Your Last Mouthful

Cardiff based food blog

Category Archives: Green spoon

A Refined Sunday Lunch At The Celtic Manor Resort

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 30, 2013

Venturing only slightly outside of Cardiff for a review, Mr V and I were invited to the prestigious Celtic Manor Resort in Newport to try the Sunday Lunch menu at Terry M Restaurant. When I was at University, travelling back to Cardiff after holidays, I always used to get excited to almost be back when I saw the Celtic Manor looming over the motorway in all it’s finery. Despite living in Cardiff for 12 years now, I’m afraid I have never paid it a visit until this January.

The approach to The Celtic Manor is quite grand with long uphill windy roads before reaching the entrance laced with cars that cost upwards of a years salary for me. I started to panic that I might be under-dressed but as soon as we entered the restaurant I felt more relaxed. We were immediately greeted, coats were taken and we were offered a seat in the waiting lounge area. The service was very full on but it didn’t feel at all over the top. Sometimes I am put off by staff being so attentive and I prefer to be left alone to enjoy my meal but throughout our visit, the service was just right and in keeping with the tone of the restaurant which I would describe as relaxed fine dining.

After some appetizers and a drink, we were shown to our table. There were four other parties dining which resulting in a good atmosphere and a comfortable level of chatter which was nicely muffled by the sound of some soft, relaxing music.

Whilst waiting for our starters we were brought small rolls still warm from the oven which were delicious. These were accompanied by some butter topped with rock salt which I really enjoyed. To start, we both wanted the same thing from the menu as usual and on this occasion Mr V won the prize; The Salmon Mi-cult, salted cucumber and orange gel. It really was an excellent quality piece of salmon and a good size. The texture was soft, smooth and delicate. Melt in your mouth is a cliché but it really did. However I didn’t feel that the orange gel added much. It was a nice flavour but we were expecting something a little more exciting given the description.

salmon

My starter was in fact the one we both prefered in the end. The salad of warm baby beetroots, Suffolk ewe’s milk cheese with apple and horseradish. The different varieties of beetroot were very tasty and added interesting textures which were a lovely contrast with the soft creamy ewes cheese. It also looked very appetising as did all the dishes we saw appearing from the kitchen.

beetroot salad

For our mains, Mr V opted for the traditional Cefn Mawr Farm beef Sunday dinner as it was the Sunday lunch menu we were reviewing. The beef was served medium rare which was perfect and was carved at the table which was a nice touch. The beef was excellent and the accompaniments were also nice. It was a very good Sunday Roast but we felt that it was missing the wow factor. Mr V also had a slight niggle with the gravy because it was poured onto the plate by the waiter at the table but he would have prefered a small gravy boat so that he could decide the amount and where it went. I have to agree.

Beef

I chose the Free range pork fillet, fondant potato, salted cabbage and apple which was the star of the show. The pork was fantastic. It was cooked perfectly with crispy fat around the outside of the medallions. The dish was decorated with little balls of apple which seemed to pop in my mouth. I very much enjoyed this course and although we would happily eat both dishes again, the pork was our favourite.

Pork

Moving onto dessert, I chose the Snowball parfait, citrus salad and candied grapefruit and Mr V chose the chocolate fondant with tonka bean ice cream. The parfait was lovely. It tasted exactly like a snowball with a good hit of Advocaat. It went very well with the citrus flavours and the candied grapefruit added some bite to the dish.

Parfait

Mr V’s fondant looked the part. Chocolate oozed out as the spoon made contact and the flavours were very good but it was ever so slightly undercooked. It still hit the mark though and no plates were left uncleared.

Fondant

To finish a satisfying meal we were served coffee and homemade petit fours.

coffee

Overall, we had a very nice afternoon. It was a relaxing atmosphere whilst still being quite formal which worked well. Staff were attentive and still human, not too serious like they can be in a fine dining restaurant. I think the prices were very reasonable too at £22.50 for 2 course and £28.50 for three. I appreciate that this isn’t cheap and may not be what everyone would be willing to pay for a Sunday lunch but I think the quality and overall experience matched the price.

My last mouthful was: The Free Range Pork Fillet

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Overall rating- spoon-green80

General, Green spoon, Restaurant reviews , , ,

Happy Birthday Purple Poppadom! Celebrating With A New Menu

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 1, 2013

Nothing excites me like a good restaurant that changes it’s menu regularly and when it is the Purple Poppadom, there are extra squeals of delight. In honour of Purple Poppadom’s first birthday and to celebrate five successful years for Chef Anand George in Cardiff, the 501 game Taster Menu has been launched.

I love this time of year despite the cold because I just love game and all the dining possibilities it brings so I was very pleased to see that the Purple Poppadom were incorporating it into a menu. I gave rave reviews to their previous taster menus so I went along with high expectations.

Purple Poppadom lovers you’ll be pleased to know that this menu didn’t disappoint. The tasters included, rabbit, pheasant, goat, wild boar as well as a fish course and a selection of desserts. As usual the service was impeccable and the place was jammed packed with diners, even though it was a Wednesday night.

We started the evening off with the Lapin a Deux. A beautifully presented rabbit starter consisting of minced rabbit cooked in the tandoor and cubes of rabbit in a polti bag. The minced rabbit was delicately spiced so that the flavours didn’t overpower the meat but my favourite was the polti bag which is a flaky pastry parcel filled with cubes of tender spicy rabbit. I always enjoy the Purple Poppadom starters and this was no exception. As usual my photos do not do the food justice.

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The Halibut Vert fish course was next and as usual was perfectly cooked. The tender Halibut marinated in coriander and mint was so tender and juicy and the spiced cake of halibut was one of the nicest fish cakes I have ever had.

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I wouldn’t usually bore you with details of a pallet cleanser but the Granny Smith Apple and Chilli Sorbet was so good I would have been happy with it as dessert. If I could buy some to take home and put in the freezer I would.

Moving onto the middle course, the Ffesant Choux Fleur. My favourite course and my favourite French word for a vegetable all rolled into one! This course featured some unusual flavour combinations but they worked very well. The coriander and garlic crusted pheasant was served with cauliflower puree and pickled beetroot. Presented in a deep dish, once cut into, the pheasant was emersed in the puree. The combination of the warm cauliflower and cold beetroot made for some interesting textures and complimented the meat.

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The main course which was preceded by a passion fruit and ginger sorbet, consisted of two curries, a Thoran, steamed rice and two Indian breads. The first curry, the Chevre Royal was my favourite. The goat was unbelievably tender. Purple Poppadom have great skill when it comes to cooking meat. It is always executed perfectly and on this occasion, the goat was melt in the mouth good which I don’t always find with goat.

The Sanglier de Kerala was also lovely and went very well with the Thoran which is also a South Indian dish. The meat again was very tender (Wild Boar on this occasion) and the mild sweet flavours matched those of the delicious Thoran and the breads.

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Sad to bring the evening to a close but feeling full, we embarked on a trio of dessert. For me this was the weakest course but by no means poor. We had the signature chocolate samosa with caramelised banana which I always enjoy, a Christmas pudding cheesecake and an orange, coconut and Penedryn whiskey cake. Everything was nice but I don’t think it lived up to the desserts on the previous two taster menus. In fact, the Rose Hip Brulee on the original Taster Menu was one of the best desserts I have ever tasted so to live up to that was a tall order.

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I can honestly say that the Purple Poppadom is one of my all time favourite restaurants. When I recommend it to people they often start talking about other Indian restaurants they enjoy but I cannot stress enough that this is not your typical Indian restaurant and should not be compared as such. It is in a far superior league and the menu is so far removed from a curry house. Anand George calls his food Nouvelle Indian Cuisine and I think this is a good description. It is fresh, original, high quality food using Indian flavours.

If you haven’t visited yet, you NEED to! You won’t be disappointed. The Taster menu is £45 per person which may sound expensive but it is definitely worth the price and is the best way to experience what is on offer. The A La Carte is also fantastic though.

My Last Mouthful was: The Ffesant Choux Fleur

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Overall rating- spoon-green80

General, Green spoon, Restaurant reviews , , ,

Christmas Afternoon Tea At Emma Jane’s

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 21, 2012

Readers of my blog will know that I love Emma Jane’s Cupcake Kitchen. Aside from the fabulous cupcakes, the decor is quirky and cute, it’s a cosy spot to meet friends and the lovely Emma Jane herself makes you feel welcome and valued.

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If you love cupcakes, this is the obvious place to come for orders and to enjoy some cake in a gorgeous setting. However, it probably isn’t the first place you would think to come for Afternoon Tea. There are plenty of places in Cardiff offering Afternoon Tea and they all have their specialisms. Some are known for their tea, some for their bubbly and some have an envirnoment that screams out to be serving afternoon tea. Well, Emma Jane has the cake!

I’ve been to some perfectly nice Afternoon Teas where everything has been lovely but the cakes aren’t always homemade and for me this is pretty much essential. With Emma Jane’s Christmas Afternoon Tea, we got two cupcakes, delcious mince pies and gingerbread, all homemade.

When we arrived everything was prepared for us and we were asked to choose our cupcakes and our choice of tea. We chose a spicy Chrsitmas tea, a Gingerbread Cupcake and a Cranberry and Orange Cupcake. These were brought to us on a pretty three tier cake stand (also essential in my opinion).

The sandwich selection was excellent. No boring choices here. We enjoyed cranberry and brie, turkey and stuffing, ham and pickle, and cucumber. The sandwiches had their crusts removed in the traditional manner but they were packed full of filling.

We polished off the sandwiches in no time and moved onto the middle tier; mince pies and cream and gingerbread. The mince pies were warm and delicious. We had a huge pot of cream and we managed to eat it all, finishing it off by dipping our gingerbread in it which were also very good.

Lastly, it was the turn of the top tier; the cupcakes and chocolates. We were told that if we couldn’t eat everything we could take it away in a box but we powered on. The cakes were very good as I would expect based on Emma’s other cakes. I especially enjoyed the gingerbread cake.

afternoon tea

A lot of effort went into this Afternoon Tea. Everything was homemade and it was all served at the bargain prize of £8.50. If you love cake and you love afternoon tea, Emma Jane’s Cupcake Kitchen is your answer. If you’re not interested in Afternoon Tea then definitely pop in for a cake.

cafe reviews, General, Green spoon , , ,

The Kings Arms- My Kind Of Pub!

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 19, 2012

Pulling up outside The Kings Arms in Pentyrch, I remembered how much I loved it the last time I went. It was for a summer BBQ and I fell in love with this beautiful country pub then. With its welcoming exterior, low doors that make me feel like I need to duck even though I’m only 5 foot 3 and a roaring fire, this grade II listed building is my idea of pub heaven. It has that country pub vibe and on a cold December night, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.

Inside is so cosy. The word rustic comes to mind but it doesn’t really do it justice because everyone is doing ‘rustic’ these days. The difference is this really IS rustic. It’s not pretend, it’s not pretentious, it’s cosy country pub with rustic charm.

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That fact that it’s Christmas and there were white lights adorning the dining room only added to the homely feel. The stone walls and large wooden beams combined with the twinkling lights and faint Christmas music made me feel quite festive. Although I love to be at home at Christmas with a home cooked meal, if I was going to go out for dinner, it would be here.

We had been invited to sample the Christmas menu. After a few Christmas meals already, I was very pleased to see that this menu had some non turkey options. For starters we were a bit torn but we settled for the carpaccio of Welsh beef fillet with watercress and pickled girolle mushrooms and the Arancini which in this case was deep-fried Hafod cheese and parsley risotto balls served with red chilli creme fraiche.

The Arancini was very nice. The flavours were subtle but they were well cooked and nicely presented. The red chilli creme fraiche was delicious and worked well to moisten the dish.

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The carpaccio came as a generous portion, seasoned with sea salt which gave it a nice texture. The addition of the pickled mushroom wasn’t quite to my taste because the dish also come with a balsamic dressing which made it all a little too acidic. It was still very nice though and we happily polished off the plate.

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Moving onto the mains, we knew exactly which two dishes we wanted, the question was, who had what. In the end, as it was a cold wet night and I needed warming up, I went for the roasted silverside of Breconshire beef with yorkshire pudding and horseradish sauce and Mr V had the pan-fried salmon with cockles and laverbread butter, wilted baby gem and truffle mash.

I was very pleased with my choice. My beef was tender, the roast potatoes were crispy and the yorkshire pudding homemade.

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The dish was served with some delightful parsnip crisps and seasonal vegetables. After tasting this, I will most certainly be going back for a Sunday roast.

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Mr V’s salmon was again delicious. The salmon was moist and well seasoned and a perfect partner to the salty and buttery cockles. The mash had a powerful taste of truffle which we both really enjoyed and it worked well with the other flavours of the dish. The wilted gem lettuce was an unusual but welcome addition.

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Full from the very generous portions, we had a break before dessert. Stuck between two, we had both and shared. We chose a lemon and lime tartlet with clotted cream and chocolate coulis and a chestnut and whisky cheesecake with crystallised ginger and vanilla syrup.

The flavours in the cheesecake were very subtle and although beautifully presented with mint and berry’s I think it needed something more.

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The tart however was packed with flavour. I loved the bitterness of the lemon and lime combined with the chocolate and the cream. The filling was a little runny but it still tasted great.

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The lovely setting, faultless service and great homely food make The Kings Arms a hit with me. The Christmas menu was £22 for three courses and the evening menu looked just as good. As it’s owned by Otley Brewing Company, it meant that we could also have Otley beer with our meal which pleased Mr V who rounded his meal off with a pint of O Ho HO.

My Last Mouthful was: The truffle mash

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Overall rating- spoon-green80

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A Mexican Experience With Oscars Wednesdays

Leave a Comment Posted by on November 20, 2012

After a few invitations to Oscars of Cardiff that I was unable to make, I was very pleased to finally make it to one of Oscar’s Wednesdays. Back by popular demand, every Wednesday through October and November, Oscar’s are offering a special ‘themed’ menu in addition to the Evening Menu. Accompanied by Hannah, writer of Love To Dine Blog, I attended Tacos and Twister Night for a Mexican themed meal.

When I arrived, Hannah was already there and I had to fight through a packed restaurant to meet her. I couldn’t believe how busy it was for a Wednesday night! I’m not sure whether it was because it was Halloween so people were out to avoid the trick or treaters or whether this was standard for an Oscars Wednesday. If it was, they have a winning formula. It made for a lively atmosphere and even though it seemed full to capacity, staff were still efficient and friendly. The decor was very much my thing. Lots of colours, big lights and seating at different levels. It was quite quirky but also cosy.

The Mexican menu was £12 for 2 courses and a shot of tequila or something else if you prefered. You could also take part in the Chilli Chicken Challenge for an extra £5. We didn’t take the challenge although I wish I had really. However, the two courses were plenty and we also had a few side dishes which we really didn’t need, the greed set in!

We started with flat breads and dip which were very nice. The flat breads were cut into manageable pieces and covered in guacamole and sour cream.

Flatbreads to start

To follow we had a choice of taco. I went for Piri Piri White Fish and Hannah had Beef Brisket. The fish was cooked beautifully. Tender, juicy with a hint of spice.  However, I’m not sure it was very ‘Mexican’. It was served with the same sour cream and guacamole that came with the starter and the taco was actually a flour tortilla. It was still tasty though and while it wasn’t traditionally Mexican, it was still top quality food.

Piri Piri Fish

Dinner with another food blogger meant there was no way we were leaving without dessert! I chose the Lemon Tart with Blackberry Ice Cream. It was the perfect way to finish the meal. The tart was fresh and light and the ice cream was delicious. Hannah had the Oscars Chocolate Macaroon Mess which also looked amazing, although I’m glad I went for the lighter option.

Lemon tart for dessert

I was impressed by Oscars and would love to go back and try their Evening Menu. I think Oscars Wednesdays are an excellent idea. A theme makes for a fun dining experience and is just that little bit different. This one was a very fair price too at just £12 (minus the dessert). The fact that you can still go for the Evening Menu means that everyone in a party should be happy even if they don’t fancy the theme for the evening.

My Last Mouthful was: The Lemon Tart with Blackberry Ice Cream

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The Pilot- The Perfect Local Pub

Leave a Comment Posted by on November 6, 2012

With The New Conway and Woods already established and popular with Cardiff diners, Knife and Fork Food’s new venture, The Pilot has shown itself to be a welcome addition.

Located in a residential area of Penarth with great views of the harbour, it is the local pub I wish I had. Although I like a rustic theme, I am getting a bit bored with the amount of new pubs and restaurants that are attempting it. The Pilot is not rustic and is not pretending to be. It’s modern, clean-cut and homely with a vintage feel.

The main dining area has tables arranged in straight lines with comfy leather sofas in the centre of the room. Combined with mismatched picture frames, vintage style lamps and a cosy wood burner, it has the feel of being in someone’s living room, albeit a full living room.

The menus are displayed on boards and you order at the bar so it is all very informal and definitely more public house than restaurant. When we were there the menu was substantial and it changes with the season. They use local suppliers, forage and even use produce from some of their staff’s allotment.

We found a table for two on a surprisingly busy Monday night. I love the layout of the place but the tables were awfully close together. Mr V and I are relatively little but had we been any bigger, it would have been a bit of a squeeze to get to our seats without getting a little too cosy with our neighbouring diners. This was pretty trivial though in the grand scheme of things.

To start, Mr V ordered Confit of Duck Ragout with white bean puree and I had Smoked Haddock with Bacon Croquettes. Our orders arrived very quickly, no longer than a 5 minute wait which was almost a bit too quick. My croquettes were crispy on the outside and soft and creamy inside as I’d expect and were a bargain at just £4.50. Ben’s rague was nicely presented with nice textures and colours and decorated with micro cress.

Again there was a very short wait and our mains arrived in 10 minutes. I chose Lamb Rump with Roasted Carrots, Mash and Peas with a Mint Dressing. The lamb was well cooked, medium as described and the vegetables were crisp. The mint dressing was actually a mint gravy but that suited me. The weather had just started to get chilly and I had the winter blues so it was the perfect homely pick me up.

Mr V chose the Grey Mullet with Chorizo and Tomato Ragout. The fish was a good size and well cooked. The ragout wasn’t outstanding, just tomato and roast potatoes but it was exactly as described.

Usually it isn’t an issue if food takes too long but the Pilot was the opposite. If anything the food came too quickly. We had finished our first two courses in half an hour which made the evening go far to quickly but this was my only complaint and I appreciate this would not be a negative for everyone.

For dessert we went back to the chalk boards. There was a very good selection and while dessert is my least favourite course, I was excited by the prospect. I chose the Banana Parfait with Caramelised Peanuts and  Mr V had the Chocolate Torte with Salted Caramel and Chantelle cream. We shared in the end because we both got jealous of each other’s choice.

The Torte was lovely. Rich and bitter and was complimented beautifully by the salted caramel which was artistically arranged in droplets on the plate. The only downside is that I would have liked more salted caramel.

The banana parfait was good although the peanuts were more sticky clusters than caramelised but nice all the same.

I really enjoyed my evening at the Pilot. It was nice to eat good, honest pub food done well and that’s exactly what it is. It isn’t pretending to be a bistro, the food is simple and reflective of a pub menu. On our visit the prices were competitive at £4.50-£5.50 for starters and £9- £13.50 for mains which puts it in the same price bracket as a far less superior establishment. The menu was fresh and original but still included pub food favourites like bangers and mash and fish and chips.

My Last Mouthful was: Lamb Rump with Roasted Carrots, Mash and Peas with a Mint Dressing

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General, Green spoon, pub/bar review, Restaurant reviews , , ,

Flavrbox- A Monthly Treat For Foodies

1 Comment Posted by on October 19, 2012

For me, subscription food and drink companies are an exciting prospect. Having a box delivered to my door containing a selection of products appeals to the glutton in me, the fact that the contents is a surprise excites the child in me.

After discovering Flavrbox on Twitter, I was very keen to see what they offered so I was delighted when they sent me a tasting box to sample. Flavrbox was established as a way of giving people the chance to experience some of the best food producers in the country. Once a month, subscribers receive a tasting box to their door containing a hand-picked selection of products including snacks, cooking ingredients or condiments, and a booklet telling the story behind each one.

As I’ve said, I love the concept of subscription food and Flavrbox offers such a wide variety of products. I had to collect my box from the post office because I wasn’t in when it was delivered and it was far too big for the letter box. I was very impressed with the contents and the booklet introducing the producers was a nice touch.

Flavrbox

The box was packaged nicely and contained items from five producers. I’ve included a short run down of what I received but of course it will vary each month:

Flavrbox

Hands on Coffee – Nicely packaged, this was a lovely smooth roast with a slight nutty flavour and a nose of vanilla, especially at the moment you open the bag.

Bailey’s Real Food Jackson Bars – I had four of these healthy cereal bars in various flavours. Made without any refined sugar, additives or preservatives, they were soft, oaty and delicious. My favourite was The Naughty Jackson Bar with chocolate, marshmallow and seeds.

Flavrbox

Bacon Jam – This bizarre sounding condiment was my favourite item in the box. A combination of onion jam and smokey bacon, I found no end of dinners and snacks to add this too. It went especially well with oeufs en cocotte.

Mr Popple’s Chocolate – I had two of these vegan chocolate bars made with raw cacao. Free from dairy, refined sugar, gluten, soya, and CM ingredients, these weren’t my thing but I wouldn’t expect to love every product in every box, that’s the gamble you take. Flavrbox does offer a replacement if you aren’t happy with a product which I thought was excellent customer service.

Bendy Legs Cereal- Healthy, unprocessed and delicious, I’m already a Bendy legs convert so I was happy to have a pack in my box.

Flavrbox Tasting Boxes cost £16 per month if you sign up for a year, £18 per month if you sign up for 6 months and £20 on a monthly plan. Each box will contain products from 5-6 producers. Producers are selected based on three criteria; taste, ethics and availability and many have won awards such as The Great Taste Awards. The products selected are generally not widely available in supermarkets so that they are new to subscribers.

I absolutely love the concept behind Flavrbox. I love trying new foods and I love surprises so this is right up my street. However, for the average person, it isn’t cheap if you don’t sign up for a year. I think that for people on a budget, this might be a luxury that they can’t afford. Having said that, if you do have a bit of pocket money to spare and you love trying new products, this does work out to be pretty good value. I added up the cost of the products separately and the box boasts quite a saving.

Flavrbox also have a shop on the website where you can buy products directly if you have sampled something you particularly like. It also gives you an idea of the products you might be sent.

My Last Mouthful was: The Bacon Jam

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Tea Horse- A Cup Of Tea Through The Post!

Leave a Comment Posted by on August 13, 2012

I’ve been noticing a lot of subscription food companies lately. It seems like a very fruitful idea and there are some excellent varieties available. It was on Twitter that I discovered the most appealing one so far, and it isn’t even offering food!

Tea Horse is a subscription website allowing you to experience the world of loose leaf tea. For just £11.95 per month, Tea Horse will send you a box of four different teas based on a different tea theme every month. In each box, you receive the teas, neatly packaged with instructions on how to brew and enjoy them, 40 tea filters and a little booklet full of tea information.

I love tea and have really got into my loose leaf tea recently so I was very happy when Tea Horse offered to send me their July box to review. July’s box was called Eastern Promises and contained a combination of traditional teas from china and new innovations from India.

I started my tasting session with Jasmine Pearls from China. I love floral tea and Jasmine is one of my favourites. Each pack of tea is foil wrapped and when opened, releases the most gorgeous fresh scent. The Jasmine tea smelt deliciously floral with a hint of green tea. It smelt amazing but once brewed, it smelt even sweeter. Flavourwise, the tea was lovely. It had the subtle jasmine taste that I love. Still a firm favourite.

The next morning I broke into the Earl Grey. The first thing that struck me about this one was the gorgeous fresh, citrus smell. What could be better in the morning? Once brewed, the tea had that nice perfumed taste that Earl Grey is known for but it had none of the harsh flavours that I sometimes associate with it. I don’t usually like Earl Grey without milk but this one was lovely and I could have happily drunk it with or without milk.

Later that day I sampled the Rolling Thunder Oolong. It had that deep, rich oolong scent and lovely long leaves. Oolong isn’t my most favourite usually as I can find it a bit bitter but this one was a good one. It had a full flavour and was a lovely golden colour. Once brewed it smelt beautifully sweet.

Lastly was the Rohini Enigma which has become my comfort tea. It smelt more like the tea I was used to but with a hint of spice. It was a delicious black tea, very subtle and elegant. I usually take tea with milk but I actually prefered this one without milk.

I was very impressed with July’s box and I will definitely be subscribing to Tea Horse as I think it is an excellent way to try a variety of teas. Each box comes with all the information you need and the website is excellent. It’s very easy to navigate and each box is clearly explained. There is also a shop online if you’d like to purchase tea without subscribing.
Now, I’m off for a cuppa…

 

My last Mouthful was: The Jasmine Tea

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Purple Poppadom- Still a Firm Favourite

Leave a Comment Posted by on August 10, 2012

If you’ve read my previous review or follow me on Twitter you will probably be aware of my love for Purple Poppadom. I think chef Anand George is a genius with his interpretation of Indian Nouvelle cuisine, turning Indian food into fine dining with a touch of fusion.

You can imagine then, that I was more than happy to sample the new Deep Blue Taster Menu when I was invited recently. Purple Poppadom’s menus change with the season and Deep Blue is their summer offering featuring a range of fantastic fish dishes.

The menu is extensive and I wanted to try everything so I love the idea of a Taster Menu. With this menu, we had the option to pair it with beer which was a great idea. A different beer came with each course and they really did compliment the food perfectly.

Our first course was a trio of starters; Salmon Mel (Salmon marinated with mustard, honey and cooked in tandoor), Golden Green (Cubes of mango and avocado with lamb lettuce and baby spinach with a passion fruit and chilli dressing) and Tune Pillow (Delicately spiced pattice of tuna, encased in crispy breadcrumbs).

The Salmon was amazing! It was beautifully cooked in a sweet sauce and worked very well with the other two starters on the plate. The Tuna Pillow was crunchy on the outside and sot on the inside, housing some delicate flavours. The sweet mango salad was also excellent. All of this was accompanied by Brooklyn Lager from the USA.

Moving onto the middle course, we were presented with Spirit Of The Sea (Swordfish loin marinated with coriander, mint and spices, grilled in tandoor, accompanied by a South Indian style risotto and a chilli garlic oil) paired with a Beer Lao bringing back memories of my travels through Laos.

This was a lovely dish. The swordfish was meaty but still beautifully tender, soft and moist. The coriander flavours were wonderful and worked well with the subtle tasting risotto which was beautifully soft and creamy with a welcome crunch of onion. This was my favourite course.


After a deliciously refreshing Green Apple and Chilli Sorbet, we were presented with Petits Filets and Kalamari (Pan fried Kerala style marinated sardine fillets on salad leaves, tomato and mustard dressing served with golden crispy battered squid) paired with a Cwrw Celt Welsh beer.

This was a light refreshing dish with a perfectly cooked sardine with a nice crispy skin. For me, this was the weakest dish but still perfectly lovely. The salad and the dressing had more of a mediterranean flavour than an Indian feel to me. However, the Calamari was cooked perfectly. Often like a rubber band, this was nothing of the sort. Tender, and beautiful, cooked in the most delicious batter! I’m not sure it really belonged with the sardine dish though.

For the main, we had The Halibut Islands (Tender white halibut supreme) which came with a choice of sauce. We chose Alleppey Sauce, a blend of raw mango and ginger. Ginger and Mango are favourites of mine so I knew this was going to be good. Again, the fish was cooked to perfection and the meaty fish was complimented by the sharp mango and heat from the ginger. It was delicious and the colours were beautiful.

The main was accompanied by a fresh and crunchy Stir Fry Vert (Asparagus, baby corn, mangetout, french beans, cashew nut and coconut tempered with mustard and curry leaves) and basmati rice. The beer for this course was an Erdinger Weiss which really brought out the fruity flavours of the curry. My only niggle here is that it would have been nice to have some naan bread with this course as there was plenty of sauce.

Finally, we were presented with a very eye-catching selection of desserts. Tandoori Pineapple, chef’s signature dish; a Chocolate Filled Poppadom on a Caramalised Banana and a Mango Brulee. The previous menu included a Rose Brulee which was one of my all time favourite desserts so I was interested to try the Mango version. It was delicious and definitely the stand out dessert for me but nothing is going to touch the rose one in my opinion.

The Chocolate Poppadom was very nice and the flavours worked well with the banana and the Tandoori Pineapple had a very unusual flavour but I’m not sure it was really for me. Overall though, I was impressed with dessert, they are always very innovative.

The thing that always strikes me with food at the Purple Poppadom is the outstanding presentation. Everything is beautifully designed and every plate looks the same. Each little Taster was exactly the same size and shape on both mine and Mr V’s plates throughout the night and everything was cooked to perfection.

The Taste Menu is £39.95 per person or £47.95 with beer. For the quality and volume of food included, I think this is a fair price and in my opinion, the Taster menu is definitely worth doing because you get to try so much. However, if the Taster Menu’s not for you, there are plenty of other options and they even do Take Away.

Aside from the food, the experience is heightened by the staff  who are clearly very proud of the success they are having. Manager Ramon is a fabulous host and makes everyone feel very welcome. We dined on a Friday night at 7pm and it was already full to bursting. I can understand why and if you haven’t been yet, why the hell not????

My Last Mouthful was: Spirit of the Sea

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General, Green spoon, Restaurant reviews , , , ,

Rachel’s Organic Strawberries And Cream Yogurt- Perfect For Summer

Leave a Comment Posted by on August 9, 2012

Summer has been pretty poor this year, I’m sure you’ll all agree. My miserable pale skin hasn’t really seen the light of day and I can’t really see much changing anytime soon. When we can’t experience the summer sun, thankfully, we can still eat summer food and what says summer more than strawberries and cream?

Rachel’s Organic are the producers of some of my favourite yogurt and to my delight, they often send me some samples to try. You can read my previous review which includes a recipe and my thoughts on some products I have been sent including the delicious Greek Style Coconut Yogurt. On this occasion, amongst other products I have already reviewed, I was sent the Limited Edition Strawberries and Cream bio-live yogurt.

Rachel’s yogurt is always deliciously creamy but this one was more so than any of the others I’ve tasted. It was so thick and creamy, it was somewhere between a custard and a yogurt and was generously interspersed with large chunks of sweet strawberries. I have to say that I wasn’t overly excited about a strawberry yogurt and would usually consider it to be one of the more mundane options but this one was delicious and I would definitely buy it again.

My ratings are based on this product and the others I have sampled in my previous review.

Service- Doesn’t apply, available in most supermarkets

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Quality of product-

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Food product review, General, Green spoon , , ,

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