Wifey Writes – Alcohol Alchemy at The Alchemist

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Birmingham is buzzing with new bars and restaurants opening at the moment. The latest addition is The Alchemist, housed underneath The Grand Hotel restoration on Colmore Row, next door to sister venture Italian restaurant Gusto.

 

Owned by Cheshire-based Living Ventures, which also encompasses The Botanist into its family, they are already well established in the North of England,with branches in Alderley Edge, Manchester, Liverpool & Leeds to name a few.

I was invited to the VIP launch as award winning Brumhour’s plus one.

The place is beautifully furnished with copper-coloured fixings and glass cabinets full of a wonderful and eclectic mix of collectables.

 

We were given a lovely welcome drink of Peaches & Crème – Briottet Peach and Pink Grapefruit, Lemon and Prossecco Fizz. A sweet refreshing taster of what was in store, it went down a treat.  We’d also ordered some spirits from the bar – Portobello Gin & Tonic (sorry no picture) for myself (sadly no Langleys!).

What caught my eye was a rather futuristic looking stand, looking rather extrinsic to the backdrop, which they had both upstairs and downstairs.  Turns out this is a Mist Bar and you can sup in different flavours of alcoholic mist through a straw.  The upstairs one was mint chocolate flavoured; the one downstairs was rum flavoured.

Heading downstairs to the basement bar, it was spacious with high ceilings yet cosy enough for an intimate gathering.  Being a enthusiast of all things storage, I particularly liked the little drawers against the back wall.  Imagine my disappointment that they didn’t actually open! I half expected to find some hidden gems in there.  I love all types of storage and these made a beautiful backdrop.

The glass cabinets showcased an eclectic mix of eccentricities, two headed bird anyone?

I also sampled several other drinks whilst enjoying the surroundings.

Wow Woo! – Ketel One Vodka, Briottet Peach, cranberry, citrus, gold.  A pretty and glittery concoction.

Caramel Rum Punch – Appleton Signature Rum, Grand Marnier, watermelon, lime, pineapple, fire.  Nice sweet caramel undertones with chunky cinnamon stick.

Bubblebath – Tanqueray Gin, Aperol, Chambord, Lemon, Apple, Fairy Liquid – a favourite of the night if only for the Fairy Liquid non stop frothiness!

Candy Crush – Ketel One Vodka, Rhubarb and Rosehip cordial, Lemon, Egg White, Candy, Pink – sickly sweety as it should be!  This is perfect as a dessert on its own.

Smoky Old Fashioned – Woodford Reserve Whisky, maple syrup, dilution, Jerry Thomas Bitters, smoke.  Self pouring from separate glass flask, it felt like being back at school in the science lab! Although not clear in the photos, it was smokin’! I’m not a huge whisky fan unlike Mr Brummie Gourmand and enjoyed more of the theatrics of it.

During the evening, I also sampled some tasty appetisers which I would happily eat again:

Pork bon bons – delicious Middle Eastern flavours encased in a crunchy coating.

Prawn with jalapeno salsa – crunchy and very moreish

Cheese quesadillas – fluffy with a lovely, scrumptious salty filling

The Alchemist is located in Colmore Business District, attracting a lunch and after work crowd.  It’s somewhere I would happily visit again; my aim, as with most cocktail places we have visited, to work my way through the entire cocktail menu!

 

Disclaimer: For this evening, Wifey was a guest of #BrumHour and the team at The Alchemist, this provides no bias to the post. This blog is our 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: 06/10/2016

Where: The Alchemist, The Grand, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2DA

Who: The Alchemist

 

New Book Launch at Tapas Revolution

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It seems to be a period of 1st birthdays. Grand Central has been open for a year now, nestled on top of New Street station, with already one swap of ownership. Grand Central has had a busy year! Happily, this also means Tapas Revolution‘s only Midlands location has been with us for a year.

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Omar Allibhoy has been err.. creating a revolution…  in Spanish cooking since arriving in the UK in 2008. Opening the first Tapas Revolution in 2010, he also launched Britain’s fastest selling Spanish cookbook in 2013 (no prizes for guessing the name).

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For his follow up book, Spanish Made Simple Omar has taken inspiration from simple ingredients easily available to make classic Spanish Tapas. To celebrate the launch, Omar has also revitalised the menu with a few (hopefully) new favourites from the book. There is a gluten free menu available too for those coeliacs amongst you!

Whilst we went through a few nibbles of Jamón Ibérico de bellota Montenevado (hand carved to order 30-month cured, dry-aged and acorn-fed Iberian ham) and Pan con Tomate (toasted bread, garlic, tomato and olive oil), Omar took us through the inspiration behind the new book and menu, using easily attainable ingredients to create simple but delicious dishes.

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Before delving into the new menu, we were treated to the best Ham Croquettas in London (and apparently the rest of the country too). These ham and béchamel were little bundles of joy. A crispy exterior, a rich creamy sauce, with little morsels of Iberico ham studded through. I could see why they’re a popular little dish.

Next up some of the treats from the new book:

Piquillos rellenos de setas:  baked piquillo peppers filled with mushroom béchamel and piquillo pepper sauce. Mmmm-mmm-mmm.  Not much else to say: rich, creamy, velvety, unguent, really a nice little pot of heaven!

Cogollos de tudela con vinagreta de panceta: Warm roasted lettuce salad with honey and smoked bacon vinaigrette. Now I was surprised with this dish, warm lettuce just sounded, well, wrong! Happily I was wrong!  Pan fried leaves drizzled with honey and sprinkled with crispy bacon, they were delicious.  I could have happily just tucked into a big bowl of this for the evening. It’s definitely something I’ll be trying at home!

Cordero al chilindrón: Traditional slow-cooked lamb stew with tomato, peppers & herbs. This felt very comfort food with big hearty pieces of lamb floating in a rich broth.  If you need an autumn pick me up, this would be it.

It wouldn’t be tapas without a bit of dessert to finish off, would it?

Tarrito de chocolate: A sweet sherry chocolate pot with fresh raspberries.  This was VERY chocolatey with a hint of the sherry on the aftertaste; the raspberries’ sharpness helping to bite through the dense chocolate flavour.

Torrija: Caramelised brioche bun soaked in custard, served warm. This was  a complete surprise to me. A dessert of brioche in custard with a touch of chocolate and a dash of cinnamon sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Though humble ingredients, this was wondrous. Sticking to the inside of the chest as it descended, I felt like I had a ‘Ready Brek glow’ by the end of it! It really completed the meal for me, one which will be repeated significantly over the winter.

To help us wash down our desserts, a little aperitif helped us round off a great evening with Omar espousing the delights of Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada. A full-bodied sweet wine, looks and tastes like a sweet sherry, winner of many awards. We also had an Espresso to perk us up and a Ginabelle, plum gin infused with red berry tea and served with Fever Tree Indian tonic and forest fruits.

A great way to round out the meal. Now I just have to try and be as impressive when I cook something from the book for Wifey!

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Disclaimer: For this evening, I was a guest of Omar and the team at Tapas Revolution and Neil Reading 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: 04/10/2016

Where: Tapas Revolution, Ground, Grand Central, 68A East Mews, Birmingham, West Midlands B2 4XJ

Who: Tapas Revolution 

 

Ramen-heaven – Tonkotsu is coming to Selfridges Birmingham

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As you know, I’m always on the lookout for something a little different in Birmingham…

Tonkotsu, one of London’s best-loved ramen bars, will open a restaurant in Selfridges in Birmingham’s Bullring on September 5th.

Named after the pork bone commonly used as the base ingredient of broth for Hakata ramen, after the success of six locations (including Selfridges) in London, they’re moving north to bring their in-house made noodles to the people of the Midlands.

Paul Winch-Furness / Photographer

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish containing stock – usually pork and chicken – with a special wheat noodle and toppings including marinated egg, slices of pork, wakame seaweed and bean shoots. Tonkotsu is proud to make all its noodles in-house thanks to their bespoke Japanese noodle machine, giving a fresh springy noodle.

Tonkotsu serves a variety of completely authentic, delicious ramen with starters, sides, Japanese craft beers and whiskies to complete the menu.

Paul Winch-Furness / Photographer

In addition to the authentic ramen, chicken karaage – delicious Japanese fried chicken – and gyoza dumplings, Tonkotsu Birmingham will also serve katsu curry, perfect for a mid-shop pit stop. Japanese and British lagers and ales will be on offer along with house cocktails and wines. All dishes will be available to take away.

Katsu curry

 

Tonkotsu is a group of six London restaurants, including Selfridges Oxford Street Foodhall, serving ramen with homemade noodles in slow-cooked broths, along with craft beers and cocktails.

Paul Winch-Furness / Photographer

Tonkotsu Birmingham Selfridges will be the first location outside the capital and the team is very happy to be partnering again with Selfridges, after becoming a popular choice for shoppers in the Oxford Street store.

You can have a sneaky peek at the menu below:

Tonkotsu Menu

For locations, check out www.tonkotsu.co.uk.

 

Open House at Itihaas

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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.

…

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.

…

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

Feeding Time at Foodies Festival

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For a change, there was some blue sky present this summer. It was a glorious sunny Sunday and for the third year in a row, Wifey and I escaped the city (just about) and headed to Cannon Hill Park.

The main reason for our visit was not the usual excellence of the MAC, or for a run. Instead, it was to  have a taste of the Foodies Festival. Now in it’s 11th year starting in Brighton at the end of April, and then touring the country with food festivals in ten locations throughout the Summer.

The Birmingham event showed off some of Birmingham’s best talent with Nathan Eades Richard Turner, Brad Carter, Ben Ternent and James Wong.

Also TV talent was in attendance in the shape of Great British Bake Off Winner, Nadiya Hussein, and MasterChef’s Tony Rodd and Dhruv Baker.

Accompanying the demonstrations were some streetfood stalls, bars and produce to purchase and try.

The first stop off for Viv and I was a bit of Caribbean spice in the shape of the Levi Roots camper van, serving up wings and nibbles. Wifey managed to grab a wing smothered in Reggae Reggae sauce, with a bit of chopped spring onion and mayo.

The wing was nice and hot, and the Reggae Reggae sauce worked well as a marinade. We’ll definitely be trying it at home at some point.

Next stop was keeping in the Caribbean theme with a visit to the Appleton Rum Bus.

This Jamaican Rum is a firm favourite of Wifey’s extended Jamaican family and it’s nice to see it reaching the UK!  We were shown how to mash sugar cane, which reminded us of our holiday to the Dominican Republic a few years back. Wifey got to pretend to be bus driver, had a rum tasting of Appleton’s signature blend and then finished off with a couple of cocktails.

A Jamaican Mule for me made with ginger ale and lime whilst Wifey plumped for a Fruit Punch with Orange, Pineapple and Grenadine. Both were delicious and didn’t last very long!

Onwards to the Chef’s Theatre and we bumped into Birmingham’s best Chilli Sauce provider in the shape of Pip! Pip’s Hot Sauce is  a devilishly spicy chilli sauce brand,
crafted in small batches to ensure quality and made right here in Birmingham.

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We picked up a bottle on the way for Wifey’s dad, a bit of a connoisseur of fiery stuff, and arrived at the theatre in time for Nathan Eades’ chef’s demo.

Nathan Eades has taken over Head Chef duties at Simpsons for just under a year now, after a successful run at his own, Epi @ The Courtyard in Bromsgrove, and pop ups at The Kitchen Garden (Kings Heath) and The Pickled Piglet (City Centre).

For today’s demonstration, Nathan was cooking Seared Scallops with asparagus, shrimp and squid ink.

 

It was a fascinating demonstration with lots of good foodie tips on preparation, and getting your ingredients weighed and sorted prior to cooking saving a lot of time.

After witnessing that display, it was time to get munching. Our next stop was a Prosecco and Squid bar for Wifey.

A hefty portion of squid and chips with a squidge of mayo. The squid in batter was quite light, not suffering from excessive chewy-ness and the chips not too greasy.

My lunch also went with an aquatic theme but with an added quack.

I had a portion of crispy rotisserie duck, spring onion and hoisin sauce accompanied with duck fat chips.

The duck was a touch on the dry side but otherwise flavoursome, and the chips were amazing like crispy roasties and chips combined.

To cool off, it was time to return to an annual favourite of ours, Whipsmiths. These guys do Liquid Nitrogen Ice-cream in their Cryo-mixer, a purpose designed liquid nitrogen ice-cream machine, and allows operators to handcraft individual portions of ice-cream in just 30 seconds.The queue took 30 minutes but it was worth it.

Wifey had a green combo of Pistachio and Matcha whilst I went for Popcorn and Coconut. If you’ve never tried it, it’s a lot creamier than normal ice cream as the crystals have less time to form, therefore, are smaller and smoother. Wifey’s ice cream was almost savoury in flavour but disappeared rapidly, mine was crunchy with some real popcorn thrown into the mix.

And that was pretty much it.  We’ll be returning next year, however, the majority of stalls in the streetfood aisles were repeats of previous years, hopefully next time there’ll be some further variety as we’re running out of things to try!

When: 05/06/2016

Where: Foodies Festival, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston / Moseley,  Birmingham, B13 8RD

Who:  Foodies Festival,

 

 

 

A Round of Art – Portraits Untold at BMAG

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BMAG (Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery) is one of my favourite gems of the city.  An extraordinary place for art with some stunning pieces, and plenty to do for all the family. Next Saturday (16th July) will be a little extra special as the Portraits Untold project visits the Round Gallery.

antiquities5Portraits Untold sees acclaimed award-winning disabled artist, Tanya Raabe-Webber, undertake four live portrait sittings with high profile sitters. The idea is that the sitting will fuse digital, traditional drawing and painting techniques in an interactive live environment, inviting audiences to take part in person and online.

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At BMAG, Tanya will be painting John Akomfrah, a hugely respected artist and filmmaker, whose works investigate memory, postcolonialism and the African diaspora in Europe and the USA.

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The sitting will take place in front of a live audience, who are encouraged to draw their own portraits of the sitter through traditional drawing and the use of digital drawing apps.

Drawing materials will be provided and audience members with mobile devices are encouraged to download free drawing apps before coming to the event.

 

The event, which will also be streamed live online, has been devised to reach new audiences through a variety of platforms to make art more accessible. Audiences, both live and watching online, will be able to send their digital and digitized drawings through to the artist on the day through social media.

Throughout the sitting, Tanya will fuse digital and traditional drawings, and versions of the audience’s drawings with her own to create a multi-layered portrait. The sitting will also involve a series of discussions about the lives of the two artists and their thoughts on diversity, which audiences will be able to take part in.

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Portraits Untold will take place in the Round Gallery at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery across three two-hour sittings.

For more information, visit www.portraitsuntold.co.uk, like Portraits Untold on Facebook at www.facebook.com/portraitsuntold and follow @PortraitsUntold on Twitter.

 

 

Tanya Raabe otherwise known as Tanya Raabe-Webber, was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, has been a practising Visual Artist, devising artworks exploring and challenging identity, a disabled self and the nude in contemporary Art since 1987. She gained a BA(HONS) in Graphic Design at Leeds Polytechnic, an MA in Communication Design at Manchester Metropolitan University and a PGCE in Higher Education from Huddersfield University. Tanya has exhibited as a solo artist and in group shows nationally including screening Who’s Who at National Portrait Gallery, Exhibitions at Holton Lee, Dorset, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, The Bluecoat, The A Foundation, Liverpool, Oriel Wrexham, Laing Gallery Newcastle since 1990.

John Akomfrah is a hugely respected artist and filmmaker, whose works are characterised by their investigations into memory, postcolonialism, temporality and aesthetics and often explore the experience of the African diaspora in Europe and the USA. Akomfrah was a founding member of the influential Black Audio Film Collective, which started in London in 1982 alongside the artists David Lawson and Lina Gopaul, who he still collaborates with today.

Deliveroo Round 4! – Pho to Finish

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Time for more of Birmingham restaurants to our home. It’s been awhile since last time so it’s good to see if their standards are being maintained!

As you may have previously read (cough, cough, cough), Deliveroo supply a delivery service for a wide range of the best eateries in Brum, what I like to term a ‘restaurant concierge service’ providing ordering, payment and delivery services for some of the city’s biggest independents with a few chains thrown in.

Tonight’s choice was Pho.  Set up by Stephen and Juliette Wall in June 2005 after they travelled to Vietnam and ate Pho in Ho Chi Minh City, it has since expanded to London, Brighton, Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge, Bristol and of course Birmingham.

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Like the last few times, ordering with Deliveroo is simple: select your food and order time, the website keeps a running total of dishes and adds a reasonable £2.50 for Deliveroo. There’s even space for a driver’s tip too, if you’re feeling generous. Food ordered and just shy of 50 minutes later, it arrived well packed and in a sturdy carrier.

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To start, we ordered a Nem Hài Sàn, this was a large crispy spring roll of tiger prawn, crab & pork with núóc chãm dipping sauce, already split in two.

We had half each and Wifey said it was deliciously crunchy with generous sized portion filling, a touch on greasy side. I enjoyed it and the meaty filling was nice with the sweet / sour sauce but I agreed with Wifey that it could’ve been a tad less greasy.

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For main, Wifey went for Phò Xào (Chicken) (No Nuts): wok fried flat rice noodles with lemongrass, chilli and Asian greens. Served with peanuts & núóc chãm dipping sauce. Wifey’s opinion was light, not too spicy for her palate, with the lemongrass coming through without overpowering the dish. A good portion of chicken pieces but it could have done with a bit more greens to help balance it out. IMG20160516192608

For my main, I chose Cà-ri (Chicken) a rich, fragrant Vietnamese curry with veggies & mushrooms, topped with nuts & served with broken rice. The sauce was very rich with enough of a chilli kick for me.  There was plenty of chicken heaped in but again, a little more veggies would have been great.

Next time Wifey and I are in the mood for Vietnamese and a trip down to Chinatown is just too far, I’ll be more than happy to order again.

When: 16/05/2015

Where: BG HQ, Birmingham

Who: Deliveroo, Pho