Posted by pop at Nov 10, 07 01:30 PM
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I have always intended not to bring fish and chips home, and stink out the house, and Superdish in Dorking has a little cafe style restaurant next to it's fish bar.
Last weekend we went to Brockham Bonfire and Fireworks but needed some quick food to take with us. While waiting for my fish and chips, a man walks into Superdish and leans against the door to the counter and addresses a member of staff at the far end, saying:-
"Did you know that a diabetic nurse is coming in here for fish and chips tonight?"
The staff carry on serving and cooking. The man then decides to speak to the guy serving me, and said:
"Did you know that a diabetic nurse is coming in here for fish and chips tonight?"
"Did you know that a diabetic nurse is coming in here for fish and chips tonight?"
"Did you know that a diabetic nurse is coming in here for fish and chips tonight?"
The serving guy focusses very strongly on his customer care skills and completes my transaction in the face of the other man saying:-
"Did you know that a diabetic nurse is coming in here for fish and chips tonight?"
"Only joking"
I decided it was time to leave, before I went crazy and promptly left with out a couple of those little wooden fish and chip forks. Ooops.
At this point I should mention that the fish and chips were quite acceptable but not overwhelming in nature and that I like Superdish because they have a very old fashioned wall-mounted menu (I'll have to get a picture for you soon).
Posted by pop at Nov 8, 07 11:58 PM
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For a third anniversary celebration, we took ourselves to (Royal) Tunbridge Wells to check out what it had to offer. It has similarities with Guildford to some extent but the new (commercial) and old ('Pantiles') ends of town were very separate, different kettles of fish.
We pre-booked a table at Thackery's at 1.30pm so wandered around the new end of town for half an hour or so. Nothing jump-out and bite-you special, but I did over hear a conversation in the pet shop about how they'd like to make the punishment fit the crime and bring back stoning or something - very 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' I thought!
Anyhow, Thackery's is a villa built c.1660 to serve the people using the spas in the town. Here's a pic:
Inside we are very well looked after and join a number of other diners (an old couple next too us blatently listening to our coversation and two old boys on the otherside talking about falling off step-ladders). Here's what we chose:-
Amuse Bouche
Amused we were, with a lovely pumpkin ravoili
Starters
Me: 'BALLOTINE' OF GRESINGHAM DUCK with Green Bean and Autumn Truffle Salad, Celeriac 'Remoulade' (rather subtle flavours (perhaps a little too much so) but just the right size for a starter, all served on a long rectangular glass plate
Husb: LAYERS OF 'OAK' SMOKED SALMON, YOUNG SPINACH AND LIME CRÈME FRÂICHE with Horseradish Cream, Deep Fried Breaded Oysters, Dill Toast (Husb was delighted with this - the layered salmon looked fantastic)
Mains
Me: BUTTER ROASTED "GNOCCHI" Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Tarragon Roast Globe Artichokes, Parmesan Crisp ('hmm very novelle cuisine' as the woman on the next table said when our food was brought out)
Husb: Haddock (tbc)
Dessert
Me: Carrot and Macerated Raisin Cake with pumpkin parfait and carrot and orange sorbet (not overly sweet, but very interesting indeed)
Husb: Cheese board (with about 1000 crackers to choose from, but the waiter didn't tell him what the cheeses were)
Coffee & Petit Fours
This was great fun - a pretty little raspberry tart, a piece of nougat, a homemade chocolate and the pièce de résistance had to be two little chocolate balls on cocktail sticks resting in a shot glass full of what looked like sherbert. They turned out to contain ice-cream, though I have no idea how this is physically possible to achieve. We did have some debate about whether we were supposed to eat the 'sherbert', and after a quick dab it was found to be coloured sugar...which was a shame:)
We were incredibly well looked after, service was prompt, food presentation was excellent, and overall I would say the seafood lovers amongst you would be better served by Thackery's in terms of choice from their various menus, but nevertheless it was thoroughly enjoyable.
The bill came to c.£100 (without wine).
Posted by pop at Nov 8, 07 11:31 PM
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Husb decided we should take dinner at The Parrot after our trip to Horsham. The Parrot is part pub, part restaurant part farm-shop and ticks many boxes next to words such as snug and friendly.
Picture courtest of the Parrot website
We found a particularly nook to sit in, but realised there was a bit of a gale blowing down my neck which forced me to order a cup of tea, and another, and another. Fortunately when food was being served we managed to nab the table by the fire from a group of local business men (farmers?) who were just working through the last item on the agenda - at least one pint of ale. We began to warm up nicely. The shop section looked rather good, but was closed at that time of night. There were large blocks of homemade quince paste, freshly cooked muffins on wire racks and plenty of fantastic looking cheese and meats in a chiller.
Starter: pork terrine/pate with toast and salad leaves
Mains
Me: Pork Rib Eye, puy lentils, carrots and cabbage (meat rather dry but otherwise good and very filling)
Husb: Free Range Chicken breast with a mushroom risotto (lovely risotto, chicken tender)
Dessert
Me: Banoffee Pie with chocolate coated strawberries (in terms of proportions, in my opinion there was too much cream, not enough banana or toffee)
Husb: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Sticky Toffee Sauce (the pudding was more chewy and dry than sticky and would certainly get a thrashing from almost any other STP we've ever had)
Overheard Conversations
Mostly relating to farming equipment and tractors and a group of men raving about watching war documentaries
Overall I have to say we were a little let down by The Parrot - the concept is excellent, the building is gorgeous, but maybe someone had their eye off the game that night. Maybe next time?
Posted by pop at Nov 6, 07 11:51 PM
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Ok, we were invited there for a pre-gig dinner before heading over to the Royal Festival Hall for a spot of something musical (as in 'a band', not...'Annie'). This place does have the worst restaurant name I have ever heard ('Rolled Steel Joists' anyone?) and possibly the crummiest website I have seen in years (or at since about the time period when I thought AOL was the internet), but don't judge it on either of those things people, because you'll be making a mistake.
RSJ, so called because it is a coverted barn and the owners thought it would be amusing or whatever to name it that, is a fine specimen of a restaurant. As you can imagine the building inside is slightly odd - lots of steep stairs and alcoves and toilets deep in the basement. Just looking at their menu will give you an indication of what loveliness lies within. We were served by a very knowledgeable french lady, who I struggled to comprehend to some extent.
picture courtesy of the RSJ
This again will teach me not to leave blogging until at least a month after the event, as it seems that they change the menu and I fail to recall exactly what it was I had, though it may well have been risotto. Husb rather predictably went for some form of pesky poisson, as he is banned from cooking fish or dismantling crustacea in my home. He has rights, but I don't think that contravenes his human rights, so I'll stick with it.
Posted by pop at Nov 6, 07 11:39 PM
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I am very pleased to see that the Westerley has now won the excellence award from Rémy Martin in the
Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide 2008. Well done to them, and read the Times article
Posted by pop at Nov 3, 07 10:48 AM
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Having both finished late 'at work' (I was working, Husb was drinking in a bar at work which is not the same at all) we squeezed onto a puny train home and decided to test out the Gurkha Kitchen. I was a bit worried that the place would be empty, even on a Friday night, because the previous restaurant occupants were (but that's another story). The place was packed - condensation on the windows told me that before we could see through the windows properly. It also told me that they need to sort out their air conditioning!
All seemed good (though tropical) and we ordered our food (no starters, we didn't want a casual extended meal) and drank water (glug), and ate crackers (hmm) for while*. Eventually our food arrived:-
What we ate
Kiri Duck (sliced duck in a creamy tomato sauce)
Knuckle of Lamb with chickpeas and a spicy onion sauce (we had no idea that lambs had knuckles of this proportion, it was vast and the meat was melt in the mouth)
Pumpkin something (mashed, tasty)
Cheese and spinach (slightly spicy)
Bread (hot, fresh and lovely, a bit like peshwari naan, but lighter)
Rice (favoured, with even more lamb in it, as if we needed any more!)
Atmosphere: lively, busy, steamy
Service: s-l-o-w* but friendly
Going again?: yes, but maybe not on a Friday night for a while
Verdict:: slow but good, go there!
*Call me tolerant - we waited a very long time, but maybe it was the (selfish) slow-cooked lamb that caused the delay
Posted by mattc at Oct 28, 07 10:40 PM
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The Gurkha Kitchen in Reigate was bursting at the seams with diners on the ground floor, but lucky for us there was an upstairs too. Nepalese food...
This is a very late blog, so all I can remember is how good it was...but not what it was, so take my word for it and go there! Or go to the new Gurhka's Kitchen in London Road Dorking. It will make you happy.
Posted by pop at Oct 28, 07 04:04 PM
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I'm still catching up with this blog, and realised that I haven't covered a trip to Ozer on Regent's Street earlier in the summer.
After K's hen do (swinging from the trees at 'Go Ape' Bracknell), the hens went up to London for dinner. The restaurant was bustling, dark and cosy - people were pleased to be there.
Take a look at the starter many of us chose:-
Great place and as I often say...go there!
Posted by pop at Oct 28, 07 03:55 PM
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Just showing you this picture of the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce.....
Posted by pop at Oct 28, 07 03:19 PM
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On Friday night I was very happy in the knowledge that I was meeting the husb near his work and dining out - I needed a glass of wine to subdue the work-related tension. We were off to experience some Syrian food. On arrival at Abu Zaad it was quiet and we got a window table. Husb recommended a house juice, which I'd normally go for, but I searched for the wine...until I realised that this was of course (blatently!) not the sort of place that serves alcohol.
The Abu Zaad feels like an oasis as we look out onto the Uxbridge Road at the various money lending shops and the Costcutter. The service was excellent and as the restaurant filled, it was clear it attracted a range of people - families (and babies) included.
To drink....
Me: Melon Juice (though it turned out to be Mango - still good though)
Husb: Lemon and Mint (fantastic green colour!)
Starters/Mains...
Tabbouleh, Hommos, parcels of spinach and pine nuts, halloumi cheese (all gorgeous)
Me: Chicken Kafta in flat bread ('sandwich')
Husb: Sausage in flat bread (with requested chilli sauce)
Dessert...
Assorted baklawa (cashew and pistachio nut) with a pot of Arabic tea (morrocan mint)
All for something silly like £26!! The food was so good, I forgot my urge for alcohol. I really like this place.
Go there, but your husband may tell you to put away your ipod nano hanging around your neck as you walk around White City/The Bush...for this ain't South Ken you know!
Posted by pop at Sep 1, 07 11:17 PM
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Ok, so by now you can tell that I am making up for lost time, not providing you with details and being all together a rather lame blogger...sorry.
Limon is so nice! Its a shish and mezze restaurant with an open kitchen and excellent service. The menu is slightly unusual and it is easy to over-order if you aren't careful (it all seems so cheap!) Homous, haloumi cheese, rice, salad, lots of lovely vegetable dishes all of which I can't manage to detail right is virtually or literally healthy (perhaps not some of their slightly odd sausages though - don't go for a sausagy-shish). Food aside they do some lovely berry flavoured smoothies to improve on your five-a-day intake.
The place always seems to be buzzing, but you don't need to wait around for your food to arrive. If you are ever in Wimbledon and need relatively quick/easy casual grub, chow down at the Limon.
Posted by pop at Sep 1, 07 10:11 PM
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Gossip Lounge opened a few months ago, and is, to be fair quite unusual in the sleepy Dorking. Quite adventurous in fact.
It serves "fusion tapas" in a funky/retro environment. Perhaps they are trying too hard, but I like the decor. One wall is papered with vertical stripes and actually undulates along to the back wall, the remaining areas are painted dark purple, with highlights of danish-design white light fittings hanging from the ceiling. The tables are low and the idea is to chill and knock back some margaritas. Music is cranked up and of a distinct danciness that should really draw in crowds tired of the typical High Street fare.
The menu consists of some typical spanish tapas (tortilla, chorizo etc..) together with all manner of dishes served in the tapas format. The most delicious being the 'devilled duck' (devilled wild boar also available). Served in sticky blackened sauce bursting with black peppercorns and chilli, it is quite marvellous. Other quite random yet lush dishes include deep fried goats cheese with onion relish, butter chicken, courgette and cheese tortilla and chilli paneer. When you choose your tapas, you can stick with traditional, or go for something quite different as I said before, Ideally you'd be grazing while drinking. Service is friendly and efficient and happy to help.
Though not in the most ideal of locations, particularly as South Street seems pretty dead past Waterstones, I hope that more people will discover this place - it is so nice to have somewhere a little extraordinary in this neck of the woods. Go there!
Posted by pop at Aug 28, 07 08:40 PM
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This place used to be Need the Dough, and I am still a little cross that it isn't, even after all of these years.
This feeling has worsened recently, as the chefs don't seem to know how to cook a burger to a medium order anymore...zero pinkness detected. And the buggers have changed the balsamic mayo'd breadcrumbed mushrooms into some kind of pimento pepper mayo sham. Shame on them!
Last time I went, with some friends (the lovely W & L) we spotted to our surprise a rather vast, unhappy dragonfly resting on the dark wood ledge behind W. We asked the staff to get something to pick it up with, and they thought that free food would help, though we never actually got any. Its an endangered species for heaven sakes! Though admittedly I am not clear how it could have got there, and if indeed it was a native species. This readers, is something I am getting checked out at work.
Anyhow, back to Schmos....its lost favour with me. I can't be bothered, but will probably be seem there sometime soon as W has an uncontrollable Schmo fondness. Bless her.
Posted by pop at Aug 15, 07 10:49 PM
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We've now been to Two to Four three times, and each time, we leave very happy (and full).
It is an independent restaurant headed-up by ex-colleagues of Tony Tobin, who for a time owned The Dining Room in Reigate (desperately recommended as well!). Suffice to say, all is very well at two-to-four, service is the best in town and the attention to detail and innovation applied to the modern British menu is very well received.
Situated on Dorkings infamous(?) "antiques road" the building is old and charming. Internally, the restaurant is small and very front room-like with a large seating area upstairs (beams everywhere). Service is imaculate and you are made to feel as though the experience will be special from the moment they take your coat.
I won't bang on about the dishes - just go and see for yourselves. You'll won't be disappointed. Do it!
Posted by pop at Aug 4, 07 01:27 PM
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Along with The Dining Room in Reigate and Two-to-Four in Dorking, this place is the pollen dusted bee's knees in our area. In a previous blog I described a gorgeous meal at the Stephen Langton pub in Friday Street and then a second attempt to go there only to find it had changed owners...and then coincidentally in the same week, on attempting to go to the Sweet Potato in Reigate, we found that the owners had left the former and were setting up the latter, but hadn't quite opened up at that point.
Well now the Westerly is alive and kicking, and we've made two or three visits. Reviewed in the Guardian in May, you will see that the menu is varied modern, french inspired british food and what lands on the table is fresh and packed with attention to detail - particularly the combination of flavours.
Be seen there, sometime soon. But don't drink beer before hand on the train, then a margarita on arrival, then several glasses of wine - you won't thank yourself for it.
Posted by pop at Jul 6, 07 11:03 PM
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Having driven past this place a few times, and wondered what on earth a curry house was doing in a place where only Happy Eaters dwell, when the urge for curry came along one day, we took our chances. Having made a day trip to Sutton (well, it does have a TK Maxx) and then on to Epsom (oh dear) for dinner - which we gave up on due to a lack of restaurants, we booked a table at the Red Chillie.
On the telephone the guy told us that it happened to be Elvis Night there that night, and we could get a table at 7pm. On arrival, we also discovered that due to Elvis's enormous popularity, they were only offering a set menu of about 5 run-of-the-mill dishes. After giving them sad puppy dog eyes and saying that we had not been told about this restriction, they surreptitiously slid us a couple of standard menus, carefully looking over their shoulder to make sure nobody saw them do it.
Now, I have to be fair, it can't have been anything other than a good curry, as I'd have remembered otherwise. The main thing that sticks in my mind is Asian Elvis visibly syking himself up behind the kitchen door before his grand entrance and then bursting out into the restaurant after what seemed an excessively long build up. Sadly we had finished dinner before he had even thought of squeezing himself into the rhinestone studded white jump suit. I managed to get a few snaps...I'll post them when I have figured out how :)
Go there if you have a curry emergency on your way to Horsham....
Posted by pop at Nov 1, 06 07:32 PM
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When put on the back foot, we went to the Wotton Hatch as Husb had said he fancied trying it when seeing it from the road (Guildford Rd). This place looked grandiose and hopefully tasty. As we walked around from the carpark, the aging clientele by the window looked happy inside as we experienced the alternating wafts of food/excrement/food/excrement/food/excrement (repeat to fade) until we got inside (the perils of the countryside).
Husb looked slightly alarmed, but agreed to give it a go. This was mainly because there was a table free by a big roaring fire, and more importantly Husb had spotted a black cat baking itself infront of the flames. The cat was called Harry, and it looked a little cross but seemed to enjoy the attention it got from Husb. I pointed out that a maulling from the in-house cat, might not be that cool, so he washed his hands and we tucked into:-
Starters
Breaded mushrooms with a garlic sauce (crispy and light)
Mushroom Soup (v.v.v.v. garlicy - husband thought there should be snails in there it was that good).
Mains
Chicken Something (stuffed with ham and gruyere, served with peas and chips)
Beef Burger with Bacon and Cheese (infused with basil leaves = 'ok').
Mains were good in pub food terms, but perhaps not what we really wanted (The Stephen Langton!!). The fire kept us warm and we were definately full. Service was fast, and the average age of the drinkers and eaters was reduced by a clutch of yummy mummys (late 30s +) who cackled and gossiped next to us (presumably while their husbands were working)...what an assumption - kept women in the Surrey Hills? NEVER!
Posted by pop at Oct 30, 06 09:19 PM
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This week, instead of going somewhere warm and sunny for a week of annual leave, we chose to stay at home and investigate our surroundings (having got lost on the way home from Sainsbury's in the dark, this seemed sensible!)
Walking from Boxhill and Westhumble train station, after a few minutes, we eventually got to The Running Horses, a lovely old english country inn (pictured right). The interior of the bar is snug and dark, with a proper old school pub feel that I'm sure will go when smoking is banned in public places. We went into the small restaurant area and took a seat. The service was fast and pleasant. Clientele seemed to be locals and local business types out for lunch, suited and booted.
We had:
Mains:
Chicken Breast and Bacon Ceasar Salad with Garlic Bread (me)
Bubble & Squeak topped with ham and egg in a cheese sauce (husb)
Dessert:
Marzipan and Apple sponge with Cointreau Cream (me)
Cheese board with quince(?) chutney (husb)
The presentation was immaculate and it was all fresh and good quality. The salad was huge and was complimented by the bread and roast garlic bulb ready for spreading. I understand the B&S was superb along with the cheese. I have to say that perhaps I was not expecting the sponge to take the form that it did (more of a tart) but the cointreau cream was to die for!! I managed to remember to take a picture of it before gobbling it all down.
Overall, I'd totally recommend this place, and will probably be back with others in tow...
Posted by pop at Oct 28, 06 10:16 AM
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Having been to the Sweet Potato at least once in Reigate a couple of years ago, I knew it was worth going back when we moved to Dorking. Yesterday we headed to Reigate on the train again, and as it so happened to be lunchtime, headed straight to the restaurant. At once we were struck with disappointment - the SP had closed down!
While wandering around Reigate we looked for somewhere interesting to eat, and ended up having a not so exciting meal in Si - calamari and zuccini strips to start, calzone pizza for mains and three glasses of lemonade with lime (I was thirsty ok!).
I slightly envied Reigate's youth appeal as I walked around and also the lower average age of the populus. I suppose this was because there are larger businesses there compared with Dorking (I mean, Kimberley Clarke is there for goodness sake!). But Dorking's cuteness is still in my heart. That by the way, is me classifying myself as 'youth' still...that probably is debatable nowadays.
Anyhow, today we made our way to the lovely Stephen Langley pub in Friday Street, when SHOCK! HORROR! the same thing happened. They weren't serving food because there had been a change of ownership (despair!). On using our recently acquired 'talking to people we don't know' skills (enhanced and practiced since leaving Guildford a.k.a. "Big Smoke out in the Sticks") we found out that the old owners of the Stephen Langley were setting up a new restaurant in none other than...the premises of the SWEET POTATO!!! Well, once again, lunch must have been jinxed, but at least we are safe in the knowledge that at least one of these great eateries will live on!
Posted by pop at May 20, 06 11:10 PM
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We decided to chill this weekend (croissants & cappucino for brekkie, read the paper, get dressed at some point and then wander into town until something takes our fancy). Today we fancied trying Dolce Vita.
Located where the old Odeon cinema used to be at the top of the High Street, Trinity Gate is Guildford's most prestigious block of flats, er apartments, offering conceirge services and a gym (and a great view the drunks wandering around on Saturday nights).
We ate in the Tapas bar and enjoyed:-
*Pan Fresco (poppy seeded white bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
*Judias verdes con pinones (green beans with garlic and pine nuts)
*Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Omlette)
*Croquetas de bacalao y alcaparras (cod fishcakes with spicy tomato dip)
*Pan de Ajo Frito y Chorizo (sweet chorizo and garlic croutons in olive oil and parsley)
*Sticky Toffee Pudding and Ammeretto cheesecake
*Glasses of Chardonnay & Pino Tinto respectively
The food was fresh and served quickly in a relaxed atmosphere. The cheesecake was light and interesting, so husband was pleased. It's not often you leave a restaurant feeling that you have eaten just the right amount of food and not too much!
Go there!
Posted by pop at May 18, 06 11:11 PM
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Ok, so I gave Zinfandel a beating last time...and now they are forgiven :)
Starters:
Me: Chicken Liver and Armagnac pate
Husb: Calamari "popcorn"
Mains:
Me: Cornfed chicken, melting brie, carmelised apple-butter, smoked bacon, watercress and mustard mayo
Husb: Oak-smoked salmon and baby crayfish tails pizza
Yum!
Fact: when I was small we used to keep two crayfish as pets, probably called 'Snipper' & 'Snapper'). I don't think that their tails would be much to write home about.
Posted by pop at May 12, 06 11:13 PM
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As luck would have it, I won some tickets to a The Charlatans gig. Back in the 1990s I was a moderate fan of theirs, but hadn't exactly kept track of their comings and goings since. Tickets arrived courtesy of Virgin Mobile, and husb and I took off for a very short break in Birmingham.
We stayed in the Copthorne Hotel, which is rather close what is laughingly known as "Paradise Place" (somewhere that you can very easily imagine getting murdered) in what seemed to be the rougher end of town. We casually made our way to the
Carling Academy and found ourselves at Bar Epernay in the Mailbox.
Initially we thought that Bar Epernay would be a bit of a gamble (a little faux posh) but actually we were incredibly impressed by the food:-
Starters
Me: carmelised goats cheese encroute with pear,red onion marmalade and rocket salad
Husb: parsnip and honey soup
Mains
Me: cornfed chicken wrapped in crispy pancetta with honeyed parsnips, served with risotto (all went very well together)
Husb: Sunday Roast Beef
Dessert
Me: Apple Pear and Pecan Pie (this was gorgeous!)
Husb: Double white chocolate cheesecake with basamic-marinated strawberry compote
All washed down with a bottle of...
Beyerskloof Pinotage 2004
All quite impressive and when totalling £62, we were very happy and in fact, quite merry! One question I do have to ask - why did their pianist (who was sat on a rotating platform) 'skip' at one point like a scratched CD??!
We then walked to the gig (noticing on the way that Birmingham city centre consists of lots of very large brand new buildings & sculptures - we felt miniturised!).
The Charlatans were great, and even better because I could see Tim Burgess singing from the sofas on the mezzanine level (oh what I would have done in 1996 to get near the stage!!).
Posted by pop at Apr 28, 06 11:14 PM
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This restaurant has been open for approximately one year. The interior design is fabulous - the feel is modern, minimalistic with almost an 'at home' feel. I noticed an amazing piece of ceramic artwork close to our table - a spiral design handcrafted plate and it was for sale - fantastic at £395!
The blue-green hues of the walls are restful, which is just as well, because we needed a lie-down after this meal!
The dishes:
* Cauliflower with fried breadcrumbs and garlic
* Battered Salt Cod
* Spanish Tortilla
* Roasted vegetables (much like rattouille)
* Garlic bread
...amongst others...
The waiting staff were attentive and friendly, almost treating us like part of the family!
10/10!!!
Posted by pop at Apr 15, 06 11:15 PM
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After struggling to get into Brighton by car, parking in Regency Square then sitting down for a quick coffee at the Thistle hotel on the front, we headed into town to wander the Lanes. Shopping highlights were Ollie & Nic (pretty bags in lovely colours) and Kurt Geiger Shoes (bargainous boots).
The intention in going via Brighton was to take in some fantastic vegetarian food at Terre a Terre before heading down to E'bo. However this was not to be - we had a Meatatarian in our midst. Apparently it wouldn't be possible to enjoy a meal without meat, so this visit was postponed! We had thought we could bring a sachet of Iams in gravy that could be squeezed over his plate of veg, however, we settled (wisely) for Gars.
Gars is a modern restaurant with minimalistic interior design - no waving cats and dragons here. As there were six of us, we chose the set menus. As is traditional, we had the starters (king prawns, prawn toast, seaweed, scallops etc..) and felt full. The waiting staff gave us a break before the crispy duck pancakes and then we launched into a vast array of main courses (yellow bean chicken with cashew, crispy chilli beef, lamb shank, more chicken...more veg...). All of which was fresh and lovely.
All diners were given fortune cookies, but husb had no slip of paper in his! This is a step forward, as the last cookie he opened at
Yellow River Cafe said words to the effect of "all your friends are plotting against you"! Nice fortune. We are hoping for a mediocre fortune next time :)
Posted by pop at Nov 20, 05 11:17 PM
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The Stephen Langley is found secluded in Friday Street near Dorking, amidst some idyllic countryside, which was quite Colarado-esque on that autumn lunchtime.
We weren't sure what to make of it at first...part traditional pub with log fire and locals propping up the bar with copies of the saturday papers, part dining room part modern art gallery. Not convinced by the decor, we were by the exceptional food. Hooray! Another decent place to dine in Surrey.
The four of us sampled the following:
Starters:
Broth, Salt Cod and Crab Fritters and a Country Terrine (bacon, pigeon and chicken livers)
Mains
Beef, Smoked Haddock, Duck and Roast Cod
Dessert
Dessert was out of the question - we could barely move!
Coffee:
One of the best cappucinos I've tasted in a long time
Everybody was impressed by their food, and I can certify that the duck was divine!
The restaurant was child and rosy-cheeked rambler friendly, the former were represented by three families, and two out of three silent and/or cute babies can't be bad going!
Thanks Andrea & Chris! (our benefactors that lunchtime:)
With all of this fantastic dining recently - supermarket food is looking seriously drab these days.
Posted by pop at Nov 5, 05 11:20 PM
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We headed into the Bollinger Bar at Palm Court on the ground floor of the hotel to take in some cocktails (a Long Island Tea for me and a Moscow Mule for husband). The lounge was strangely cosy for such a grand room. Soft lighting and an elegant atmosphere were topped off by a pianist playing the classics.
At eight o'clock we made our way down to the basement of the The Balmoral and into the secluded crimson enclosure of Number One, making ourselves comfy on a high-backed semi-circular gold velvet seat.
We were greeted with an extensive wine menu and canapes. The waiter described each canape and offered us some freshly made bread (a choice of basil, cheese, tomato, brown or white) and took our orders from the food menu. This was an extended meal that allowed us to become further intoxicated by a brilliant Chilian red for 2 hours or so:
Both: Amuse Bouche with truffle oil
Starters
Me: smoke duck salad with red cabbage
Husb: courgette soup with a salmon ravioli
Main Courses
Me: Beef fillet
Husb: Venison with a potato mash
Me: Elderflower jelly with chocolate sorbet
Deserts
Me: Raspberry Soufflé and raspberry sorbet encased in dark chocolate
Husb: Selection from the cheeseboard (a choice of 25 cheeses!)
Both husband and I concluded that this was probably the best meal we have ever had (or can recall!). The restaurant makes every effort to select produce that is local or at least Scottish. The waiting staff had fantastic knowledge of the food they were serving and were really attentive - there were probably five looking after us at different stages during the meal.
The quality and attention to detail in terms of the food and the atmosphere makes this place justifiable at least once in your life. Michelin-starred Chef Jeff Bland and his staff are to thank for a spectacular first wedding anniversary dinner!
Posted by pop at Nov 5, 05 11:19 PM
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Viva Mexico is an example of an authentic mexican that is far far away from the processed likes of commercialised tex-mex style foods.
Based just off the Royal Mile its easy to find. The interior of the restaurant was decorated with lots of mexican imagery, the owners had obviously gone to some trouble to create an experience. The menu was standard fair in terms of choice (lets be honest, mexican menus are rarely obscure!) but the food was great.
To Drink:
Plenty of rather strong lime margharitas (Viva provide liberal shots of tequila!)
Shared Starter:
Both: Nachos
Mains
Me: Chicken Flautas
Husb: Chicken Enchilada
Dessert
Both: Chilli Cheesecake
The restaurant became gradually full over the duration of our meal, but the service remained good and fast. Of the things consumed, the chilli cheesecake was memorable. It was what you might call a 'slow burner' - the full effect of the chilli was not noticed for sometime, but it kept us warm for our Mercat Ghost Tour around the town at 9.30pm - spooky!
Posted by pop at Sep 25, 05 11:22 PM
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This weekend we went on a countryside jaunt into the New Forest (for a captive animal education weekend!) We booked ourselves into The Candlesticks on Christchurch Rd, Ringwood (see ting-a-ling for more info).
Friday night we wandered along the quiet High Street and concluded a indian was in order. We took a shine to The Curry Garden which at 8pm was fairly empty (but by the time we left it was packed to the rafters).
We grabbed ourselves a couple of supersized Cobras and some poppadums (with lime, mango, mint and onion/tomatoes) and ordered the following:-
Tandoori Chicken Tikka (succulent meat and fresh salad - yum)
Lamb Pathia creamy and tangy
Curried Chickpeas tasty and healthy!
Naan so fresh and so soft!
Rice well, it was rice
All in all I would definately recommend this place, on the basis that:
Decor: light and modern
Service: excellent and friendly - it seemed that they had many regulars
Price: A good deal for more than two can eat (how do you not over-order in an Indian??!)
Go here if you find yourself nearby.
Posted by pop at Sep 25, 05 11:21 PM
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Evening two of our zoo-weekend. We go this time, for a Michelin starred, Good Food Guide blessed restaurant called the The Three Lions Restaurant.
After getting past the gathering of local monied sorts propping up the bar we were shown to our table. We chose the following bits and bobs:
Me:
Goats Cheese and Tomato Relish - this was far greater than expected. A partially encased slice of cheese sat on the relish surrounded by salad leaves.
Free Range Pork and Crackling meat fine, veg fine, crackling low-grade
Hub:
Gravalax - ok, Husband has made his own gravalax using vodka and a heavy book at home, so this didn't really cut the mustard! It must have been sliced using a lab-quality tissue slicer and a microscope, there was nothing to it really. Literally. Even at Simply Simons good ole Si cut it thick.
Venison - while we were deer watching in the forest, Husband's mouth must have been watering. Husband seemed to bear a grudge towards the Three Lions after the gravalax, and I think this made him realise the Venison was nothing overly special (and it was £18 not including vegetables).
Husband doesn't like desert at the best of times, but last night the 'Gravalax Incident' as I will call it, forced him to eject us from the restaurant asap. Needless to say, he said the meal was 'fine' when asked. I challenged him over this (he was threatening to write to the Good Food Guide and the Restaurant in sheer disgust two minutes beforehand) and he explained this was simply the bottom of the compliments range, and thus a backhanded insult:
1*. "Fine"
2*. "Superbly tantilising"
3*. "Marvellously Delicious"
4*. "Extraordinarily Fantastic"
5*. "Incredibly Sublime"
Now, I have never had this problem. I have never made anything myself that wasn't trumped by something vastly superior in a restaurant (apart from Cafe Rouge's separated Hollandaise Sauce on an Eggs Benedict (sinful!).
So just to conclude:
Clientele - old money rah rahs, who have never left the village.
Decor - like Aunt Meredith's sitting room - a bit twee
Overheard words - 'mummy and daddy', Cloisters
Value - overpriced and lapped up by those who don't know any better, or just don't want to know.
Now, where's that letter template....
Posted by pop at Aug 28, 05 11:27 PM
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The Wine Vaults is a walk down memory lane. It reminds me and the husband of the days when we were free of...
1. A mortgage
2. A job
3. Money
He was a student in Portsmouth and we'd go to the Wine Vaults and have the classic combination of:-
1. Deep Fried Brie and Redcurrant Jelly
2. Chilli Nachos to share
So, we took a day trip down on the train to Pompey and you can guess where we ended up and what we ate. It was lovely and fresh, particularly (2) as they had completely forgotten to make it, and after about 30 mins, I enquired, and the meal was created in about 60 seconds, and swilled down with our complimentary drinks.
Food: fantastic
Service: forgetful this time, but usually immaculate
Ale: apparently nice, light and slightly vanilla-y
Though we have all three of the former, the experience was warm and fuzzy, and completely carefree.
Posted by pop at Aug 25, 05 11:23 PM
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Zinfandel in Guildford can normally be relied upon for good fresh interesting food, and bar Friday/Saturday night, a table without booking.
Husband and I grabbed an impromptu table there last night, and had some garlic ciabatta and then and ordered pizza:
Me: brie, red-flame grapes, flaked almonds, shallot and tarragon sauté
Husband: oak-smoked salmon, succulent baby crayfish tails, caperberries: topped with wild rocket and a dill-crème-fraîche dressing
Usually Zinfandel is something to write home about, but that night it wasn't. I found the brie pizza to remind me of one of those 'mega cheeze' pizzas that kids eat if they refuse to eat vegetables or meat. It tasted odd - was it off or was it just weird?!
We gave the main courses a go, but wisely I decided to leave some, to ensure I could have room for the peanut-butter cheesecake with raspberry crush. Even husband (a "nut-hater" who has only just started nut-tolerance therapy) joined me in this pursuit. Now this, was divine. Initially husband's face looked as though he had a gob full of pure peanut butter, but he soon realised this was an overreaction to something dreamy!
The next morning didn't feel good. I blamed this on the weird tasting pizza, but the half-bottle of red may well have put me at a disadvantage!
Posted by pop at Aug 14, 05 11:28 PM
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Desperados is a cosy inviting tex-mex affair. I guess that if you found yourself in that area (I haven't before now) it'd be a handy little place to get a decent meal.
Picture this: 70s theme Hen Party (many were heading off to Carwash after the meal, glitter, headscarves, blinding swirling patterns mixed with Tequila, Sambuca, Long Island Tea, and Sex on the Beach etc.. (some fool left the jugs of LIT down my end of the table!).
Service: fast, considering there was about 16 of us, waiters perhaps not the most patient, but a table of 16 must be complicated for them
Presentation: good stuff
Quality: meat was looking fine, big tick!
Ambience: like I said: cosy:)
Posted by pop at Jun 12, 05 11:29 PM
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Simply Simons was a fantastic, small and delicious place to eat. They made great modern British food with high quality ingredients. Trouble was, it was never packed to the rafters with people, and sometimes the personal touch, ain't all it's cracked up to be....
One birthday I took a friend and we went for the full three courses. We ordered a lemon meringe pie. The base was like concrete, but tasted good, so we just kept on chipping away at it with our spoons, enjoying it as we went along. The owner was serving the customers personally which was a great thing, until....
The other remaining table called him over - they had found some glass in their desert. The owner was so incredibly apologetic, so all over them in concern and did everything he could to ensure they wouldn't leave too distressed. The real personal touch!
Then as he walked past us, chipping away at his rock-hard desert, he said:
"Now you are really beginning to embarass me with that base!"
Aghast, mouths open, we could barely believe our ears!! We took our custom elsewhere. Now it looks as though everyone else did too.....Oh well, you can always hire him for private catering:)
Posted by pop at Jun 11, 05 11:30 PM
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So, we are on our hols near Toulouse, and go to a nearby town called Castelnaudary for lunch. It is like Aldershot, but with less shops, everyone is sleepy at lunchtime and there is even less to do (but it was sunny!).
After walking around to see if we could eat there during their rather extensive siesta lunch triple-hour, we stumbled upon a few al fresco dining places. We chose Hotel Restaurant Du Centre et du Lauragais. It looked more sophisticated than the one next door - it had pink tablecloths! Matt chose Canard et Petit Pois, and I went for Salad Nicoise (or in the English translation on the menu - 'Nicoise Salad'.
The food was great, but the entertainment was not what one was used to! There was a little stumpy overweight dog (dog 1), a small dirty-white (clearly male) poodle (dog 2) and lastly dog 3, a small toffee-coloured toy. Dog 1 begged at tables for food but was distracted by dog 2 mounted dog 3 and banged-away for at least 20 minutes - dog 1 howled and barked, mainly with jealousy. Dog 3 was clearly enjoying herself, and did nothing to disuede Dog 1. All the while, we were trying to eat, and the children at the table further down laughed at the comedy of it all. Probably it was the first time they had seen anything shag.
The owner of the restaurant came out and gave the dirty poodle a bit of a talking to, but it seemed that it was more of a 'well done old boy', than a 'stop shagging in front of the customers' type thing. Shame:)
Posted by pop at May 11, 05 11:34 PM
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Strada according to TimeOut, is "simple but top quality Italian food at real prices".
Atmosphere: low-lighted, buzy, friendly/attentive service
We ordered:
"Aglio" @ £2.95 to share: a basket of homemade garlic and rosemary bread baked in our woodfired oven.
Verdict: lovely fresh bread, like a thin pizza bread, with rosemary, but perhaps a little too much salt. However it was yum!
"Quattro Stagioni" Pizza @ £8.95 (Tomato, mozzarella, piccante salami, roasted peppers, mushrooms, grilled artichokes and olives)
Verdict: a rather large but thin pizza, lots of toppings, all very fresh - not stingy!
"Florentina" Pizza @ £7.95 (Wilted spinach cooked with garlic, nutmeg and black pepper with mozzarella, parmesan, tomato and a free-range egg)
Verdict: you definately won't go hungry with this one, lots of fresh toppings and the egg was only just cooked (not dried out).
"Tiramisu" @ £3.95 (Savoiardi biscuits soaked in espresso and rum layered with mascarpone cheese, eggs and dusted with cocoa powder)
Verdict: delicious! A good sized square serving, good consistency....but I was lusting after the below on Matt's plate...
"Fondente Al Cacao" @ £4.25 (Warm melting chocolate pudding served with rum and coffee ice cream)
Verdict: very sexy desert! The chocolate oozed out from the centre, and as Matt put it 'this icecream is very rummy'...surprisingly!
OVERALL COMMENT: we enjoyed our evening, the food was nicely presented and served quickly, but not too quickly (Pizza Express?!!). The restaurant had quite a buzz - lots of people talking and laughing...we could certainly do it again:)
Posted by pop at May 11, 05 11:33 PM
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Strada has opened in Guildford High Street, to add to the many Italians we already have, but perhaps to fill the gap left by the gorgeous 'Need the Dough' that closed only a few doors up the road.
We'll be off to Strada tonight to see what they can do.
