Five Guys Restaurant Review Manchester

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Matthew Radway

I think it’s fair to say that a Five Guys burger is an event – or at least it certainly seemed that way when I visited the newly opened restaurant in Manchester’s Trafford Centre.
Five Guys has some rather fanatical customers; to give an example, when this branch opened on Monday there were people queuing for a burger 3 hours before it opened. The staff are passionate about the food too (refreshing for what is essentially a fast food restaurant) and the novel touch of being able to totally customise your burger with a range of toppings for no extra cost all adds to the feeling that your burger has been lovingly and carefully prepared.

Arriving, I was talked through the options by the friendly staff member who took my order. The burgers aren’t cheap in comparison to other fast food chains (a meal there can easily set you back £10) so it’s worth adding a good number of the toppings.

Drinks include free refills from a machine which allows you to choose a base fizzy drink and then add a flavoured syrup if you wish. I had coke zero with orange which was less horrendous than it sounds. Again, it adds to the ‘total customisation’ experience.
My colleague and I watched as our burgers were prepared (the kitchen is entirely open to view) and it was nice to see the manager encouraging and motivating her staff. It certainly seemed to be a very pleasant working environment. The burgers arrived surprisingly quickly considering the extensive queue that had formed. I chose a cheeseburger with ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, gherkins, mushrooms and grilled onions. My colleague had a bacon cheeseburger with ketchup, mayonnaise and mushrooms. We decided to share a portion of chips.

Now, that sounds like a fairly standard amount of food. It wasn’t, it was huge. The chips were lovely but we didn’t need them with the burger being a meal in itself. You can get a little burger but the burgers are so delicious that I think it’s worth just filling up on them and forgoing sides.

My colleague and I agreed that this was the best fast food burger we had ever experienced. All the ingredients are fresh, nothing is frozen, and the beef patties are hand made on site each morning from prime Irish beef.

As I sat in the restaurant having finished my burger I tried to come up with a three word summary for how I felt about the burgers and my colleague piped up with the perfect description: “delicious heart attack”. I cannot wait to return.

Bills Putney Restaurant Review

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

We had heard amazing things about Bills in Putney. Our neighbours recommended their breakfast, saying it was ‘first rate’. Of course this meant we went in with high expectations. Which always makes it harder for a restaurant to impress.

The restaurant was very busy, all of Putney seemed to be here. We had a look at the menu and it looked great. As did the decor, the shelves were filled with product from Bills.

We started off with the Bill’s Prawn And Avocado Cocktail with spicy salsa and cocktail sauce with deep fried tiger prawns, ciabatta crisps and lemon. It looks superb and is very unique. However, I misjudged quite how spicy it would be and I couldn’t eat all of it. There could also be more avocado.

My colleague had the Crispy Duck Salad: spring onions, apple, radish, red pepper, coriander and watercress with a soy and lemon dressing. The salad was okay but not hugely impressive. It was quite bland and needed more dressing. For mains we had Bill’s Fish Pie: queen scallops, smoked haddock, salmon, tiger prawns, peas and baby onions topped with an English mustard and cheddar mash. The pie is very good with a generous variety of ingredients.

My colleague had ‘Sugar and Spice’ Marinated Half Chicken served with a Curried Slaw and Sweet Potato Fries. This was also good, the sweet potato fries were amazing in particular. We were very impressed with the mains after our so-so starters. Everything at Bills seems quite unique and has a twist. They make brave choices which sometimes work and sometimes don’t, obviously depending on a persons taste. Bills is a good place for something unique and different however.

For our dessert we had amazing warm cinnamon mini doughnuts with strawberries and a chocolate sauce- they were amazing. My colleague had lemon meringue pie cheesecake in a glass, with yogurt ice cream, which was also good.

146-148 Putney High St, London SW15 1RR
020 8780 2818

Busaba Eathai Restaurant review

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

It is quite shameful that we had never eaten at Busaba Eathai before, and, jeez, had we missed out. The food is amazing, the drinks are amazing and the entire place is first-rate. The manager was knowledgeable, friendly, generous and was known by a large amount of the diners. There were a lot of regulars.

We started off with the selection below. Yes, started. One of Busaba Eathai‘s most popular dishes is the Thai Calamari with ginger and peppercorn. It’s the one at the top of the pictures. It’s amazing. One of the best calamari dishes I have ever had. We also had fishcakes (yummy and with a great sauce), pandan leaf chicken which falls apart when you open the leaf and a great yellow bean dish which had a good kick to it.

Our mains were equally amazing, I had a curry that was specifically made milder for me. My colleague had glass noodles which were amazing and delicious. The dish was full of flavour and had a lot going on. For drinks we also had one of the best prosecco’s I have ever had, a good beer and an excellent non-alcoholic cocktails. I had an amazing Grapefruit mojito with vanilla, mint, lime and chilli.

Busaba Eathai is a brilliant restaurant and I will join their large following of regular customers. It is also possible to have a great meal without blowing your budget here. There are many branches in London so check out their website below.

We finished with tea and biscuits.

@busabaeathai

http://busaba.com/

Address: 22 Store St, London WC1E 7DF

Phone:020 7299 7900

Foxcroft & Ginger Cafe Review

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Foxcroft & Ginger is a very trendy cafe and artisan bakery in East London, owned by couple Georgina and Quintin. It is full of people who are far cooler than me. The decor is eclectic, keeping the industrial-chic design ethos of the Soho branch.

This one, in Whitechapel, only opened on 3 April 2014. We went to review it, deciding on brunch. We started with Eggs Benedict and Smoked Salmon, Pickled Beetroot, Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa, Grilled Sourdough. I also order some avocado on the side. An English Breakfast Tea and a Hot Chocolate.

The Eggs Benedict is interesting. My colleague loved it. He thought the eggs were perfect, but the egg I had was a bit watery, and the sauce could have done with a little more punch. The salmon dish was perfect however, just an amazing selection of fresh ingredients that work amazingly well together. The avocado was great with just the right amount of salt, olive oil and lemon.

The hot chocolate was very good, it came with spice and the cinnamon really added something special. The tea was also great, coming in a very cute tea cup and saucer.

Starting brunch off with some excellent English Breakfast tea. pic.twitter.com/xEWpnpAxwj

— Frost Magazine (@frostmag) April 12, 2014

After our brunch we had some amazing cake. I had the chocolate orange cake and my colleague had the carrot cake. Both were absolutely amazing. Everything is made in-house and these cakes really were superb.

Foxcroft & Ginger also do amazing bread. Their coveted sourdough bread, which is already supplied to a number of top London restaurants, is available to purchase in store.

Foxcroft & Ginger

Whitechapel

69-89 Mile End Road

E1 4TT
www.foxcroft&ginger.co.uk
(The nearest Underground Station is Stepney Green or Whitechapel).

A Day In Bloomsbury | Travel & London Gems

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Out of all of the boroughs in London, Bloomsbury is one that holds a special place in my heart. It is a classy, beautiful borough with a very special touch, an air of sophistication and lots of great independent shops. It also has culture at The British Museum.

We headed to Store Street to eat, drink and be merry.

Our first stop was The Life Goddess for lunch.

The Life Goddess is an amazing Greek deli which also sells lots of amazing Greek produce. We started with an amazing platter which had lots of great dips, cheese, olives and vegetables. (a tomato is actually a fruit but you get my point), and then for mains we had Roasted Vegetables in a light tomato sauce and a pork belly with potatoes in an amazing sauce. We didn’t have time for dessert as we had to head to The British Museum. The food was good and reasonably priced.

We also had some really good white wine and a rosé. We really liked The Life Goddess. It has great food and a relaxed atmosphere. I would also recommend the Life Goddess for vegetarians. The platters are great and the roasted vegetables dish I had was amazing. And that is coming from a carnivore.

29 Store St, London WC1E 7BS
020 7637 2401, @TheLifeGoddess

Beyond El Dorado exhibition at the British Museum.

I love the British Museum and was very excited to go to the Beyond El Dorado exhibition. With 200 artifacts from Bogota’s ‘Museum of Gold’, it was more bling than Jay-Z, Beyonce, Elizabeth Taylor and J-Lo combined. El Dorado means– literally “the golden one” and the magpie in me was in heaven. The exhibition was brilliant, if a little busy. People were queuing round the block. (which isn’t a complaint as art should be seen by as many people as possible)

The exhibition is full of wonderful models and masks made of gold and wonderful literature to read on the walls. This is an eye-opening exhibition not just because of the objects on display, but also because of all of the facts, videos and information. The connection of gold and cocaine (mixed with lime!) in Colombia was also interesting. It would seem decadence was the order of the day in ancient Colombia and we were rather shocked but glad to have had a glimpse of it.

We also managed to catch a glimpse of the Rosetta Stone. Something no one should go to London without seeing at least once.

Next up was dinner at Busaba Eathai.

It is quite shameful that we had never eaten at Busaba Eathai before, and, jeez, had we missed out. The food is amazing, the drinks are amazing and the entire place is first-rate. The manager was knowledgeable, friendly, generous, funny and was known and liked by a large amount of the diners. There was a lot of regulars.

We started off with the selection below. Yes, started. One of Busaba Eathai‘s most popular dishes is the Thai Calamari with ginger and peppercorn. It’s the one at the top of the picture. It’s amazing. One of the best calamari dishes I have ever had. We also had fishcakes (yummy and with a great sauce), pandan leaf chicken which falls apart when you open the leaf and a great yellow bean dish which had a good kick to it.

Our mains were equally amazing, I had a curry that was specifically made milder for me. For drinks we also had one of the best prosecco’s I have ever had, an good beer and excellent non-alcoholic cocktails. I had an amazing Grapefruit mojito with vanilla, mint, lime and chilli.

We finished with tea and biscuits.

@busabaeathai

http://busaba.com/

Address: 22 Store St, London WC1E 7DF

Phone:020 7299 7900

We were incredibly impressed with how beautiful Store Street was. You can spend an entire day there, eating well and taking in the atmosphere, along with some boutique shopping. A real London gem.

Other places to check out on Store Street are One Alfred Place, Frost’s first ever restaurant review (oh, the nostalgia) and the Store Street Gallery.

@storestreetwc1

What do you think?

Mews Of Mayfair Restaurant Review

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Frostie

Mews of Mayfair, the British bar and brasserie, is hidden away in the heart of London down a small side street just off Bond street. The main restaurant room has been beautifully decorated and its atmosphere is relaxed.

We started our bottomless brunch with a delicious Mimosa and Bellini. They were well made and generous with the alcohol content.

Like many restaurants at the moment Mews is offering limitless refills of Mimosa’s, Bellini’s and Bloody Mary’s at just £15 a head. We certainly approve. Not having to worry too much about cost allows you to get on with enjoying your lunch!

Eggs Benedict

To start with we had an Eggs Benedict. A classic combination and still one of my favourites. As someone who has sampled many versions of this dish I can honestly say this was one of the best I’ve had. It was packed with flavour. The Hollandaise sauce was flawless and when it was combined with the gooey egg yolk, ham and toast it was devine. It really was a treat and the portion was extremely generous as you can see. A perfect start.

Dorset Crab

This dish did a brilliant job of letting the crab, the star of the dish, shine. The crab was very tasty and fresh and the plate brought pack memories of the sea. The crab lay on a slice of toasted brioche. The slight sweetness of the brioche actually worked really well against the meatiness of the crab. The textures were very soft which was surprising but actually worked very well. Another superb dish

Fish and Chips

This was another extremely generous portion, the fish was huge. This was definitely a bottomless brunch. The sweet mushy peas were delicious as was the fantastic fresh tartar sauce. The fish and chips were tasty but didn’t blow us away.

Chicken

The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was very juicy and had a delicious crispy skin. The duck fat roast potatoes were stunning, absolutely perfect. The whole dish was perfectly seasoned and the stuffing and gravy added loads of flavour. Once again the portion was huge. By this stage we were absolutely stuffed. You couldn’t ask for much more from your lunch.

Pancake

This pancake was packed with fresh fruit and drizzled with honey. It also came with some delicious cream but it could have done with a bit more sauce of some kind.

Eton Mess

Eton mess is one of my favourite puddings. It embodies everything that a good pudding should be. This Eton Mess was made with blackberries. It was light creamy and delicious and went really well with the coulis and meringue crumb. A very good pudding.

We had a wonderful meal and really enjoyed ourselves. Mews had some truly excellent food and the atmosphere and service were perfect. Definitely worth a visit.

Mews of Mayfair

10 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, London W1S 1EY

www.mewsofmayfair.com

facebook.com/mewsofmayfair

@mewsofmayfair

3 South Place Bar & Grill Restaurant Review

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

First thoughts of the South Place Hotel, where 3 South Place Bar & Grill is located, is how classy it is. And quirky, with dismantled mannequins and sophisticated decor. It is both up-market and relaxing. We come to review the bottomless brunch, where Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Proseccos are endless with the 2 or 3 course brunch at the weekend from noon until 4pm. We approve. It is also great value at £20 for two courses or £25 for three courses plus £15 if you want the bottomless brunch. I was very surprised at the price actually, for three courses plus unlimited alcohol in a five star hotel: brilliant value. The staff are excellent; knowing what you want before you do and very helpful. There is a nice warm atmosphere and excellent, modern decor

We start with great warm bread and good soft butter that is easy to cut and a Mimosa (orange juice and prosecco) and a Bellini (peach juice and prosecco)

For starters we had.

Welsh Rarebit

Rich, creamy, cheese on soft bread. The crunch on the bottom holds texture well. Comes with a tomato and red onion with balsamic dressing. The perfect accompaniment. Acidity of tomatoes and red onion works beautifully against the rich cheese. Simple but excellent.

English Muffin

Poached Egg, Hollandaise sauce, smoked salmon

Excellent egg muffin with a good poached egg, Hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon. Rich and opulent. The muffin is beautiful, a luxurious starter with wonderful lemony hollandaise

Arnold Bennett omelette

Béchamel Hollandaise sauce, smoked haddock.

It is rich and creamy, the Omelette has a great texture: Perfectly cooked and not overdone; it’s just the right amount of soft. The smoked haddock is fresh and goes amazingly with the lemon.

Bubble & Squeak

poached egg, blythburgh bacon
Perfect eggs with superb presentation. Comes with Crispy, smoky bacon and goes great with the potato and egg.

Ice Cream Selection

Rum and Raisin, cookies & cream, blackberry ripple

Amazing ice cream. Really wonderful. Tastes like it is homemade. The cookies and cream has proper cookies, the blackberry ripple is amazing and different and the rum and raisin is very alcoholic and delicious.

Treacle Tart

Clotted cream ice cream

This is amazing. Has a thin and crunchy base, lovely treacle. It is soft and crumbly but holds together well. It is not too sweet
Has an excellent clotted cream ice cream accompaniment.

Delicious food in a classy venue; it is hard to fault 3 South Place at all, one of the best brunches in London and excellent value to top it all off. We loved it and we will definitely be back.

Address: 3 South Place, London EC2M 2AF
Phone:020 3503 0000
Hotel class: 5 stars

Big Easy Covent Garden launching on 17th March

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Frostie

Big Easy Bar.B.Q & Crabshack: the evolution

A new 300-cover, American Bar.B.Q restaurant and bar in Covent Garden

London’s Chelsea institution, Big Easy Bar.B.Q & Crabshack will open a new restaurant in Maiden Lane in March 2014. Taking inspiration from its King’s Road sibling it will offer a serious evolution of the beloved ‘crabshack’ in a more urban West End setting. The new venue will provide the most authentic, American fresh-smoked Bar.B.Q, seafood, cocktail and drinks offer in the UK.

In the kitchen taking the coveted and key role of Pit Master will be Pete Daversa, former pit master at Hill Country Barbeque Market in New York. Pete has also worked at Blue Smoke BBQ (NYC and opened in Hong Kong). Big Easy Founder, Paul Corrett’s design vision has been overseen by industry heavyweights Macaulay Sinclair.

The site has a formidable history: it is located in a former electrical power station built in 1883, owned by the Gatti Brothers and first used to light their own restaurant, ‘The Adelaide’ on the Strand. On the back of their success in the electricity business , the Gattis’ then formed the Charing Cross & Strand Electricity Supply Company and the site went on to power the first bright lights of the West End. The interior will honour the building’s original heritage, retaining many authentic features, such as copper conduits, brickwork, and steel and concrete girders, complemented by industrial lighting. Exposed timber beams and lots of Big Easy appeal – neon lobsters, Americana and nautical touches will add to the charm – set over three floors and 10,000 sq ft, forming an awe-inspiring space.

A central feature will be the striking nine metre theatre-style kitchen situated on the lower ground floor. Focus will be on a ‘wall of fire’, comprising two, 2.5 metre Argentinean-style parilla charcoal grills as well as a two-metre rotisserie spit that will roast whole hogs, and a huge 2.5 metre wood burning oven. A dedicated Bar.B.Q pit area will house two, 1.5 tonne J&R wood burning smokers imported from Texas where meats will all be freshly smoked on the premises using a variety of woods, including Oak, Hickory, Apple and Cherry, for up to 18 hours to impart their unique flavours. Diners can keep an eye on what has just come out of the smoker via the restaurant’s website and social media.

The menu itself will be based around the finest Bar.B.Q pork and beef cuts, rare-breed British steaks and freshest local seafood. In addition, carefully sourced beef including Wagyu and USDA and traditional-breed pork will be showcased together with what Big Easy is also renowned for – the very best and freshest lobsters. The lobsters will be sourced all year round from Nova Scotia for their consistency, flavour and quality. A specially designed 1500kg lobster tank has been constructed on the premises to house almost 2,000 live lobsters with sizes ranging from 1 to 10 lbs. As always Big Easy’s ever popular daily-changing specials will continue to ensure unparalleled value for money.

Big Easy Covent Garden are getting serious about their drinks offering too: situated on the ground floor, will be a jaw-dropping, nine-metre bar, boasting over 500 bottles on nine levels with a focus on domestic and imported premium and American whiskeys, as well as rare tequila, rum, liquor and French and Spanish brandy. Imported, purpose built cocktail machines will dispense frozen Margaritas and other well loved cocktails as well as Manhattans and Old Fashioneds on tap. The bar list will also include ‘Boozy Juices’ and milkshakes with an alcoholic twist and a great list of craft beers including exclusive brews on tap.

Big Easy will continue to boast live music seven nights a week with two to three sets a night featuring some great musicians, with perhaps a few stars of the future making an appearance.

Big Easy Covent Garden
12 Maiden Lane
London

@bigeasylondon #thebiglaunch

Frost Magazine

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Tag Archives: Restaurant

Five Guys Restaurant Review Manchester

Bills Putney Restaurant Review

Busaba Eathai Restaurant review

Foxcroft & Ginger Cafe Review

A Day In Bloomsbury | Travel & London Gems

Mews Of Mayfair Restaurant Review

3 South Place Bar & Grill Restaurant Review

Big Easy Covent Garden launching on 17th March

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