Tag Archives: restaurant review

Eating Out: The Brown Cow, Bingley

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Being someone who regularly eats out (albeit a bit too frequently) and lives in a city that just gets better and better when it comes to restaurants, I’m a little disappointed in myself at how few restaurant reviews are on here. To be honest, the main barrier for me is a strong case of “behind-the-camera shy.” I can’t help but cringe getting my DSLR camera out and snapping my food before tucking in. I feel slightly less conspicuous using my phone’s camera but usually end up feeling the photos aren’t high enough quality and scrapping the review.

It’s been a bit of a relief to discuss this with other bloggers lately and discover I’m not the only one who worries about this kind of thing. The best advice I’ve had from everyone, of course, has been to just do it! Well, it makes a lot of sense so I have been endeavouring to brave getting my camera out in restaurants more often and, though there have still been too many missed opportunities where I haven’t taken any photos, I am slowly building up a to-blog list… which brings us onto a gorgeous pub lunch I want to share with you all now.

The Brown Cow, BingleyThe Brown Cow Pub, BingleyTo blow out the cobwebs and enjoy some country air, a few weeks ago I went out to the beautiful St Ives estate in Bingley for a long Saturday morning walk. It already felt like I’d achieved something great just being up and out of Leeds so bright and early but the walk itself was fantastic with gorgeous views and wonderful company and a chance to get my camera out.

The Brown Cow Pub menuThe walk around St Ives came to an end, somewhat conveniently, at back in Bingley town. We were warmly welcomed in and got down to the business of perusing the menu. With five veggie options on the menu and one more on the daily specials board, it was a tough choice but I opted for the bubble & squeak cakes with watercress sauce. Bubble & squeak isn’t something you would expect to see on a pub menu so I was intrigued to see what they would do with it.Bubble & Squeak at the Brown Cow, BingleyAs you can see, the bubble & squeak cakes arrived beautifully presented with the watercress sauce in a milk bottle. It couldn’t have been any more photogenic, right? The cakes themselves were encased in crunchy breadcrumbs that contrasted delightfully with the soft potato and cabbage inside and accompanied with roasted cherry tomatoes.

Bubble & Squeak at the Brown Cow, BingleyEveryone else was suitably impressed with their mains and the other two veggie dishes on the table; the mushroom risotto and the goat’s cheese and beetroot tart looked equally delicious. Even as more standard veggie dishes you would expect to see on a menu they both had extra flourishes that showed more thought had gone into them than usual.

After we had all taken a little time for our mains to settle, some more time to choose our desserts (also not an easy choice…), and lots of time for conversation, we ordered our next course. I opted for the treacle tart served with fresh cream and raspberry coulis. Once again, the presentation was stunning with coulis arriving in its own tiny jar. In fact the presentation was gorgeous for all of our desserts so I’ll give you a peek at some of the others too, namely the chocolate fudge cake and jam roly poly!Desserts at the Brown Cow, BingleyOverall, I was very impressed with the quality of the food and the reasonable prices. The atmosphere and décor was very much of a country pub but the food was a step above! I’ll definitely return next time I’m in the area!

You can find out more about the pre-lunch walking route I did in Bingley on the Walk in Yorkshire website and see my photos of the walk itself featured on the Turtle Mat blog.

How do you feel about taking photos in restaurants? Any tips for getting over the fear?!

Loving Hut Vegan Restaurant, Archway London

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Loving Hut is a rare breed in that it is part of an international franchise of vegan restaurants boasting over two hundred outlets worldwide. My friend Debbie and I have visited Loving Hut restaurants together in South Korea, Hong Kong and Poland, so it only seemed right that we finally visit one in the UK.

Loving Hut has a few restaurants across London, as well as in Norwich and Brighton. We headed to the one in Archway – located only a minute’s walk from the Archway tube station on the Northern Line. We had called ahead to book, and were glad we had as the place quickly filled up not long after we arrived.Loving Hut, Archway LondonLoving Hut The restaurant is bright and airy (not necessarily obvious with these photos taken on my phone!), with yellow and white decor and immaculately clean. These are definitely some of the distinguishing features that make Loving Hut restaurants instantly recognisable, alongside the veggie “wall of fame” celebrating famous vegans.Veggie Hall of Fame

As with other Loving Hut’s I’ve visited, the menu largely comprised of various Asian cuisines with a creative use of mock meats. In order to try as many dishes as possible (naturally), my friend and I chose the set menu A: a platter of appetisers to begin followed by two main course dishes, a portion of stir-fried vegetables and chow mein noodles. Set menu B included a course of mock “duck” which, though we would have loved to try, we thought might have been pushing our stomachs to the limit. Loving Huts are all alcohol-free so I accompanied my food with a ginger beer.

Prior to the starter, a serving of “prawn” crackers arrived; a nice touch given that in non-veg Chinese restaurants you’d have to skip them. They were tasty and crisp, but not undesirably fishy. The starter platter arrived next comprising of barbecued veggie “spare ribs”, spring rolls, crispy seaweed, sesame on toast, and samosas, all accompanied by a sweet chilli dip. I couldn’t fault anything but the veggie spare ribs definitely stood out. The “ribs” were a piece of marinated soy meat skewered onto a small piece of wood – the stick itself wasn’t edible but it added an extra dimension to eating the soy meat.Loving Hut Starter Platter Vegan Spare Ribs

For the main course, we had a couple of options and chose the veggie “lamb” in black bean sauce and Kung Po “chicken” alongside the vegetables and noodles. Now I’m pretty sure we actually ended up with sweet and sour in place of the Kung Po, however, we didn’t really mind. As it tasted so good there seemed little point in sending it back, as much as I was looking forward to the Kung Po. That aside, all of the dishes were full of flavour and cooked to perfection. Loving Hut Main Course Vegan Sweet & Sour ChickenVeggie LambStir Fry VegLoving Hut Vegan Chow Mein Though we were stuffed full, it seemed wrong not to try at least one dessert so we shared a portion of lemon vegan cheesecake. This arrived topped with blackcurrants and raspberry coulis. I’m not completely sure what it was made from but the texture was divine. It definitely ranks as one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had. A big claim I know! All in all, the food was flawless and the service was good but unobtrusive.Vegan Lemon Cheesecake at Loving Hut

You can find more info on Loving Hut in the UK here and internationally here. I’d definitely recommend checking out the latter one if you’re travelling and looking for vegan options!

Have you ever visited a Loving Hut restaurant? Share your experience below!

Iceland Diary: Vegetarian Reykjavik

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When anyone mentions Icelandic food, it tends to read something like a vegetarian’s worst nightmare: fermented shark, singed sheep’s head, grated puffin, minke whale… Luckily, like most places, wild meat options are only a fraction of the story.

For such a small city, Reykjavik has decent selection of eateries across a range of cuisines. The more out-there dishes like those mentioned above tend to be more aimed at tourists looking for an “authentic” experience, than locals eating what they would usually eat. You can find various Asian cuisines, Italian places, myriad cafés, and even a few dedicated vegetarian restaurants in Reykjavik.

Eating out in Reykjavik is not a cheap affair though. We bought a few supplies from the supermarket to make our own breakfasts each day and sandwiches to take along on our Golden Circle trip which dramatically cut down the cost we would have otherwise incurred. That said, for me, dining is an integral part of any trip so here are my veg-friendly recommendations for Reykjavik:

The Laundromat CaféInside the Laundromat Café 1The Laundromat Café was an accidental find but not to be missed. They have a varied menu with a few solid veggie and vegan options. I went for the ‘vegan toast’ accompanied by salad and potato wedges (you could skip the chips in favour of more salad if you were so inclined). The vegan toast comprised of crusty bread topped with houmous, grilled aubergine, and an absolutely incredible chutney made from dates sprinkled with cashew nuts, at a reasonable 1390ISK. There was also a good beer selection including local beers and I loved the decor. Vegan Toast at the Laundromat Local Beers at the Laundromat

GlóGló RestaurantGló is an almost vegetarian restaurant with an emphasis on healthy eating. Every day they have a fresh menu boasting one vegetarian dish, one raw vegan dish, one chicken option and a soup of the day, in conjunction with an accompanying salad bar. You order at the counter and can choose up to three salads to go with your main. On my visit the options were aubergine parmigiana or raw pizza (or mango chicken, if you’re interested).

Gló seems a very popular option with Reykjavik locals and it’s not hard to see why. They publish their menu everyday on their Facebook page if you wanted to check in advance, but only in Icelandic I’m afraid. The main courses here check in at around ISK. Gló Parmigiana Gló drinks

EldsmidjanEldsmidjan PizzeriaEldsmidjan is a long-standing institution in Reykjavik. Offering reasonably priced, freshly stone-baked pizzas and refillable soft drinks, you really can’t go wrong here. The interior is fairly basic and the service is to the point, but they have some nice touches such as chilli flakes and herbs to top your pizza as you wish.

A large margarita pizza costs 1895ISK and a refillable drink is 295ISK. We found a large pizza ample enough to share between to, as an ideal lunch after more than a couple of beers the night before.EldsmidjanPizzaEldsmidjan Toppings

Laekjarbrekka

LaekjarbrekkaLaekjarbrekka is set in an old house that dates back to 1834. Beautifully restored with an atmosphere evocative of times past, the restaurant serves traditional Icelandic food and has earnt itself a sterling reputation. Crucially, unlike any other Icelandic restaurants I spotted, Laekjarbrekka does have a couple of vegetarian options.

I opted for the Icelandic Barley – a smokey dish with tomato concasse, haricot vert and dill snow. Both the presentation and the flavours were remarkable (the picture was quickly snapped and my camera hurried away as it is quite a formal restaurant!) It was a definite splurge, with my dish coming in at 3600ISK and non-veggie options largely between the mark.

I do have to admit that I had been hesitant about eating somewhere that served whale (even if neither of us were ordering it) but I also didn’t want to force us into avoiding Icelandic food altogether, so for a traditional Icelandic restaurant this did have great veg options. Laekjarbrekka BarleyLaekjarbrekka Wine

This is just the small selection of places I experienced in Reykjavik and I’m sure there are plenty more.

Have you eaten veggie in Reykjavik? Share your experiences below!

More in my Iceland Diary:

Iceland Diary

Ways to Explore Reykjavik

Reykjavik’s Street Art

The Golden Circle

The Blue Lagoon

Eating Out: Handmade Burger, White Rose Leeds

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Some days, every now and then, all you want is to be indulgent and wolf down a satisfying burger. Today was one of those days.Handmade Burger at White RoseI first visited Handmade Burger early last year in Wakefield – in fact my sister and I made the journey over especially to visit the restaurant there as she loved it and wanted me to try it. We were then delighted when one opened in Leeds, but I have to say I haven’t been as much as I thought I would because it can be such a hassle getting into the city centre just to eat (and there are so many amazing places out of town). Well, as if to answer my prayers, a brand new Handmade Burger opened up at the White Rose Centre, about fifteen minutes out of central Leeds, only a couple of days ago.

Handmade Burger is a small chain that began in Birmingham and has since grown to nineteen restaurants across the country. Priding themselves on only using traceable, fresh ingredients, they have an imaginative menu that regularly changes. Far from the token veggie burger you find on a lot of menus, the menu here boasts an impressive seven – including one vegan burger (the chickpea & quinoa – yum!). I always appreciate a restaurant where the veggie dishes have taken as much thought as the rest of the menu, and think this makes Handmade Burger a really good option for dining out with meat-eaters.Handmade Burger MenuHandmade Burger There were no queues when we arrived (there was as we left) so we were seated very quickly before ordering at the counter. The food took around twenty-five minutes to arrive but we figured it was only their first weekend since opening so I’m sure it will speed up a bit. On this particular visit I opted for the three cheese & baby leek burger with no mayo. The outside of the burger was very crisp (only an ear away from being burnt but still on the right side), perfectly complementing the moist slightly gooey inside. It is served with an apple and sultana chutney, adding a slight sweetness. The bun was soft with fresh tomato, lettuce and red onion to round things off. My boyfriend, the non-veggie around here, ordered the peppered burger. He said it was excellent but not really peppery enough to warrant its title.Handmade Burger - Three Cheese & Leek BurgerOn the side we went for peri peri chip with a chipotle dip to share. The portions of chips are pretty huge so I definitely recommend sharing. Thick-cut and almost like (less greasy) chip shop chips, they were covered in an amazing “fresh” peri peri seasoning – rather than a ground powder, this was chilli flakes, herbs and black pepper. The chipotle dip had that trademark smokey flavour but was very fresh tasting and balances out the spice perfectly. This was all rounded up nicely with bottomless drinks – I did say we were going for indulgence! Handmade Burger - Peri Peri ChipsHandmade Burger - Peri Peri Chips SeasoningThe food, sides and drinks came to just shy of £25 for the two of us, which isn’t too bad given the quality. I’ll definitely be back to try out the other new vegetarian options!

Where is your favourite place when you fancy a burger?

Eating Out: Darvish Traditional Persian Tea Room & Restaurant, Leeds

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Darvish 1Checking out a new restaurant is always a bit of a risk; you might end up wishing you’d just gone to somewhere you know you’ll get a good meal or, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up finding somewhere to add to your list of regulars. For almost eighteen months now, every single time I’ve gone down Roundhay Road in Leeds, Darvish has caught my eye. The traditional Iranian tiles that make up its frontage stand out on a road littered with take-away joints. Whilst passing not so long ago I decided to look it up online and see if it was finally time to venture in. As it turns out, Darvish comes highly recommended – not least, by Jamie Oliver who once visited and cooked with the chefs! Not only that, but judging by the menu online it had a wide veggie selection and was very reasonably priced.Darvish 4 Darvish 2Recently, I finally visited Darvish for dinner one Monday evening. Inside the restaurant is filled with Persian knick-knacks and brightly woven tablecloths. To me it has the feeling of being in a restaurant abroad and I just love that feeling so things definitely got off to a good start. We’d booked ahead but being a Monday night there were only a few tables of fellow diners though I got the impression that it’s a place that has its regulars. We decided that as it was our first time here, and first time eating Iranian food, that we would try as much as possible.Darvish 3To begin, we decided to try the Doogh; a yoghurt drink mixed with sparkling water, salt and dried mint. Doogh was available to order at £1 a glass or £2.50 for a jug. To be honest we weren’t 100% sure what we would think to this but one of the friendly waiters brought us a little shot glass each to sample it first. I’ve tried salted drinks before and find there’s a very fine line between it adding to a drink and ruining it. Thankfully, this erred on the right side of salty and we ordered a jug to share.Darvish 5 Darvish 7 Darvish 6The list of starters, impressively, was made up almost entirely of vegetarian dishes ranging from £2-£3.50. To start we shared two veggie starters (I love it when I can convince someone to do that with me). We opted for the mirza ghasemi and dolmeh barg mow. The mirza ghasemi was a warm dip made from grilled aubergines, tomatoes, eggs, spices and garlic served with naan bread. The dip was very tasty indeed with the garlic really coming through, yet not overpowering. I wasn’t sure about how the eggs would work (I tend to avoid them) but they were mixed in thoroughly and barely evident aside from giving it a thicker texture I suspect. The naan bread was not really like Indian naan bread; instead it was light and fluffy without the butteryness. The dolmeh (stuffed vine leaves) had a simple stuffing of rice and tarragon and were delicious. It’s worth noting that the menu in the restaurant is slightly different to the one on Darvish’s website – the dolmeh on the online menu contain ground lamb but the ones they were featured on the menu during my visit were veggie.Darvish 9 Darvish 8Thoroughly impressed with the starters, we awaited our mains with anticipation. The mains are all served with either saffron rice or naan and originally we ordered ours with the bread. Observing this, the waiter gave us the option of changing this part of the order later on, as our starter had been served with naan, for which we were very grateful!

I’d ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi – one of an impressive five or six vegetarian main course options. This dish was made up of mushrooms, kidney beans and whole dried lime in a thick sauce with pungent herbs, most notably fenugreek. The flavour really was unique, unlike anything I’ve eaten before. The saffron rice was gently fragrant, cooked to a perfect buttery texture. At £6 I thought it was very reasonable too. My boyfriend was equally impressed with his main of Ghaymeh Bademjan, a dish of lamb, aubergine and split peas. We decided against dessert as we were too full but there were a couple of appealing options so next time I’ll save room.Darvish 12

Verdict: Accommodating service, a wide vegetarian selection available and the chance to have some food completely unlike any other. Incredible value.

Returning: I can’t wait to return and try some more of the dishes. I suspect this will become a new regular!

You can find out more about Darvish and watch Jamie Oliver’s visit on their website here.

Have you eaten at any great Persian restaurants? Let me know below!