It’s time to get that BritishTour of Summer2024 rolling further north. The notoriously hospitable Geordies are always good value… with or without the FogontheTyne!
They also know a thing or two about dramaticarchitecture! When you have a plethora of great Victorianbuildings and you want to sweep across your famous river with an equally dramaticbridge… just go for it!
Other city authorities take note (Cardiff in particular). Preserve what you have and be bold in enhancing it. Sorry, demolition crews, you’re simply not needed!
Great food is easily found in close walking distance at any time of day or night (QuayIngredient, Babucho, Turkos, and Kafeneon follow)…
Trying out some music gigs is relatively easy, whether you want localjazz at TheGlobe or a visit to TheCluny for Hawaiianukulele players presenting Jimi Hendrix in a totally new and illuminating light…
A good Victorian boozer will also help quench any thirst. So, why not try the CrownPosada amongst many others?
And when you tire of the hustle and bustle of the city, get the metro to Tynemouth for a combination of quaint village and seaside atmosphere…
Until we speak again, the locals will definitely be pleased to meet you in their own inimitable way… Wyeaye, man.
It’s time for a British Summer Tour 2024. Why go travelling the world in search of summer sunshine and exotic experiences? Yes, I know, that question has probably already answered itself.
In times of undoubted climate change, we can thank the mindless emitters and evidence deniers for the cooler and even wetter British June & July of 2024. Ducks need not engage with this previous sentiment!
However, we Celts do occasionally need to acknowledge that our English neighbours might just have some interesting places to visit. No, not London. For historical value, there are few better places to spend a couple of days in than York.
After years of conquest and occupation, the Romans finally decided the Mediterranean climate was more to their liking. It seems their departure was accompanied with a distinct middle finger to the Yorkshire locals…
However, their latter-day Italian ancestors have a lot to be thanked for when it comes to certain culinary twists on good British ingredients (particularly lamb)…
Conquests and posh nosh aside, when it comes to extending a welcome to neighbours across the street, where is better suited than the Shambles in York?
The most infamous Shambles also contains a few sources of mystery. Though I’m sure some questions don’t really need an answer…
Until we speak again, no visit to York is complete without breakfast at the famous Betty’sTeaRooms for a dish of kedgeree and some properly presented EnglishBreakfastTea…
If you’ve heard the saying… I diedandwenttoheaven… well, dying is no longer obligatory! The good news is that you just need to go to Portugal!
If proof of heaven were needed, then MensagemRooftopRestaurant in Lisbon puts forward an application based on a starter of VealCarpaccio with a Syrah red wine from the nearby Beira region…
Not yet convinced? Faro quickly steps up with a main of ArrozNegro (blackricewithcuttlefishink, andcrispysquid) accompanied by a robust Tomato & Roast Pepper Salad. The local Algarve wines provide an extremely dry white, aptly named ‘SoBlanc‘…
What do you mean, where’s the dessert? This is Portugal, where the best dessert is widely available throughout the day. PasteisdaNata are what Portugal was invented for, didn’t you know? Best taken with a proper cappuccino side…
Until we speak again, whatever your version of heaven is… I’m sticking with this one!
Yrs, you read that right… as my skydiving days are definitely a few decades ago! Funchal is all about looking up. Surrounded by mountains, with steep hills very much in evidence throughout the city itself, elevation is key to the whole experience.
For the fabulous tropical gardens of Monte or the botanical gardens of Jardim, there is only one way to travel…
And the payoff is every bit as high as the altitude…
The amount of climbing can be hungry and thirsty work. So, step forward the GalaxiaSkybar and restaurant in the Savoy Palace Hotel to maintain that elevated theme…
A la Carte fine dining comes with an elevated price tag… but limpetswithseaweed, babylambwithtrufflesandyam, and all sorts of local produce done with unique twists create the unique experience; and tunaandegg never tasted quite like this at Chez Juno in Cardiff!
Desert just needed to be an extra glass of a particularly fine Portuguese red wine from the vineyards of the Douro region. But caution is needed when taking in all you survey after a particularly fine meal with delicious wine…
Until we speak again, it’s back to the chill and gloom of late winter, tinged with the memories of a taste of summer in February (yes, I know it’s always summer in February in Australia!)…
In these days of dreadful corporate scandal, it’s good to have a positive post office story! [For any readers outside of the UK just Google ‘UK Post Office Scandal & Fujitsu‘, grab your popcorn, and settle in for a real life horror story!].
Meanwhile, back in the land of minor horror stories (i.e. Cardiff), a place where a good few fabulous old Victorian buildings are left to rot presumably until they fall down of their own accord… Listed Building or not! The former Head Post Office was completed in 1897 built in The Dutch Revival style. It ceased its function as a post office in 1983, briefly became a British Telecom hub for bureaucrats before those with great power and little imagination decided it should be left empty for 20+ years.
Now, as the Parkgate Hotel, a great building breathes new life; and another presumably ideal location for a bland office or multi-storey car park has thwarted the ideals of the town planners. [As a former town planner I say three cheers to that!].
Stepping off a damp Westgate Street into the reception area you’re greeted with a large and brightly lit welcome, at the centre of which is a modern chandelier. Well, I guess even the riches they robbed off poor innocent postmasters and postmistresses probably couldn’t stretch to restoring the original!
The restaurant off to the right side of the reception area is aptly named The Sorting Room in keeping with a previous use. Where’s the imagination? those downtrodden town planners yell at me! There’s always room for a nostalgic reflection of past uses, my dears; not everything has to be in pursuit of destroying historical reference!
But, as those innocent victims of corporate greed and institutional incompetence contemplate their years in bland cells, behind bars, pleading their innocence, what can us luckier mortals expect? Well, the spacious wood panelled room provides an excellent setting for sipping a nice Rioja while perusing the interesting menu. Not bread and water rationing for us, oh no!
Smoked Mediterranean Octopus and Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whiskey Cured Salmon for starters. Former upstanding post office people might well be thinking what they can spend their viciously hard earned compensation on (if they lived to see it, that is). Well, a little bit of squid ink sponge, chorizo, tempura samphire, roasted garlic and herb oil will help the octopus to dance delicately across the taste buds. As for the salmon… Brecon vodka creme fraiche, deep fried avocado, pickled cucumber and a fresh mini loaf are set to tempt those beauties of the deep to swim back upstream into the catchments of emporia of fine dining.
Yes, my reader… if you’re of the pile it high and shovel it down (i.e. all-you-can-eat buffet) bent, look-away now. This is one of those strange places where large areas of porcelain (slate/wood/whatever the current fashion) are on show. This is where incredible flavours blend to satisfy exquisite tastes, leaving you more than fulfilled by the experience.
Good service can be identified by the time they allow between courses… though clearly not the length of time the post office/governments of the day/Fujitsu had in mind when torturing innocent workers who had dedicated their lives to serving their local communities.
So for the main event… I’m not sure what noises octopus and salmon make, but it was definitely time for an Oink & Quack show. Slow Cooked Pork Belly & Crackling and a Pan Roasted Garlic & Thyme British Chicken Breast would just have to offer up their sacrifices for this particular table… with a shared side of Thyme & Honey Roasted Root Vegetables… For the record, the belly pork arrived with toffee apple, smoked carrot puree, chorizo jam, sticky red cabbage, Pommes Anna, and Welsh cider sauce, and it was definitely slow cooked… but not as slow as the aforementioned post office employees would recognise as the definition of the word ‘slow’. The chicken had to make do with being brined in Welsh beer, with Tatws Pum Munud, confit onions, leek and bacon lardons, crispy chicken crackling, Welsh rarebit, confit chicken croquette, and Glamorgan ale jus.
Now, if you were left to rot in a jail cell for something you were entirely innocent of, just so those higher ups in society don’t lose a little face (or a few quid for their daily fine dining excursions), you might well be wondering how do they get all of this stuff onto the plate? Well, somehow they do, and even find room for the pan of gravy to reside by the awaiting nosh. Amazing!
Until we speak again, who needs the pan pipes to serenade away such a great dining experience when you can improvise your own instrument? Just don’t forget your humanity, and save the water and the mini loaf of bread for the poor unfortunates who had their whole lives stolen from them by a bunch of lying, cheating, disgraceful and despicable rich and entitled b*$t@*%s.
It’s not exactly the welcome you expect when splashing the cash on some quality nosh. But, if you happen to be splashing something else, you may just be rubbing shoulders with this guy…
The Guardian of the Gent’s surely isn’t meant to provide the highlight of a visit to Ivy Asia. After all, he is resting beyond the prying eyes of many visiting punters.
It may be borrowing on a famous name from London restaurant culture. It could even be a barely disguised financial trading up on the aforementioned cultural icon. But, the Ivy Asia is still a relatively recent addition to the Cardiff dining scene, adding some distant exotic colour to the supposedly bland indigenous cuisine.
And oh, what colour it adds…
Whilst disposable chop sticks greet you at the table, sunglasses may be a useful implement for aiding the dining experience. Talking of which… what is the dining experience? Essentially, Asia sums it up… a fusion of cuisines from across a sub-continent.
As a group of diners, we were trading up from our previous meetings over fry-ups in South WalesValleys caff culture! Here, the challenge is to make some sense of a menu written in English, but not necessarily the language we were more familiar with. Blindly sticking a pin in the menu to make a choice would probably be just as rewarding as trying to decifer the range of what was being offered.
Ultimately, we each went to seek guidance from the aforementioned Guardian… and then stuck a pin in the menu. For the record, we side-stepped the more exotic options to settle on vaguely familiar choices of SzechuanChicken, DuckSpringRolls, Beef & LambSkewers, and SteamedRice. And all were deliciously presented and in taste.
As it was a celebration brunch, my own phobia for desserts needed to be overcome. Passionfruitdonuts, and Lychee, Mango & Chocolate were instantly snapped up by the others. For me, something called TheGreenLantern sounded in keeping with the ambience of the place. If I told you what was in it, I’d be causing a stampede to the place…
Until we speak again, beware of strange men in unexpected places! At least remember the tried and trusted British welcome… whoareyou lookingat!
On a recent trip to Riga, I have to admit the write-ups about Latvian cuisine may have been on the up… but still not gripping my taste buds and demanding my undivided attention. Though the local darkbreads are dense but tasty enough to definitely be leaders in their particular league.
So, my very own personal guide to the city stepped in with a vote for Georgia. The name Alaverdi might be giving off an Italian vibe to the casual observer, but look a little closer and give yourself up to that ‘TasteofGeorgia‘ hint at what could be. We’re early, so plenty of choice of tables…
In my limited experience, Georgian red wines are hidden gems overshadowed by the European heavyweights bordering the Mediterranean. A glance at the wine menu here (see in the previous ‘Taste of Georgia’ link) lets you know you’re encountering a country with a serious approach to its falling over water!
So, where to start when it comes to the food? Khinkhali is the Georgian way of doing dumplings; and when they come filled with veal and lamb who could possibly refuse? The visual and textural presentation may be something you wipe your hands on after a particularly messy encounter with a seafood dish, but don’t be put off by first impressions. However, the Dolma with Duck with rice, greens and spices, supplemented by pomegranate seeds in a light spicy sauce… this was a dish that does wonderfully messy things with your mind, not with your hands! Suffice to say, when Donald met Dolma (that’s Donald Duck, not the orange fart in America version) the world became an altogether better place.
A main event to savour would be a difficult challenge for any chef after that dolma sensation of a starter. But, the idea of Beef Tenderloin Medallions with potato gratin and demi-glace sauce; well, that certainly provided the pomegranate bridge from the first course to the main, with a further wow factor baked in. The Pork Neck Shashlik on lavash with vegetable caviar, red onion and satsebeli sauce gave the whole event further depth and breadth befitting a new country’s cuisine to add to my taste bud travels.
This had already developed into a meal you don’t want to see ending. My trusty guide was in the mood for dessert… a cheesecake with a difference of stewed in red wine cherries, spices and caramelised pistachio with a few raspberries on the side as a nod to healthier times.
Me, I’m not habitually inclined towards the dessert section of any menu, so it was time to add a Riga essential to my local experience… a glass of Riga Black Balsam… not for the faint-hearted. No, that isn’t an extra glass of wine as dessert this time… It’s the national drink of Latvia, more of a 45% proof affair, purely imbibed for medicinal purposes, of course… a herbaceous floral thing, with a liquorice, lime, ginger, mix and no doubt a hefty kick. Like Coca Cola very few people know its exact recipe. Unlike Coca Cola it’s best used for an after meal digestif, rather than a toilet bowl cleaner!
Until we speak again, Georgia is definitely still on my mind. With this taste of some of what the country has to offer, it might well be under my feet sometime soon!
A restaurant 822 years in the making just has to be a special event. Step up Rozengrals (The Rose Grail), in a building circa 1201, but can it produce a meal fit for a very discerning Russianprincess?
Authenticity counts for something when claiming such heritage. So, traditional dress helps to put the welcome into context.
The wine list is fortunately quite spare and unappealing. This is just as well because this setting seems to call out for a honeybeer… even for a princess, it seems! By the way, the cloth comes as a vessel for presenting mini bread roles… as is the custom in times gone by, no doubt. Fortunately, the eating irons are already present in a pot, or else I was going to start flexing my fingers.
The menu is rather simply stated… more focused on describing historical stories than culinary information. As if we’re not concerned with what we’re eating as long as it was enjoyed by some noble gent a few hundred years ago! However, it’s suitably presented in a format that implies you’re partaking of a little bit of history.
Salad starters don’t ring true in my recollection of medieval banquets, but I don’t fancy leaving here having to be winched back up the stairs. The honeybakedbeetandgoatcheesesalad was a delicate balance of tart and sweet flavours that tempted more quaffing of the beer. The poultryliverwithbaconandalmondsalad hinted more of times gone by… further back than yesterday, that is…
It’s quite possible that the cost of food here includes a candle tax, as there is no discernable electricity generated light. This creates a great atmosphere, and fear not, it’s not so you can’t see what you’re eating so well! Our choice of main dishes spread our interests across surf and turf. Ovenbakedseabass and a rabbitstewwithprunes and cedarnuts.
I can certainly vouch for the bunny having lived a satisfied and fulfilling life by the greater quantity of meat falling off bone than my previous pursuit of these animals/pets/cartoon favourites. As for the fish, it was ably dissected and devoured by my partner in these historic crime recreations we happened to be enjoying.
Until we speak again, a candlelit washroom visit brought back other historic nightmares… particularly of power blackouts as a kid in the 1970s.
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.
As for my co-conspirator on the night… sautéed prawns with deliciously hot tomato and garlic came in the skillet that their whole life was designed and lived to meet…
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 