I thought it was quite funny
Most nice everyday Italian pretty simple, you just need good ingredients
[Food] Restaurant Thread 2022
- Thread starter Goldstone1976
- Start date
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Most nice everyday Italian pretty simple, you just need good ingredients
I did not know this. Interesting as the three you mention all usually get good reviews from the press and my friends. Personally I have only been to Salt Rooms but really enjoyed the food and service. Sounds like Italian is maybe a step too far for them.
You think that was funny...read this one
Silo, London E5: ‘Loud, righteous and holy’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent
Silo’s zero-waste concept is laudable, but the menu is uninspiring and they seem to have forgotten that the experience of eating out is supposed to be fun
www.theguardian.com
Absolutely nothing wrong with that review and absolutely nothing thick about the lovely Grace.
They should take the positives (the desert review) and learn from them
Red Chilli
George Hudson St, York
I may have mentioned it on here once or twice but I used to live in Taipei. The food there is incredible. Unfortunately, what it has meant is that I've never found a Chinese that I like here. Well, there was a Dim Sum place in Soho but I can't remember its name. Anyhoo. Now I have finally found a Chinese worthy of the name and the only problem is that it's at the other end of the country. FFS.
While many NSCers were watching us beat the Arse, so to speak, I was in the Tank and Paddle in York with a couple of colleagues pondering where to eat. They mentioned that they had found a Chinese the week before that was "very good". I tried to stop myself recoiling, visions of the same base sweet and sour sauce glooped everywhere and overcooked ribs filled my mind but the guys were adamant. "Come on" they said, "it's really good". And then I remembered that one of them had also spent time in Taipei (before we worked together) and we'd found some of the same places to be decent. "I'll give it go" I said. Thank goodness I did.
The minute I clapped eyes on the menu I was sold. They had pictures of the food. They had the name of the dish in Chinese characters and English. They only did Tsingtao beer. They had pigs feet, mopu tofu, pork belly in chilli, snowflake mutton poached with mushrooms and dim sum. Most of all they had GongBao Chicken with dried chillies and peanuts.
This had been my favourite dish in Taipei and nowhere does it properly in England. It is often Anglicised to "Kung Pao" (Pinyin versus Wade Gillies, don't get me started) and comes slathered in sweet, thick orangey sauce that is basically the one used for the sweet and sour balls but with a chilli waved over it. You may get a cashew or two if you're lucky. They use up the stray veg to bulk it out. I'm not a fan. But GongBao coats the chicken rather than slathering it and comes with enough peanuts to put a large bag of KP to shame and a similar number of hollowed out dried red chillies. It's hot, the chicken takes on a melty texture and, if you can't handle it, you end up pebbledashing the porcelain the next day. This is what I ordered, with some egg fried rice.
The portions were enormous, the rice tasty and somehow fluffy, despite the frying. For the table we got some braised Pak Choi that had enough garlic on to be considered illegal in several countries and some spring rolls ("go on, they're really good") that came with really finely minced prawn and pork inside and proper thin, ultra crisp coats. Yum. The GongBao was magnificent.
On researching this I found they are actually a chain. There are two in Manchester, one in Leeds and one in York. If you find yourself there, just go. I'm going to have to find an excuse pretty soon so I can catch up on some mopu and pigs feet.
George Hudson St, York
I may have mentioned it on here once or twice but I used to live in Taipei. The food there is incredible. Unfortunately, what it has meant is that I've never found a Chinese that I like here. Well, there was a Dim Sum place in Soho but I can't remember its name. Anyhoo. Now I have finally found a Chinese worthy of the name and the only problem is that it's at the other end of the country. FFS.
While many NSCers were watching us beat the Arse, so to speak, I was in the Tank and Paddle in York with a couple of colleagues pondering where to eat. They mentioned that they had found a Chinese the week before that was "very good". I tried to stop myself recoiling, visions of the same base sweet and sour sauce glooped everywhere and overcooked ribs filled my mind but the guys were adamant. "Come on" they said, "it's really good". And then I remembered that one of them had also spent time in Taipei (before we worked together) and we'd found some of the same places to be decent. "I'll give it go" I said. Thank goodness I did.
The minute I clapped eyes on the menu I was sold. They had pictures of the food. They had the name of the dish in Chinese characters and English. They only did Tsingtao beer. They had pigs feet, mopu tofu, pork belly in chilli, snowflake mutton poached with mushrooms and dim sum. Most of all they had GongBao Chicken with dried chillies and peanuts.
This had been my favourite dish in Taipei and nowhere does it properly in England. It is often Anglicised to "Kung Pao" (Pinyin versus Wade Gillies, don't get me started) and comes slathered in sweet, thick orangey sauce that is basically the one used for the sweet and sour balls but with a chilli waved over it. You may get a cashew or two if you're lucky. They use up the stray veg to bulk it out. I'm not a fan. But GongBao coats the chicken rather than slathering it and comes with enough peanuts to put a large bag of KP to shame and a similar number of hollowed out dried red chillies. It's hot, the chicken takes on a melty texture and, if you can't handle it, you end up pebbledashing the porcelain the next day. This is what I ordered, with some egg fried rice.
The portions were enormous, the rice tasty and somehow fluffy, despite the frying. For the table we got some braised Pak Choi that had enough garlic on to be considered illegal in several countries and some spring rolls ("go on, they're really good") that came with really finely minced prawn and pork inside and proper thin, ultra crisp coats. Yum. The GongBao was magnificent.
On researching this I found they are actually a chain. There are two in Manchester, one in Leeds and one in York. If you find yourself there, just go. I'm going to have to find an excuse pretty soon so I can catch up on some mopu and pigs feet.
Last edited:
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Spookily enough, I'm pretty sure I went there in April when I was up there for work. It was good.
If you like that, can I make a plug for New Era on Queens St. Alongside a certain pizza place I won't mention, and Planet India, it's the best value restaurant in town. Some brilliant Szechuan cooking (which you probably no better than me). It's not the most hygienic of places but, beyond that, nothing short of amazing.
Edit: sweet chilli sauce is up there with the greatest of food crimes
Brian Fantana
Well-known member
Husmanns Vinstue
Copenhagen
This is my first foray into this thread, so please forgive me if it isn’t the greatest written review. I’m just back from a view days exploring the delightful city of Copenhagen for the first time. I could write a separate post wholly reviewing some of the ludicrously good cocktail bars that the city has to offer. However, the clear highlight of the trip was a traditional Danish lunch at Husmanns Vinstue, located conveniently just down from the City Hall and on the edge of the Old Town.
As seemed to be the case with pretty much all of the best food and drink venues that we visited, HV was situated in a pretty unprepossessing basement location. Once inside, we were welcomed into an incredibly comfortable and atmospheric dining room - tastefully decorated and lit. We were warmly greeted by the staff and were invited to allow them to take us through the various menu options, whilst enjoying a fantastic local IPA. On the recommendation of the owner, we went for the four course ‘Men’s Lunch’. A glimpse of what was come came from the answer given when we asked for a bread basket whilst we made our food choice - the answer that came was ‘given what is to come, that isn’t advisable.‘
Whilst we sipped some local Schnapps, the sharing starter platter arrived - a myriad of fish and seafood. Marinated herrings with pickled onions, which were superb and so subtly flavoured. There was also a separate cold herring dish, with some homemade curry salad. The spicing was spot on - not too overpowering and really helping to elevate the overall taste of the fish. To complete the herring triumvirate, there was a hot fried dish with a sweet and sour glaze - again stunning all round. To continue the platter, there was also some smoked salmon with a mustard dressing, some smoked eel with scrambled egg and some prawns with a fantastic, zingy lemon mayonnaise. I couldn’t fault the taste or the execution of any of the various components. All of this was enhanced by the amazing attention to detail of the staff - who gave us a really detailed description of every element and strong recommendations of what went with what etc.
After a brief break to catch our breath, some warm liver pate arrived, which was served with some crispy bacon and mushrooms. Just the right balance of rich and salty flavours. This was accompanied by a DIY beef tartare - garnishes included were pickled red onions, shaved horseradish, capers and pickled, curried veg. We were each given an egg yolk to bind the tartare and create a quasi sauce. It was absolutely phenomenal. The freshness of the beef and the carefully-chosen garnish options were perfect.
Already feeling pretty replete, there were still two courses to come. As another IPA easily slipped down, the third course arrived - which was a celebration of pork. Some absolutely enormous, juicy and perfectly cooked ribs, accompanied by a homemade BBQ sauce were amongst the highlights of the whole meal. There was also a pork tenderloin as well as some roast beef served with crispy onions and remoulade. Again, everything cooked to perfection and expertly paired with the various accompaniments.
By this point totally understanding why this restaurant is only open at lunchtime, probably due to the fact that no one would be able to go to bed for several hours after consuming this much food, I was somewhat delighted to see a sizeable cheese course arriving - some classics, such as blue cheese, brie and some local mild cheddar, served with grapes and radishes. After washing down the meal with an Irish coffee, we staggered through the streets feeling like no further meals would be required for several months. All in the all the value was superb (about £100 a head including quite a few IPAs, glasses of Schnapps, a bottle of red wine and the aforementioned Irish coffees), especially considering how expensive Copenhagen is in general.
It was one of the most interesting and delicious meals I’ve had in quite some time. Highly, highly recommended if you’re ever in the area.
Copenhagen
This is my first foray into this thread, so please forgive me if it isn’t the greatest written review. I’m just back from a view days exploring the delightful city of Copenhagen for the first time. I could write a separate post wholly reviewing some of the ludicrously good cocktail bars that the city has to offer. However, the clear highlight of the trip was a traditional Danish lunch at Husmanns Vinstue, located conveniently just down from the City Hall and on the edge of the Old Town.
As seemed to be the case with pretty much all of the best food and drink venues that we visited, HV was situated in a pretty unprepossessing basement location. Once inside, we were welcomed into an incredibly comfortable and atmospheric dining room - tastefully decorated and lit. We were warmly greeted by the staff and were invited to allow them to take us through the various menu options, whilst enjoying a fantastic local IPA. On the recommendation of the owner, we went for the four course ‘Men’s Lunch’. A glimpse of what was come came from the answer given when we asked for a bread basket whilst we made our food choice - the answer that came was ‘given what is to come, that isn’t advisable.‘
Whilst we sipped some local Schnapps, the sharing starter platter arrived - a myriad of fish and seafood. Marinated herrings with pickled onions, which were superb and so subtly flavoured. There was also a separate cold herring dish, with some homemade curry salad. The spicing was spot on - not too overpowering and really helping to elevate the overall taste of the fish. To complete the herring triumvirate, there was a hot fried dish with a sweet and sour glaze - again stunning all round. To continue the platter, there was also some smoked salmon with a mustard dressing, some smoked eel with scrambled egg and some prawns with a fantastic, zingy lemon mayonnaise. I couldn’t fault the taste or the execution of any of the various components. All of this was enhanced by the amazing attention to detail of the staff - who gave us a really detailed description of every element and strong recommendations of what went with what etc.
After a brief break to catch our breath, some warm liver pate arrived, which was served with some crispy bacon and mushrooms. Just the right balance of rich and salty flavours. This was accompanied by a DIY beef tartare - garnishes included were pickled red onions, shaved horseradish, capers and pickled, curried veg. We were each given an egg yolk to bind the tartare and create a quasi sauce. It was absolutely phenomenal. The freshness of the beef and the carefully-chosen garnish options were perfect.
Already feeling pretty replete, there were still two courses to come. As another IPA easily slipped down, the third course arrived - which was a celebration of pork. Some absolutely enormous, juicy and perfectly cooked ribs, accompanied by a homemade BBQ sauce were amongst the highlights of the whole meal. There was also a pork tenderloin as well as some roast beef served with crispy onions and remoulade. Again, everything cooked to perfection and expertly paired with the various accompaniments.
By this point totally understanding why this restaurant is only open at lunchtime, probably due to the fact that no one would be able to go to bed for several hours after consuming this much food, I was somewhat delighted to see a sizeable cheese course arriving - some classics, such as blue cheese, brie and some local mild cheddar, served with grapes and radishes. After washing down the meal with an Irish coffee, we staggered through the streets feeling like no further meals would be required for several months. All in the all the value was superb (about £100 a head including quite a few IPAs, glasses of Schnapps, a bottle of red wine and the aforementioned Irish coffees), especially considering how expensive Copenhagen is in general.
It was one of the most interesting and delicious meals I’ve had in quite some time. Highly, highly recommended if you’re ever in the area.
It’s post relaunch. Even other reviews seem pretty poor which is a shame. Burnt Orange is good but do prefer Flint House.
We have a booking next month so will keep an eye on it
thedonkeycentrehalf
Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
- Jul 7, 2003
- 9,362
My recent experience of Coal Shed was poor and other colleagues who visited recently have also found that it is nowhere near as good as it used to be. Looking at the comments about Tutto, maybe the expansion of the group has impacted quality control (I see there is a Coal Shed London now as well).
Went to Macmillan’s in Worthing tonight as it recently reopened. For those they don’t know - it was an old school type of steak restaurant through the 90s and 00s. I believe the owner passed away and left it to his son(s) - they’ve tried a few things in there the last few years. Clearly talented young chefs focussing on open flame cooking but struggled with the business model I think and probably over complicated some things.
After a short break they’re reopened focussing just on steaks. I believe they are getting whole bits of cow and cutting it down into steaks of varying sizes. Everything from 200g rump up to 1.5kg bone in rib-eye. Some small plates / starters, but we went straight to a 1kg bone-ribeye , crispy roast potatoes, mac & cheese with the ‘pan gravy’
Cooking was spot on medium, fat nicely rendered , crispy roast potatoes and the pan gravy was really good with a bit of a kick.
Wine now supplied by Bottle & Jug, and all natural wines but the red Tempranillo was really good and worked with the steak.
Value is pretty good - between £6-£11/100g depending on the cut. Music is fairly loud and it is still quite ‘dive bar’ esque. Glad to see it pretty much full and really hope they can make it work as it’s difficult to find good proper steak places.
After a short break they’re reopened focussing just on steaks. I believe they are getting whole bits of cow and cutting it down into steaks of varying sizes. Everything from 200g rump up to 1.5kg bone in rib-eye. Some small plates / starters, but we went straight to a 1kg bone-ribeye , crispy roast potatoes, mac & cheese with the ‘pan gravy’
Cooking was spot on medium, fat nicely rendered , crispy roast potatoes and the pan gravy was really good with a bit of a kick.
Wine now supplied by Bottle & Jug, and all natural wines but the red Tempranillo was really good and worked with the steak.
Value is pretty good - between £6-£11/100g depending on the cut. Music is fairly loud and it is still quite ‘dive bar’ esque. Glad to see it pretty much full and really hope they can make it work as it’s difficult to find good proper steak places.
Attachments
thedonkeycentrehalf
Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
- Jul 7, 2003
- 9,362
That’s encouraging. MacMillans used to be good but when the kids took over they seemed focused on the drinkers rather than the food. They then stopped food and tried the dive bar before it shut. Looks like they may have learned their lesson but I know a lot of people who stopped going there so they will need to work hard to rebuild their reputation.
Only natural wine….that will put some off.
MattBackHome
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 11,878
Genuinely gutted about that, it was great. I hope they do something else (in Portslade)
To be fair the red Tempranillo we had was very good
I’m glad you decided to dip into this thread as this sounds right up my strasse and I’m planning a return trip to Copenhagen sometime next year as well.
PS the IPAs in the city are great aren’t they?
Last edited:
Live by the sea
Well-known member
- Oct 21, 2016
- 4,718
Shiraz in church rd hove has lovely food . Recommended .
Cin Cin’s festive chef’s menu looks decent value at 48 quid if anyone is looking for something a bit different over the Christmas period
- Thread starter
- #280
Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow.
The GLDHI and were in Cornwall last week for what I'm informed is these days called a babymoon.
We stayed at Hotel Endsleigh (I may write a review of that on the country house hotel thread I started a few weeks ago when I was looking for somewhere to stay) and had gone to St Ives for a look round the Hepworth Museum (brilliant), the Tate (shockingly bad) and the art galleries (only two worthy of the name - disappointing). On the way back to the hotel we stopped off in Steinstow, partly to see if we could find the memorial stones for my great aunt Bill (don't ask) and her husband (and my godfather) Roger and... oh hang on, a segue beckons...
...Roger was the most archetypal mid-century RAF pilot you could possibly imagine: raffish, utterly magnificent moustache, dashing good looks, the whole shebang - I can see why Bill fell for him - and was a test pilot on Meteors. Anyway, the GLDHI and i wondered round the graveyard in the dark, in the pissing rain, looking for the 6" (8"?) square memorial stones. It took us an hour - but I'd promised by mother I'd find them. Quite why the GLDHI agreed to help me is another matter, but she did.
Anyway, as I was saying...
... dinner at PotL.
PotL started in Norf London and opened a second joint in Steinstow. It has quite the reputation.
It was fine. Nothing more. I wouldn't go back if I was paying.
The GLDHI and were in Cornwall last week for what I'm informed is these days called a babymoon.
We stayed at Hotel Endsleigh (I may write a review of that on the country house hotel thread I started a few weeks ago when I was looking for somewhere to stay) and had gone to St Ives for a look round the Hepworth Museum (brilliant), the Tate (shockingly bad) and the art galleries (only two worthy of the name - disappointing). On the way back to the hotel we stopped off in Steinstow, partly to see if we could find the memorial stones for my great aunt Bill (don't ask) and her husband (and my godfather) Roger and... oh hang on, a segue beckons...
...Roger was the most archetypal mid-century RAF pilot you could possibly imagine: raffish, utterly magnificent moustache, dashing good looks, the whole shebang - I can see why Bill fell for him - and was a test pilot on Meteors. Anyway, the GLDHI and i wondered round the graveyard in the dark, in the pissing rain, looking for the 6" (8"?) square memorial stones. It took us an hour - but I'd promised by mother I'd find them. Quite why the GLDHI agreed to help me is another matter, but she did.
Anyway, as I was saying...
... dinner at PotL.
PotL started in Norf London and opened a second joint in Steinstow. It has quite the reputation.
It was fine. Nothing more. I wouldn't go back if I was paying.