Category Archives: Cafés and Restaurants

Lasan Restaurant-teasing the senses-review

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants by

Let’s get this out of the way from the begining 🙂 I think Lasan is one of the best restaurants in Birmingham. I have been there many times over the years since it opened and I think it is one of the best places for vegetarians to eat in and around Birmingham City Centre.

Lasan is located in the Jewellery Quarter area of the city just off St Paul’s Square. It is in a tidy location, one that is smart and discerning, with many good eats and drinks.

Inside Lasan is smart (again), with a contemporary style and old world charm that feels comfortable and spacious, with its ornate mirrors and its F Word trophy 🙂 It feels busy, it feels popular, the food aromas are good, it ‘teases the senses and stirs the soul’. I like it. I really do 🙂

Lasan restaurant has won numerous awards winning Gordon Ramsay’s the F Word a few years ago. Chef Director Aktar Islam has graced our TV screens on the Great British Menu with aplomb cementing his and Lasan’s reputation as a culinary go to destinaion.

My wife Ruth and I were visiting to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary, its a special place for us, one of the first places we went together, its friendly charm and service along with the glorious food makes us feel that its a restaurant deserving of a celebration.

So to the food.

There are many good vegetarian options on the menu. Ruth and I decided to share a vegetarian platter for two which includes a assiette of traditional vegetarian bites, caraway spiced paneer, which is a subtle blend of mild cheese and tasty spices that coated enhances the flavour, spinich and potato tiki, onion and palak pakora,, south indian potato cakes and sweetcorn and onion bhonda, all served with a tamarind and mint sauce. It is superb, the flavours and variations of scents are magnificent. It is without doubt the dish to have for vegetarians for the full flavour of Lasan. For me the Panner is perfect, the best I have had anywhere, and the potato cakes an all round taste sensation.

To follow (Ruth ate non veggie, because she is) 🙂 I ate the sweet potato kofta, a particular favourite. This is sweet potato roundels flavoured with crusted corriander and cumin seeds, rolled in toasted cashew crumbs resting in a rich onion and tomato sauce. This main course is superb. The rich tomato and onion sauce is subtly creamy, its spice resting around the sweet potato with a punch that is not to overpowering but richly compliments the toasted cashews and onions of the kofta. A taste sensation that when accompanied by one of the many side dishes that are all vegetarian makes for a hearty main course with many tempting flavours.

On this occasion I chose the Gobhi Angara, a tandori roasted cauliflower which is coated in a beautifully scented onion masala. A lovely dish, that compliments the silky rich tomato sauce of the kofta perfectly.

There are many good veggie options on the menu.

We ordered two puddings to follow. Ruth ordered the spiced apple macaroon, which was a warm cinamon scented apple macaroon that she said was delicious. A good flavour of spiced apple against a well made macaroon. Superb.

I ordered a the Gajar halver Samosa, which was a sweet carrot and ground pudding with pistachio in a traditional samosa pastry, served with kulfi. It was lovely. The pastry was delicious, not too thick, the cinamon gave it a subtle flavour that proved to be a superb surprise, and a good desert to order if you have the room. Well we were celebrating 🙂

The service throughout was friendly, and as always with Lasan is spot on.

The lasting impression of Lasan Restaurant is one of confidence. A confidence in their dishes, their flavours and their hospitality. Those are all the things to applaud with Lasan, and the feeling you have the diner when you leave is when can I return.

This is a testament to the hard work that goes into making the Lasan experience whole and complete.

One that teases the senses and stirs the soul.

Thanks Lasan for that last line 🙂

Disclosure: we paid for our meal and all the opinions are honest and my own,

Lasan Restaurant

3,4 Dakota Buildings

James Street

St Paul’s Square

Birmingham

B3 1SD

0121 212 3664

http://www.lasan.co.uk

@lasan

@aktarislam

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BISTRO 1847: VEGETARIAN HOMEMADE AND BRITISH

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants by

Birmingham is a changing city. Food options for vegetarians in restaurants, cafe’s and street vendors is improving, becoming more challenging and more aware that the vegetarian diner expects more than they used to in terms of style, presentation and choice on the menu.

Bistro 1847, named after the year the Vegetarian Society was founded is a contemporary and stylish little place which is quite Scandinavian in its minimalist clean white decor and style. Bistro 1847 is located in the beautifully Victorian Great Western Arcade near Snow Hill Station and department store House of Fraser, an arcade of independent shops and the superb Loki wine shop and tasting rooms.

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Bistro 1847 sits comfortably amongst the cities business district where fine food and business meet. Originally opened in Manchester and Chorlton in the north.

Bistro 1847 is a beacon of light to homemade and British seasonal food. The restaurant is cosy and intimate with seating upstairs and downstairs, with a soft jazz beat to swing you through some stunningly good value food where dishes are about the craft, flavours and textures without the meat. There are real menu treats are on offer, with real experimentation and innovative execution. Bistro 1847 has a good bar too, serving cocktails, wines and draft beers.

So onto the menu and what myself and my wife Ruth ate. We had food from the evening menu of which is from Monday to Thursday as so, main £14, 2 course £17, 3 course £20 which includes a small glass of house wine.

As there is such a good choice I was unsure so I asked our waiter John who advised me to try a dish called
The Most Fun you can have with cheese’ which was stunning. A salted caramel vintage cheddar brûlée, with apricot relish and dippy soldiers. It carried a beautifully cheesy flavour, which the more you are the more caramel came through. A real delight of innovation and flavours.

Ruth chose a dish called Sweet Potato, which describes as sweet potato beignet, fennel and pineapple chutney and dark chocolate mole. She said it had a beautiful rich flavour with harmonious ingredients with the dark chocolate being so rich it was very indulgent without being heavy. A great choice.

For my main course I was advised once more to have
the Hen’s Egg. A Panko soft boiled hens egg, whiskey beurre blanc, curly kale, crisp potato, shallots, bourbon smoke. I can only describe it as a visual and taste sensation.

It was brought to the table under a glass cloche, which when at the table was lifted to reveal swirling smoke that was pure theatre, underneath a ‘Hens egg’ was revealed. I can only say that it is a superb dish, crispy smoked potato, surrounding a soft runny egg which has a crisp thin Panko crumbed batter around it. The flavours of the yolk and the whiskey beurre blanc were beautiful, a dish that was perfectly executed and a joy to discover. Superb.

Ruth ordered a very intriguing dish. It was called
‘The Great British fish and chip shop’ she said it was lovely and very moreish.

You can choose either beer battered haloumi or smoked tofu to go with chips with rosemary and seaweed sea salt, smoked paprika lemon curd, mushy pea mayonnaise, sailors ruin port ketchup, vodka pickled baby tomatoes, sea vegetables. She described it as tasting a lot like fish and chips. The tofu was encased, light and had a subtle smoky flavour that complimented the bite of the salt and vinegar and was an excellent dish of originality.

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For pudding I chose a superb lemon posset dish that was very indulgent and had the mystery that with every mouth full more flavours were revealed. A lovely pudding.

We also enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and two stunning cocktails. They are to be recommended.

Throughout our meal the service was attentive, friendly and showed an enthusiasm for the dishes and the skill in designing them. The recommendations and advice was perfect in this friendly restaurant.

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Bistro 1847 is joy. Their food displays skill and technique and a passion to develop vegetarian food that exalts to another level closer to fine dining. It is sophisticated and chef Alex displays a keen eye for artistic flair.

Good pricing and a commitment to innovate ideas are a major plus at Bistro 1847 with plans to develop new menus and food options in the pipeline.

Bistro 1847 is where textures and flavours take vegetarian food to a new level in Birmingham and with good value prices vegetarians and non vegetarians can’t go wrong.

Do go visit you won’t be disappointed.

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Bistro 1847
26 Great Western Arcade
Birmingham

0121 236 2313

@bistro1847

http://www.bistro1847.com/Birmingham

@lokiwine
http://www.lokiwine.co.uk

Footnote:

Before dining at Bistro 1847 we had a lovely glass of Prosecco at Loki Wine also in the Great Western Arcade. I well recommend a glass of wine at Loki before your meal. A great combo.

Disclaimer:

We paid for our own meal and my opinions are my own and unbiased,

INDEPENDENT BIRMINGHAM (Believe in Birmingham)

Posted in Afternoon Tea, Bakery, Bars, Bars and Pubs, Breakfasts, Cafés and Restaurants, Cocktails, Coffee, Coffee hour, Curry restaurants, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, Moseley, pizza, Pubs, shops, Tapas, vegan by

Birmingham is thriving as a city of independent businesses. It is quite easy to believe the opposite looking around the Bull Ring and the high street. More and more independents, shops, cafe’s and restaurants are now thriving in and around the city centre.

Independent Birmingham is the flag waving movement and website of all things independent in Birmingham.

IB as it known is dedicated to unearthing the very best of Birmingham’s hidden gems and best kept secrets with the aim of encouraging people to re-discover the city we love.

The ethos of supporting businesses with a local leaning and conscience is superb in my opinion, some of the best places to go in Birmingham City Centre and its neighbourhoods are independent and offer friendliness and a uniqueness that chains don’t provide.

Independent Birmingham provide a year long membership card for £15 or two for £20.

The card provides discounts and deals in signed up shops, bars and restaurants. It is a unique pass to a sunshine of localism and top quality places that provide an experience as well as uniqueness.

Their website http://www.independent-Birmingham.co.uk provide a directory of all outlets signed up.

Independent Birmingham announce new additions to the card frequently so keep an eye open for more.

Recent additions are The Electric Cinema in the city centre who are offering IB card holders 2-4-1 tickets on standard seats form Sunday-Thursday, Rico Libre tapas in Digbeth who are offering 10% off breakfasts and tapas excluding Saturday evening, Itihaas Restaurant, 20% off Sunday-Thursday and The Coffee Lounge on Newhall Street 10% off and 20% off for afternoon tea for 2 people.

They have recently announced places such as, Vintage Hideaway, Fletchers Bar and The Sun at the Station and Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath and the Dark Horse pub, Cafephillia, and The Java Lounge in Moseley.

Plus Michelin starred restaurant Adams in the city centre, Ju Ju’s cafe by Brindley Place have joined along with the Jekyll and Hyde pub are offering 20% from Monday to Thursday off food. See website for full offers.

Keep on eye on their twitter and Facebook accounts for further details, new additions and discounts.

Others already signed up include:

Stirling’s bar and lounge, Loki wine, The Victoria bar, The Bureau, Brewsmith’s coffee and tea, 6/8 Kaffe, Cherry Reds, Alfie Birds, Rose Villa Tavern, The Church inn in the Jewellery Quarter, Urban Coffee Shop, Home is where..cafe and deli, Island Bar, Twist, The Sun on The Hill in the city centre.

For more see the website directory on
http://www.independent-Birmingham.co.uk.

Or you can sign up for the Independent Birmingham blog via their website and sign up for the card on the website too.

If anyone has any personal favourites and wants to recommend places please feel free to leave a comment below at,

Twitter @independentB’ham
Facebook independent Birmingham community
Hello@independent-Birmingham.co.uk

Or at Twitter @andydhare or on the comments section below.

Thanks for reading Veggie Foodie.

Cafe Opus ‘Meat Free Monday’s

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants by

Oh how I love Opus Restaurant in the
Colmore Business District part of Birmingham City Centre. I’ve always felt that this superb restaurant is a vegetarian’s friend. They delight in their ingredients and are serious about sourcing their fruit and vegetables locally. Market fresh, the humble vegetable becomes exalted with the respect and balanced flavours they deserve. How lucky we are!

So, to be invited by Opus Restaurant’s little sister Cafe Opus at the Ikon Gallery in Brindley Place to sample their ‘Meat Free Monday weekly changing supper menu was a delight myself and my wife couldn’t turn down.

Now that’s an idea I like, no meat on a Monday, even a Tuesday or a Wednesday, well you get my drift! Meat Free Monday’s are a superb idea (see previous posting) to encourage people to reduce their meat intake for one day a week, a Monday no less, a good start to the week!

Cafe Opus in Brindley Place is on the ground floor of the Ikon Gallery and they seem to creatively meet perfectly. The cafe has a south facing terrace which has a heated terrace and is superbly Mediterranean in the sunshine. The cafe features unfussy dishes sourced from high quality producers throughout the British Isles, local farms and local fruit and vegetables.

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The food we are on the night from the Meat Free Monday supper club menu may not be the same every week as the menu changes weekly.

On the evening we began with the Tomato Soup, which was lovely my wife says, tasty fresh, with a quality robust tomato flavour.

I enjoyed to start the onion bhaji with a lovely mint raita, they were lovely, handmade with a good fresh flavour with a cooling raita.

To follow my wife chose a wild mushroom and leek risotto which she found to be lovely, creamy and well made with a real mushroomy flavour that lifted the dish perfectly. Superb she said.

I loved my main course, the spinach, blue cheese, walnut quiche new potatoes and a spring salad. This dish tasted of spring, with a good blue cheese flavour that complimented the spinach. Beneath I was impressed by a lovely buttery short cyst pastry, lovely.

To follow for desert I chose off the specials board a pineapple upside down cake with pouring cream which was well made and finished the meal off well.

Our meal at Cafe Opus was superb. Each dish was well flavoured simple vegetarian food made with good balanced ingredients and showing a care and respect for the source and the environment.

The service was lovely throughout, efficient and friendly and came over as been passionate about the cafe and its food.

The

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We found the decor to be lovely, the cafe is very relaxed and works well particularly with the sun streaming in a light room. The terrace is a bonus for happy days- whether Monday, Tuesday, happy days, Meat Free Monday's have arrived in Birmingham and its a bonus that its at Cafe Opus.

www.opusrestaurant.co.uk
Cafeopus@outlook.com
0121 248 3226

Disclosure: our meal was complimentary all opinions expressed are my honest and own opinion.

Cafe Opus serves an all day menu from Monday to Saturday and brunch on a Sunday.
It also serves coffee, cake, Teas and carafes of wine.

It also serves afternoon tea and has an extensive children's menu.

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Prashad ‘Indian vegetarian cooking’ Kaushy Patel

Posted in Books, Cafés and Restaurants by

We are now into the second day of National Vegetarian week in the Uk and I wanted to draw your attention to a superb vegetarian cookery book that I have recently discovered.

Indian food is my all time favourite, when it comes to dining out and cooking at home. I have always felt it is the cuisine that has the most options for veggies, and with Thai has that stimulus of flavours to tempt deeper indulgence.

Prashad is a small Indian restaurant in Bradford that is family run and a place that I very much would like to visit. It was voted the ‘Best runner up’ by Gordon Ramsay on his TV show Ramsay’s best restaurant 2010. This has brought the culinary skill of Kaushy Patel and her family to the attention to the whole of the UK and not just Yorkshire.

Having just discovered this delicious cookbook of 100 recipes, ranging from snacks/street food, starters, mains, rice, breads, sides and deserts, I thought I would mention it as a vegetarian success story that many meat eaters would also appreciate. The recipes in this book that brings authentic Indian cooking into your kitchen, is ideal for those who are not just vegetarian, vegan, but for those who want to reduce their meat intake and may be tempted by Meat Free Monday’s.

Recipes such as Cinamon spice chick pea curry, cauliflower and pea curry and the delicious chaat (king of street food) that are within its pages would tempt anyone.

At the end of the book is a meal planner that is also very useful.

Prashad ‘Indian vegetarian cooking’ can be brought from the usual retailers and is excellent value for a book with so many veggie recipes in it. One for everyone, I think that loves spicy food.

Prashad Indian vegetarian cuisine
137 Whitehall Road
Drighlington
BD 11 1AT
01113 285 2037
http://www.prashad.co.uk
@prashad_veggie

National Vegetarian Week 19-25th May 2014 and Meat Free Monday’s Birmingham.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Cafés and Restaurants by

A bumper week of veggie delights is on offer this week.

In case you don’t know this week 19th-25th May is National Vegetarian week. Veggie week is in its 22nd Year and was designed to promote inspirational food and the benefits of a meat free life style. http://www.nationalvegetarianweek.org

In Birmingham we have three vegetarian restaurants that serve a complete meat free menu.

Bistro 1847 is in Birmingham city centre near Snow Hill Station and serves modern, British dishes alongside cocktails, wines, spirits and beers. All menus are vegetarian. They have special set menus and a supper club that runs from time to time. See website for details.

Veg out Cafe in Kings Heath in South Birmingham serves organic vegetarian food all day, and does a super menu on Friday and Saturday evening. See previous review.

The Warehouse cafe is located in Birmingham City Centre in the Digbeth area near the Custard Factory. It is located in the Friends of the Earth building and serves fresh, organic, vegetarian and vegan dishes at affordable prices.

Also,

Moor Hall Hotel and Spa in Sutton Coldfield is doing a special 20% off all vegetarian main courses from the Oak Room and Bar menus all this week.

Meat Free Monday’s is an initiative to not eat meat for one day a week in order to make a world of difference.

The plan is to:

-Help our beautiful planet

-Be healthy and happy

-Save the pennies

-Think of the animals

Their webiste http://www.meatfreemonday’s.com have numerous recipes as well as the full ethos and is endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney amongst others.

Cafe Opus at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham City Centre serve a meat free Monday menu only every Monday and have been doing so for numerous weeks now. It is well worth dropping by. The menu changes every week. Keep an eye on twitter and their website for details. This is a great day/night out for all vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

See my review of meat free Monday’s at Cafe Ikon coming soon.

Also Pop up Dosa will be having a special dosa fest at Ort Cafe in Balsall Heath/Moseley area on Saturday 24th May between 12-3pm. Go aloon for a good selection of veggie dosas.

Update: I have received an email from Bistro 1847 advising that there will be 50% off their a la carte menu from today, the 21st May until Saturday 24th May. You must book directly on their website http://www.bistro1847.com and show the email ‘Enjoy National vegetarian week with 50% off’ to your server.

You can subscribe for emails on their website. Hopefully you will receive this email, with the details.

If anyone knows of other special events, menus or foodie initiatives that are linked to National Vegetarian Week in Birmingham or Meat Free Monday’s please let me know or leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

Whatever, you do though have a good veggie week.

 

Bistro 1847

http://www.Bistro1847.co.uk

0121 236 2313

@Bistro1847

26 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham City Centre (opposite Snow Hill Station)

 

Veg Out Cafe

46 Poplar Road, Kings Heath Birmingham

0121 441 3802

@cafevegout

The Warehouse Cafe

@warehouse_cafe

54-57 Allison Street Birmingham B5 5TH

0121 633 0261

 

Moor Hall hotel and spa, Sutton Coldfield

0121 308 3571

http://www.moorhallhotel.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Epi restaurant Bromsgrove opening 6th June

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants by

After a successful series of pop up’s in both Bromsgrove and Birmingham Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath Epi restaurant is due to re open in the courtyard Bromsgrove on friday 6th June.

They will be offering a three course, five course and seven course tasting menus.

There will be strong vegetarian menus across the three offerings with a strong leaning to local and seasonal produce.

Epi have advised me that the veggie options will be made to the individual preference and taste which sounds thrilling to me.

I look forward to visiting and trying them for myself. Keep an eye on my blog for a review soon.

Epi Should be superb.

Epi are now taking bookings for June and onwards on 07969628959.

You can also book on line via their website.

Check the website for menus.

http://www.epirestaurant.co.uk

07969 628 959

The Courtyard
Satchwells Yard
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 8AQ

@RestaurantEpi

BYZANTIUM MEDITERRANEAN TAPAS KINGS HEATH


Living in the food mecca of Kings Heath and Moseley is hard work. The choice of where to dine and drink is tough on the decsion making process. Where do you go and savour top vegetarian delights.

Byzantium in Kings Heath on York Road in South Birmingham is a favourite of my wife Ruth and myself.

It seems wrong though to not start the night at Fletchers Bar next door, for cool cocktails, and a good Saturday evening Kings Heath vibe. Fletchers is all wood and has a good cocktail and drinks menu and also serves food from lunch to dinner. It is owned by The Kitchen Garden Cafe near by and thus like them promotes organic and well sourced food.

After a couple of good martinis we were off to Byzantium. It is a lovely restaurant, it has a warming and localised feel that is generous in its welcome and one that will get you talking. It is a small resturant, but big in heart. We began with a Fino sherry (what else) The restaurant has a good selection of drinks, from cocktails to a good selection of wines from the mediterranean and numerous sherries. Many by the glass.

We ordered the Middle Eastern flat bread, slightly griddled and so very aromatic. Superb. With this the smoky aubergine dip, the zaaluk which was also very good.

I also ordered to follow the Aubergine Parmiagiana, Patatas Bravas,
championes rellonos, and from a large special menu the Cheese and spinich Croquetas and
roasted root vegetables with honey and rosemary. Byzantium has a regular specials menu that has numerous vegetarian options on it.

We both finished it off with a Baklava which we enjoyed. We also enjoyed a glass of red and white wine and two coffee’s.

Byzantium is very good choice for vegetarians and meat eaters alike due to its superb choice of on its menu.

The service is informal, friendly but attentive.

Byzantium is very good value and if you don’t order too much.

It will have you returning again and again.

The restaurant was buzzing on a Saturday evening and had a good vibe. I advise you too book a table.

We were having such a good night we returned to Fletchers for a whisky and brandy.

Byzantium certainly glitters gold.

0121 444 5444

Facebook.com/byzantiumtapas

Info@byzantiumtapas.co.uk

Byzantium Mediterranean Tapas Restaurant
11 York Road
Kings Heath
Birmingham
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Watch Great British Menu tonight 6.30pm

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants by

Watch the Great British Menu tonight on BBC2 from 6.30 to see chef Aktar Islam fight it out in the Midlands Heat.

Lasan is one of my favourite restaurants and is superb for vegetarian flavours and the choice of dishes. Look out for my review in a couple of weeks.

Go chef! Watch for the whole of this week.

Www.lasan.co.uk