Tag Archives: food photography

The Giggling Squid

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Something is tickling the gastronomic funny bone in the heart of Cardiff city centre. Among the newer eateries the UK chain of Giggling Squid has arrived in these parts. The Hayes has a long tradition as one of Cardiff’s less spectacular shopping thoroughfares. But, of late, it’s gradually developing into the location for a number of interesting eateries.

[Well… Giovannis has been serving Italian foodies in ultra cramped conditions since 1983. The Ivy has been ripping off customers with its chain trading off a London original for a few years. And The Ivy Asia has been overloading the visual senses and underwhelming the quality of service for slightly less time. But Wahaca is worth more than one visit!]… other views may be accessed… somewhere else!

The kids can enjoy their hanging out in groups around the cheaper joints inside the St Davids Centre (just like pretty much every other shopping mall on Planet Consumerism). Meanwhile, on the outside this is where the grown-ups get to play.

And so it was that an impromptu family get together provided a great opportunity to go Thai, well… not exactly! For lovers of Thai food Giggling Squid has a satisfying proportion of the menu taken up with what might be thought of as traditional Thai food. But, for those of us that like our traditions to also provide a twist or two this is definitely one of those places to visit.

Don’t be put off by first appearances… this starter dish, if found along the footpaths by the local canal, might well resemble something you’d try to avoid stepping in! But… [drum roll needed here] the Crispy Slow Cooked Beef was beautifully tender on the inside, as the title would suggest. But, it’s also been finished off by a flame-thrower of sorts that give the outside a delightfully crispy edge. Served with a Thai salad of star fruit, coriander, carrot, jicama, lemongrass and dill, this was a burst of wonderful flavours to far exceed the ‘mess on a plate’ visual vibe.

Having recently been to another local favourite… The Potted Pig… I’m still wallowing in a state of admiration for what supreme sacrifice pigs give of their lives. So, oink oink Thai style was a clear attraction. The Chubby Cheek Pork was mouth watering++. Apparently, it’s soaked in ginger root, black pepper, and palm sugar, then slow cooked to sweet, tender perfection. That’s what they say on the menu, and I’m not going to argue with the chef on that one. Coconut Rice with a side of Tamarind Mushrooms & Greens ensured there would be no space for any deserts on this occasion. I appreciate some of you reading this post will be flabbergasted by such a sentiment, but a very drinkable Argentinian Malbec ensured that all other gastronomic requirements were admirably met!

Until we speak again, that Malbec serves as a tempter to the next stage in the development of The Hayes as a gastronomic centre of the city… here comes Gaucho… check out the next post for all things Argentinian as the world of nosh continues to thrive in Cardiff.

The sublime pig

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Jay Rayner once said… no, he’s definitely not the subject of the title. As the UK’s eminent restaurant critic, he often cited Cardiff as a place not to go to if you were in search of a fine dining experience.

Now, on the other hand, if you’re in search of chips, chains, and generally loading up for the alcoholic blowout… well, look no further!

But… he used to have one exception to the rule…

Located down in an old bank vault…

Well, who needs windows when the focus of your attention is on the vision of beauty laid out in front of you? Particularly when a great Rioja Reserva is ready to whet your whistle… accompanied by a Black Pepper Gnocchi with Truffles and Mushroom Sauce?

Forget looking out on the street… concentrate on that delicate suite of flavours that are performing a friendly assault on your taste buds. Sip some water, my friend, and clear your palate for further seduction.

Got the crabs? Never quite like the way this Italian influenced delight on the far side of that table will tickle places you didn’t expect to be disturbed. The Squid Ink & Brown Crab Ravioli is guaranteed to satisfy everything you’ve brought along for tantalising…

But wait… what’s that at the forefront of the picture? A pig that looks so much better in death than it ever did in life! Why, this is one porcine that lived a life determined to provide ultimate pleasure for its human recipient (and we’re not talking former UK Prime Ministers here!). 😉

Roast pork belly, pig cheek, crackling that simply cracks with delight, and the ultimate in all-meat sausage action… quite the climactic experience. A dish to leave you snorting… maybe!

Until we speak again, The Potted Pig provides that rare moment of tasting a few items on a short menu, but leaving you instantly wanting to try every other dish… just in case you’ve missed another of the ultimate experiences of joy.

Asador 44

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Culinary Cardiff continues to challenge a historic reputation. A city with a taste for fast food and standard chain restaurants. It’s even widely recognised as the home of the street dedicated to ‘the chip’!

Other posts on this blog search for and support the many independent gastronomic delights the city has to offer. Now, it’s time to add the next entry… a place where Wales meets Spain. Step up Asador 44.

Quay Street may once have been the location where all manner of wines and foods could be offloaded directly from boats on the River Taff. That’s long ago, before a world-renowned rugby stadium was built on reclaimed land following a man-made rerouting of the river.

Nowadays, Quay Street is frequently close to water when the Cardiff weather is characteristically acquatic (i.e. often!). But good wines and foods can definitely still be found on this old thoroughfare by the discerning few who forsake the corporate pleasures of nearby St Mary Street.

A largely Spanish dominated wine list provided a wide selection (and price range) of the welcome Rioja grape, but the gaze was immediately arrested by the option of a ‘Paranormal’ Rioja. Would this be some kind of spiritual drinking experience? Perhaps it was an elaborate hoax giving the impression that there was wine in the bottle and we needed to use our powers of extrasensory perception while drinking from an empty glass. Well, I can report that it was a real and very ‘earthy’ version of a Rioja, somewhat lighter than the usual experience of this grape… but not that light that it became a supernatural experience!

As for the food, starters of grilled mackerel and grilled asparagus dishes were presented in the fashionable fine dining style… a possible means of drawing attention to the manufacture of the plate through acres of uninterrupted porcelain. However, both were mouth-wateringly good, and contrary to appearances contributed to a satisfying sense of fulfilment.

Neither of us were particularly drawn to what would be more Welsh-influenced plates of sirloin or rump steak. So, it’s a joint decision to go for the Welsh beef slow cooked and served up in a Spanish style… with beef infused rice and salsa verde. With a defined texture the meat performed that most satisfying of tricks by simply falling apart at the merest touch of the eating irons. Oh, and that Welsh influence with a Spanish twist also emerged through a tasty side of Olive Oil Chips… just dipping them in the beef was a taste not even Caroline Street can conjure up for its regular punters.

Until we speak again, England and France can continue their centuries old rivalry, but for Wales and Spain a fusion of love has been nicely set up at Asador 44!

A Sorrento delight

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Don’t be put off by a glimpse of the menu’s of the future… yes, technology is even invading the sensual pleasures of fine dining. No opportunities for a casual glance at a physical menu while passing by here… trust your instincts, sit down, and a digital menu will be provided. If you don’t like what you see simply get up and walk away… the staff won’t be offended, but you will have missed out on a wonderful treat!

For punters of an advanced age, when the waiter offers you a tablet its the menu… not to be mistaken for the cocktail you may be taking a few times a day under the care of your medical team!

But first, getting there… the location is Sorrento in southern Italy, and the final mode of travel is on foot through narrow tourist shopping alleyways. From the central square of Piazza Tasso take the narrow pedestrian Via San Cesario through to the even narrower Via Fuoro.

This destination requires that you ignore several other gastronomic temptations along the way. Just remember that patience rewards the brave as you arrive at the unpresupposing Fuoro 51… a restaurant and wine bar simply named by its number and the street!

An outside table is highly recommended for added people watching, though if you’re seeing people in your glass, you may have had one too many of the delicious local red wines…

Carpaccio sounds like something Italian car mechanics might do. In reality, it was invented in Venice in the 1960s as a way of presenting food very thinly sliced and raw. Put any preconceived food phobias to one side (you’re not in Japan after all!), and treat yourself to two of the most incredible apertisers…

The venison carpaccio is marinated in a spice mix, then smoked for added flavour, and served with purple fig sorbet, kefir, blueberries, and walnuts. This would definitely be part of my death-row final meal! By the way, that meal would have so many of my lifetime favourite courses I’ll be keeled over long before it was completed.

Then, in the interests of balance (specifically for BBC viewers), there is a mouthwatering swordfish carpaccio, smoked, and served with toasted almonds, raspberry, and hibiscus. It’s my newfound belief that swordfish are queueing up off the Sorrento coast to be auditioned for this type of performance.

I need to make the statement of the obvious at this point… take your time, you’ve entered into culinary heaven. But, when you’re ready for the main course, having spent hours distracted and meandering around that tablet, the animal kingdom provided a couple of simply delicious representatives in the form of a wild boar pasta dish, and a slow cooked veal cheek with the most delicate versions of mash. A shared side of roasted Mediterranean vegetables added more colour to the glorious palette of our table…

Until we speak again, it appears that hibiscus is not just that rare flavour you might find in tea! Vegetarians and vegans do come up with some interesting ideas… for enhancing proper food!

A fishy tale

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Like many humans, fish present me with something of a personal dilemma… sometimes they can look so damn good, but alas, in the end, you just have to follow the lead of cats… and eat them. But, before you do, it helps to pay people who know how to present them for eating. This was certainly the least of our problems on a recent trip to southern Italy.

Take Naples, for example. It may well have been a city totally consumed by its recent football success as Italian champions for the first time since the Maradona infused party of 1990.

But not even that could diminish the opportunity for several acquatic species to leap onto our plates in search of a fulfilling end of life! Even if it was a wobbly table in a back street port district car park. Fried calamari, octopus, grilled calamari, fully tooled-up squid, and more docile looking swordfish were simply leaping off the menu to accompany the local white wine.

Taking a boat trip across the Bay of Naples around the Amalfi coast in order to maybe witness dinner in its more usual and natural habitat proved a futile challenge. Ultimately, the coastline is far too distracting.

In the end, it seems the best place to see these fellas is on a plate a few hundred metres above sea level. Ravello provided the ideal place to sample some more octopus. The location also provides breathtaking views out across a coast that could well be the starting point of your dinner’s own journey.

Meanwhile, a boat trip back around the peninsula to Sorrento offers plenty of man-made structures from which you may wish to indulge in dangling your ‘string on a stick’ trap for catching the more stupid of local fish.

While the adventurous were finding ways to source their own sustenance, we preferred to respect the more interesting and apertising welcome offered by a trinity of tuna, grilled calamari, and swordfish pasta…

Until we speak again, carnivores need not worry. Should you drift on by the amazing coastline of southern Italy, you will be catered for with the same vigour and probably a collective sigh of relief from the local fish population!

Getting to the ‘Old’ part

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OAP… bollocks. Even Juno would have recognised that the recent letter indicating eligibility for a State Pension was sent to the wrong address. In her estimation, her servant might be an idiot, but surely not an old idiot!

But, hold on… this getting old malarkey maybe isn’t so bad after all! It all depends on where you get to do it, I guess. You may have the misfortune to be in a damp sleeping bag spread out on the gravel floor of a farm out building, with a tractor tyre for a pillow. Hang on… that was a previous European tour in the destitute years of teenage invincibility after a never-ending Austrian thunderstorm somewhere near Saltzburg. Whoever said that was a welcoming country to visit?

Now that the seventh decade has reached its own middle age years, it’s time to welcome an unwelcome milestone with a bit more style! A villa apartment with a fabulous view will do…

Particularly if they make their own wine and olive oil!

Then, all that’s needed is a restaurant with great food and a table with one of the best views in the world…

Until we speak again, Ravello high above the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy is as good as any place to set the tone for the older years.

Cats in a Bath

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Oh no… that didn’t seem to work so well!

Ah, this is more like it… so a couple of cats went to Bath!

At times, the sheer volume of tourist visitors to this internationally recognised city of historic and cultural heritage can be overwhelming. So, pick your timing for a visit carefully. Instructive street signage combined with an unusual welcome from a top-hatted bird might just help set a favourable tone!

But I’m sure what you, and millions of others, came for was undoubtedly a glimpse of the Royal Crescent. Always good to spend a few moments dreaming of what is and what can never be, I guess!

But climbing that hill while taking in a large dose of culture and history will surely require some sustenance. Maybe a chance to stretch the finances to indulge those fantasies of wealth. Well, fear not, award winning nosh is close to hand, not to ignore the tempting wine selection hidden behind the restaurant name… Corkage comes with great prior reviews, so let’s give it a look…

Amongst a wide range of liquid temptations, an enticing invitation from Puglia takes centre stage. With a little nudge from the wine waiter the more expensive vintage is ordered, in a nod to the opulent surroundings of this whole trip.

But the question is what to have with it? Maybe ‘spiced sweet potatoes with pickled red onion, lime and sumac yoghurt’ sounds a mystifying enough temptation. Then again, ‘frogs legs pan fried with grilled baby gem, lemon breadcrumbs and satay sauce’ would at least demonstrate the British openness to all things European, in the ongoing shambles of Brexitland. Then again, ‘colley fillet with wild rice, pan choi, tarragon hollandaise and chilli oil’ keeps swimming into vision. But the wine choice is red, so perhaps that ‘lamb rump with smoked mashed potato, roast parsnip and coffee jus’ is what’s really standing up to be counted here. But, wait a minute, ‘rabbit ragu with tagliatelle and mustard’ also comes hopping into view.

Decisions, decisions… with a further range of other tempting options putting up their hands for attention across a small but extraordinary menu. Then it comes to you… there is that most wondrous of phrases in the English language… ‘All of the above‘! And just then, you’re helpfully reminded that this restaurant does a small plates approach to dining. Not to be confused with tapas, no, not that small. Something that perfectly solves the ‘all of the above’ dilemma…

Such perfectly proportioned finery may even permit space to encourage surprise and more than a little admiration from a certain US based dessert aficionado. Why not bring on the burnt Basque cheesecake with mulled wine plums, garçon! After all, I’ve given in to more of these dessert temptations during this spring season than I have across the previous decade. However, I don’t think anything more than the world’s smallest spoonful of that chocolate affair, even with its rhubarb ganache, miso cream and crispy caramel, will pass these lips though.

Such a fine and delicate dining experience demands a post-meal walk; which is beautifully accommodated by this place of history and intrigue…

A comfortable place to rest is the next item on the itinerary, preferably with a seductive location for breakfast. Got that covered as well, as long as you’re not spooked by a strange equine companion closely observing you…

Until we speak again, perhaps there is a near perfect cappuccino to be found more easily than a recent US quest! Step forward Cortado, near Pulteney Bridge… and chill (return and repeat)!

Honour the cheque

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Once upon a time, Cardiff led the world… as the centre of coal trading in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To mark such an auspicious position the Exchange Building, otherwise known as the Coal Exchange, was built in 1888 in Mount Stuart Square… down the docks as us locals refer to it.

As in any ‘exchange’, frantic activity would take place with all kinds of guys (as it was always guys at the time) gesticulating and bargaining, as the global price of coal was set right here in the Grand Hall. Then, one day in 1904, the very first £1,000,000 transaction was made. Yes, financial history was made right there on the trading floor of the Coal Exchange in Cardiff!

So, it has been a shared ambition with my local drinking friend, to dine in the grand old building when the long awaited Culley’s restaurant had opened. Not being early adopters, we have let a year or more drift by before achieving said ambition. But, it’s a grand way in which to honour that cheque from back in 1904… assuming that the prices don’t honour the historic event!

Apart from a ubiquitous olives and red wine (Argentinian Malbec) introduction to the place, we were drawn to the Scotch Egg and the Black Pudding Bon Bon starters. Small plates they may be, but the delicate tastes complemented the majestic surroundings.

As for the main course, we both just had to respect the tradition of Welsh supremacy (even if it was just briefly experienced more than 100 years ago). After all, there is a culinary delight that Wales has long been one of the world’s leading providers… Welsh Lamb. With squash and dauphinaise potato adornments, this was a fine way with which to honour that moment back in 1904.

Until we speak again, in the absence of any randomly available £1m cheques drifting my way, I’m more than happy to indulge a Welsh tradition… eating not sh____ing sheep, that is! You may enjoy those visions of spring with lambs gamboling about sunny hillsides. Me… I prefer them decorating my plate any time of the year.

65 not out

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Cricket is such a tedious game… which is why you can read on, as this post (like all the others) has nothing to do with the summer sounds of leather on willow… yawn, yawn. No, this is about achieving a so-called milestone. Though the effects of ageing can make it seem like a millstone on some days!

The first decision on approaching such a milestone is where to achieve it? Somewhere I’ve never been before might be a good idea. Having arrived at 40 in New York, 50 in Key West, 60 in New Orleans, my travelling companion made it very clear that America was off the agenda! OK, Europe it is, and having taken some expert advice, Mallorca it would be.

After all, it needed to be somewhere with well established bathing traditions…

And, a clear view of where your food is being prepared goes a long way to establishing culinary confidence…

With an abundance of interesting places the capital city of Palma provided a welcome introduction…

A wooden train set provides a unique way to get to from Palma to the place of choice for the actual milestone…

Port de Soller provided the perfect backdrop for ending the ‘When I’m 64’ Beatles year-long soundtrack…

An important celebration demands an experience of quality, and so I trusted online reviews of a restaurant 5 minutes walk away around the stunning bay…

And the choice of Agapanto certainly didn’t disappoint…

Until we speak again, Palma & Port de Soller are high on the list for must-do return visits. That milestone has taken 8 months to report! With OAP status fast approaching I must fly, in more ways than one…

Upgrading from French

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Once there was a bistro… mediocre at best, but upmarket for the traditional surroundings associated with the infamous Chippy Alley of Caroline Street in the centre of Cardiff. Few tears were shed at Juno HQ as Pierre met his demise during the Covid lockdowns of 2020… but, what would replace it? Summer of 2021 gave rise to a hint of refurbishment, and in recent weeks the curtain can be raised on a new Thai restaurant. Busaba emerges to taunt those who only have time for a bag of chips… the eternal staple of the street food warriors of Caroline Street (myself included on occasions of haste).

It passes the first test… the menus are not overly complicated, and certainly don’t need to be made of wipe-down plastic (a surefire sign of *********** well, fill in the blanks with your own commentary). However, step two created a problem… even though the menu had ‘starters’ and ‘mains’ as categories, the whole lot arrived in one go!

Makes for an exciting looking table, but something’s going to get cold… not least the stare from my discerning culinary companion!

Some things were definitely going to need replacing with freshly cooked dishes (and the restaurant staff duly obliged without any fuss).

Matchstick Chicken provided crispy bites of flavour without the expected fiery burn back. Yam Pak Crispy Duck salad provided a substantial leg, covering a fabulously tasty crunchy assortment of loveliness with a hint of peanut sauce. The Chicken Green Curry provided that wonderful Thai combination of coconut and lemongrass. The Tamarind Duck Breast was accompanied by that slight fiery tang originally expected from the Matchstick starter.

But, pride of place goes to that smallest of bowls (top right of the photograph). Calamari… described on the menu as their signature wok-tossed dish in ginger and green peppercorn sauce. Or, described by me as WTF… that’s the best Calamari I’ve tasted… ever!!

Until we speak again, they describe their restaurant as “Eating in balance… at Busaba you’ll find fresh authentic flavours with an innovative twist.” I say: “Bon Voyage mediocre French joint… I want more of that Calamari… NOW!”