Category Archives: vegetarian

Veggie Lunch Watch: Cafe Opus @ Ikon Gallery.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Farm producers, Food, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Lunch deals, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

  
Lunch is a serious subject. Whether it’s the luxury of eating at Carters of Moseley, Turners of Harborne or Purnells Bistro (I’ve tried all those) or the informality of Bodega and Amantia its a serious subject. One not to be undertaken (unless it’s at your desk) lightly. Cafe Opus takes lunch seriously, not in a fine dining kind of way, but by providing that informality one feels comfortable in right away and one that suits the Ikon Gallery where it resides down to the ground. 

Cafe Opus is the little brother of big Opus, Restaurant that is on Cornwall Street and of the young whippersnapper Bar Opus near Snow Hill Station. What they all have in common is the keen response to seasonal ingredients, sourced locally, market fresh and of a consideration to Vegetarians and Vegans in their menus. 

Ruth and I stopped by to try their all day 2 course for £10.50 menu (available Tuesday to Saturday) after a look around the Ikon Gallery. 

The menu includes a good choice of Vegetarian dishes and some Vegan options. It’s an all day menu that offers brunch dishes, sandwiches and light bites as well as more substantial mains. 

The first thing that you find at Cafe Opus is how light floods the room and how relaxed the restaurant feels. With original art on the walls and a quirky informal seating arrangement that is more cafe than formal dining  the modern dishes on offer perfectly fit the gallery vibe and is ideal for a lunch whilst visiting.

  
    
  

The 2 course menu is ideal for lunch or for an early evening supper. It includes homemade soup of the day to start (always a vegan version) and any dish off the menu for £10.50. 

For our starter we both ordered the Mushroom Soup.

 

The deep mushroom flavours came through, perfectly seasoned with chunky mushrooms adding a rich texture to the creamy warmth. Lovely. A near perfect soup. 

On the other hand the bread was beyond dry and possibly the worst I’ve witnessed in a restaurant/cafe for years. It was fairly inedible and would have been better made into croutons. It’s beyond why it came out of the kitchen to be honest. 

  

For my main course I ordered the Vegan friendly Penne Pasta tossed in Basil Pesto with wilted rocket and sun blushed tomatoes. 

  

Now imagine sitting in an Italian square In the sunshine with a glass of wine. Sun beating down, loads of time, a bowl of pasta in front of you.  This light pasta dish had that same kind of sunny easiness about it. 

Take a good flavoured light coating of basil pesto and mix with wilted rocket and sweet and succulent sun blushed tomatoes, toss with well cooked penne and you have simple dish that spoke to me of sunnier days and not the grey showery one that greeted me outside. An escape to the Med on a drizzly day, with a glass of red wine, happiness. 
 

  
  

Ruth ordered the Brixham Fish Pie for her main course which she said was lovely, with well cooked fish, though this again came with the aforementioned stale bread which was a shame.

We also ordered a couple of large glasses of wine. A good plummy red Pinot Noir for me and a glass of white Sauvignon Blanc for Ruth. 

Cafe Opus is an excellent place for lunch for vegetarians. The dishes on offer are of a high standard, Flavours marry together and the informality of the cafe makes it ideal for a relaxed break after a visit to the gallery or during a wander around Brindley Place. The service is friendly and with smoothies on the menu a healthier juicy option is available on drinks. 

The fact that the menus change seasonally is also good for repeated visits and the terrace on a nice day begs to be lingered over. Hey, if I close my eyes I can even imagine that it’s Italy. After all lunch (and terraces) are a serious subject.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Cafe Opus is at the Ikon gallery, 1 Oozells Street, Brindley Place, Birmingham, B1 2HS.

http://www.cafeopus.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/cafeopus?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

We paid for our meal and drinks in full. All opinions are honest and my own as always. 

  
    
    
  

 

Outside on the sunny terrace. Summer’s almost here. 
Photos courtesy of Cafe Opus  

   Afternoon tea at Cafe Opus available for £10 per person.  Smoothies available at Cafe Opus. 

Spring has sprung, Bistro 1847 launches new Spring menu. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Food, Gastro Card, Independent, Lunch deals, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

   

Birmingham Vegetarian restaurant Bistro 1847 has just launched its new Spring menu. 

Dishes are created around and are inspired by local seasonal ingredients, which means every three months their menus change so the freshest plant-based fare possible can be introduced.  

The newest menu includes dishes that reflect the abundance of produce that’s on offer during Spring in the UK. 

You’ll find starters such as:

Marinated and Chargrilled Aubergine stuffed with Roasted Buckwheat, soya yoghurt, parsley and Sorrel (Vegan) 

and 

Lightly Dusted Goats Cheese with Black Olives, Apples, Celery and Melba Toast.

Mains such as:

Herb Breadcrumb Oyster Mushrooms with Asparagus, Quinoa, and Roasted Garlic Sauce 

and

Aubergine Steak, Seaweed Butter, Kohl Rabi Coleslaw, and Jersey Royal Potatoes. (Vegan)

For Deserts:

1847 Warm Dark Chocolate Brownie, Chilli Brittle, Pistachio Soil and Basil Syrup (Vegan) 

and

Single Malt Scotch Whisky Jelly, Strawberries and Caraway Jam, custard, meringue. 

2 courses are £19.50 and 3 courses are £25.00.

A bargain I feel for the quality of cooking and ingredients. 

For the full menus see link below: 

 http://by1847.com/menus/SummerMenu2016.pdf

Click to access SummerMenuDesserts2016.pdf

Most dishes can be made Vegan or Gluten Free. 

     

    
 The above 5 photos of the new menu courtesy of Bistro 1847 with thanks. 

A Veggie Spring has certainly sprung.

Welcome to Nature. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy😊

For my previous review of the Winter menu see link below:

https://t.co/p2wLZcZfFg

Photos from Winter Menu. 
   

  
Bistro 1847 also do a Sunday Lunch menu for £17.00 for 3 courses, plus a Express Lunch from Monday-Friday, which is a main course and drink for £10.00. 

   

 

The new Spring menus are available in 1847 restaurants in Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton and Bristol. 

Veggie Breakfast Watch: Good Morning Muffin at Leon, Birmingham.

Posted in Breakfasts, Brunch, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie, Veggie foodie brunch breakfasts by

  

Leon has been in Birmingham Street Station now for a few months since Grand Central opened serving its natural fast food and always seems to have a steady flow of people visiting. It’s range of food it offers is varied and caters well for Vegetarians and Vegans.  

Set in a light and airy cafe, it’s laid back atmosphere is the perfect kill some time place for those getting a train with plenty of floor space for luggage, or a relaxed funky lunch spot for those wanting something a bit different and it’s a decent place to bring children though it may be a bit short of space at busy times. It can be popular. Leon have also added outside tables in the forecourt of the station. 

I previously reviewed them last year and found the Vegetarian Hot Box I ate to be excellent and with many other vegan and veggie dishes on the menu its a good stop off point at lunchtime. See my review below:

https://t.co/PTWPKz2ZEt

Having tried their breakfast Vegetarian Good Morning Muffin a few weeks ago before I got a train I found myself very early one Saturday morning (as it opened at 6.30am) with Ruth in Leon again and had another for good measure. 

The Good Morning Muffin is a Roasted Portabello Mushroom, Free Range Egg, Spinach and Leon made Ketchup served in a lightly toasted English Muffin. Cost £3.75.

  

Take a runny egg, chunky roasted portabello mushrooms, delicate spinach and a tangy, and subtly spiced ketchup and you have a substantial early morning wake me up, or filling sustenance on the train. The Good Morning Muffin, felt light, not oily or fatty but a healthier alternative to some of the other places nearby. The portabello mushrooms were firm and are the meatier of the mushrooms with an earthier texture  and worked well with the tangy ketchup and oozy runny egg which was pitch perfect. Taken with a smooth flat white (even at 6.30am) it proved to be very enjoyable. 

  

 

Leon is well worth a visit and though its a chain, (arriving in London a little later discovered they are taking over our capital, but not the rest of the UK just yet) it’s ethos and menu selection for Vegetarians and Vegans is well worth discovering and for a quick breakfast, it’s recommended. 

     Cookbooks in Leon

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Click to access 18.PAPER_MENU_2016_JANUARY_V4.pdf

You can find Leon at Unit 25, New Street Station, B2 4QA.

http://leonrestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/birmingham/

   
   

Rofuto brings Birmingham Dining to new heights this April.

Posted in Bars, Birmingham, City Centre, Cocktails, Japanese, Japanese food, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

   

  

I’ve been walking past the new Park Regis Hotel at Five Ways in Birmingham quite frequently and have seen it develop and fill the vacant space that sits next to the shops on the roundabout. It looks impressive, offering another landmark on the city skyline. At a cost of £50 Million, the development is due to open on the 29th March. 

With 253 bedrooms, two Junior Suites and the largest Presidential suite in the city, it’s set to become a destination for leasure and business. 

  
Inside as well as as the hotel a bar and two restaurants and ‘Shakina’ Urban Dry Spa will be on offer to hotel visitors and the public. 

Renowned restaurateur, Des McDonald is set to shake up the Birmingham dining scene with his latest venture Rofuto, ( opening on the 22nd April) a restaurant set high in the City skyline at over 141 feet in the sky with incredible 360 degree views. Opening on 26th April with a £3 million investment, Rofuto will offer an izakaya-style restaurant, serving a high quality modern Japanese menu of world class dishes. The restaurant will sit alongside the stunning cocktail lounge and sake bar, Kurabu, from its unique rooftop position at the new Park Regis Hotel.

Located high above the City centre, the restaurant and cocktail lounge sits on the 16th floor of Park Regis, the new 4 four star modern luxury hotel located in the heart of Birmingham, Rofuto is a direct translation of the word ‘loft’ in Japanese and the interiors reflect this inspiration. With a large central bar, an open Japanese style kitchen and an eclectic mix of furnishings, unique hand painted murals and design, Rofuto is a truly theatrical dining space. Kurabu, with its panoramic views of the city skyline, world class DJs and a backlit bar is perfect for more intimate drinking and dining.

The vision for the restaurant and cocktail lounge has been created by one of the UK’s most respected restaurateurs, Des McDonald. With over 20 years’ experience running some of the world’s most high profile establishments including Le Caprice, Scott’s, Soho House and Annabel’s. Early in his career, Des was Head Chef at the world famous Ivy restaurant, before moving from the kitchen into the boardroom to become CEO of Caprice Holdings. Des was inspired to open Rofuto following visits to Tokyo and Singapore; he has developed every aspect of the concept, design and menu to bring a new izakaya-style restaurant to Birmingham’s thriving dining scene.

Des McDonald says: “I am delighted to be opening my first modern Japanese restaurant Rofuto, with my partners at Park Regis Birmingham. I love rooftop spaces, having opened four successful restaurants on the roof of Selfridges in London. I fell in love with the unparalleled dramatic views from the 16th floor, Birmingham is a great, vibrant city and I’m excited to become part of it’s dynamic and diverse dining scene.”

Rofuto will be open for lunch and dinner on Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday for lunch. The restaurant will serve modern Japanese cuisine, made using world-class fresh ingredients, from traditional sushi to yakitori from the grill. The menu is divided into six sections: Sushi and Sashimi, Tempura, Robata Grill, Mains, Sides and Desserts. 

Rofuto also cater well for Vegetarians. 

The menu includes:

Vegetarian futomaki; cucumber and roasted sesame hosomaki; okra hosomaki.

Starters- Sesame, Spinach with Cassava crisps.

Tempura- Goma tare tempura aubergine and fig.

Robuto Grill- Asparagus yakitori with butter soy.

Mains: Japanese Wild Mushroom Congee, Crispy Tofu and Parsley Chlorophyll. 

Signature dishes on the main menu include Foie gras nashi pear gunkan Chinese truffle; Confit duck and raspberry sunomono; Saffron gindara with razor clams, Chinese sausage, kohlrabi puree and sea herbs; Sesame tuna tataki and soft shell crab with wasabi puree and black garlic crumble and Miyazaki Wagyu beef served with gobo crisps, avocado puree, garlic ponzu and truffle salt. 

Desserts feature twists on European classics such as Matcha tiramisu and wasabi macaroon and Cardamom and coconut panna cotta with passion fruit.

Rofuto opens on the 22nd April. 

Kurabu Cocktail lounge will offer an array of wines, beers and soft drinks, along with a bespoke cocktail list and unique sake offering to perfectly compliment the Japanese cuisine. Fresh Sake from Takashimizu Brewery in Northern Japan will be on offer, alongside Koshua aged Sake from Shiraki Brewery in central Japan. Rofuto will also offer ten Japanese Whisky’s which I’m very keen to try. 

The cocktail list includes highlights such as the Red Lotus which combines Shochu, Tequila, Cranberry and Lychee Sorbet and Kietsu which is an exotic combination of infused Raspberry Sake, Passionfruit liqueur, Apple and Pineapple. Rofuto’s wine showcases some more unusual varieties such as Pecorino, Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Blanc in the whites and a particular focus on low alcohol, low tannin reds.

The restaurant’s interior, designed by Tibbatts Abel (Interior Designer for Jinjuu Soho and Buddah Bar) is a fusion of urban, industrial and warehouse design inspiration alongside a fun and vibrant cocktail lounge style. Warm rustic timber is used throughout, with industrial tones and a palette of neutrals, warm taupe’s, greys and blacks.

Park Regis Birmingham opened on Tuesday 29th March 2016 and boasts 253 deluxe bedrooms, two junior suites, the largest presidential suite in the city, an executive level complete with conference and meeting space, and a business lounge with executive check-in facilities. The £50 million hotel is the brand’s first Park Regis in Europe and has created over 200 jobs for the region.

Rofuto will be running a soft opening with 50% off all food from Friday 22nd to Saturday 23rd April via advance bookings only through 

reservations@rofuto.co.uk

Rofuto Should be a super addition to Birmingham’s evolving dining scene and should offer something different, once again. I’m looking forward to giving it a try. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy😊

Rofuto, Park Regis Hotel, 158 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1DT.

0121-369-8888.

Serving modern Japanese Cuisine from Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-late

Sunday 12-6pm

Not open Monday’s.

@Rofutotweets: Twitter.

RofutoBham: Facebook.

reservations@rofuto.co.uk

 

  
All photos and images from Rofuto.

The second restaurant is called ‘1565’ and will feature signature dishes, grills and classics. I’m unsure as yet on the veggie options. It will also house one of the largest outdoor terraces in the city.

  

Opus reaches final for hospitality’s most prestigious award. 

Posted in Awards, Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Colmore business district, Food, Gastro Card, Independent, Independent Birmingham, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  
Opus at Cornwall Street have been selected as semi-finalists for the prestigious Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence. 

The awards, which are designed to recognise the UK’s most talented young people within hospitality, will see Opus front of house staff Dorenzo Pratt and Iona Adams, as well as chef de partie Martin Baylis, the only kitchen staff in the Midlands to be named as a semi-finalist, complete a series of exams, interviews and technical tasks this month in an attempt to achieve the industry’s most reputable award. 

The gifted trio reached the semi-finals after demonstrating exceptional knowledge and an enthusiastic attitude through an application process. During the finals, Dorenzo, who has been working at Opus for two years after starting as a part-time student from University College Birmingham, and Iona, who has been at Opus since January 2016, will partake in a written exam and rigorous interview on Opus’ food and wine menus in order to receive the esteemed service award. Martin, who has been working for Opus for one year, will have two hours to prepare squid, salt baked whole sea bass, a rack of lamb and an apple tart, as well as complete a theory test and demonstrate basic kitchen skills to receive the kitchen award.  
Irene Allan, director at Opus at Cornwall Street, said: “We’re very committed to developing our front of house and kitchen teams, so having three members reach the finals for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards is a tremendous achievement. We’re incredibly proud of Dorenzo, Iona and Martin and are thrilled that their talents and sector knowledge has been recognised. Not only will the award be a huge achievement for our staff personally, but it will also be an achievement for Birmingham’s growing culinary scene. 

“There are only two restaurants locally with staff in the shortlist, ourselves and our neighbours Purnells Restaurant  so we’d also like to wish Bradley Pace from there the best of luck too.” 

The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence is an examination and not a competition. All or none of those that reach the final can achieve the award depending on their ability to attain the standard of excellence set by the judges. 

Dorenzo and Iona took part in the service finals on Saturday 19th March at The Ritz in London. Martin will take part in the kitchen finals on Wednesday 30th March at University College Birmingham. 

For more information on Opus at Cornwall Street, please see: 

http://www.opusrestaurant.co.uk/

I wish them all good luck with this prestigious award.

   
    
 Vegetarian dishes at Opus.
See below for my review of Opus’ vegetarian menu: 

https://t.co/AIpppfvenl

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Restaurant Review: #VeggieMonth, Met Bar & Kitchen, Solihull. 

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, Brunch, Cafés and Restaurants, Cocktails, Independent, Solihull, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

 

How refreshing is it to find an independent restaurant and bar in Solihull town centre. Amongst the same again chains and cheap and cheerful Broad Street like drink offers sits the Met Bar & Kitchen.

The Met Bar & Kitchen is located in the centre of Solihull close to Mell Square & Touchwood. It’s an independent all day bar and restaurant that offers something different in Solihull Town Centre to the dominant chains that are nearby. 

Inside It has a modern decor with some urban touches, that keeps these thankfully to a minimum and has a cosy and relaxed ambience that has a buzzy touch on the Friday night Ruth and I visited. 

With a well stocked bar of local ales, craft beer, cocktails, bubbly and a good and reasonably priced wine list it appeared a good bet for a relaxed but serious drink on a weekend without the loud music and teeny vibe of other venues locally. 

I was invited to try out the vegetarian dishes at Metro Bar & Kitchen as They had asked me to have input in their Spring menu for Veggie Month. They have introduced some new dishes to their menu and expanded their daily and weekly specials to encourage more customers to try a non meat and fish option as well as attract more vegetarian customers. 

We began in the smart and relaxed bar area with a glass of Prosecco, which is lively but unobtrusive area and we felt was a good place to begin the evening if dining at Met Bar & Kitchen. 

  

Restaurant area.
  

Once seated at the table in a smart booth section of the restaurant we ordered a Couple of cocktails: A Negroni and Margarita. I was impressed with my Negroni, it had a good Campari kick with the complimented vermouth and was an aromatic aperitif of good quality, which would have been even better with less added ice. 

Ruth’s Margarita tasted fine, but disappointed her as as the rubbed salt around the rim of the glass was omitted, could it be classed as a margarita? The flavours were good the tequila, and triple sec gave it a fresh and crisp zingyness. 

  Negroni and Margarita: A nice couple.

Ruth decided she was grazing on meat for the night. Good for her I say as she doesn’t eat it that much at home. 

I chose my starters off the specials menu. It’s with the changing specials that the bulk of the vegetarian dishes find themselves. 

So take my Roast Apple and Parsnip Soup. A soup that was full of good warming flavours, mellow, but zingy, the biggest compliment I could give it was that it reminded me of my Mums version and was a delectable starter of sweet parsnips and tangy apples, creamy and smooth. Lovely.

  Roast Apple and Parsnip Soup.

  

Usually when I find a curry on a menu outside of an Indian restaurant I wouldn’t choose it. Partly because we eat a lot of curries at home and Ruth in particular makes many superb Vegetarian curries. 

So what attracted me to this one? Well partly because it was a Goan Curry from Goa and not often found on general menus, and partly because it has a coconut spiced masala (gravy) base which gives it a unique flavour. I love coconut in curries or stews. 

  

With its gentle spices it was a very flavoursome curry, a lovely glowing but light colour, gave it an attractive depth. Spicy rather than hot, with a nice chilli hit, the curry may have benefited from steamed or basmati rice as an option as the Naan was only ok, and a bit soggy underneath. 

A lovely veggie option that wasn’t oily or fatty, but tasted healthy, comforting and light with the addition of some nice tender squash (always a winner) with the subtle hint of coconut. A taste of coastal scents and sunshine.

  Butternut Squash, Goan Curry. 

  Naan.

The desert menu at Met Bar & Kitchen has some good options so proved to be quite a lengthy process to decide what to choose.

Eventually, I chose the Steamed Orange & Poppy Seed Sponge, Clementine syrup, mascarpone ice cream. The sponge, light, airy, though could have done with more clementine intensity for me, to give it an added luxurious lift, though it did provide a lightly scented aroma, which was nice. The Mascarpone ice cream offered a smooth and grown up, creamy delight to the pudding. Excellent. 

  Stewed Orange & Poppy seed sponge, clementine syrup, mascarpone ice cream.

  
  

We also enjoyed a double espresso and Hennessy Cognac after our deserts plus two glasses of Argentinian full bodied Malbec with our main courses. 

We were both very impressed with the Met Bar & Kitchen in Solihull. The Vegetarian dishes I ate were comforting, warming and very well made. Both good value with good strong punchy flavours it shows how you can make simple vegetarian dishes attractive and Moreish with a good culinary technique. What the Met Bar are not trying to do is divide diners or confuse them by creating food that is seriously complex, but instead creating classics with a twist that can appeal to non vegetarians too. It’s better to make dishes well than overdo bold dishes badly and they do this well on the whole.

Credit is due to them for wanting to increase their Vegetarian options and I’d like to see this as been the begining of a journey not them reaching their destination in Veggie Month. What though sticks out is that the Met Bar & Kitchen is an excellent All day place to eat in Solihull town centre and been independent deserves praise for having the foresight to improve food and drink options in the area. Don’t go there expecting foraged and rare ingredients like at Nomad in Birmingham, but a place instead that delivers good solid food. 

For Vegetarians who like to eat out in Solihull, its surely long overdue.

  
    
  

 
Met Bar & Kitchen have a happy hour from 12-7  every day with  2 for one cocktails.

Met Bar & Kitchen, 680-684 Warwick Road, Solihull town centre, B91 3DX. 0121-705-9495.

http://www.themetbar.com 

https://m.facebook.com/MetroBarGrillSolihull/

You can find The Met Bar & Kitchen on the Gastro Card: for details and offer. 

http://www.gastrocard.co.uk/restaurants/met-bar-solihull/

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Ruth and I were invited to the Met Bar, our food and prosecco were complimentary. Other drinks were paid for. This doesn’t affect my honest opinion as a fair and honest review was required. 

Kinome Kitchen: new Japanese pop up at The Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, and tasting evening review.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Japanese, Kings Heath, Pop up's, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

     

Japanese food is something quite rare in Birmingham, but is becoming more popular. For Vegetarians it has plenty of options, Nobu in London (Japanese and former Michelin Starred) a few years ago had a meat free cook book out, and its development into veggie friendly dishes has increased as people have become keen to eat less meat and fish. Traditionally there is a lot of vegetarian food in Japan, much of it from Buddhism. Tofu is an example as is Tempura (fried vegetables or herbaceous plants). 

In January Kinome chef Sachiko Saeki did an evening at Vegetatian The Warehouse Cafe for Guardian newspaper members, which went down well, but good Japanese food is still quite hard to find in our city. 

Things are begining to change though as Kinome Kitchen (aka Sachiko Saeki) is about to launch a Japanese Food culture pop up restaurant at The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. Begining on Saturday 2nd April and then on select dates through to June 30th, it gives an opportunity to try out something different with a chef who has worked in a Japanese Michelin Starred restaurant in Mayfair, London and with Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall where she featured in River Cottage Heroes. 

In 2011 Sachiko’s trip to Koya-San, a Buddhist Temple complex in Japan, led to Shajan Ryari- vegetarian Buddhist Monk Food. It was these experiences that created the ideas for vegetarian dishes and attracted the production team of River Cottage and Hugh Fernley Whitingstall. 

Kinome simply means spring buds. It is also a herb from the Sansho tree with a strong distinctive aroma. The Sansho tree is one of the traditional spice trees in Japan and every single part can be used for cooking in different ways. This use of the whole is typical of Japanese cooking methods.

Kinome Kitchen have a Spring Vegetarian menu for April and May that will be run alongside the meat and fish menu. 

For £40 you can get 7 Courses of vegetarian Japanese food: Shajan-Ryari. 

Shojin Starter-Smoked tofu, homa tofu and Namsu.

Chawan Mushi-Steamed savoury eggpot with gingko nuts and yam.

Tempura-Seasonal vegetable tempura with Maccha Salt.

Sea Vegetable.

Tofu Balls with Kuzu sauce and crispy vegetables.

Box pressed vegetable sushi with miso soup. 

Fruits Yose Kanten. 

£40 per person. 

For full menus including non veggie see below: 

http://www.kinomekitchen.co.uk/#!menu/fcuwz

http://www.kinomekitchen.co.uk/

For bookings contact Kinomejapanesecooking@gmail.com or 07504327840. 

For full dates see the poster below. 

Expect to see Japanese Craft Beers on the menu too.

Be introduced to Japanese Food Culture. 

  
  

Kinome tasting evening launch night review.

 

I recently attended the launch of the Kinome Pop up at The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. Photos below.  
  

The food was informally presented, but constituted three different dishes. The first Vegetarian dish was the Aubergine and Miso Bao. 

Served in a bao or bun (which was home made) the gently fried aubergine had the sweet and earthy flavour of the miso paste which gave it a delicious flavour. Beautiful. This came with Spicy Edamame (Soy beans in a pod) which had a contrasting salty flavour to the soy like miso.

  

This was followed by two Vegetarian skewers which like tempura were fried vegetables and came with a Tonkatsu sauce which is a vegetable and fruit based sauce often served with fried food. Both weed lively and whetted the appetite for more. 
    

The third dish was a desert. The Strawberry Daifuku. 

A traditional Springtime sweet sold by confectioners in Japan. 

A soft, sweet whole strawberry encased by a soft and sweet paste was a match made in heaven. Exquisite.

The desert was Served with Maccha Green Tea (stoneground green tea) which was handmade in front of us, and tasted refreshing and full of lovely warming and healing flavours. 

The tea ceremony centres on the prepetation, serving and drinking of Maccha. 
    
   

Maccha green tea and the tea ceremony. 

The Kinome pop up launch night was a major success and fully booked out. The food was beautifully made, presented and served with pride. The pop up is sure to be a culinary journey of Japanese food and I for one am very happy to return and continue my vegetarian Japanese food Culture journey. 

Kinome Pop up restaurant is at The Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, 17 York Road, B14 7SA.

Opening times: 6.30pm-10.30pm

Last orders 8.30pm.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Dawn breaks/ drizzle of white rain/ on sprouting buds- Sojon Hina.

The spring arrives with the sent of moss, suspended in the drizzle of rain is a sense of anticipation. In the Japanese traditional short poem called Haiku, Konome (the same character but pronounced differently) is the seasonal word for spring time. I see the English spring in there too. 

Sachiko Saeki. 

Cookery School: 

Sushi with Sachiko Saeki at Leith’s School of food and wine, London, 16th April 

Shojin Ryori with Sachiko Saeki at Demuths Cookery School, Bath, 12 June. 

She has also Worked with the Harborne Food school in Birmingham. 

Restaurant review: Purnells Bistro, Birmingham.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Cocktails, Colmore business district, Food, Gastro Card, Independent, Lunch, Lunch deals, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  
If the way to get to a good restaurant is to go through a good bar, then Purnells Bistro is quite probably top of the hit parade. 

Ginger’s Bar embraces the relaxed vibes of Manhattan, inspired by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, the decor and ambience is cool and collected with smart re-mastered classic cocktails. Ruth and I have visited numerous times, The Negroni is superb, the Old fashioned glitters. The Gin Martini possibly the best in Birmingham. 

Purnells Bistro offers a menu inspired by rustic British fare. It is very much ‘rustic home cooking with an eclectic twist’ where dainty traditional food meets more exotic ingredients. Founded by Michelin Starred chef Glynn Purnell (his wonderful restaurant Purnells restaurant is around the corner) it shows his passion to good food in slick and chilled surroundings. 

The Bistro decor has a relaxed and pleasant feel with soft moody lighting which felt quite chilled and modern on a quiet Monday lunchtime. It’s semi fine dining, nice pared down tables, smart cutlery, it felt like a place to celebrate in, which was a good thing as it was Ruth’s Birthday in the lovely company of her Mum. 

On this occasion we went straight to the table rather than have a drink in the bar.    

    Old fashioned.

  Cocktails at Gingers.

  
  Purnells Bistro

  Ginger’s Bar

 

We ate off the Extended Weekend menu. Which is on offer only on a Monday where all items on the menu (including bar food menu) have discounts up to 50% off, which I think is a great deal.    Having settled in the Bistro, which wasn’t surprisingly quiet for a Monday lunch time, we were given some pleasant rather than spectacular bread to have as we looked at the menu. 

 
The starter I ordered Potato and Gruyere terrine, poached egg, Autumn Purée, potato crisp, bursting with flavour of the assertive Gruyere cheese, into an earthy noted and Moreish terrine, with a runny egg to give the depth of luxury into what mounted to a lovely brunch like dish. The purée adding a seasonal harmony or just simply shouting I am lunch. A real starter of note. 

    Potato and Gruyere terrine, poached egg, Autumn Green purée, potato crisp.  £3.00

Pumpkin Risotto, Goats Cheese, Watercress. £7.25.  

So onto the main course. Risotto’s fall into three camps for me. The not good at all, bland, grainy, why? The ok, (so many Italian restaurants in Birmingham do it this way) and the wow risotto, I’ve had two in my life. One in Florence (of course) deep earthy mushrooms, in season, outside in the evening sun. Then the best of all at Raymond Blanc’s gastranomic temple that is Le Manoir Aux Saison another Wild mushroom and Alba Truffle concoction (again in season) that blew me away and remains to this day the best I’ll probably ever eat. I vowed to not eat another risotto again, this lasted for only six months until the Asparagus season began, but still I feel Risotto desire when I think about it.

So began the journey to another temptress the (Pumpkin, goats cheese and watercress Risotto.)

The discovery pleased me, as it proved to be the second most enjoyable Risotto I’ve ever had in the UK. 

The best Risottos  are the simple ones, less is more. Pumpkins slap bang in the Autumn/Winter season, with harmonious gentle goats cheese. Soothing, comforting, satisfying, with plenty of deep seasonal flavour . A well executed risotto that surprised me. A triumph of simple things done simply well and with the confidence to lavish love on a plate. A stylish plate of food.

We also ordered some excellent seasonal vegetables that were a welcome addition. 

  Pumpkin Risotto, goats cheese, watercress. A bargain.

  Seasonal vegetables. £1.37.

By this time I was glowing like a glow worm on a sunny day, and felt impassioned to dive into a gooey pudding. So I ordered the most gooey and chocolatey pudding on the menu, the Dark Chocolate cheesecake, ‘Cafe Liegeois’, Amaretti crumble. An elegant and refined desert without been fussy. Deep, dark chocolate, with a swish of coffee flavour from the cafe Liegeois, beautifully presented on a black slate, the amaretti crumble deconstructed and adding the desired crunch against the soft cheesecake. 

A lovely elegant desert, again like my starter, rustic refined. 

Suffice to say Ruth had a good Birthday lunch. She had the meaty type of food. Enough said. 

    Dark Chocolate Cheesecake ‘Cafe Liegeois’ amaretti crumble. £4.86 Warm Ginger Sponge-rum and raisin ice cream. £4.76, went down well also, with plenty of ginger flavour. 

We also enjoyed a bottle of Chardonnay, Blue Ridge wine from Bulgaria. 

   

Purnells Bistro serve the bistro classics well. In fact on this occasion with excellence. The food is simpler more rustic than Purnells Restaurant, less experimental, but it’s joy to eat such flavoursome and hearty Vegetarian dishes where ingredients are seasonal and treated the right way and presented beautifully. Made by a kitchen that takes pride in their dishes.

Maybe it’s the pedantic and greedy veggie nature in me, but it would be nice to have more options across the menu, (maybe specials) as vegetarian cooking this good shouldn’t be hid under a bushell, but should be delivered with aplomb, ambition, enthusiasm, and dare I say a bit more added variation to the standard (but well made) vegetarian  pasta and risotto model. 

Though this is only an opinion, I add that Purnells Bistro is a lovely restaurant, where service is excellent and a classy bar meets a clever bistro that shows talent and a sure touch, excellent for celebrations or an informal meal, but i can’t help thinking it could do much more with those seasonal simple (vegetable) ingredients. 

Now that would be a Bistro that’s not feeding only the darkness of the  Vegetarian past, but the authentic magic of new bistro vegetarian dining. But, that risotto…Mmm, was a joy to behold.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy😊

We paid for our meal and drinks in full. All thoughts and opinions are my honest opinion as always. 

Purnells Bistro and Gingers Bar, 11 Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 3NY.

0121-200-1588.

http://purnellsbistro-gingers.com/

https://m.facebook.com/PurnellsBistroAndGingersBar/

https://twitter.com/purnellsbistro?lang=en-gb

New Purnell’s Bistro Spring Menu.   

New Spring menu at Purnells Bistro With a lovely sounding Aubergine Rotolo and an interesting cream of onion Risotto. Two solid and nice looking options. 

  

Free food for workers at Amantia…Muchas gracias!

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Lunch, Lunch deals, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

How often do you get offered a free lunch? 

One local Birmingham restaurant looks set to change that this month, with the launch of a new initiative for city centre workers.

Amantia, authentic Spanish restaurant which opened its doors on Bennetts Hill 12 months ago, is launching ‘Free Food Friday’ every third Friday of the month, to offer one team of up to ten Brummie workers a free lunchtime feast.

Aimed at any business operating within reach of its location, the restaurant will provide two tapas dishes per person for the winning team, to either eat in the restaurant or take the dishes away to enjoy at their place of work.

Marta Retenaga, owner of Amantia, said: “Birmingham has given us such a warm welcome in our first year of opening and we wanted to give a little something back. Everyone deserves a treat once in a while and as the third Friday – the week before payday – is often the tightest on our pockets, we thought this would be the ideal time to share a little Spanish spirit.”

With plenty of Vegetarian options on the menu, Veggies are well catered for too, and who can resist the Blue Cheese and Spinach croquetas, probably the best in Birmingham or the Tortilla Patata. 

http://www.amantiarestaurant.co.uk/#!tapas/ccw7

  
  

The first Free Food Friday will take place on Friday 18th March.

Those who wish to try their luck at winning a free lunch for their team can visit Amantia’s website 

http://www.amantiarestaurant.co.uk/  

and enter their contact details on the Free Food Friday page.

Winners will be announced via social media and direct contact on the Thursday before to arrange their free meal.

If you love Spanish food you’ll love Amantia. See my review: 

http://t.co/bTPHI9j2RH



  

Croquetas at Amantia. 

 

  
For more information visit Amantia’s website or social media pages: 

http://www.amantiarestaurant.co.uk/

@RestAmantia: Twitter.

Amantia-Restaurant: Facebook.

http://www.amantiarestaurant.co.uk/#!freefoodfriday/csab

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

BrewDog beers to now carry Vegan Society Trademark. 

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, beer, Birmingham, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

BrewDog is set to name 23 of its beers, including flagship beers Punk IPA and Five AM Red, Vegan Friendly and will carry The Vegan Society’s Trademark from This month (March).

BrewDog who brew their Beer in Scotland has rejected the use of isinglass, (or fish guts) a product derived from dried fish bladders and traditionally used as part of the fining of beer. (That amazingly Brewers still use) 

So dictating that dietary requirements won’t keep people out of its bars and allows Vegans and Vegetarians that space to relax and not have to ask the bartender that awkward question that they can never answer with conviction. ‘Is this beer suitable for vegetarians  or vegans?’ 

In place of isinglass, Brewdog use a “rock and roll centrifuge” (look it up, I had too) to clarify their beer, thereby making it suitable for Vegans and heavy metal fans who will be hoping this is not another rock and roll suicide to BrewDog. 

(End of Puns) 

Also, all tap handles will be clearly labelled ‘vegan friendly’ too. 

Also available will be a wider range of gluten free and alcohol free Beers.

The Vegan Trademark is the internationally renowned standard for products that are free of all animal use, seen on products since 1990.

BrewDog opened its first bar in 2010 and now has 30 bars across the UK. 

Hopefully this will be a trend that others may follow. 

One of my veggie foodie wishes would be for clearer labelling on bottles and for beers sold on tap in bars and pubs. It’s time to progress in this area. 

Birmingham’s BrewDog is located at 81-87 John Bright Street, near New Street Station next to Turtle Bay restaurant and almost opposite the fab and top bottled beer bods Cherry Reds. 

https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/birmingham

https://twitter.com/BrewDogBirm?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.facebook.com/BrewDogOfficial

Read about BrewDog vegan friendly labelling here:

https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/brewed-for-vegans

  
   

Thanks for reading, and happy drinking.

Andy 😊

For more details on the vegan society trademark see here: 

https://www.vegansociety.com/your-business/vegan-trademark-standards

All photos courtesy of BrewDog and The Vegan Society.