Cafezique, A Christmas Eve Lunch

  I had to go up to Byres Road today to deliver a Stollen I had made to friend, and my husband suggested we walk back to see if Cafezique was busy.  They weren't, so we decided to go in to have a quick lunch before going home to begin Christmas preparations. 
  We weren't immediately seen to, and stood by the door a little awkwardly for a few minutes.  Once we were noticed we asked if we could sit on the mezzanine.  We were led upstairs and sat by the window.  We were the only ones upstairs for a little while and it was nice. 

View from the mezzanine

   Shortly after being seated a different member of staff came over with menus and asked if we would like a beverage.  We both ordered cappuccinos.  These arrived quite promptly, and I must say, it was one of the best coffees I have had in quite some time.

Delightful Cappuccino

  Shortly after our cappuccinos arrived we ordered.  I chose the Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Pate and my husband chose the The Big Breakfast.  We also got the Bread Bowl with Olive Oil and Balsamic to share.
   It took ages for our order to arrive.  I actually watched my pate and the bread bowl on the hot plate for about15 minutes before my husbands food was prepared.  I was beginning to worry about the state of the bead on the plates.  Eventually our food arrived, and I must say, the pate serving was huge.  For 5.95, and as a starter, I was expecting something on a smaller scale.  Thank goodness I chose not to order anything else.  I had enough trouble getting through my pate.  It was delicious though.  I adore smoked mackerel, and beetroot.  Two of my favourite things in fact.  The pate was magenta in colour, which I must say,  I wholeheartedly  approved of.  It was just interesting to look at.  The menu said that it came with toast, but it was just Delizique bread plain and untoasted.  This was alright by me at this time, as I just had some dental work done.  Much easier to eat.  I managed to eat most of it, and I would order it again.

Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Pate.

  The bread bowl was tasty.  It came with four slices of bread and a dish of olive oil and a dish of balsamic.  The balsamic was delicious, and the olive oil very fruity.  I can never pass on a bread bowl with oil and balsamic.

Bread Bowl.

  My husbands big breakfast was delicious.  It came with a piece of toast, scrambled eggs, black pudding, two sausages, bacon, beans, potato scone, mushroom and tomato.  He ate the entire plate.  I tried some of the eggs and the black pudding.  They were delicious.

Big Breakfast

 It was a very nice Christmas lunch,  just what we needed actually.  I need to go back in the new year for their dinner menu as I've only ever been in for their breakfast/lunch menu.

M.

The Festive Dinner

  As Christmas is fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to go dine on one of the many festive menus available in Glasgow this month.   I chose La Vallee Blanche.  Their menu appealed to me the most.  There  was Christmas crackers on every table, and a Christmas tree seen the moment you walk in.  Originally we were going to be sat at a table by the wall, but as we were about to sit the manger on duty decided to sit us at one of the round corner booths.  These booths are my favourite place to sit.  They're a bit more private, and usually for larger tables.  I was very pleased.  As we were looking at the menus and about to order champagne we were brought over two glasses of Perrier Jouet.  On the house because it was the festive season, or so we were told.  I thought it was a nice gesture.

This was the back of the Festive Menu.

 When it came time to order I had trouble choosing between the starters.  I liked the sound of all of them.  In the end I went for the Warm Salad of Wood Pigeon, roast young turnip and Candied Beetroot, Sherry Dressing.  My husband went with the Cream of Parsnip Soup, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Seed Oil.  For our mains, there was only one choice for me.  I went with the Guinea Fowl Breast, Pommes Puree, Roast Parsnips, Baby Onions and Chestnuts with a Puy Lentil Sauce.  My husband went with the special, a 10oz Chateaubriand.
As we waited for our starters to come, our amuse-bouche arrived.  It was a Hot Smoked Salmon Rillet on Crisp toast.  The amuse-bouche was delicious.

Hot Smoked Salmon Rillet.

  Shortly after our table was cleared, the starters arrived.  They both looked amazing.  My pigeon salad was beautiful.  The pigeon was perfectly cooked, just a little on the rare side.  The candied beet root was perfect.  The turnip was delicious, and the radish was crisp and delightful.  The walnuts were toasted to perfection.  I also found that the pigeon dipped in my husbands soup was amazing!

Warm Pigeon Salad.

  The parsnip soup was amazing.  It was my second choice for a starter.  I almost wished i had chosen it for myself.  It was perfectly seasoned.  It was creamy and sweet.  The pumpkin seeds went perfectly.  I could easily have had this soup as a main course.

Cream of Parsnip Soup.

  The mains arrived in good time.  My guinea fowl looked amazing.  The pommes puree was perfectly smooth, the parsnips were sweet and delicious, the chestnuts were just amazing.  The fowl itself was perfectly cooked.  It was juicy and the skin perfectly seasoned.  The puy lentil sauce was the perfect companion.

Guinea Fowl Breast.

  The Chateaubriand I did not try.  It was a generous portion. It was ordered medium rare.  It came with a small fondant potato, green beans, mushrooms and roasted shallot.  It also came with a small jug of a jus of some sort.  The entire Chateaubriand was consumed, and very much enjoyed.

10oz Chateaubriand.

  As we were both very full after our meal, we decided to share a dessert.  We went with the Winter Fruit Salad, Pedro Ximinez jellies, Almonds and Granny Smith Sorbet.  The salad looked amazing.  It contained cinnamon poached apples and pears, blackberries, blueberries orange segments and a micro-herb of some sort.  There was a sesame seed tuile in the sorbet.  The jellies, which intrigued me the most, was the only part of the dish I did not enjoy.  The jellies just tasted a bit too licorice like for me.  The rest of the dish was amazing.  The sorbet was airy and the apple flavour shone through.  The apples and pears were delicious.  The blackberries and the blueberries were sweet and delicious, and the oranges were just tart enough.  The tuile was crisp and delicious.  I do love sesame seeds.  Unfortunately we could not finish it.  We were just too full.

Winter Fruit Salad.

  I must say I was very impressed with my festive meal.  I was also so very happy to get to eat on one of the many available at this moment.  Five stars once again La Vallee Blanche!

M.

One to Consider....Cottier's

   I had never really thought of Cottier's as a place to go for a nice meal.  I knew of its existence only as a pub.  It is located not that far from where I live, and it is nice to know that a place like it lives within walking distance.  

   The first thing you have to know about Cottier's, is that it is in an old church.  It is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the out.  The main doors lead you into the pub area.  There is plenty of tables and booths for dining on the pub menu.  The pub menu is quite varied.  It would suit those that wanted a quick sandwich, or a full three course meal.  I, however had my table booked in the main dining room upstairs.

  The first thing you will notice about the dining room upon entering is the ceiling.  The ceiling is vaulted and completely covered in gold leaf.  The lights in the iron cages hanging from the ceilings cause the gold to shimmer slightly.  It's quite beautiful.  There are two fireplaces in the room, but neither work.  They are beautiful focal points though. 

  We were give our menus and with them the wine list.  The list is a bit disappointing.  There is not a lot of choice, but it is a small place after all.  My husband chose the wine, red of course.  Sadly I cannot remember its name, as it left no lasting impression on me.  The menu itself is of Scottish cuisine.

  When it came time to order I was  bit torn in my choices.  Luckily, when it came to the starters my husband ordered the option I opted out on.  I had the Guinea Fowl and Pistachio Terrine as my starter, and my husband ordered the Cullen Skink Veloute.   For our mains I was torn between the Butternut Squash Gratin and the Pan-Fried Salmon Fillet.  I went for the Salmon in the end.  My husband ordered the Braised Shoulder of Lamb, though he was also tempted by the gratin.  

   As we waited for our starters we were brought bread with an olive oil and balsamic dip.  The bread was delicious, but there was too much oil in the dish to actually reach the balsamic.  This disappointed me, as I love balsamic and could just have it on my bread, no oil.  Shortly after we finished out bread our starters appeared.   My terrine came with confit red peppers and I think an avocado mousse.  The terrine was nice.  The peppers sweet and the mousse delightful.  The flavours complemented each other nicely.  The terrine contained bits of guinea fowl breast which was perfectly cooked.  It was well enjoyed.

Guinea Fowl Terrine

 
  
    My Husbands Cullen Skink veloute came with a pan fried haddie fishcake with herb oil.  It smelled amazing.  It was one of the best cullen skinks I have ever tasted.  The fishcake was amazing.  The entire bowl, which was of a very generous size, was finished.  It actually made me regret my choice.  So I know what I will be having the next time I am in.

Cullen Skink Veloute

 
   As we waited for our mains I noticed that you could hear the kitchen quite well.  Personally this does not bother me, but I know it can bother some diners.  One must keep in mind that it is a small area.  The kitchen itself is tiny, so it's not surprising that the sounds can be heard in the dining room.  The noise itself was rally only noticeable as the staff were coming in and out, and the fact that the dining room itself was mostly empty and very quiet didn't really help either.  I'm sure once the restaurant begins to make a name for itself, and the dining room fills up, the kitchen sounds would hardly register.

   Our mains appeared piping hot.  My salmon looked delicious, and my husbands lamb...well I dislike lamb, but the veggies that came with it looked amazing.

   My salmon was described on the menu as, Pan-fried Salmon fillet, marinated tomato salad with lemon and dill creme fraiche.  It was very pretty to look at.  Though at first I thought it looked quite small.  Silly little me.  The salmon itself was perfectly cooked.  The skin was so crispy and perfectly seasoned.  I usually only eat salmon skin when it's in my maki rolls, but this skin was too good to pass up.  The creme fraiche was very tasty, and went so well with the salmon.  The tomato salad tasted almost like it had been just slightly roasted.  It was lovely.  There was also a salad of rocket and watercress sitting on the fillet.  Though shortly after my thoughts of the dish being small, I began to feel quite full.  I tend to forget that, though I love salmon, it does not love me.  Salmon is just too rich for me, and I always forget this.  I just love it so.  So, unfortunately I was unable to finish my meal. 

Pan-fried Salmon fillet

My husbands lamb was described as a, Braised shoulder of Lamb with roast pumpkin puree and roast parsnips.  I ate one of the parsnips, and it was delicious.  Parsnips are one of my favourite vegetables.  I love them cooked in almost every way.  I wished to try the pumpkin puree, but it had been touched by the lamb jus.  The lamb was perfectly cooked.  It was very tender, and flavourful. The pumpkin complemented the meat nicely, and the jus was perfect.

Braised shoulder of Lamb

 

Now we were both terribly full after our mains, but there was one dessert that caught my eye.  I wanted very much to try it, and so did my husband.  So we decided to get one to share.  I also ordered a white coffee to warm me before going out into the cold.  We ordered the Chocolate, Orange and Glayva Creme Brulee.  When the brulee appeared it was huge.  It also came with a ball of a berry(?) ice cream in a brandy basket.  The ice cream was quite nice, and the creme brulee was perfect.  We were unable to finish it though.  It was just too rich after the meal.

Chocolate, Orange and Glayva Creme Brulee

   I am very pleased to have finally eaten at Cottier's.  It was a very enjoyable evening, and I do hope that the word gets out and business picks up.  The staff are wonderful, the food fantastic, and the atmosphere cozy.

M.

Yo Sushi, A Quick Lunch

  Now there's nothing too exciting about this post.  Nothing very special happened, and the food was pretty basic.  However, it's Yo! Sushi and I love it there.  I always enjoy my meal, and I always eat too much.

   On this particular day all of my plans fell through.  I was in the city centre and freezing.  My husband and I just happened to pass and see that it was quite quiet inside.  We were sat right away in a booth, which I prefer to the bar.  We both asked for cups of green tea to help us warm up.  The tea we received immediately to the delight of my cold cold hands.
    The first item to be removed from the belt was, as always, the edamame beans.  I love them.  They are just lightly salted and perfectly sweet.  The husband is not a fan so I get them to myself.

Edamame Beans

 



    Next I grabbed a Tamago which is a sweet Japanese omelette.  I adore the tamago.  It's one of my favourite things in Japanese cuisine. Once again, my husband does not enjoy this particular dish.

Delightful Tamago

 

   Shortly after I finished my tamago,the husband pulled the beef nigiri off the belt.  The beef is quite rare and has a dollop of mayo in the centre. This is one of his favourites off the belt, but is one I am not a fan of.  

Beef Nigiri

   We then decided to order a few hot items that we did not see coming around the belt.  We each ordered a dish of the Pumpkin Korroke, my husband order the Chili Beef Udon from their winter menu and I ordered the Crab Onigiri. As we waited for our items an item came along on the belt.  A favoured item.  The one item we both could eat until we died.  The Grilled Eel Nigiri.  This is my all time favourite sushi item from Yo Sushi.  The sweet glaze with the perfectly cooked eel is delightful. We adore it, and were thrilled to see it come along.

Grilled Eel Nigiri

   Shortly after the eel was devoured our pumpkin appeared, as did my husbands hot soup.  I adore the pumpkin korroke.  It's another one of those items that I just cannot get enough of.  It's a purred pumpkin mixture with onions and I honestly don't know what else.  This mixture is breaded in panko crumbs, and fried until crisp.  It is then drizzled with a fruity katsu sauce.  I could drink the katsu sauce.  I really could.  It is delightful!

Pumpkin Korroke

  Now for the Chili Beef Udon.  Now as I am not a fan of red meat, I did not try it personally.  It was gobbled though.  He normally gets the duck version, but he now prefers the beef.  The broth had more flavour, and the meat was a better quality.

Chili Beef Udon

   Now, you may be wondering about my Crab Onigiri.  Well, it never arrived.  When we asked a different member of staff about it we were told that they didn't have any.  I was so disappointed.  It sounded so tasty, and I was so looking forward to it.  I ended up ordering another dish of the pumpkin korroke.  So there was a bit of miscommunication amongst the staff on that day. 
   After I finished my second helping of pumpkin and my husband his second helping of beef nigiri, it was time for dessert.  We always get the Dorayaki.  This is a Japanese pancake with a custard filling and is served with a raspberry coulis.  It is so delightful.  Very simple, but my favourite Yo! dessert.

Dorayaki

   This was one of our better dining experiences at Yo! Sushi.  Not to say that they are ever bad.  We always enjoy our food, it was just the best experience we have had in awhile.  Even though I missed out on my crab!

M.

La Vallee Blanche, An Anniversary Dinner

   To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I booked a table at La Vallee Blanche in Glasgow's West End.  We booked the table in August just to be sure we could, as our anniversary just happened to fall on a Friday.
   When we arrived we were promptly greeted at the door with smiles.  Our coats were taken and we were shown to our table.  It wasn't the best table in the dining room, but the restaurant was just about full.  As soon as we were settled we were brought complimentary glasses of Perrier Jouet.  We were then told that just as soon as a big table left we would be moved to the corner wall table for more privacy, as that is where our table was meant to have been.  True to his word we were whisked away to the corner within minutes.  After we had settle in I became more comfortable, and it was a bit quieter.  There was a large group of men on the other side of the dining room that may have had a bit too much to drink.  They were a touch loud when talking, but they left shortly after we placed our order.  After this the noise level became much more reasonable.  

Mmmm Perrier Jouet.

   When it came time to order I was heartbroken to learn that they had sold out of the chicken, pheasant and duck terrine starter.  I had had my heart set on it.  Instead I ordered the Hand Dived Tarbert Scallops.  My husband ordered the Braised Ramsay's Pigs Cheeks.
We also ordered the Vielles Vignes Carignan which from a 40 year old vineyard in Pays d'Herault.  This is fast becoming one of my favourite reds.

   After we ordered we brought a little amuse-bouche.  It was Pork Rillette with Cornichons on a lightly salted crisp bread.  This wasn't really great for me, but only because I'm not the greatest fan of pork.  It was loved by the husband.  

Pork Rillette Amuse-Bouche.

   Our starters arrived, and I must say that my broken heart was healed quite a bit when I saw my scallops.  The plate looked amazing!  The dish included two halved scallops, 4 slices of chorizo,  a wilted onion salad with a smoked oil vinaigrette and a white onion puree.  It all went perfectly together.  I devoured it.  The scallops were perfectly cooked, and went sowell with the chorizo.  The onion puree had just the right amount of sweetness to counter the chorizo, and the salad was just divine.

Scallops with chorizo, white onion puree wilted onion salad and smoked oil vinaigrette. 

   My husbands starter always looks so delicious, but I really do not like pigs cheeks.  I have given them a try, but they just don't do anything for me.  The presentation is beautiful.  Two pigs cheeks each resting on pea puree, and served with a salad of frisee, smoked bacon, garlic crisps, and broad beans.  The salad and puree are delightful, and I quite enjoy those aspects.  The pigs cheeks were perfectly cooked.  So tender and moist.  They were devoured.

The pigs cheeks.

  Now for the mains.  I ordered the Crisp Sea Bream and the husband ordered the 7oz Aberdeen Angus Fillet.  My dish looked amazing.  The dish was consisted of a perfectly cooked fillet of sea bream on a bed of spinach with, pommes mousseline, leeks, squat lobsters, braised chicken wings and creme fraiche veloute.  Everything in the dish worked beautifully together. The sea bream was perfectly seasoned, the skin crisp with just enough salt.  The flesh flaked at the touch of the fork.  It was delightful.  The chicken wing was perfection, so tender.  The veloute just enhanced every aspect of the dish.  It was beautiful, and I cleaned my plate.

Crisp Sea Bream.

    The husbands fillet was ordered at medium, and La Vallee Blanche always does their steaks a bit under.  This is known to us.  His steak was perfectly cooked, but he now realizes that he prefers his steaks just a little bloodier.  The steak was perfectly cooked, and thoroughly enjoyed.  It came with fondant potato, crisp tongue, puy lentils, winter chanterelles, cornichons, and a garlic and red wine sauce.  I only tried the lentils and the red wine sauce, and I must say, the were delicious!  The sauce was amazing, and I imagine that it complimented the fillet nicely.  The lentils were enjoyed, and the fondant potato devoured.

Fillet Steak.

  Now it was time for dessert.  I ordered the dessert special.  Treacle Tart with Lemon Ice Cream, and my husband ordered the Cold Chocolate Fondant with Tonka Bean Panna Cotta. After we ordered we were presented with dessert wines to compliment our dessert choices.  I was given Jurancon which is crisp and has a peach like taste, and my husband was given a Muscat.

Dessert Wines.

  My tart was warmed and had a layer of orange curd.  The lemon ice cream complimented it beautifully.  It was served with butterscotch sauce and a spiced anglaise.  The ice cream sat upon a shard of candied orange peel and also had a shard sticking out of the ice cream.  The entire dish worked beautifully.  I ate every bite.

Treacle Tart with Lemon Ice cream.

    
   My husbands dessert was gorgeous!  It was so beautifully presented.  The dish consisted of the cold chocolate fondant that was quite reminiscent of ganache, salted caramel, tonka bean panna cotta, and a coffee anglaise.  The panna cotta was delightful.  I adore the flavour of tonka beans, and would have loved to just have had a giant tonka panna cotta with nothing else.  The fondant itself was too much for me.  Just too rich.  If I were to go in just for dessert it would have been lovely, but after a full meal, it was just too rich.  The dish worked well though.  The coffee anglaise brought out the coffee flavour of the tonka, and the tonka just adds a little something to chocolate. 

Cold Chocolate Fondant with Tonka Bean Panna Cotta.

  As we were terribly full after our desserts were finished, we opted for no coffees.  Though to our surprise, we were presented with a plate of petite fours with the words "Happy Anniversary"  written in chocolate on the rim.  The petite fours consisted of mini peanut butter cookies, blackcurrant pate de fruits, vanilla fudge, frangipane wedge and a chocolate ganache with white sesame seeds on top and what I believe to be a sesame praline on the bottom.  They were lovely.  Now this has endeared La Vallee Blanche to my husband and myself even more.  It is already our favourite dining spot in the city, we adore the staff they are all so kind and lovely, and they always make us feel welcome.  They really made our anniversary special, and I love them for this.

Petite Four Selection.

  I can't wait to go back for their Christmas menu next month!

M.

Camflava- A cheap experience!

With great reviews from The Herald,The List and The Evening Times flattering it as a 'must-try destination for Southside diners' serving 'authentic african' food, I was very excited to have a Camflava discount sent to me via MyGroupOn. MyGroupOn offers great discounts on dining and much much more and is extremely useful if, like me, you like nice things on a budget! Check it out at http://www.mygroupon.co.uk, and no I am not being paid to sell the site, they are simply great! Anyway, the deal offered to me was a three course meal plus wine apparently worth over £70 for the bargain price of £28. I confirmed straight away and printed out the voucher to take along to the restaurant with us. I then phoned to make a reservation for the following week but was told that no reservations were necessary.

With this in mind, and as the voucher stated that the restaurant was open from 10am until late daily, when my partner and I turned up at 4pm on a very rainy Tuesday afternoon, we were suprised to see the corragated iron shutters down and locked. I quickly phoned the number on my voucher and was informed that they did not open until 5pm. Then, when I tried to reserve a table for that time, I was told that 6pm was the earliest time I could reserve a table. Putting this down to changes and slow internet updates, we reserved a table for 2 at 6pm and wandered off to The Brooklyn cafe for a light snack and some very tasty milkshakes. After this, and some light window-shopping through Shawlands, we arrived at Camflava just before 6pm.

After climbing the stairs, we found ourselves in a very long white corridor with an empty reception at one side covered in leaflets for Camflava's caberet nights. We looked around a little and then continued to a dimly lit and seemingly empty bar area over looking an empty dining area and a distant darkened stage. After waiting 5 minutes and then calling 'hello' twice, a voice from a table in the bar area answered and a man in a white t-shirt and jeans approached us, gangster gait et al. After stating that we had made a reservation, the man ignorantly asked if we "wanted a table for two?" and told us to pick which ever table we wanted. I was rather wet and tired from walking around in the rain. and so picked a table to the back and side wall beside the radiator. The tables were simply dressed in white with fake brightly colored chrysantheums centred in red sand filled glass vases, white sideplates and glasses with brightly colored thin napkins crumpled and stuffed inside them. These were on the tables that were set- the majority of the restaurant was half-completed with only side plates and tablecloths! Stereo-typical 'African' art adorned the walls with flags and pieces of thin bamboo seperating the dining area from the bar and walkway. I did like the chairs though!! They were simple black, elegant, well-made and designed.

unset tables and pretty black chairs

Hanging my coat over the radiator as it was not asked for, we were given our set menus and offered a choice of red or white wine. We chose the red wine and, to my dismay, were promptly brought a bottle of Echo Falls. I should not need to comment on this more as the picture below, and the fact that I left an almost full glass behind when leaving, should convey all. The £2.99 bottle of the same available in my local Londis was of a better date.

tacky decorations, cheap salt sellar and awful wine.

The menu was a choice of 3 starters, 5 main courses and 3 desserts, varying from the interesting sounding plantain stirfry to the more common beefburger (menu), including vegetarian options. I chose the Peri Peri chicken wings to start, as I have a not-so-secret penchant for chicken wings, and my partner chose the plantain stirfry. Another couple arrived just after we had ordered and stated that they had booked using the same deal as us. This eased us slightly as we had been beginning to fear that we would be dining alone for the entire evening!!! Unexpectedly, and a little annoyingly, their order arrived before ours and we were starting to get rather ravenous before our starters arrived.

Instead of my starter being marinaded in Peri Peri as I was expecting, I was served two perfectly cooked chicken wings with a dollop of Peri Peri sauce on top of them, placed on a bed of slightly worn iceburg lettuce.

Peri Peri chicken wings

The bright orange Peri Peri sauce was a very tasty mix of tang and spice, and the chicken wings were tender to the bite with a crisp to the skin. They were, however, unseasoned and there was not enough of the sauce to cover the meat. The lettuce was as iceburg lettuce is- watery, crunchy and extremely unimaginative, and undressed.

My partner's plantain stirfry was again extremely simple. The plantain was cooked so that it retained a bite, which gets a nod from me, with onion and peppers that were a little overcooked. The whole dish was quite greasy and could have again been improved with seasoning or some sort of spice or sauce.

greasy plantain stirfry

For main courses my partner, having a very large appetite, especially for such a slender man, had ordered the Peri Peri chicken. It described itself as a char-grilled half chicken served with char-grilled sweet potatoes and Peri Peri sauce. I ordered the Coconut rice which was written as rice cooked with african spices and mixed vegetables in coconut milk, with slices of chicken breast.

My partners plate came simply as stated with half a small chicken and the same peri peri orange sauce as my starter dolloped on top. It came with four halves of a sweet potato, not the sweet potato that we are familiar with, but a white variety which tasted very like a normal potato but with a slight tang.

Peri Peri Chicken

Again, the chicken was cooked to perfection but was unseasoned and with too little sauce. The 'sweet potato' was extremely bland and there were no greens, salad or alternative veg to soften the dish or add flavour. It was very much bland meat and one bland veg, and although my partner cleaned his plate, he was not impressed.

My coconut rice came as a bowl of what looked like savoury rice, and tasted very similar.

Very greasy and sickly Coconut Rice with 80s cubes of carrots.

Overly greasy and very salty, the rice appeared to have been cooked in sweetened coconut with a jerk mix heavy on pepper. The chicken through it was tender and tasty, although the peas and sweetcorn tasted as if they had come straight from a frozen packet. Cubed carrots mixed with the rice had a slight bite, but were so '80s that I had to giggle. The portion was a great size but I have to admit that I felt a little sick after eating it, especially mixed with the very cheap wine.

After main course plates were cleared, my partner and I both agreed that we would certainly have not paid full price for our courses, and that we could not even say that they were worth the hugely discounted price. For a restaurant not that long open, we would have thought that they would be using fresh ingredients and innovation along with tradition african recipes to excite people, get people talking and gain them a good reputation! The bland, uninspiring, uncreative and not very African dishes had left us extremely disappointed.

Not liking to give up hope though, we ordered desserts and both choose the crepe de banane, which alongside a selection of icecreams and fresh fruit seemed the most exciting option. I noticed, at this point, that the other couple had left rather quickly- never a good sign! The menu described the crepe as a banana flambayed in dark rum wrapped in a crepe, with icecream and butterscotch sauce. What arrived made both of us laugh out loud.

Crepe de banane with the hilarious neopolitana icecream

It both looked and tasted like something from a 70s/80s greasy sidewalk/roadside cafe. The crepe was both firm and soft at the same time, as though made from some kind of reformed plastic instead of dough. It tasted like it had come straight from a very cheap packet, and the banana inside, whilst warm and comforting, was very sweet and mushy with no flavour of rum at all. The butterscotch sauce was a light tasteless syrup, and the icecream was 45p plastic tub neopolitana, which harkened back to our childhoods- and not in a good way. The light dusting of cocoa powder seemed like a last resort to give the dessert some flavour or class, but was futile in it's attempts.

Needless to say, we left our voucher, grabbed our coats and left,  passing comments about the extremely tacky dancefloor and the possibility of the restaurant being a show for something far more fitting to it's sleazy bar and stage. It's sports nights and 'Miss Africa Scotland' nights definitely define it more than it's food.

Camflava deserved neither tip, nor thanks, and I was actualy glad not to be asked how everything was by a member of staff, as I would not have been able to find the words at that moment. We left without goodbyes but with certain good riddance, and the promise to never go back.

J x

No. 16 Lunch of Yum

  Yesterday was one of those days.  Those days when you wake up and say 'hmm what can I possibly do today.'  The weather was awful.  Overcast, cold and windy.  My husband and I looked at each other, and I wondered out loud if No. 16's menu had changed yet. That sealed it.  We hadn't been out to lunch in ages.  I scurried off to get dressed, while my husband made the lunch reservation.  No. 16 it was!
   So we braved the cold to go for lunch.  I must say,it was worth it.  We were sat at the back under the stairs.  It's one of my favourite spots in the small restaurant.  I like the small corner, it makes me feel quite safe.  
   We've been going to No.16 quite frequently in the past year and a half, that the staff have come to know us.  We're always treated wonderfully, and the staff really are fantastic.  Every meal is a pleasure. 
   We started by ordering two small glasses of the Rioja Artesa, and a bottle of still water.  The Rioja never disappoints.  
   For my starter I ordered the Warm Puy Lentil and Goats Cheese Salad with Roasted Beetroot, Figs and Mint.  My husband ordered the Curried Cream of Celeriac Soup.  While we waited for our starters we were offered the usual Rolls and Parmesan Oil and Balsamic Dip.  The bread with the oil and balsamic is always my favourite part of the meal.  It's lovely.  I want the dip for my home to eat with all of my bread. 
   The starters arrived and looked amazing.  My husbands soup smelled amazing, and looked delicious as well.   So I helped myself to a sample.  It was amazing.  I do love celeriac though.  The husband ate every last bit.  It was tasty.  My salad was delightful.  The lentils were served in a pile on the bottom of the bowl with a big chunk of goats cheese just sitting off centre.  There was a few pieces of beetroot and sliced fig scattered about the lentils, and chopped mint mixed throughout.  I ate every last lentil.  Beetroot, figs and goats cheese are three of my favourite foods. Put them all in a salad together and they just will not last.

Puy Lentil and Goats Cheese Salad

 
  We had to wait just a little longer than usual for our mains, but a large table had just put in a dessert order and another table was about to get their mains.  So this was fine, we know the kitchen is small and we weren't in a hurry.  The wait was worth it though.  We had both ordered the Roast Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables, Black Kale and a Red Wine Sauce.  It was one of the best chicken dishes that I've had at No.16.  It was perfect.  The chicken sat on a bed of black kale and a parsnip puree.  There was roasted turnip, celeriac and carrots scattered around the chicken, with the red win sauce drizzled around the plate.  We also ordered a side of the Sweet potato and Lemongrass Mash.  The mash is amazing, and I highly recommend that you order a side if ever you find yourself at N0.16.  The lemongrass was mixed throughout the potatoes and was seasoned perfectly.  It went surprisingly well with the chicken dish.

Roast Chicken with Roasted Root Veg and Red Wine Sauce

    The main course plates were pretty much clean when we were finished.  Every last morsel eaten.  So I was pretty full when the dessert menus were brought out.  I had to have a dessert though.  One had caught my eye before I had even decided on my starter or main.  So I ignored my stomach and ordered the Black Currant Iced Terrine with Poached Plums.  My husband ordered the Chocolate Tart with Peppermint Ice cream.  Our server said that I had made a very good choice with the terrine, and that my husbands choice was also good.  I think mine was better though.
  The desserts arrived,  and my husband wanted mine.  Not a huge surprise.  He only ordered the tart because he wanted the ice cream.  I didn't bother to try the tart, only because I'm not a big fan of chocolate tarts.  I never have been.  I did try the ice cream and it was delicious.
   My terrine was delightful.  It was actually a parfait, sliced like a terrine.  I adore black currants, and there was just enough tartness to cut through the sweetness. It was the perfect texture, just as a parfait should be. The spoon cut through with ease. The plums went nicely, and were perfectly poached.  I ate most of it, but my husband attacked it as well.  I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, but I like to share.

Black Currant Terrine with Poached Plums

 
   As both desserts were completely devoured, we decided to forgo coffee this time.  As it would have been the final nail in the coffin for the stomachs.  So we paid out bill just in time to head outside into the bitter cold and rain that had just started.  At least we were able to go out there will full and happy bellies.

M.