Lost for something to do just as summer gets on the departing train and clears the platform in time for the arrival of autumn? Perhaps you find yourself in search of something to slow down that fast disappearing summertime feeling? Turkey ticks all the boxes. A random park bench even comes with its own cats, ready to make you into their comfy chair of choice! Juno’sView just came a bit more inscrutable…
Religious intrigue is a key ingredient to the whole Turkish experience… even fervent aethieists may gaze in wonder on the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, or Suleymaniye Mosque. The architecture alone embodies enough spiritual wonder…
For many, religious conviction is more closely aligned to the bargain hunt. Well, try your negotiating skills at the Grand Bazaar or nearby Spice Bazaar. But beware if you’re a novice, to these guys, a good haggle commands the very height of devotion.
For others, the religious experience is to be found in hidden quirky gems, such as the Basilica Cistern… an underground ancient water filtration system from Byzantine times…
But surely, universal worship will always be found at the altar to the kitchen… and wow, Turkey has altars aplenty!
Even with the incredible cuisine, this is a country where the architectural awe still borders on a level of religious and historical incredulity wherever you look…
And, above all else, it’s just that wonderful feeling that summer’s not quite departed…
Until we speak again, whatever your religious proclivities Turkey will be a delight (the real Turkishdelight is well worth paying for as well!).
What do you do to celebrate a 40-year friendship to quell those fearful thoughts of “where the hell did that time go?” Perhaps by trying somewhere that’s not even 40 days old! The Sultan, down the docks, or Cardiff Bay as it’s corporately known these days, may provide that solution.
They seem to have discovered an interesting way of wooing customers in these early days. Free Turkishbread sets the tone, and while they seek a license to sell alcohol complementary glasses of house red and white wine are more than welcome.
Sampling the wine meant we didn’t hear the option of starters first, so we ended up with that Mediterranean meze experience of everything at the same time!
The friedhalloumiwithfigjam was perfectly textured. The babaganoush was perfectly balanced to allow the aubergine taste not to be overwhelmed. The Lokum was a perfect blend of slices of filletsteak andmashedpotato with a CafedeParis sauce… what a sublime dish it was to, topped off with redkapiapepper. As for the asparagus, it was perfectly crunchy. Such was the delightfully presented array of tasty temptations the VegPide ended up as a perfect doggy bag takeaway!
The freebies hadn’t finished either with a complementary glass of Turkishtea to help the digesting of a real treat of a meal.
Until we speak again, this was a meal 40 years in the waiting. Don’t copy us, go now while they are bookending your meal with the complementaries!
Once upon a time in Patagonia, some Welsh folk settled many thousands of miles from home. It must have taken them some time to get there. But, come on, cariad, why did it take over 150 years to send the indigenous produce back to the homeland?
Whisper it quietly… you don’t really need a tri-walker and walking stick for rounding up prime steer along this part of TheHayes in Cardiff. A restaurant booking will now do the trick nicely…
I guess some meals are designed for the outdoors in sunshine. But, come on, this is the centre of Cardiff, not the Mediterranean! Even in nearly record-breaking September sunshine, a serious meal in Cardiff requires some dimming of the light, a darker backdrop to provide the right atmosphere…
So much for the hype of a new dynamic eating place arriving in the city (albeit more than 20 years after London), show us what you’ve got to offer Argentina.
Well, for one thing, the menu is reasonably small… something regulars to this blog will know I count as a positive characteristic… hopefully equating to focus and quality. Me, I can’t resist an indigenous starter dish of empanadas, this choice filled with Wagyu beef. These knock Cornish pasties into a cocked hat. Crispy pastry surrounds tangy flavoured melt in the mouth textured beef.
So far… excellent! Then came the test of a good or a not so good restaurant. It may be the first week of official opening to us ordinary punters… but even a really good restaurant doesn’t have to get everything perfect immediately. It’s how they respond when they get it wrong that counts.
Because the starters were that good we took quite some time tasting and discussing the experience. Perhaps the kitchen didn’t get the memo… don’t prepare the main course until the punters are ready!! So, semi-cold steaks and tepid chips arrived the second we were putting the starter cutlery down. Sorry hombre, this place isn’t even your average price… so expectations of quality are high.
With little or no fuss, the staff apologised for the error and promised to prepare the whole meal from fresh immediately. What is more, they recognised we had a little extra time to wait, and our bottle of fabulous Malbec was fast emptying. So, again without fuss, a second bottle was brought to our table… on the house! Strange how the same fabulous wine tastes even better when it’s free…
When the freshly cooked fillet steaks arrived the wait was definitely worth the time spent sipping at that smooth velvety wine. Yes, the plates look big. But, these are the usual 225g steaks. Here they also have to accommodate the 400g steak punters. People for whom one meal needs to last heaven knows how long. Gaucho’s are out on the range long hours, for all I know. As for me, you can keep your horseback-bull-lassoing affair, I’ll take 225g of Argentina’s finest and definitely come back for more another time…
Until we speak again, a certain blog site informed me that Juno’s View is 10 years old this very week! That free bottle of Malbec served a more than satisfying purpose after all.
JUNO's VIEW 