deli.  The Steam Crane was quite quiet but we had booked at 3.30 so we were directed to a small table by the windows and immediately ordered ciders and a packet of those Snyder's of Hanover pretzel bites, if you haven't tried these you really should they are super addictive, they should be your next drink snack of choice. I personally recommend the hot buffalo wing or cheddar cheese flavours but to be honest they are all delicious and I am drooling right now just thinking about them.

The Steam Crane had two roasts on offer pork belly and beef, at a top of the range price of £14.95, we decided to all go for pork, although note that as tradition dictates Yorkshire pudding is not included with the pork, which is a shame as who doesn't like a Yorkshire? More ciders were ordered all round, well we were celebrating, whilst we waited for our food to arrive.

pork belly and greens

roast, with added beets and carrots

apple sauce

Well it is quite the pretty picture isn't it? A huge dish of roasted beetroot and carrots was placed next to us as well as a mini gravy boat each. Everything tasted really delicious. The pork was especially pleasing. Some of the carrots and beets were a little on the hard side but the potatoes were crunchy and fluffy in the way that everyone wants their roasties. I did miss having a Yorkshire pudding especially as the gravy was plentiful needed something extra to mop it up. Was it worth nearly £15 though? I am not so sure, it was tasty but it is a little above my comfort zone for roasts personally speaking.

We did fancy the toffee, apple and cinnamon crumble for dessert but that had sold out so we opted to share the chocolate tart with salted caramel and vanilla cream, but at £7 we decided sharing was the best option for this. Hugely rich and indulgent I was glad that we shared the tart was quite good but could have done with more than the scanty amount of salted caramel swirled on the bottom of the plate.

I did enjoy the roast at the Steam Crane, flavour wise it was pretty much spot, on the portions were good but not enormous but the price won't have me hurrying back I'm afraid. Also they really need to sort out the toilets they are freezing for one thing but also really in need of a good spruce up. To find out more about what other food the Steam Crane do, check out their website.