Brunching out at Chez Mal Brasserie, Malmaison Birmingham

Chez Mal is no stranger to Wifey and I, we’ve enjoyed a few brunches with family in the past. When we were invited to go and try it out, how could we say no.

Their brunch is billed as “The Biggest Sunday Lunch in Town”, a substantial selection of three courses including an unlimited chef’s table of hors d’oeuvres, a choice of either a main plate or a brunch option and dessert – for £19.95 per person (£9.95 for little ones)!

Prior to sitting down, we had a quick drink in the relaxed bar area before going into the Brasserie, which has been recently updated with cosy booths and more relaxed lighting.

After Wifey and I took our seats (we were dining with the lovely Ting and Mr Ting), we wandered over to the Chef’s table.

 

The table had a cornucopia of canapes (including the soup of the day – Cream of Cauliflower), Caesar, Caprese, Greek and bespoke fresh salads, shellfish and seafood cocktails, hand carved serrano ham, ibérico, chorizo, salchichon, terrines, Artisan breads, dressings, cheeses and chutneys.

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The trick is to not eat too much before the main course!

Talking of main courses, Wifey and I went split choice, with me picking from the brunch menu and Wifey went for the main plates.

My selection was California Eggs; two poached eggs, crushed avocado and chilli on char-grilled Altamura (Italian) bread.

 

The eggs were perfectly poached and the yolk was deliciously runny. The bread was nice and crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. I found myself wanting an extra slice to help with the runny yolks. The crushed avocado was rich and buttery with flecks of chilli, though I would have preferred a touch more heat.

Wifey on the other hand chose USDA Black Angus; Picanha (rump cap) cut, thyme & rosemary Yorkshire pudding, served with gravy, buttered greens, maple glazed root vegetables and dripping roast potatoes.

 

The beef was well done (Wifey’s personal preference, against my protestations!).  The gravy sauce was rich in flavour and the vegetables were nicely glazed, and to share with the other roast dinner care of Mr Ting.

From the dessert menu, Wifey chose the blackberry and pistachio trifle.

 

The trifle was beautifully presented with the lady fingers, blackberry jelly squares and pistachio crumb on top instead of the bottom. The custard & cream were not overly sweet and was balanced well with the textures of the jelly and lady fingers.

My dessert was a sticky toffee pudding with pecan caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.

 

The pudding was rich, comforting and topped with crunchy walnuts, and glazed in a glossy, sweet and gloriously sticky sauce. The ice cream was rich and flecked with vanilla; it paired well with the hot dessert.

Fully stuffed, Wifey and I went for a stroll down the canal to burn off some of the calories we’d built up on the Sunday feast. For just under £20 a head, it’s absurdly good value and a great way to catch up with friends. No doubt we will be visiting again soon.

 

Disclaimer: For this brunch, I was a guest of Malmaison & East Village PR, this provides no bias to the post. This blog is my own personal opinion and strives to provide an independent view, promoting, enjoying and reviewing the range of exciting food and venues in and around Birmingham.

When: 13/11/2016

Where: Chez Mal, Malmaison,  1 Wharfside St, Birmingham B1 2JR

Who: Chez Mal

 

Mâcher at Miss Macaroon

Great Western Arcade is attracting a lot of food highlights to its Victorian arches. From some of the world’s best sandwiches in Anderson & Hill deli, fresh sushi in Sushi Passion, great coffee with York’s Espresso Bar, award winning Loki Wine, vegetarian speciality restuarant 1847 and soon to be opening The Charter Rooms (Langley’s Gin‘s cocktail bar), it’s turning into a foodie destination rather than just a walkway.

 

Newest member to the throng is Miss Macaroon and Wifey and I were lucky enough to be invited to their launch night. Founded by former Purnell’s Patisserie chef Rosie Ginday, this is a business with a heart, as well as a sweet-tooth.

 

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Created not just to sell sweet treats combined with prosecco, it’s also a social enterprise. They provide employment and training programmes aimed at youngsters, who may have slipped through the education system, are care leavers or find themselves homeless, through every macaroon sold in the shop or their online store with even customisable options available.

 

 

Whilst Rosie talked to us about Miss Macaroon’s mission to make the world a better and sweeter place, we munched on some of the delicious treats, with Salted Caramel, vanilla and dark chocolate. Light yet packed full of flavour, they were delicious and went well with a glass of prosecco.

 

We also had chance to have a go at decorating our own with edible cold paint and some very delicate painting brushes. I had a go at the Twitter bird but failed, whilst Wifey did better with her geometric pattern.

 

We also had an opportunity to create our own recipe and whilst I was waiting, I grabbed a few snaps of possibly the world’s most colourful counter. The decor in such a bijou shop was artfully done, with a beautiful window display.

It was then my turn to lend a hand with my creation, and choosing my ganache from the spinning record desk display!

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I went for:

  • Chocolate Shell
  • Tiramisu Ganache
  • Smoked Sugar
  • Poire William Syrup

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I named it  Café Gourmand in honour of the French combination of mini desserts and coffee, to match the chocolate and tiramisu combination.

Whilst Wifey went for:

  • Matcha Green Tea Shell
  • Dark Chocolate and Passionfruit Ganache
  • Smoked Sugar
  • Mango Syrup

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For her fruity  combination, it was Matcha Made in Heaven.

It’s  great to see something different from the normal cafe or bar. The Miss Macaroon shop currently seats eight customers inside, and a further six alfresco are to be added in spring next year.

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To keep those customers occupied, 30 different flavours of macaroons, all freshly hand piped, baked and hand filled at its dedicated kitchen in Hockley will be available. On the beverage side, Prosecco, carefully matched to the sweetness of the macaroons by Connolly’s Wines, is available, along with hot chocolate by Valrhona and ‘Aurelio’ golden artisan beer by Two Fingers Brewing Co, who direct their profits to Prostate Cancer UK.

With a world first ‘personalised’ option, where customers can have logos, words or even their face printed on their macaroons in under one hour, they even can do a pantone colour matching service. It’s great to see Birmingham being their first location and I look forward to many more with their aim of 100 stores  by 2021.

Disclaimer: For this evening, I was a guest of Miss Macaroon, this provides no bias to the post. This blog is my own personal opinion and strives to provide an independent view, promoting, enjoying and reviewing the range of exciting food and venues in and around Birmingham.

 

When: 28/10/2016

Where: Miss Macaroon,  Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row, Birmingham. B2 5HU

Who: Miss Macaroon