The other night I was in Chelmsford centre and my companion and I felt the worms biting. As I have moaned about before, Chelmsford is a fairly wealthy place but the centre is a culinary dead spot. Whenever I am caught hungry in Chelmsford, Zen Noodle Bar comes to the rescue. The menu is fairly standard fare, with three specials up on the blackboards: this place is not going to win any Michelin stars. However, I do not go there for a Heston Blumenthal-esque culinary extravanganza (seriously, I know someone who went to a fancy Oriental restaurant in Chelmsford and their scallops were served with strawberries...).
I go there because I know what is on the menu,
I know I will like it.
The staff are courteous without being overbearing.
Service is lightning quick.
The coffee is decent- some restaurants struggle to understand coffee
The toilets are clean.
We shared duck spring rolls, he had barbeque roast pork, I had "kon chow" beef ho fun.
Job done.
Showing posts with label Essex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essex. Show all posts
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Cafe Rouge- Chelmsford
I swear this place is getting worse. Our party arrived on a Saturday afternoon and the place was heaving. Did they open up the upper floors? Nope. Did they have enough staff? Nope.
It's a great shame as this place is in a prime location. It is a lovely building with plenty of space. If Chelmsford got its act together and weaned itself off the chain restaurants and managed to attract some independent restauranteurs it'd provide a great premises. Instead we have Cafe Rouge: a ground-floor fit to burst, the deafening racket as we dine cheek-by-jowl and only 3 waitresses.
Seriously. The meal took over 2 hours. I don't mind their food so much; it's not great but it's about as good as you'll get in Chelmsford centre. It depresses me that I could go to a proper restaurant and have an excellent meal for the same price, but then we'd have to drive out of town. Cafe Rouge's menu is not complicated- most of their dishes come with a simple dressed salad and skinny chips. So what the hell was taking so long? Either they were severely short-staffed in the kitchen too or they were having to grow the vegetables from seed. I was not having a starter, so by the time my main course arrived my belly was emitting some odd noises- I suppose there was one advantage to eating in a noisy environment...
In the past I've met up with people during their lunch break for a quick meal. The quick meal has not been forthcoming. I have pretty much given up going there as the quality of the food does not justify the wait.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Zen Noodle Bar, Chelmsford
3 friends and I were looking for somewhere to eat on Friday night. We were looking for somewhere reasonably priced and with decent food. Simple, eh? No, not really. Chelmsford is not good for eating out- the city centre is awash with mediocre chains and really poor quality independents.
Zen Noodle Bar on Duke Street is on of the only decent eateries in Chelmsford. As you'd expect, it specialises in noodle and rice dishes, drawing on many different Asian cuisines. It would be good choice for vegetarians or those with gluten intolerance are there are many options. I doubt any of the dishes could be found on the streets of an Asian country, but who cares? The food is good!
It was quite interesting that our ex-pat guest found the service a little lacking. He now lives in America and is used to having the waiting staff fawning over him to get a good tip. I find the American-style of service insincere and rather overbearing-give me a minimal service any day! I like Zen's system of having a simple menu and pre-printed order forms, reminiscent of hospital menus. It is efficient and you can dither your meal choices without a waitress breathing down your neck. Oh, and once the meal is ordered, it is cooked very quickly and it served immediately. This is a particular bonus to those who visit Zen during lunch time and don't have time to faff around.
On this occasion I had the duck spring rolls and the pad thai. Sadly, I am addicted to the pad thai and I have had it many times. I have had many other things off the menu and they have all been good, but I keep coming back to the pad thai. I wish I could be a bit more adventurous, but the pad thai wins every time. My partner is much the same with the a belly pork dish or the duck with barbecue sauce.
I really must go more often to explore the menu more...
Zen Noodle Bar on Duke Street is on of the only decent eateries in Chelmsford. As you'd expect, it specialises in noodle and rice dishes, drawing on many different Asian cuisines. It would be good choice for vegetarians or those with gluten intolerance are there are many options. I doubt any of the dishes could be found on the streets of an Asian country, but who cares? The food is good!
It was quite interesting that our ex-pat guest found the service a little lacking. He now lives in America and is used to having the waiting staff fawning over him to get a good tip. I find the American-style of service insincere and rather overbearing-give me a minimal service any day! I like Zen's system of having a simple menu and pre-printed order forms, reminiscent of hospital menus. It is efficient and you can dither your meal choices without a waitress breathing down your neck. Oh, and once the meal is ordered, it is cooked very quickly and it served immediately. This is a particular bonus to those who visit Zen during lunch time and don't have time to faff around.
On this occasion I had the duck spring rolls and the pad thai. Sadly, I am addicted to the pad thai and I have had it many times. I have had many other things off the menu and they have all been good, but I keep coming back to the pad thai. I wish I could be a bit more adventurous, but the pad thai wins every time. My partner is much the same with the a belly pork dish or the duck with barbecue sauce.
I really must go more often to explore the menu more...
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Hundreds Seafood Restaurant, Southend-on-Sea: Review
I had a couple of hours to kill in Southend, so decided to treat myself to lunch. I drove along the seafront and saw the Hundreds Seafood Restaurant. I love seafood and assumed that the best place to indulge my cravings was at the seaside. Also, the Hundreds restaurant is a small shack, with the diners sitting in an awning complete with heat lamps. This place looked both quaint and a mess, so I thought that it must be a Southend institution, otherwise the council would have told them to smarten up, right? Afterall, this place is on the beach, just up the road from the rather posh Thorpe Bay. Maybe the food is so good, they don't have to look smart; the diners come back so often, this business hardly need try.
My assumptions were wrong.
I went in and saw that the last two diners were just leaving. I was in this place by myself. I found the waitress rather rude. She seemed to find it a terrible inconvenience that a customer was wanting some grub.
Their lunch menu consists of filled ciabattas, tapas and 8 meals. I didn't fancy a ciabatta, tapas are not ideal for a single diner, so I opted for the sea bass. The waitress abruptly told me that there was no seabass. Or mackerel. There didn't seem to be much fish on the premises really. I opted for the ham, eggs and chips, ordered a cappuccino and took a seat. My cappuccino arrived in a latte glass, and didn't taste very good. It was luke warm and not particularly coffee-like.
I was most disappointed with my meal. This restaurant is not cheap. At £7.95 for a simple meal of ham, eggs and chips, I had high expectations. As soon as the waitress gave me the food I knew I'd made a mistake. The eggs were not fried. They were poached in oil, where the white has no crispiness, colour or bubbles. These are not fried eggs! The ham was very wet and not nice. The bread and butter was a pointless addition to a heavy meal. The chips tasted of oil that needed to be changed.
It tasted like a meal I would have expected in a cheapo greasy spoon or naff chain pub. It tasted like it should have cost £5. It was not a meal I would have expected to be eating at a prime location on the Essex coast.
I will not be visiting again. I will try the chippy opposite.
My assumptions were wrong.
I went in and saw that the last two diners were just leaving. I was in this place by myself. I found the waitress rather rude. She seemed to find it a terrible inconvenience that a customer was wanting some grub.
Their lunch menu consists of filled ciabattas, tapas and 8 meals. I didn't fancy a ciabatta, tapas are not ideal for a single diner, so I opted for the sea bass. The waitress abruptly told me that there was no seabass. Or mackerel. There didn't seem to be much fish on the premises really. I opted for the ham, eggs and chips, ordered a cappuccino and took a seat. My cappuccino arrived in a latte glass, and didn't taste very good. It was luke warm and not particularly coffee-like.
I was most disappointed with my meal. This restaurant is not cheap. At £7.95 for a simple meal of ham, eggs and chips, I had high expectations. As soon as the waitress gave me the food I knew I'd made a mistake. The eggs were not fried. They were poached in oil, where the white has no crispiness, colour or bubbles. These are not fried eggs! The ham was very wet and not nice. The bread and butter was a pointless addition to a heavy meal. The chips tasted of oil that needed to be changed.
It tasted like a meal I would have expected in a cheapo greasy spoon or naff chain pub. It tasted like it should have cost £5. It was not a meal I would have expected to be eating at a prime location on the Essex coast.
I will not be visiting again. I will try the chippy opposite.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
The Blue Bridge, Writtle: Review
Writtle is a beautiful village; it has a village green with a duck pond, a teeny weeny pub and some gorgeous Georgian houses. Previously, I had only eaten at Grahams On The Green where I had eaten a perfectly satisfactory meal.
I had never heard of The Blue Bridge until my partner mentioned that it had been one of the choices for a family meal, but it had been vetoed once people saw the prices on the menu.
Anyway, my partner has gone a bit mad recently, and treated me to yet another meal out! (See last review.) He fancied The Blue Bridge to see if it was better than The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel.
As we arrived, I was worried that there was noone there- I could see that the dining room at the front of the restaurant was empty. I shouldn't have worried. The restaurant is a mishmash of different rooms, and there were plenty of diners in the other rooms.
The staff were pleasant enough, but were very much frostier than at the Strawb'. I attributed this to the fact that it was a 'restaurant' to the Strawberry's lowly 'bistrot' status. I was somewhat concerned when we were shown to a room at the back of the restaurant, especially when noone else was in there! Is this where they stick the oiks, or those who don't know how to use asparagus tongs? I was reassured when other couples soon followed.
The menu was impressive, yet expensive. Their set menu was £18.95 for 2 courses, £23.95 for 3 courses. There were 5 choices for starters and main course, but only 3 for dessert. The a la carte menu was quite steep, with most starters being around the £8.50 mark, mains costing £16-£23!
I opted for the set menu- I always look to the cheaper options, even if someone else is paying! I chose chicken satay, followed by herb-crusted pollock. My partner is a fussy fellow, not liking most fish, seafood, mayonnaise, fruit, mushrooms- he ended up going a la carte.
He chose a simple salad to start with- rocket and parmesan with a balsamic dressing. He said that it was very good- but can one go wrong with such a combination? I was eager to see what top-notch chicken satay looked like; I have had so many disappointing satay incidents with dry meat and gloopy peanut-butter sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious. I find chicken breast lacking in moisture and flavour, but this dish made me reconsider my thoughts on it. The meat was tender, well seasoned and marinaded in something with a very complex flavour- I suspect dark molasses were involved. The peanut sauce was delicious, and used sparingly, so it was not cloying. It was served on a salad of beansprouts, herbs, chilli and spring onion.
When our main courses arrived, I could see the difference between a restaurant and a bistrot. Restaurants serve their food on odd shaped plates, and when the food arrives one feels guilty to have to destroy the artwork when eating it! The pollock was moist and was coated in a cheesy, herby crust. It was served with some amazing piped mashed potato and creamed leeks. It was sheer comfort food- I dread to think how much cream was in that food!
Given that we'd been seated in the Naughty Room, I felt no shame when sticking my fork in my partner's food. He'd opted for the belly pork (yes, he has it everywhere!) with a wild boar sausage and braised cabbage. He also had a side order of green beans in garlic butter. He was very pleased to see that the pork came with extra crackling! Sadly, I was not allowed any! The pork was sweet and delicious, as were the beans. The sausage was nice, but lack any 'wow' factor. My partner was somewhat disappointed by the cabbage. He likes cabbage as nature intended, ie. raw, and failing that he likes cabbage that tastes of cabbage. Sadly, this cabbage had had the 'Christmas cabbage' treatment, having been spiced, sweetened and cooked until it no longer tasted of cabbage.
Given that I was driving, I was on tap water, so felt like I'd earned a dessert. I went for the simple chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was very good- heavy on vanilla, light on sugar. The brownie was crunchy on the outside, gooey in the middle. Nom nom nom.
The bill came to £66, including service, with only one person drinking. It'd be very easy to rack up a £100 bill if a couple both dined of the a la carte menu and were boozing. However, if this is a little steep, there's always the option to go for lunch, where a two course meal costs £13.95. OAPs get it two pounds cheaper, which is a nice touch.
I had never heard of The Blue Bridge until my partner mentioned that it had been one of the choices for a family meal, but it had been vetoed once people saw the prices on the menu.
Anyway, my partner has gone a bit mad recently, and treated me to yet another meal out! (See last review.) He fancied The Blue Bridge to see if it was better than The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel.
As we arrived, I was worried that there was noone there- I could see that the dining room at the front of the restaurant was empty. I shouldn't have worried. The restaurant is a mishmash of different rooms, and there were plenty of diners in the other rooms.
The staff were pleasant enough, but were very much frostier than at the Strawb'. I attributed this to the fact that it was a 'restaurant' to the Strawberry's lowly 'bistrot' status. I was somewhat concerned when we were shown to a room at the back of the restaurant, especially when noone else was in there! Is this where they stick the oiks, or those who don't know how to use asparagus tongs? I was reassured when other couples soon followed.
The menu was impressive, yet expensive. Their set menu was £18.95 for 2 courses, £23.95 for 3 courses. There were 5 choices for starters and main course, but only 3 for dessert. The a la carte menu was quite steep, with most starters being around the £8.50 mark, mains costing £16-£23!
I opted for the set menu- I always look to the cheaper options, even if someone else is paying! I chose chicken satay, followed by herb-crusted pollock. My partner is a fussy fellow, not liking most fish, seafood, mayonnaise, fruit, mushrooms- he ended up going a la carte.
He chose a simple salad to start with- rocket and parmesan with a balsamic dressing. He said that it was very good- but can one go wrong with such a combination? I was eager to see what top-notch chicken satay looked like; I have had so many disappointing satay incidents with dry meat and gloopy peanut-butter sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious. I find chicken breast lacking in moisture and flavour, but this dish made me reconsider my thoughts on it. The meat was tender, well seasoned and marinaded in something with a very complex flavour- I suspect dark molasses were involved. The peanut sauce was delicious, and used sparingly, so it was not cloying. It was served on a salad of beansprouts, herbs, chilli and spring onion.
When our main courses arrived, I could see the difference between a restaurant and a bistrot. Restaurants serve their food on odd shaped plates, and when the food arrives one feels guilty to have to destroy the artwork when eating it! The pollock was moist and was coated in a cheesy, herby crust. It was served with some amazing piped mashed potato and creamed leeks. It was sheer comfort food- I dread to think how much cream was in that food!
Given that we'd been seated in the Naughty Room, I felt no shame when sticking my fork in my partner's food. He'd opted for the belly pork (yes, he has it everywhere!) with a wild boar sausage and braised cabbage. He also had a side order of green beans in garlic butter. He was very pleased to see that the pork came with extra crackling! Sadly, I was not allowed any! The pork was sweet and delicious, as were the beans. The sausage was nice, but lack any 'wow' factor. My partner was somewhat disappointed by the cabbage. He likes cabbage as nature intended, ie. raw, and failing that he likes cabbage that tastes of cabbage. Sadly, this cabbage had had the 'Christmas cabbage' treatment, having been spiced, sweetened and cooked until it no longer tasted of cabbage.
Given that I was driving, I was on tap water, so felt like I'd earned a dessert. I went for the simple chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was very good- heavy on vanilla, light on sugar. The brownie was crunchy on the outside, gooey in the middle. Nom nom nom.
The bill came to £66, including service, with only one person drinking. It'd be very easy to rack up a £100 bill if a couple both dined of the a la carte menu and were boozing. However, if this is a little steep, there's always the option to go for lunch, where a two course meal costs £13.95. OAPs get it two pounds cheaper, which is a nice touch.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel: Review
Last Saturday, my partner decided to treat me to a meal out at the Blue Strawberry. What was the occasion? Nothing! Dining out for the sole reason of gluttony!
I've never had a bad meal at the Strawb' and this was no exception. My partner was a little disappointed with the menu, claiming that it was very fish-heavy. I'm notsure I concur- I suspect it was just an excuse for him to have his beloved belly pork! There was lamb as well as two types of steak, so what's his beef?
We were seated at 6.30pm. The place was quite empty. I attributed this to the financial downturn, but was pleased to see the place brimming by the time we left.
I started with a very 1970s starter- prawn and crab in a Marie Rose sauce, on an avocado fan! It sounds naff, but there's a good reason it still persists: it's a classic! The crab and prawns were sweet, the avocado perfectly ripe and creamy. The richness was cut through with an oak leaf salad and a citrus dressing. It was a well balanced dish. My partner offered for the pork and ham terrine. I think that terrines are very underrated. Whilst people are salivating over pates, the humble terrine, whose rough texture allows individual flavours to shine through, is ignored. Bah. This terrine was well seasoned, with fragrant apricots and herbs as dominant flavours. It was accompanied by a zingy and fresh pineapple chutney.
Predictably, my partner had the belly pork. I can see why. It is absolute perfection for the meat eater- crispy crackling with succulent, tender meat beneath. It was served with spring greens with pancetta, which had a lovely smokey flavour, as well as apple sauce and what looked like boulangere potatoes. The veg on the table was broccoli, mashed swede and courgettes in tomato sauce. There was even enough pork to smuggle some home for the cat!
I had moules mariniere with skinny chips. To my mind, there is something very beastly about eating chips, especially those skinny-fast-food-looking, whenone is in a decent restaurant. I managed to put my qualms to one side, and tackle the enormous portion of mussels presented to me. They were perfectly cook, in a different league to the small mussels served at Loch Fyne. They were plump, tender and perfectly cooked. the white wine, clream and garlic sauce was beautifully seasoned and very garlicky. Not that this was a problem, but it would have been nice to have had some bread.
After stuffing our faces, there was no room for pud. Well, maybe there was, but I didn't fancy driving home with that overstuffed feeling...
I've never had a bad meal at the Strawb' and this was no exception. My partner was a little disappointed with the menu, claiming that it was very fish-heavy. I'm notsure I concur- I suspect it was just an excuse for him to have his beloved belly pork! There was lamb as well as two types of steak, so what's his beef?
We were seated at 6.30pm. The place was quite empty. I attributed this to the financial downturn, but was pleased to see the place brimming by the time we left.
I started with a very 1970s starter- prawn and crab in a Marie Rose sauce, on an avocado fan! It sounds naff, but there's a good reason it still persists: it's a classic! The crab and prawns were sweet, the avocado perfectly ripe and creamy. The richness was cut through with an oak leaf salad and a citrus dressing. It was a well balanced dish. My partner offered for the pork and ham terrine. I think that terrines are very underrated. Whilst people are salivating over pates, the humble terrine, whose rough texture allows individual flavours to shine through, is ignored. Bah. This terrine was well seasoned, with fragrant apricots and herbs as dominant flavours. It was accompanied by a zingy and fresh pineapple chutney.
Predictably, my partner had the belly pork. I can see why. It is absolute perfection for the meat eater- crispy crackling with succulent, tender meat beneath. It was served with spring greens with pancetta, which had a lovely smokey flavour, as well as apple sauce and what looked like boulangere potatoes. The veg on the table was broccoli, mashed swede and courgettes in tomato sauce. There was even enough pork to smuggle some home for the cat!
I had moules mariniere with skinny chips. To my mind, there is something very beastly about eating chips, especially those skinny-fast-food-looking, whenone is in a decent restaurant. I managed to put my qualms to one side, and tackle the enormous portion of mussels presented to me. They were perfectly cook, in a different league to the small mussels served at Loch Fyne. They were plump, tender and perfectly cooked. the white wine, clream and garlic sauce was beautifully seasoned and very garlicky. Not that this was a problem, but it would have been nice to have had some bread.
After stuffing our faces, there was no room for pud. Well, maybe there was, but I didn't fancy driving home with that overstuffed feeling...
Friday, 9 September 2011
Loch Fyne, Chelmsford: Review
I decided to go out to lunch the other day, by myself. Why? I like the peace and quiet, the chance to enjoy some food without having to deal with somebody's inane chit-chat.
I went to Loch Fyne as I love seafood and fish, have a partner is not a fan of the sea and I am not confident enough to cook my own fish. I do not trust the freshness of the fare on the fish counters at our supermarkets. We have some fish stalls at the market, but again, I'm not sure about them. I think the combination of fish of dubious freshness, combined with me not really knowing hoe to cook it is a recipe for illness.
Anyway, back to the meal. I took advantage of the '2 courses + glass of wine' offer. As I've said before, £11.50 isn't bad. I opted to start with the mussels with chilli and coriander. They arrived looking plump and perfectly cooked. There was a pleasant heat to the chilli, but was disappointed that there was not much of a fresh chilli and coriander flavour. The coriander and chilli were added at the beginning, so much of their aroma had been lost during the cooking process. It would have been better to sprinkle a little chilli and coriander just before the dish was served.
There was a really good choice on the lunch menu, 5 options for each course! For the main course I had whiting in parsley sauce on sauteed new potatoes. I remember the days when people were horrified that many fish fingers contained whiting rather than cod. If it doesn't say cod, it ain't cod! I'm not sure what their beef is with whiting, as it is perfectly nice. Ok, cod is meatier, has bigger flakes and doesn't have the slightly off-putting pink veiny bits, but cod is expensive and running out! We Brits need to wean ourselves off cod and look further afield.
Anyhow, the whiting was well seasoned and covered in a thick parsely sauce. Interestingly, the potatoes has been cooked in garlic butter. Whilst this was delicious, it did overpower the parsley somewhat. I'm surprised the garlic wasn't mentioned on the menu- there are a lot of people who detest garlic. Served with mixed veg, it was a very filling dish.
It's such a shame that there is hardly anyone in there, and places like Pizza Express are bursting at the seams!
I went to Loch Fyne as I love seafood and fish, have a partner is not a fan of the sea and I am not confident enough to cook my own fish. I do not trust the freshness of the fare on the fish counters at our supermarkets. We have some fish stalls at the market, but again, I'm not sure about them. I think the combination of fish of dubious freshness, combined with me not really knowing hoe to cook it is a recipe for illness.
Anyway, back to the meal. I took advantage of the '2 courses + glass of wine' offer. As I've said before, £11.50 isn't bad. I opted to start with the mussels with chilli and coriander. They arrived looking plump and perfectly cooked. There was a pleasant heat to the chilli, but was disappointed that there was not much of a fresh chilli and coriander flavour. The coriander and chilli were added at the beginning, so much of their aroma had been lost during the cooking process. It would have been better to sprinkle a little chilli and coriander just before the dish was served.
There was a really good choice on the lunch menu, 5 options for each course! For the main course I had whiting in parsley sauce on sauteed new potatoes. I remember the days when people were horrified that many fish fingers contained whiting rather than cod. If it doesn't say cod, it ain't cod! I'm not sure what their beef is with whiting, as it is perfectly nice. Ok, cod is meatier, has bigger flakes and doesn't have the slightly off-putting pink veiny bits, but cod is expensive and running out! We Brits need to wean ourselves off cod and look further afield.
Anyhow, the whiting was well seasoned and covered in a thick parsely sauce. Interestingly, the potatoes has been cooked in garlic butter. Whilst this was delicious, it did overpower the parsley somewhat. I'm surprised the garlic wasn't mentioned on the menu- there are a lot of people who detest garlic. Served with mixed veg, it was a very filling dish.
It's such a shame that there is hardly anyone in there, and places like Pizza Express are bursting at the seams!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Prezzo, Bond Street, Chelmsford: Review
Chelmsford has two Prezzos, one near the river, next to Loch Fyne, and the other on Baddow Road, near Strada. This review is of the one by the river.
Yesterday was hot. My stash of Spicy Rice (see the nest post for the recipe) was depleted. I decided to eat out. We had a voucher for Prezzos so decided to go there.
It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening, the staff seemed quite overstretched.
We opted to share a starter of oven roasted chicken wings with rosemary salt and a tomato and chilli dip. When they arrived they didn't strike me as being especially good value; £5.10 for 6 chicken wings, some of which were tiny. This niggle aside, they were very tasty. The skin was crisp, and the rosemary was subtle enough to be delicious. (Used with a heavy hand, rosemary give dishes a soapy, medicinal taste.) It was nice to receive wings without a diabetes-inducing sticky glaze, or deep fried in breadcrumbs. The sauce was pleasant, spicy and fresh tasting, my only gripe being that it was a little to vinegary.
For the main course I ordered the Wild Mushroom Girasole. It consisted of some large flower-shaped ('girasole' is Italian for 'sunflower') mushroom-stuffed ravioli, with mushroom, cherry tomato, rocket, buffalo mozzarella all tossed in pesto. It was very good, just not mushroomy enough for my taste. The pesto and mozzarella makes quite a rich dish, but the sharp tomato and peppery rocket compensated for this.
My partner's pizza was another story. He had the 'Tre Gusti', which is a pepperoni, chicken and pancetta pizza. It arrived with an anaemic crust- I prefer a pizza with a bit of colour round the edges because a pallid crust signifies a soggy middle. The pepperoni and pancetta were fine, but the four, count them, four large chunks of chicken were dry and rubbery. My partner removed them from the pizza, wrapped them in a napkin and took them home for the cat to eat/bat round the kitchen floor.
It amazes me that a large chain can get away with serving such a lacklustre pizza. Perhaps the pizza was undercooked because they were busy, but I can always vote with my wallet and go elsewhere. I have had some very good pasta dishes at Prezzo, but find the rest of their menu disappointing. The pizzas have stingy toppings, and the grill menu is hardly worth the bother with a couple of chicken dishes and some crab cakes. Where are the steak, lamb or fish? I went to Strada a few weeks ago, which is very similar to Prezzo in their pricing and menu, and had a delicious saltimbocca whilst my partner had a delicious steak. It can be done.
I'm just glad we didn't pay full price for it. Does anyone pay full price at Prezzo?
Yesterday was hot. My stash of Spicy Rice (see the nest post for the recipe) was depleted. I decided to eat out. We had a voucher for Prezzos so decided to go there.
It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday evening, the staff seemed quite overstretched.
We opted to share a starter of oven roasted chicken wings with rosemary salt and a tomato and chilli dip. When they arrived they didn't strike me as being especially good value; £5.10 for 6 chicken wings, some of which were tiny. This niggle aside, they were very tasty. The skin was crisp, and the rosemary was subtle enough to be delicious. (Used with a heavy hand, rosemary give dishes a soapy, medicinal taste.) It was nice to receive wings without a diabetes-inducing sticky glaze, or deep fried in breadcrumbs. The sauce was pleasant, spicy and fresh tasting, my only gripe being that it was a little to vinegary.
For the main course I ordered the Wild Mushroom Girasole. It consisted of some large flower-shaped ('girasole' is Italian for 'sunflower') mushroom-stuffed ravioli, with mushroom, cherry tomato, rocket, buffalo mozzarella all tossed in pesto. It was very good, just not mushroomy enough for my taste. The pesto and mozzarella makes quite a rich dish, but the sharp tomato and peppery rocket compensated for this.
My partner's pizza was another story. He had the 'Tre Gusti', which is a pepperoni, chicken and pancetta pizza. It arrived with an anaemic crust- I prefer a pizza with a bit of colour round the edges because a pallid crust signifies a soggy middle. The pepperoni and pancetta were fine, but the four, count them, four large chunks of chicken were dry and rubbery. My partner removed them from the pizza, wrapped them in a napkin and took them home for the cat to eat/bat round the kitchen floor.
It amazes me that a large chain can get away with serving such a lacklustre pizza. Perhaps the pizza was undercooked because they were busy, but I can always vote with my wallet and go elsewhere. I have had some very good pasta dishes at Prezzo, but find the rest of their menu disappointing. The pizzas have stingy toppings, and the grill menu is hardly worth the bother with a couple of chicken dishes and some crab cakes. Where are the steak, lamb or fish? I went to Strada a few weeks ago, which is very similar to Prezzo in their pricing and menu, and had a delicious saltimbocca whilst my partner had a delicious steak. It can be done.
I'm just glad we didn't pay full price for it. Does anyone pay full price at Prezzo?
Saturday, 30 July 2011
The Blue Strawberry, Hatfield Peverel: Review
The Blue Strawberry is probably my favourite Essex restaurant. Something that really strikes me is that the waiting staff have been working there for as long as I have been going- about 5 years! Besides the excellent food, the service is very slick yet not stuffy. I will occasionally make an evening visit, but usually go for lunch where 2 courses is £13.95.
The choice is pretty good- about 8 choices for each course. There are some staples (including my partner's beloved belly pork) that remain on the menu for months at a time, and daily specials including the fish of the day, the soup and the pie of the day.
On Thursday I took my guest there for lunch. I've had a greedy week- eating out 3 days on the trot! One glance at the menu, and I instantly knew what I'd have for starters- EGGS BENEDICT! My favourite! I was blinded my the site of my culinary love, and couldn't really care what else was on offer! When it arrived, it didn't disappoint. I'm an eggs benedict snob, and can spot a bad eggs benedict at 10 paces. This didn't disappoint. The egg was perfectly cooked- runny but thick. The muffin was toasted enough to me crisp and the ham was thick and tasty. The hollandaise was zingy and delicious. There was no attempt to fuss around with fancy presentation- another peeve of mine in when restaurants put garnishes on dishes that do not relate to the dish. It was the best eggs benedict I have eaten. My only gripe is that it is not offered as a main course!
My guest opted not to have a starter, the plan being that she must leave room for a dessert. She had the rump steak with tomato and onion relish and rocket salad. Luckily, she gave me a quarter of her steak, just to be doubly sure to leave room for pud! It was cooked medium, yet was still slightly bloody. It was delicious and tender; rump steak can withstand lenghthy cooking. I didn't much like the relish, but this was probably due to my slight aversion to sunblush tomatoes. The accompanying vegetables were jersey royal potatoes, mashed carrots, cabbage and broccoli, all perfectly cooked.
I had plaice fillets with caper and tomato vinaigrette. I was slightly concerned that the plaice would be overpowered by the capers, but this was not the case. The saltiness of the capers was a good contrast to the tender, mild fish. Delicious.
As a side note, I was once fairly conservative in my choice of fish, being suspicious of fish that was not prawns, cod, plaice or haddock. Since going to this restaurant I have beome a fish fan, eating shellfish, salmon, halibut, scallops, crab and sea bass. I still have a way to go on oily fish, but I trust this restaurant to do fish properly. If I don't like something, it'll be because I genuinely don't like it, not that this has happened, rather than it being badly cooked. I was very ill off bad seafood at a London restaurant many years ago, so I won't eat it at a restaurant I don't trust.
After my two courses, I was stuffed, so had no room for a pudding. My guest couldn't go for their usual gluttonous option of the assiette (4 mini desserts, £2.50 supplement) so went for the orange and almond tart with amaretti ice-cream. I'm not a fan of amaretti, but could tell that the amaretto-laced ice-cream with crushed amaretti biscuits would be loved by those that did. The slice of tart was huge, had thin crisp pastry, and was remeniscent of a Bakewell tart, with the layer of almond sponge. It was topped with sliced oranges in syrup. It was moist, not too sweet or heavy. Again, it was delicious.
If you like straightfoward, delicious food, go to the Blue Strawberry. Simple.
The choice is pretty good- about 8 choices for each course. There are some staples (including my partner's beloved belly pork) that remain on the menu for months at a time, and daily specials including the fish of the day, the soup and the pie of the day.
On Thursday I took my guest there for lunch. I've had a greedy week- eating out 3 days on the trot! One glance at the menu, and I instantly knew what I'd have for starters- EGGS BENEDICT! My favourite! I was blinded my the site of my culinary love, and couldn't really care what else was on offer! When it arrived, it didn't disappoint. I'm an eggs benedict snob, and can spot a bad eggs benedict at 10 paces. This didn't disappoint. The egg was perfectly cooked- runny but thick. The muffin was toasted enough to me crisp and the ham was thick and tasty. The hollandaise was zingy and delicious. There was no attempt to fuss around with fancy presentation- another peeve of mine in when restaurants put garnishes on dishes that do not relate to the dish. It was the best eggs benedict I have eaten. My only gripe is that it is not offered as a main course!
My guest opted not to have a starter, the plan being that she must leave room for a dessert. She had the rump steak with tomato and onion relish and rocket salad. Luckily, she gave me a quarter of her steak, just to be doubly sure to leave room for pud! It was cooked medium, yet was still slightly bloody. It was delicious and tender; rump steak can withstand lenghthy cooking. I didn't much like the relish, but this was probably due to my slight aversion to sunblush tomatoes. The accompanying vegetables were jersey royal potatoes, mashed carrots, cabbage and broccoli, all perfectly cooked.
I had plaice fillets with caper and tomato vinaigrette. I was slightly concerned that the plaice would be overpowered by the capers, but this was not the case. The saltiness of the capers was a good contrast to the tender, mild fish. Delicious.
As a side note, I was once fairly conservative in my choice of fish, being suspicious of fish that was not prawns, cod, plaice or haddock. Since going to this restaurant I have beome a fish fan, eating shellfish, salmon, halibut, scallops, crab and sea bass. I still have a way to go on oily fish, but I trust this restaurant to do fish properly. If I don't like something, it'll be because I genuinely don't like it, not that this has happened, rather than it being badly cooked. I was very ill off bad seafood at a London restaurant many years ago, so I won't eat it at a restaurant I don't trust.
After my two courses, I was stuffed, so had no room for a pudding. My guest couldn't go for their usual gluttonous option of the assiette (4 mini desserts, £2.50 supplement) so went for the orange and almond tart with amaretti ice-cream. I'm not a fan of amaretti, but could tell that the amaretto-laced ice-cream with crushed amaretti biscuits would be loved by those that did. The slice of tart was huge, had thin crisp pastry, and was remeniscent of a Bakewell tart, with the layer of almond sponge. It was topped with sliced oranges in syrup. It was moist, not too sweet or heavy. Again, it was delicious.
If you like straightfoward, delicious food, go to the Blue Strawberry. Simple.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Loch Fyne, Chelmsford: Review
On Wednesday, after a hard morning's damson picking, I needed food. It was getting late, I hadn't booked anywhere and I had a guest. A quick burger wouldn't suffice. I didn't think that my guest was a big fish fan, so I was surprised when they liked my suggestion of Loch Fyne. It's in a rather posh development next to the river. It's a bit out of the way, which may go some way to explain why there was only 3 tables of diners.
We had a look at the lunch menu, and were glad to see two courses, a side dish and a glass of wine for £11.50. There were 5 choices of starter and main course, 3 were fish, 1 meat option and 1 vegetarian option. I opted for the mussels with shallots and bacon, followed by hake, sauteed new potatoes, samphire in a mustard dressing and a side salad. My guest had grilled sardines with caper and shallot dressing then the salmon fillet with chilli oil, citrus couscous and a side order of new potatoes.
We each had the house white, and were pleasantly surprised that it was a rather palatable, fruity and dry. I've had some pretty ropey house whites, but this was pretty good. My only gripe was that the lunch menu does not come with a non-alcoholic drink. Alcohol at lunch time is not everyone's choice, and the lunch menu is inclusive of a glass of wine. I asked if I could have a soft drink or a tea instead, and was told I could only have wine or tap water!
The starters arrived and I was presented with some lovely plump mussels- just the right quantity for a starter. My only grumble was that the bacon was rather anaemic looking; I would have preferred it to have been cook long enough for it to start to go brown. My guest's sardines were delicious. I am a bit squeamish about oily fish; the flavour can be too strong. These sardines were moist and the sharp dressing cut through the rich flavour.
My guest was similarly impressed with their main course. The salmon, crispy skinned and moist fleshed, was able to stand up to the chilli oil. The citrus couscous, albeit a small portion, was refreshing. My hake was perfectly cooked. My guest claimed not to like hake, but after I removed the spine, she dug her fork in a changed her mind. It's been quite a while since I've had samphire and I'd forgotten how delicious it can be. Luckily, I didn't notice the mustard dressing, as I didn't want it to ruin the flavour of a delicate dish. The salad was very enjoyable as it went beyond the boring house salads I have eaten elsewhere. It was a well-dressed concoction of cherry tomato, spring onion, celery, spring onion, chicory and mixed leaves.
The service was efficient and friendly, so my only complaint was a minor niggle about the bacon.
By rights, if this restaurant was better situated this restaurant would be full!
We had a look at the lunch menu, and were glad to see two courses, a side dish and a glass of wine for £11.50. There were 5 choices of starter and main course, 3 were fish, 1 meat option and 1 vegetarian option. I opted for the mussels with shallots and bacon, followed by hake, sauteed new potatoes, samphire in a mustard dressing and a side salad. My guest had grilled sardines with caper and shallot dressing then the salmon fillet with chilli oil, citrus couscous and a side order of new potatoes.
We each had the house white, and were pleasantly surprised that it was a rather palatable, fruity and dry. I've had some pretty ropey house whites, but this was pretty good. My only gripe was that the lunch menu does not come with a non-alcoholic drink. Alcohol at lunch time is not everyone's choice, and the lunch menu is inclusive of a glass of wine. I asked if I could have a soft drink or a tea instead, and was told I could only have wine or tap water!
The starters arrived and I was presented with some lovely plump mussels- just the right quantity for a starter. My only grumble was that the bacon was rather anaemic looking; I would have preferred it to have been cook long enough for it to start to go brown. My guest's sardines were delicious. I am a bit squeamish about oily fish; the flavour can be too strong. These sardines were moist and the sharp dressing cut through the rich flavour.
My guest was similarly impressed with their main course. The salmon, crispy skinned and moist fleshed, was able to stand up to the chilli oil. The citrus couscous, albeit a small portion, was refreshing. My hake was perfectly cooked. My guest claimed not to like hake, but after I removed the spine, she dug her fork in a changed her mind. It's been quite a while since I've had samphire and I'd forgotten how delicious it can be. Luckily, I didn't notice the mustard dressing, as I didn't want it to ruin the flavour of a delicate dish. The salad was very enjoyable as it went beyond the boring house salads I have eaten elsewhere. It was a well-dressed concoction of cherry tomato, spring onion, celery, spring onion, chicory and mixed leaves.
The service was efficient and friendly, so my only complaint was a minor niggle about the bacon.
By rights, if this restaurant was better situated this restaurant would be full!
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