Who said there is nothing good in Cornwall? Oh yes… my regular Devon correspondent! Well, a brief sojourn in Bodmin has just served to remind me how much I love chicken, particularly when satay is involved.
Until we speak again, my favourite duck is most certainly aromatic and crispy. As discerning cats I am sure Juno and Bella would have agreed.
What better source than a combination of a skillet of Brussels Sprouts (with added bacon) and a glass of the amber nectar?
Until we speak again, thanks go to the Vacherie bar at Hotel St Marie in the French Quarter of New Orleans for providing the stage and necessary equipment for the production of who knows what subsequent stormy conditions!
When the good lady says she knows a few places for spectacular dining, well, gales and crashing waves were not the first things I had in mind. The best idea I could come up with was to just get strapped in and do as I was told (an altogether unusual experience!). Fish anyone?
As it turned out the salmon at Pierre Bistro along the seafront at The Mumbles was worth shooting the breeze for…
But a mere 24 hours later, the initial sense of any sea of tranquillity was to be sublimely displaced by the already showcased sea-lashed topography of The Gower shoreline.
Some may go for the ‘catch of the day’, but if it involves wrestling the aforementioned waves… me, I’m after drier terrain and something with more hooves than scales. “Bring on your best rib-eye” I said. And the Langland Brasserie overlooking Langland Bay did just that…
Until we speak again, when the good lady says there is a really great joint down by the sea, step through the door and take a good long toke on whatever floats your boat.
The draw, a welcoming sign on a background of grey…
![Dynevor Arms [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dynevor-arms-1.jpg?w=584)
The tease, book or not to book?…
![2018 [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-1.jpg?w=584)
The joint, a deceptively ordinary facade hides a warmly welcoming bar…
![2018 [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-2.jpg?w=584)
The roast, a family favourite for any Sunday…
![2018 [3]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-3.jpg?w=584)
The steak, memories of the earlier visit…
![Dynevor Arms [3]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dynevor-arms-31.jpg?w=584)
Until we speak again, on the experience of two visits, the next time you happen to be travelling along the Llantrisant Road just outside of Cardiff there just might be a hearty meal waiting a discerning culinary cat.
Strolling around the tranquil Penarth Marina, on the far side of Cardiff Bay, only served to tempt thoughts of the sea, of fish… of a time to eat. But, the restaurant chains of Mermaid Quay were a distance away and just not stimulating the gastronomic needs of a discerning cat.![Penarth Marina [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/penarth-marina-1.jpg?w=584)
This was a stroll with intent… to enthuse a visiting stroller from outside of Cardiff to what the city has to offer. But, where would match up to the beauty of the wider setting? Step up to the plate The Custom House building near to the Cardiff Bay barrage; a remnant of the former grandeur of the Penarth side of the old docks, built in a Renaissance style in 1865, and converted from dereliction into a fine restaurant in the 1980’s…
This fine building now houses the El Puerto restaurant. Forget menus at your table, this is the marketplace brought into a restaurant…
![El puerto [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/el-puerto-1.jpg?w=584)
Order your drinks at the table then step up to the main counter for up close inspection of the produce on offer, and place your order…
![El puerto [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/el-puerto-2.jpg?w=584)
The returning visit of the previously identified ‘delightful company‘ was a situation requiring delicate and refined taste. Hake for the lady and Swordfish for me would complement the aquatic excursion of the previous hour…
![El Puerto [3]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/el-puerto-3.jpg?w=584)
Until we speak again, for the vegetarian critics amongst you dear readers, here is a special moment just for you…
When you can have Bill’s!
![Outside [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/outside-2.jpg?w=584)
So, what to do when you find your ship has run aground down the Bay?
When you wish to play the welcoming host with a promise of a trusted restaurant, only to find your number one choice (Bayside Brasserie) has closed down and deserted you? And just when you’re on a mission to satisfy that late Sunday afternoon hunger? Bill’s comes to the rescue.
For starters we both settled on the Crispy Calamari with Red Chilli and Lime Aioli. What is it with this fashion for serving food straight from the cooking utensils? Saving on the washing up, maybe. But hang on, it could just be that my delightful company has seen the red chilli’s lurking with intent, and is grabbing her bag to make a quick getaway…
As for the main event, my thoughtful companion surveyed the menu for interesting tastes, opting for a healthy sounding Warm Chicken, Avocado and Parmesan Salad. As for me, well another cow just had to lose some weight in the Sirloin region, and a side of foliage will surely temper the overall threat of arterial assault…
Until we speak again, if your looking for posh and formal this is not the place. But for serviceable food in a relaxed setting it fits the Bill (yes, I hear the groans at that one). And the staff will simply be queuing up to serve you… possibly!
Strolling down Cardiff’s infamous Caroline Street (aka chip alley) it is easy to see how we can become accustomed to a familiar name when treating ourselves to that special dining out experience. Tony’s may have been around for some time, but for truly satisfying ‘chips and chicken curry off the bone‘ then it has to be Dorothy’s, serving Cardiff’s late night inebriates since 1953.
With many other neighbouring establishments churning out British and faux Mediterranean nosh at speed, there is clearly no room here for Marco and his comfortably relaxed approach to cuisine. No, for Marco Pierre White another run down part of the city centre would need to upgrade in order to accommodate an altogether different way of dining.
The once dilapidated Dominions Arcade has had a makeover, with Dominions House recently accommodating the Indigo Hotel…
![Dominions Arcade [1]](https://i0.wp.com/cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/dominions-arcade-1.jpg?w=288&h=384&ssl=1 "Dominions Arcade [1]")
![Dominions Arcade [2]](https://i0.wp.com/cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/dominions-arcade-2.jpg?w=288&h=384&ssl=1 "Dominions Arcade [2]")
On entering the old entrance to the arcade bypass the hotel reception and take the lift to the 6th Floor, because you don’t have to be a hotel resident to partake of the roof terrace restaurant that landed in November 2017…
Checking out the menu provides plenty of good reasons for making the elevated journey, with Rillettes of Pork and Armangnac Soaked Prunes providing a starter never to be found on Caroline Street! They only provided two of the prunes over a pate of pork, as no doubt a bowl full of the devils would seriously impede your subsequent ability to walk (though it would be a delightful anatomical challenge!)…
As this was an occasion for two guys to celebrate Christmas 2017 in August 2018 (if you don’t understand that one, don’t ask), the interesting vegetarian options on the menu were comfortably placed in the ‘not to be disturbed’ section of the culinary brain. Tempting as the steaks were we were both a bit filleted out of late. So, it was time to distribute patronage more liberally around the animal kingdom… sheep and pigs were put on high alert to do what they do best!
For me the temptation of Roast Rump of Lamb A La Dijonnaise was irresistible. And a side of French Beans with Toasted Almonds was a personal nod to the possible delights that the world of vegetables can offer to us dedicated carnivores…
As for my visiting companion, only a porcine assault in the form of The Pig Mixed Grill with Triple Cooked Chips would satisfy… something that the sausage and chips down Caroline Street would never be able to compete with!
Until we speak again, Juno would only have agreed to put her name to this blog if it was going to be a true reflection of her views and experiences of Cardiff and elsewhere. As for Marco Pierre White, it seems he is so confident in his name he even includes it on a specially created bottle of wine (though the water was pure Welsh!).
Now that the sunshine has arrived, fancy a seasonal Turkish meal at Bosphorus down Cardiff Bay? Tough… it’s gone! And, just when Cardiff is beginning to drown under the tide of coffee shops, it’s been replaced by… you guessed it…
![Outside [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/outside-1.jpg?w=584)
![Outside sign [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/outside-sign-1.jpg?w=584)
At least it is a local confection, not just another national chain (though I still pledge my allegiance to Coffee#1). Stepping inside, this does happen to capitalise on its location, with a light and airy feel, as well as seats outside…
![Inside [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/inside-1.jpg?w=584)
And, if you are prepared to part with something approaching London style prices, there are some interesting twists on the coffee menu…
![Menu sign [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/menu-sign-2.jpg?w=584)
The Gingerbread Cappuccino and Hazelnut Bueno Latte were certainly two temptations worthy of taking out a mortgage on…
With occasional live music (currently only on Bank Holidays) for those needing to be entertained, and the offer of giant pasties for the peckish, this looks like a worthy addition to the Mermaid Quay pleasure emporium.
Or, if you are a bit strapped for cash, there is always a timely reminder of other ways to satisfy some of your needs…
Until we speak again, any clue as to where I am going to get a proper Turkish Kofte Kebab these days?
As a black cat Juno always knew the camouflage benefits of going around town at night. But being an indoor cat, she was well versed in the art of not bothering!
However, those of us more adventurous cats realise there is a large world waiting out there. Taking a stroll down the Cowbridge Road, you will find yourself in a part of Cardiff known as Canton; confusing eh? You are nowhere near China; but, if you are paying close attention, some of these bright lights of Canton turn out to be Korean…
We enter as strangers in a strange land, as hitherto unseen contraptions hover above dedicated diners. What can they be for? Do they deliver the food, or perhaps suck up your dosh? Or, maybe we have stumbled across some strangely ethnic ‘northern’ traditions. No, it turns out they are the smoke extractors for the adventurous diners who choose from the barbecue section of the menu… as these are the items you cook yourself at your own table!
Us less adventurous cats (or maybe just avoiding the self-inflicted food poisoning vibe) decide you can keep your barbecue, we came for authentic national food, best cooked by authentic nationals.
Kimchi might be the restaurant name, but it also happens to be the Korean speciality dish of salted and fermented cabbage and radishes. It turns out that was something nicely complemented by a side of seaweed… and a Korean ‘Hite’ beer or two will not go amiss!
Then comes the main event, with Korean specialities again taking top billing. This time it is the Stone Pot variety, with beef for the carnivore, and seafood for the vegetarian cat (whatever that is!).
Oh, and why not add a side of Korean pancakes? Beware, too many of those may be accompanied by a visit from the Grim Reaper on heart inspection duty! Just as well those Stone Pots come with a mass of fabulously fresh vegetation…
Until we speak again, this may be a Korean story, but Juno & Bella would assure you that no cats or dogs were harmed in the making of this production!
The ‘first in the UK‘ is an enticing tag line, particularly when a couple of cats are contemplating a culinary adventure. And City Road in Cardiff has a purrfect range of representation from many parts of the globe when it comes to tickling the salivatory glands. But only Oman outwardly claims to be the first in the UK…
On first glance, the Al Wali restaurant provides a bright and welcoming interior…
![Interior [1]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/interior-1.jpg?w=584)
![Interior [2]](https://cardiffcoolcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/interior-2.jpg?w=584)
And no sooner had the menus been consulted and choices made, when along comes a complementary mildly spiced oat soup before our starter.
Whilst Junior Cool went for the Chicken Wings, yours truly came for the full on Oh Man experience, so the Kashke Bademjan (crushed aubergine with yoghurt and walnut) provided a tasty introduction to Omani cuisine; and begins the quest for how it differs from the extensive range of Arabic/Middle Eastern options in the local vicinity…
For the mains Junior Cool again went for the Chicken option, of a Biryani variety. Meanwhile, back in Oman, the menu provides an insight into a new range of culinary linguistics…
Lamb Qalia (slow cooked in broth with black pepper, onion, garlic and ginger) definitely got the whiskers twitching…
It was lamb like I have never tasted before; soft flavourful meat with a spicy after-taste that warmed the taste buds rather than challenging through its heat; fully justifying my own personal claim for Oh Man to usurp the overused OMG… Juno and Bella might well have been intrigued by the offerings, but the slight spicy bight to the lamb might have caused some disgruntled consternation, and demands for more of the chicken wings!
The idea of a Karak Tea appealed, with an expectation of something exotic. Sadly the exotic was more likely to come in the form of the ordinary Black Tea. The overly sweet and milky (to my taste) Karak Tea, coming with cardamom and cinnamon was served up in the cardboard cup; presumably because the Omani diaspora love their tea to go!
Until we speak again, the usual eating irons should do for anything you are likely to encounter on the menu. But, if you do come across something requiring more industrial dissection, the necessary tools come wall-mounted! On first experience Omani cuisine can only be highly recommended.
JUNO's VIEW 