(Fake) Pork Thing - Sung Choi Bao - sort of

Thank you to my Sis-in-Law for the inspiration ..... tastes better with pork, but quorn is an acceptable substitute! 

Simple Blend of Fresh and Store Cupboard Ingredients

Preparation Time:  Depends how fast can you chop + add 10 minutes cooking time!  

Ingredients:

Pork Mince or Quorn for 2
1 Diced Onion
1 Diced Pepper (red or green)
Squirt of Ginger (Gourmet Garden)
Squirt of Chilli (Gourmet Garden)
3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
3tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Five Spice
Small Tin of thinly sliced Water Chestnuts

Stirfry in Wok on medium heat whilst preparing the paste

1 Seeded Green Chilli (into hand blender pot)
4 garlic cloves
Handful of Coriander Leaves
Slug of Olive Oil

Blend and add to the wok

Finished Mixture

That is pretty much it.  Slice Spring Onions and Cucumber with a generous helping of hoisin sauce this goes well in wraps or for a more healthy option use iceberg lettuce in the place of a wrap.  We are going for wraps tonight ... simple, not too high in fat or calories but totally scrummy!!

It looks a bit like this - don't forget the salad garnish and Hoisin Sauce!

Nadia's Takeaway

It's latest name is Nadia's

This place, situated on quiet Southwold near Tesco has recently raised it's game.  The place is inviting from outside with its lovely interior design with its mood lighting and cushions. 

After having two below average deliveries (yes we get them to deliver despite only being five minutes away) and abstaining from their services, the curry urge took hold.  After the disappointment of Shakil's and their failure to compensate anything, we thought enough is enough.  

The original meal plan was to be a homemade pasta and salad.  Nope.  Walking past Nadia's with Dexter-Woof sealed our fate.  We popped in and reminded them of the 20% discount owed and ordered when we got home.  Alex went for the biryani which is loaded with saffron, so I couldn't try it and I ordered a korma sauce with a garlic nan to dip into it.  The popadums were ok, the red sauce wasn't a patch on Shakils, but they went down well with some of Alex's gorgeous mango chutney.

The food exceeded expectation and I would say that their garlic nan was the best I've had so far in Bicester.  It would have been nice to know if they had changed their kitchen staff, but with the hefty discount we received I decided it would be rude to start enquiring.  We let the food do the talking.  

They have the makings of a most competitive restaurant, if they had the space.  Such a shame they don't as I think they would do well.  For us, to be able to walk somewhere local that isn't the Bure Farm, would be amazing.

Well done, Nadia's, our faith is restored.  just deliver that same quality a few more times and I will mourn Shakil's no more!

Thai Green Curry

My Thai Green Curry With Jumbo Prawns

I first learned of it in Bangkok and here is my UK version ....

GREEN PASTE

Forget the pestle and mortar get a mini food processor!

• 3 Green Chilli's
• The Zest of One Lime and it's juice (keep what is left)
• 1 onion
• Fresh Coriander
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 4 lime leaves
• 1 chopped Lemongrass stalks
• 2 inches of ginger stalks
• 1 inch of chopped Galangal
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• Half a Tsp Of Tamarind Paste
• A generous slug of Olive Oil

Feel free to experiment with the above ingredients as nothing is set in stone!

Whizz it to within an inch of its life in a blender!

THE REST

• Pack Of Raw Jumbo King Prawns or Diced Chicken
• 2 Tins Coconut Milk (light or full fat - you want it to be more soup like add veg stock and extra Milk)
• Green Pepper (diced)
• 3 Handfuls Of Frozen Sliced Green Beans
• Cooked, Thinly sliced new potatoes (about 6 will suffice)
• The Lime Leftovers 
• Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• Straight To Wok Noodles

Using a large wok and a small amount of oil on a high heat, stir fry the prawns/chicken with the pepper and soy sauce then add your homemade paste.  Chuck in the lime then the two cans of coconut.  Bring the temperature of the wok right down and simmer.  Add in the green beans and potatoes.  Add more chilli and garlic (of the lazy variety) if needed.  After simmering for 20 minutes or until the flavours have fused add your noodles and serve!( Don't eat the lime!!!!!)

Shakil's - The End Of A Love Affair

Since this is about a restaurant, why did I originally post this review on my personal blog? Alex asked me to put this one on here so as to not come across like every place we frequent is amazeballs.  

Since Shakil's opened I have been a great fan of the interesting dishes on offer, the quirky table wear, the corny entertainment nights and the delivery service.  I haven't been able to fault the place up until recently.  I compare it to the great establishments up North in Rusholme.  Rusholme has not been a suburb but a collective name for literally hundreds of curry houses spanning over a mile for decades.  As you can imagine, the competition is so great that the food has to be outstanding.  Shakils is up there with the best.  

What is the problem? You may ask.  I think it stems from them losing their head waiter to Mehfil (which in my opinion is a very poor establishment) and getting more competition locally.  I still can't fault their specials.  The Jolphoy Chicken is mouth-watering as are many dishes off that particular menu.  Their more traditional dishes aren't as good.  I have found this as a result of going vegetarian although the spinach and paneer balti goes down well.

My two last visits have been disappointing at best.  Rushed service, errors with orders, tricking us into having complementary shots whilst we wait to pay due to the machines not working then being charged and dishes just not coming out up to scratch.  

It is all very well creating a great reputation for yourself but it makes it all the more obvious and disappointing when standards slip.

Not content with giving us a poor experience in the restaurant, it seems that the takeaway service is starting to fail too.  Alex and I try to have one takeaway a fortnight when money is tight and so Shakil's comes top of the list more often than not.  It started off good but these are our experiences of late:

• Ordering at 6:30pm, food arrives at 8:15pm with an apology and food that is stone cold.  It was their error, they admitted it yet no compensation was offered
• Ordering two curries and 2 nans, checking the amount that is to go off the card to find we have an extra curry and some rice which they refused to collect and refund.  We didn't want three currys.
• Nan Bread missing.  No apology or offer to rectify the situation
• Sauces missing for the popadom section of our meal.  Again they didn't care.  
• The online site is crap.  For example it is impossible to use their online discount since there are no options to switch paneer for meat.

Wake up call for Shakils.  Bicester is changing.  It is evolving and you need to keep up or go under, we have so much choice these days and loyalty only goes so far!

 Best save up and hit Cabbages and Condoms ... 

Mi sono affezionato Valentino's!!

Valentino's Heaton Moor - My favourite of all time!

 Valentino's is my favourite Italian restaurant ever.  It's often the tucked away eateries that come out best.  I grew up in Heaton Mersey and as a family we used to go out for a meal every Saturday night.  We had to ditch the Bernie Inn after Paul drank too much "helter skelter" and vommed all over a man's jacket! Before Valentino's we used to drive out and try different places all over the North West.  Italian food has always been a favourite with all of us Power's, Curtis-Power's, Sandy's and Sandy-Goodey's.  (There were only four of us in the beginning but it is best getting in all the names!)  Everyone knows how much I love Eros Ramazotti - well it is thanks to Valentino's and Chico for introducing me to him!

It was on walking up to the Moor Top (nickname for the Heaton Moor main drag of shops and pubs), we spotted a new Italian that had opened for business.  We had to investigate and were so impressed it became a weekly pilgrimage.  It opened in 1989 and is still thriving today.  There success, other than food and ambience, is mainly down to the fact that as they have thrived and grown over the years, they have not rammed any more seats in there and treat every customer so well regardless of the occasion.  Popularity has not made this family run business drop their standards in any way (Shakil's stop resting on your Loral's).  The menu is largely the same to this day. Not many independently owned establishments last 25 years.  It's longevity speaks for itself.

An intimate, Italian restaurant

It is fair to say that I have sampled everything off the menu in my time.  I like to focus on pasta's and calzone's these days as they are second to none.  The house wines are excellent and the staff are amazing.  It really is a little gem in a quiet suburban area but I have not found anywhere even close to this place.  I have fond memories there and always find time to go on a nostalgia trip every time I am in Manchester.  I keep willing local Italians to recreate this level of quality and I have been to loads of them in search - I am let down every time.  When I tell myself to disregard Valentino's, other establishments are pretty good.  Below are some of my favourite dishes that I have had most recently - if you go, be sure to have the Costellete di Maiate - ribs in the chefs special sauce too.  All of it is yum!

Funghi alla Valentino's - creamy winey garlicy mushrooms

                                                                                           

Gamberi Romana - Garlic Prawns

          

Spagetti Carbonara

Calzone Chef - stuffed, folded pizza with that special tomato garlic sauce

The best garlic bread ever!

The best onion bread I have ever had

And there endeth the review of my favourite ever restaurant.  If blogs had been invented in 1989, I'd have done it sooner lol!

         

Piccolo Amore: Our First Experience

Nothing Small about the Love in this place xxx

There are some advantages to frequenting a pub on a regular basis in that anything new is discussed and passed on.  The latest item for conversation was about what on earth had happened to some of the regulars deputy regular pub, the Six Bells.  We all know it has been under construction for a long while now.  Yes folks it is an Italian.  Prezzo is safe as it is more of a trendy England/Italian bread sticks kind of place, but the other more rustic restaurant on Sheep Street may well have some real competition now.  

An Italian? I must investigate as soon as humanly possible - which was four hours after discovering they were open.  I love Italy.  The food is amazing, the places I have visited have all been beautiful.  The trick is to go through the pretty back streets and take your pick.  A bit like this restaurant!

On entering, it's lovely.  Ambiance is so important.  Its decor is simple but effective and reminded me of certain eatery's in Sicily - checked table cloths on tables that were well spaced out (no one likes having to share a private conversation with someone you are sat on at the next table), heart shaped bread and wine. The music set the mood instantly, everyone loves a bit of opera mixed with the one and only Italian pop legend that is Eros Ramazzoti - I love a bit o' Eros! All this with the quiet conversation between the staff in Italiano, really made us feel we weren't slap bang in the middle of Bicester in the rain.  

It was only day two of opening for the staff but they knew what they were doing.  Unlike a typical chain restaurant we didn't feel like we were on the treadmill.  This wasn't due to being quiet as there were other diners, it was just another kind of authenticity - the chilled out way!  

We were served complimentary bruschetta with our drinks of which the giant serving of house red was most palatable.  

We skipped the antipasto (but had a good nosey at other peoples choices as you do) and headed straight for the main.  Alex opted for Tonno alla Messinese,  I have to say that it was cooked to perfection, better than a recently extinct grill that we all willed to stay open.  The salad was lovely too.  

I opted for a dish I could directly compare with the other place (and my number one Italian which I shall review next week up North).  The dish, called Farfella al Salmone.  Bow shaped pasta with a luxuriously creamy tomato sauce and small flakes of salmon.  The pasta was cooked perfectly - not soggy where it sticks to the roof of your mouth and not so al dente that Grey Town starts flashing pound signs.  

I know now on my next visit I will be sampling the swordfish dish or the Lobster Pasta. A very lovely, simple meal with no need to ask for black pepper or Parmesan because they were already on it.  

The coffee is good, Alex's dessert of Cannoli (see the picture) and the limoncello rounded off a good first visit.  One downside - no garlic bread anywhere to be seen - please get rid of the chips side and give me some garlic bread even though it's not a staple and true vegetarians would struggle at the moment.  

All in all, great! Very competitive prices, the advantage of being licensed is sure to appeal to all those in search of a non-pretentious break away from the mainstream ... and ... they throw an Italian lesson in for free.  I now know how to pronounce the things I chose to eat! Thanks guys or Grazie che era bello!! (roughly)!!

Book now: 01869 389069 xxx

Long-Awaited Cabbages and Condoms Review

I love Thailand and have visited many places over there.  When not taking full advantage of the luxuries of Bangkok, I was trekking around Chiang Mai, Chang Rai and reaching the borders of Laos and Myanmar (Burma to those of the old school).  A personal favourite was the island of Koh Samui where my brother tied the knot on an idyllic beach setting.  I love the kind and chilled out people, the food and the magic of the Buddhist Temples.  My memories are fond; what a shame they are at war right now.  

Back to Cabbages and Condoms.  My Mum was at a global conference in Bangkok and invited me to attend.  One night I was told to dress smartly as we were going to a top notch restaurant in the city.  It was Cabbages and Condoms.  It was a vast restaurant, at least three times the capacity of the one here.  The walls were frangipani trees and the food was exceptional.  Here I learned of how rude it is to eat off a fork - I wish people would play the game on this one.  This restaurant's quirky condom theme is actually part of a massive campaign started in the 1970's to raise awareness about safe sex.  I have to say that receiving a condom rather than an after dinner mint seemed hilarious at the time.

I had been aware that Trinity in Bicester has been owned by the Thai company for a number of years.  I was delighted when I realised that it had become a real Cabbages and Condoms - their deliberate "slow launch" meant it took me a while.  I really don't think people in Bicester actually realise what has fallen onto their doorsteps and the fact that they are working with the NHS to continue their plight to raise awareness with regard to safe sex.

All that aside, the valentine night experience didn't disappoint.  What I love about the place is the authentic food and regular staff ... these guys rock!

Jeep ... she is such a sweetie ... so lovely!

Sonny - please quit drowning me in Thai Rum - it is vicious!

These were the guys who made my hen do so special and who continue to welcome us every time.  This time it was cocktails... 

Black Russian

Evil Red Fuel

Vodka Martini ... I've been watching too much Gossip Girl!

As for the beer (a must with a thai meal) Alex chooses Singha and I choose Chiang.  After our mixed starter which consists of giant tempura prawns, chicken satay skewers, spring rolls, the most succulent of prawn toasts ever (has actual prawns in it) and vegetable parcels, we both opted to try something new.  Of late, I have been opting for seafood (with the biggest mussels I have ever seen) in tamarind sauce with coconut rice where Alex has been taken by the Pangasius (asian cat fish) with sweet chilli sauce - also a favourite with Helen.  This time we had these (notice the lovely touch with the rice - their attention to detail is excellent!) :

Prawn Panang Curry (not spicy at all) 

Nice touch 

Red Curry with Duck (not too spicy)

To finish I got twatted with the evil, black market thai rum whilst Alex indulged in a fried ice cream - flavours to choose from included thai green tea.  

eeek!

Presentation is excellent!

I can't impress on anyone enough just how lucky we are to have this restaurant here.  Expand your minds and travel to Bangkok without leaving Bicester, Authentic background music - for example going to an italian playing chart music bugs me -  truly awesome food and lovely staff make for a great all round dining experience.