Category: restaurants

Brunching out at Chez Mal Brasserie, Malmaison Birmingham

aroundbrum, brum bites, brummiegourmand, Hotels, restaurants

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

 

Open House at Itihaas

aroundbrum, brummiegourmand, restaurants

Birmingham is well known for a curry, being the inventors of the Balti. There is a growing trend, however, for a more sophisticated curry, away from the usual experience, for those with a slightly less ‘rustic’ palate.

In these restaurants, there is no short supply in Birmingham either with well known names such as Lasan, Pushkar and Asha’s, with Itihaas being one of the founding members of this group.

Itihaas is currently refreshing their menu and earlier in the month, I was invited to try it. The restaurant claims to offer an ‘authentic Royal Indian dining experience’ and ‘a culinary journey through the North of India with a couple of stops through Kenya and vibrant Mumbai’, and I curious to see what dishes were on the table.

The restaurant is just outside the city centre in the Jewellery Quarter, on the corner of Newhall Street and Fleet Street, a few minutes walk from Snow Hill railway station.

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We started off with a welcome cocktail featuring Torunska vodka; one of the night’s special cocktails with the guys from Torunska showing off some creative Mixology.

We headed downstairs to the ‘Maharaja’ suite.  With its opulent interior and views over the canal, the decor certainly matched their concept of fine dining with garnishes of 18th and 19th century Indian artefacts. I also popped a quick sneaky peek behind the 300 year old Indian wooden doors into the Tiffin Room, which seats 12. It came complete with a bar, library and your very own dedicated butler if you choose to dine in there.

We were served a delicious range of canapés whilst a sizeable portion of Birmingham’s Food blogging community filtered in.  Some of the treats we tried included:

  • Tempura Cod in a Spiced Paprika Batter served with a Tomato Chilli Relish
  • Spiced Mini Potato cakes served with curried chickpeas, yoghurt & mint tamarind chutneys
  • Scottish Smoked Salmon with Goats Cheese in a filo pastry casing
  • Chicken Tikka in Naan wrap with spicy mayo and green salad
  • Minced Lamb Meatballs roasted with mint and coriander
  • Crispy Pastry topped with gram sev, onions, potato and pomegranate pearls

My favourites to try were the Tempura Cod and the Crispy Pastry Sev. The cod was very moreish, hot little battered parcels of delicate cod which matched well with the spicy relish.  My hand dipped into the basket as it went past on more than one occasion!  The crispy pastry was a new experience to me, topped with crunchy noodles made from a chickpea flour.  They added a really nice crunch to counterbalance the soft  onions and potato.

We had a quick chat from Raj, the Executive Chef of Itihaas, who explained how the new menu was to take us on a tour of the subcontinent and highlight the range of cuisine available. We were also introduced to Torunska vodka. Hailing from the birthplace of Copernicus, Toruń, it’s billed as one of Poland’s best kept secrets and as a vodka for whisky drinkers with a complex palate.

With that on to the mains, I was prepared!

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To try, we had:

  • Lobster Panchporan – a whole lobster simmered with five spices in a creamed mustard powder
  • Nalli Gosht off the bone – lamb off the bone stewed in a hot masala gravy
  • Scallop & Prawn Masala – pan seared scallops and freshwater prawns cooked in a sauce tempered with mustard seeds
  • Roasted Salmon in a Banana Leaf – salmon fillets in a marinade, roasted in banana leaves.
  • Butter Chicken on the bone – chicken cooked on the bone & blended into a smoked tomato sauce with cream and yoghurt
  • Vegetable Pakistani Pulao – basmati rice cooked with spiced vegetables and saffron in a dum style
  • Pomegranate Raita – thick Greek yoghurt decorated with pomegranate pearls
  • Garlic & Coriander Naans – don’t think you need a description for this one!

The lobster was delicious; the meat had been removed from the shell, simmered in a delicious curried sauce, then returned to the shell for presentation. Not too spicy but flavourful, and it really enhanced the sweet lobster meat.

The salmon was also a great pleaser, cooked well and presented beautifully in the banana leaf. The butter chicken was also well cooked, with the rich creaminess as you’d expect.

I was, however, slightly disappointed in the Nalli Gosht.  The lamb had taken on a bit too much of a cinnamon flavour for my liking.

And finally, after another quick cocktail break, we sampled some desserts for what little room was left in our bellies.

We tried:

  • Sambuca flamed Gulab Jamun – golden brown milk dumplings doused in rose water sugar syrup and flambéed in Sambuca
  • Chai Masala Mousse – milk mousse infused with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg
  • Apple & Cinnamon Samosa  – apple compote infused with cinnamon enveloped in pastry
  • Pomegranate & Pistachio Rasmalai – a creamed sponge pudding in a rich milk pistachio base, sprinkled with pomegranate.

I was a big fan of the Gulab Jamun, already one of my favourite desserts, which I had became enamoured with when working in Mumbai for a short while. The sambuca added a really nice aniseed element to the dish.

The Apple Samosas were like miniature apple turnovers, dusted with icing sugar and paired with some of the Pistachio and Mango Kulfi ice cream.  I thought they would have benefited more from a sweet dipping sauce or chutney to balance the sweet-sour fruit.

I will definitely be returning to Itihaas, and it was nice to see a modern twist on a menu in an opulent setting.

Disclaimer: For this event, I was a guest of Itihaas and East Village PR who provided all food and drinks; 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: 02/08/2016

Where: Itihaas, 18 Fleet Street, Birmingham B3 1JL

Who:  Itihaas, Torunska

 

Sunday Best at The Almanack Kenilworth

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A few weekends ago, Wifey and I swapped out Birmingham for somewhere a little different. Kenilworth is just over 20 miles drive or a train ride away from Birmingham. It’s a great destination for a day out with the renowned Kenilworth Castle and Stoneleigh Abbey nearby.

Wifey and I had another reason for visiting too. It’s also a location for one of the Peach Pubs collection, The Almanack

The Almanack is one of the more modern looking Peach Pubs, nestled in under a new apartment building. It had an impressive decor with lots of nice little touches, including a selection of Sunday newspapers to read if you were there to relax.

We were here to try their Sunday Best Menu, which has a regular selection of roasts and some of the highlights from the main menu.

Not feeling up to a full roast, Wifey and I decided to pick a few from the highlights of the main menu,but first, a bit of bread and butter to get our bellies in the mood.

The bread was a warm wholemeal seeded mini loaf accompanied by garlic butter.

It was served a little like a hassle-back potato, sliced part the way through. It was devoured with relish with the bread hitting the trifecta of soft, airy and sweet. The tangy peppery garlic butter could have done with being a touch less on the garlic flavour.

We skipped starters, to keep room for dessert, and went onto the mains.

For my main, I went for a Chicken Caesar Salad. This came with a free range chicken breast, crispy bacon, anchovies and a classic Caesar salad.

The chicken was moist and tender with a crispy seasoned and blackened skin. The bacon was as expected, crispy and sweet and salty at the same time. The anchovies gave an additional salty blast to the rich dressing. The lettuce was nice, crisp and fresh.

Wifey went for something a little more fishy. Cod (substituted from Monkfish on the menu) and Scallops with Bombay Potatoes, Indian Salad and Mint Yoghurt.

This came to the table with a wonderful smell of the Indian spiced potatoes and the fresh clean smell of great fish. The cod was light and separated on touch. The scallops came to the table with the roe (always a nice touch) and had the clean sweet taste you’d expect. The Bombay potatoes were light, buttery and with just enough spice as not to overwhelm the fish. The Indian salad was made up of Rocket, Tomato, Red Onion and seeds added a touch of colour to the dish and disappeared quickly!

As it was Sunday,we couldn’t miss out on a bit of Apple & Rhubarb Crumble.

This was served at the table from a great big enamel dish full of the stuff.  It came with a decent jug of custard from which you could pour as little or as much as you want to personal preference. The crumble topping was sweet, chunky and packed with oats. The fruit filling was rich and not too sweet and combined perfectly with the delicious sweet custard.

And to wash it all down, we had a coffee with a latte for me and an Americano for Wifey with some Smarties to finish.

And with that bellies full and happy smiles off back to Brum.

 

When:24/07/2016

Where: The Almanack, Abbey End North, Kenilworth, CV8 1QJ

Who: The Almanack, Peach Pubs

You can read about other visits to Peach Pubs below:

Choc-A-Block at Colmore Food Festival

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Has it really been a year since the last food festival? Time flies fast in the second city!

The Colmore Food Festival is one of the highlights of Wifey and I’s year. Bringing the cream of the Colmore BID‘s bars, restaurants and cafes in a showcase over two days.

You can read last years posts here and here.

This year the stage had moved to the side of the Town Hall, giving wider avenues to progress down and choose your particular solid or liquid treat, a very sensible move. In the centre, there was a garden with seating hosted by The Opus Family (more on them later).

Wifey and I visited 3 times over the weekend, Friday lunch, Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, but still didn’t get around to trying half of it!

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First stop was the marvellous Gary of Gingers Bar (located in Purnell’s Bistro). With a whisk of his magic fingers, 2 non-alcoholic cocktails were presented to us of G2O, a blend of Orange, Passion-fruit and Lime. This was a perfect refresher and helped with the brisk walk we both had from the other end of Colmore Row in the summer sun.

After slaking our thirst, we popped into the Opus Garden for a spot of lunch via Opus at Cornwall Street. Wifey and I both had an Opus classic: this was a Lincolnshire Leek and Haddock Fishcake, topped with a Poached Egg and butter sauce.

I’m not normally a leek fan but this was great with the haddock. The poached egg was perfect with a rich golden yolk.

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Then, it was back to the office for a few more hours until the freedom of the weekend.

For our return, it was straight to Purnell’s Restaurant, always a firm favourite at the Food Festival. We were glad we got in when we did as they sold out pretty sharpish afterwards.

We went for the Pork Belly, accompanied by Pickled Pineapple, Black Pepper and Pork Crumble. We were impressed by crispy, crumbly, spicy pork belly accompanied  with the sweet sharp tang of pickled pineapple. I’m now sad to be waiting another year before seeing what they cook up next year!

Next stop was to an old favourite, The Jekyll & Hyde, serving a wide selection of gin based beverages. We went for a portion of Dr Jekyll’s Fruit Punch, it definitely packed one and was very moreish.

A few stalls away was Asha’s for a Lamb Saffron Biryani, this Lamb Biryani is cooked with three year mature basmati rice, green cardamom, saffron and cloves, served  with poppadoms, raita and gravy. As expected from one of Birmingham’s most renowned restaurants, very moreish and didn’t last long between Wifey and I.

Next, a break from the food, Seekasaurus was in attendance at the food festival with lots of coloured Dino’s lurking about the stalls and one midway up a lamppost. Wifey and Laura from Full to the Brum went for an explore whilst I popped back to Gingers Bar for another quick beverage.

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This was a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Slushie, deliciously sweet and boozy.

That about wraps it up for Friday evening.

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After compèring the hour of radio that is The Geeky Brummie Show on BrumRadio.com,it was time for visit number 3 for lunch and maybe some more alcohol!

First stop of the day was Jake’s Coffee Box, it’s  great to see an independent as good as Jake’s get to showcase themselves like this, and it’s at the heart of what the Festival is designed to be.

We chose one of Jake’s Picnic boxes, the first being the Savoury Box, with 2 Mini Gourmet Sausage Rolls (Pork, Shropshire Blue & Caramelised Onion, Pork Leek & Sage), accompanied by a homemade Scotch Egg, Rocket Salad, Cherry tomatoes and Black Pudding Crumb. The sausage rolls were delicious especially the caramelised onion one, which Wifey was particularly fond of. The Scotch Egg was also  great with a smooth creamy yolk and a hard albumen.

We also saw the Sweet Box, this contained a Triple Chocolate Brownie, Strawberries, Raspberries and Clotted Cream.

Next stop was booze! And a return to the Opus Garden. We were on the flip-side this time and visiting Bar Opus.

I chose a Marmalade Frozen Kalippo, which was Chase Marmalade Vodka, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice and a touch of Rosemary. Wifey chose The Great Chase, which was Chase Vodka, Chase Elder-flower Liqueur, Lemon Juice and Soda.

After that bit of booze, we made ourselves comfy in the deckchairs and watched a cooking demo by Jojolapa and hosted by Phil Oldershaw.

After that, Wifey couldn’t resist getting a portion of Momo’s, which nice and doughy and packed full of delicate chicken. They were accompanied by spicy rich tomato sauce.

Finishing off with another pair of cocktails from Gingers Bar (of course), it was time to bid a fond farewell to The Food Festival for another year!

When:08/07/2016 – 09/07/2016

Where: Victoria Square, Birmingham City Centre

Who: Colmore Business District, Purnell’s Bistro / Ginger’s Bar, Opus @ Cornwall Street, Jojolapa, Purnell’s, The Jekyll & Hyde,  Jake’s Coffee Box & Bar Opus at One Snowhill

 

Bonjour to Le Bistrot Pierre!

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Le Bistrot Pierre has been in place over a month. Nestling into the canalside between The Cube and Brindleyplace, it seems to have settled in nicely.

 

Wifey and I went to the launch at the backend of June (yes, I’m that far behind!). We arrived after a stroll through the Mailbox and entered via the side entrance, which opened onto a walled terrace area.

 

After some complimentary drinks and canapes, we had an explore around the building which boasts a good sized bar, comfy seating and separate lounge area. There are cosy little alcoves and two good sized terraces, for those braving a British summer, for al fresco dining or little snugs inside with exposed brickwork and dark wood, making it a more intimate experience.

After our wander around, we joined them for their inaugural service (happily, next door to the lovely Adam and Rich from OutInBrum).

Our meal (discounted by 25% as it was opening night), consisted of bread, appetizer, mains and dessert.

The bread (a mini pain) was soft, doughy and warm, with a rich creamy butter. It disappeared fast with Wifey nearby!

Our appetizer was a Tartes Flambée. Described to us as a ‘French Pizza’, it’s from the Alsace region of France and consists of rolled bread dough with fromage blanc or creme fraiche on top. We chose the Traditionnelle which came topped with caramelised onions and smoked bacon lardons. Served on a a wooden platter atop a wire cooling rack, it was extremely moreish. Tasty, light and crispy, the base held up and there was no noticeable sagging. The yin and yang of sweet caramelised onions and salty bacon lardons really went well together and we’d definitely have it again the next time we go.

Wifey’s main was Poulet Printanier: pan-fried chicken breast, asparagus, fricassée of wild mushrooms, tarragon and peas. It came with plenty of sauce, the chicken breast cooked well but remained moist. The tarragon sauce was perhaps a touch heavy but still always a good flavour to enhance chicken.

I chose the Épaule d’agneau à la Marocaine. This was a Moroccan spiced slow cooked shoulder of lamb with pearl couscous, harissa, toasted pine nuts, dried apricots, and a mint and yoghurt dressing. The lamb was well cooked and flaked easily; the pearl couscous was chunky and went well. My only slight disappointment was the thinness of the sauce as it was a tagine style rich sauce rather than a broth.

Accompanying sides were seasonal vegetables of broccoli, carrots and red cabbage which were well cooked and perfectly serviceable. Perhaps a touch of butter may have livened them up. The dauphinoise potatoes on the other hand were worthy of mention, creamy rich and buttery and served in a small frying pan.

Dessert for Wifey was a Crème brûlée (not pictured). A thickly glazed caramelised sugar top, which needed a strong tap to crack into.  The interior was as you expect, a thick yellow custard which slipped down well.

I chose to try their selection of mini desserts which accompanied by an espresso (extra £1 for this option) called the Cafe Gourmand (well, I had to try that!). The desserts were enough to keep me happy and cut through the rich strong coffee, with the sorbet being my fave.

It was a good first experience, bar a few hiccups with service to be expected on opening night. We’ll be definitely be returning again and it’s a good step up from the regular high street French food providers.

 

When: 30/06/2016

Where: Le Bistrot Pierre, 46 Gas Street, Birmingham, B1 2JT

Who:  Le Bistrot Pierre

Moseley’s Soul – Carters of Moseley

aroundbrum, brummiegourmand, Michelin, restaurants

For my 50th post,I thought I’d treat you all to something a little special. Birmingham is very lucky to have 5 Michelin starred restaurants.

Wifey and I have so far visited three of them. We visited Purnell’s pre blog days for a special birthday; visited Simpsons with Birmingham Breakfast Club a few months back and now we can add Carter’s of Moseley, Birmingham’s latest member to the Michelin Club.

Since opening in November 2010, Chef Brad Carter and Co-proprietor/ Maitre’D Holly Jackson have been establishing themselves in the Birmingham restaurant scene and won numerous plaudits including 2 AA Rosettes, Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year, in both Square Meal and the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 restaurants in Britain and of course, the prestigious Michelin Star.

We went on Thursday 24th March, a very wet and windy night, and were glad to be embraced by this cosy 35 cover restaurant, just off the main Moseley Village High Street on Wake Green Road.

We were dining with a couple of good friends, who had arrived before us, and we were seated towards the rear with a lovely view of both the wine cabinet and a window into the busy kitchen. Before we dived in, we started off with a few drinks, three of us went for gin and tonic whilst Wifey went for a vodka and tonic.

To keep us fed alongside our drinks, we had some crunchy wholemeal bread, with flour milled just up the road at Sarehole Mill. The bread came accompanied with two types of spread, one  a simple salted butter, the other a nice pork dripping.

 

 

Wifey loved it being in a small brown paper bag and I liked the wooden butter knife. The bread was very crunchy with a thick crust and was very moreish and filling.

Whilst we munched on our bread and supped our shorts, we went through the menu and chose the full 7 courses with wine pairing. We thought if we were doing it, do it properly!

To start, there was a selection of five snacks for whetting our appetite:

 

The snacks were:

  • Chicken Liver Cereal – The liver was beautifully rich and went well with the crispy cereal and sultanas
  • Ogelshield Gougeres – These little balls of delight were scrumptiou and my favourite of the snacks the savoury choux pastry really complemented the rich raw milk creaminess of the cheese.
  • Smoked Cod’s Roe Cracker, Seaweed & Fish Floss – A little pearl of roe dusted with seaweed and topped with fish floss, it was quite salty but iIparticularly enjoyed the dusted seaweed.
  • Blood Cake with Bramley Apple – Wifey is not a fan of blood cake or black pudding normally but made an exception in this case. The blood cake was quite smoky with a strong offal note, which I really enjoyed and was counterbalanced well with the sharpness of the bramley apple.
  • Cider Cured Sprats & Dill – These were Wifey’s fave of the snacks. Deliciously pickled little fishes with an intense dill sauce.

After a brief break and more chatting, it was time to start our 7 courses. Our first course was an Orkney Scallop with a lava bread and brown butter sauce.

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The Oyster Scallop was HUGE, it was cooked perfectly, piping hot and delicately sweet flavour with a rich salty sauce made from ‘Welshman’s caviar’ and was beautifully presented on a scallop shell.

The wine pairing was a Muscat, a full bodied fruity buttery wine which complemented the scallop well.

Our second course was Yukon Gold Dauphinoise, with Spring White Truffle paired with a Chardonnay. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a decent enough picture but it was a well cooked dish with the perfect potato pick for me with its rich buttery gold colour and firm texture. The Chardonnay was closer to a white burgundy in flavour with a complex taste.

Course number three was Cotswold White Chicken with Bread Sauce & Calçots.

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The chicken was again perfectly cooked and tender, the gravy was exceptionally rich and the bread sauce was the best I’ve ever had. The  Calçots, a relative of the spring onion, added a light bitterness to offset the richness of the gravy. Accompanying the dish was a Arneis. It was a very citrusy wine with subtle overtones of blossom, yet sweet, and merged well with the chicken.

Course number four was Skrei Cod with Fermented Garlic & Monk’s Beard.

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The cod was delicate and flaked with a brush from the fork. the black garlic sauce was rich almost treacle like in colour and oh so complex in flavour, almost chocolatey, sweet and bitter at the same time with a powerful hit of umami. Monk’s beard (Goat’s Beard) hails from Tuscany and is only in season five weeks a year. It’s probably quite unknown in this country but tastes similar to spinach with a high minerally flavour. It was a very well balanced dish and perfectly accompanied with a Gavi. This wine is made from Cortese grapes in the DOCG protected region of  Cortese di Gavi. This was another fruity wine, mainly with peach coming to the fore with a little bit of gooseberry following it up.

Our fifth and ‘main’ course was beef with string beans and  gravy:

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It was my favourite dish of the day, the beef was cooked with enough pinkness for me and well done enough for Wifey. The gravy was a joy with a deep richness and really bringing the umami of the beef to the fore.

It was accompanied by a beautiful Beaujolais, my second favourite red after Chateauneuf du Pape. It was fresh and fruity and almost verging on a white in flavour but it went down a treat.

Wifey, not being a red wine fan had an alternative white, however Holly was kind enough to let Wifey sample an almost rosé Red, which Holly had converted her mother with previously. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever get Wifey to drink red on a regular basis!

Course six and our first dessert was a watermint sherbet

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Watermint is a less well known mint compared to garden, pepper and spearmint but it is abundant in northern Europe’s waterways and has quite a strong menthol flavour. It was combined with the sherbet (a sorbet made with milk rather than a fizzy powder). The accompanying Moscato d’Asti was very sweet with pineapple and grapefruit being the main flavours. Combined with the carbon dioxide, one of our friends coined it similar to an alcoholic Lilt in flavour!

The seventh and final course was Sheep’s Curd & crystallised blood orange.

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The sheep’s curd was very rich, like a very soft cream cheese; the crystallised blood orange added both sweetness and sharpness.  It disintegrated on the tongue and blended into the curd. A wonderful end to a great meal. The final wine was a Demi-Sec and matched the dessert elegantly with its strong citrus and honey notes.

A special mention must also be made for the service. It was faultless , informative and informal, a relaxing change for fine dining.  The sommelier was very knowledgeable and more than happy to change some of the red wine pairings for Wifey.

There was one final extra little treat. We were presented with with cardamom-flavoured chocolate nestled in a bed of edible cocoa shavings. We ate this the following day, too stuffed to eat any more, and it was delightfully bitter with the spicy sweetness of cardamom pervading throughout.

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We had an amazing evening and wouldn’t hesitate to return, the food and service was amazing and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a special meal in Brum. Next time we’ll probably hit the lunch menu.

When: 24/03/2016

Where: Carters of Moseley, 2c St Mary’s Row, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9EZ

Who: Carters of Moseley

Get feeling foodie on a Friday! #FridayNightFoodie is back!

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In the run up to Michelin starred maestro Glynn Purnell’s Friday Night Kitchen on October 7th at Villa Park’s Holte Suite, Twitter followers are being given the chance to win a pair of tickets!

The #FridayNightFoodie competition runs from Friday 1st April and every Friday afterwards and Twitter followers are encouraged to send in a picture of their Friday night dinner using the hashtag #FridayNightFoodie and tagging @GPFNK

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The ultimate winner gets two tickets to the event in October, in aid of CureLeukaemia and their winning dish will be in the cookbook.  Here’s how it works:

  • Starting 1st April, @GPFNK followers need to send in a picture and short description of their Friday night dinner using #FridayNightFoodie (FRIDAYS ONLY!)

  • Each week will have a theme, giving people the chance to challenge themselves to make something out of their comfort zone, rediscover an old favourite or find a new favourite recipe

  • The first theme is nice and easy to get started – your signature dish! Whatever it may be, it’s your chance to show them what you’re made of

  • Each week they will pick a winner. The top dish will become one of their finalists and will automatically make it into this year’s cookbook – to be handed out at the event (here’s a sneak peek at last year’s book!)*

  • Glynn himself will pick the overall winner from all the weekly finalists and that person will win two tickets to the event

  • There’s no limit to how many times you can enter – the more weeks you try, the more chance you have of making the list of finalists

*Just so you know, they may use Tweets, photos and anything else sent in throughout the competition as part of the cookbook – it can be a recipe from an existing book, just let them know when you send it in!

They’d love for you to join their quest this year to find their new #FridayNightFoodie, last year had over 100 entries which they’d love to beat!

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If cooking isn’t your thing, tickets are now on sale for the fun-filled, live show-cooking event that over the last two years has gained the reputation of being the best Friday night out in the Birmingham social calendar.

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The ‘Yummy Brummie’ will be joined by X-Factor winner Sam Bailey.

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The East Londoner, now living in the Midlands, will join Glynn on stage to assist with the cooking along with other celebrity friends of Glynn, before performing for over 400 guests at the prestigious Midlands venue.

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Award-winning presenter Suzanne Virdee will host the evening alongside Heart West Midlands presenter Ed James and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire presenter Phil Upton. The night will include on stage guests discussing and cooking their favorite dishes with Glynn before the audience enjoy the dishes themselves.

The one and only raffle prize on the night will give guests the chance to win a meal cooked at home by Glynn and his Purnell’s team for up to six people a money can’t buy experience. Glynn and his team will turn up, cook Sunday lunch and clean the kitchen up before they leave!

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To round off the evening, guests will be treated to live music from The Subterraneans, the resident band from The Jamhouse, and Heart FM DJ Russ Morris until 2am.

You can book now at gpfnk.co.uk/shop/. Tickets cost £135 per person and VIP tickets £155. Tables of ten can be secured for £1350 and VIP tables for £1550.

Far East Food Double – Yakinori & Chi Kitchen

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Since the opening of Grand Central last year, there’s been a few new eateries gracing Birmingham.

From Tapas Revolution, Giraffe, Pho, Square Pie Company and Frizzenti, there’s plenty to enjoy. My most favourite place so far (we’ve been there three times in the past 6 weeks) is Yakinori. Created by those behind the sadly disappeared Woktastic, Yakinori has opened up branches in Selly Oak and Grand Central. It has certainly filled the hole Woktastic left.

The restaurant could be described as ‘bijou’; with a reasonable amount of stool seating and takeaway available, it feels more suited to a quick bite or commuter eating rather than a languid stay.

The focus is mainly on Japanese cuisine with a little twist and the menu (available here) is full of classics such as Katsu Curry, Donburi, Ramen and Teppanyaki. Wifey and I always pick some Gyoza to start, this time we swapped from Chicken to Duck with plum sauce:

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The Gyoza were fluffy and light, well stuffed and hot with a beautiful sauce and I had to fend off Wifey’s chopsticks just long enough for this picture before she started picking them off.

For mains, I had perhaps the star of their menu, Chicken Katsu curry, whilst Wifey went for the Chicken and Tiger Prawn Don. Wifey was that hungry she didn’t even wait for her rice and tucked into her miso as soon as it touched the table.

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Her Don was big enough for two! With steamed rice, stir-fried with egg, onion, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers, green peas, garlic, golden tofu and spring onion on top of the chicken and tiger prawns, it was certainly packed with flavour. Luckily they do provide takeaway boxes if you need to take some home!

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My Katsu curry, on the other hand, didn’t stand a chance for takeaway. I absolutely adore this dish and Yakinori have turned it into a bit of art. Chicken coated in golden crispy panko breadcrumb, accompanied by Japanese curry, broccoli and sticky rice.

The panko coating was cooked just right, sealing moist chicken inside the crispy crumbs. The curry sauce is mild but with a slow burn after a few mouthfuls. The sticky rice was just right, the only thing was I could have done with was a little more broccoli, otherwise it was pretty much perfect.

If you’re in Grand Central or travelling through New Street Station and fancy a bite, I highly recommend this place. Also, the Selly Oak branch is a smash hit with students at the nearby university as the prices are not bank breaking and the food is good quality.

 

Just the other side of the Bullring Link, Debenhams had a bit of a foodie revamp too…

Perhaps in response to all those new eatries a few minutes walk away, Debenhams have caught the far Eastern bug and opened Chi Kitchen, “a contemporary Pan-Asian restaurant created as an exclusive departmental brand for Debenhams”. Currently only the Bullring and London Oxford Street stores have these in place but I’d expect these to pop up at other locations soon.

MasterChef winner Ping Coombes has had an influence on the menu (available here) as consultant chef. So after my little radio show (ON BRUM RADIO, COUGH COUGH) had its first airing, Wifey thought she’d treat me with a little taste.

Rather than picking a main, we choose three small plates to share between us.

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The duck spring rolls (with hoisin dip) were served well and cooked great too. The duck inside was tender with a fresh flavour and quite a suprise when eating in a department store.

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The salt and pepper baby squid served with sweet chilli was a competent dish, however, it was underseasoned for me considering it had been billed as salt and pepper squid. Also a little more batter wouldn’t have gone amiss. The sweet chilli sauce was powerful and a bit too much for Wifey.

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The Chi Kitchen special fried rice was a mix of chicken, duck and prawn stir fried with peas and jasmine rice. It had a good amount of meat with well cooked rice. It was fine didn’t ‘wow’ us and missed something, probably oyster sauce, to bring the flavours out more. The included crackers were a nice touch.

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The star of the selection was the Popcorn shrimp, a combo of deep fried tempura shrimp served with wasabi mayonnaise pomegranate and mixed leaves. This was our favourite: a rich luxurious wasabi mayonnaise was perfect for Wifey, it definitely had a wasabi flavour and complemented the prawns great. The chilled pomegranate added a really nice sweet balance. I could have done with a touch more spice but I was happy with what we had.

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To finish we had a pot of flowering tea as they did not offer Oolong (!). The jasmine flavoured tea was a nice refreshing way to finish anyhow and was beautifully presented.

We’ll probably revisit for a proper meal next time but with Chinatown across the road, there’s probably more competition than the Oxford Road store will face.

Also, you can find BOTH of them on Deliveroo too!

 

When: 12/02/2016 (Yakinori), 20/02/2016 (Chi Kitchen)

Where: Grand Central, Bullring

Who:  Yakinori, Chi Kitchen