Great British Menu Finals week. Go Aktar!

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If like me you have been following the Great British Menu on BBC 2 in recent weeks, you will know that the finals of the competition for 2014  are starting on Monday 2nd June and continuing all week until Friday 6th June when the banquet will be held.

Birmingham’s own Aktar Islam, Chef Director of acclaimed Lasan Restaurant in Birmingham’s St Paul’s Square area (apt) is competing against 7 other chefs. Only 4 of them will get the honour to go to St Paul’s Cathedral to cook a very special banquet to honour the men and women who gave so much for our country. The banquet itself will be televised on Friday 6th June, the 70th Anniversary of D Day.

I have always loved Aktar’s food and Lasan restaurant is one of the jewels in Birmingham’s fine food scene. As a veggie I have enjoyed some superb food over the years. See my review to come shortly of Lasan Restaurant.

On watching the Central region’s heat I loved and admired Aktar’s desert choice, (always a good section of the programme for veggies) called ‘Victory is Sweet’ which proved sweet for the judges in the heat. Aktar’s take on the queen of puddings featured  a Winston Churchill cigar filled with ganache, plus crumble, meringue, a quinelle of raspberry sorbet and spun sugar crowns. The judges said it was ‘the perfect pudding’ giving it a perfect score of 10 all round, making 40 points of sweet indulgence!. Fantastic!

The competition will be tough as there are some great chefs and competitors on show.

It should be a great week on the Great British Menu (GBM).

I wish Aktar a great week, we are rooting for you. Go Aktar! Go Birmingham!

 

Lasan Restaurant

3,4 Dakota Buildings

James Street

St Paul’s Square

Birmingham

West Midlands

B3 1SD

0121 212 3664

http://www.lasan.co.uk

@lasan

@aktarislam

@gbmofficial

@gbchefs

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com

 

 

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

Alfie Bird’s gourmet eats and beats opening soon

Posted in Bars and Pubs by

Alfie Birds is a brand new bar and gourmet destination opening in Birmingham’s Custard Factory, Digbeth area near Birmingham City Centre.

It will open its doors on the 23rd, 24th and 25th May with a special launch Bank Holiday weekend of music, and food.

Over three floors Alfie Birds will seduce us with stone baked pizzas, craft beer, cocktails and live music.

Alfie Birds is on the site of the old Medicine Bar which I remember well in the Custard Factory, and has been set up by Damien Fell and Andrew Purvis to offer gourmet eats and beats to the Digbeth area of the city.

There will be live performances and DJ’s on offer most weekends and the food will be affordable and will have good vegetarian options.

Details of their opening nights can be found on their website http://www.alfiebirds.co.uk or via Facebook or twitter.

Tickets can be purchased from http://www.seetickets.com

Alfie Birds is sure to be a fun and funky venue.

It should be quite an independent venue for Birmingham to savour.

Update on the 16th May 2014 via twitter.

@Alfiebirds: @andydhare At the moment we’ve got 1 vegan, 2 veggie, 3 fish/sea food & the rest meat options however we make them fresh so can do more 🙂

http://www.alfiebirds.co.uk
@alfiebirds
@independentB’ham
@custardfactory

The Blue Piano restaurant and bar

Posted in Uncategorised by

After the Edgbaston.

My wife and I have always been big fans of The Blue Piano’s sister restaurant Blue Ginger in Kings Heath. So we had always been keen to try their Edgbaston restaurant and bar.

The Blue Piano is a family run restaurant specialising in real South East Asian cuisine from Singapore,Cambodia and Malaysia. A culinary delight of flavours, if Blue Ginger is anything to go by.

First though we had to find it. Remember we had been to the new Edgbaston bar, and had a couple of seductive cocktails. We left the bar and found ourselves on Highfield Road, now I’ve never been very good at knowing my left from my right so I suddenly felt confused. We managed to find it but we were slightly late for our dinner reservation due to the aforementioned cocktails, and Highfield Road seemed unfamiliar and not a bit like Kings Heath High Street.

I plumped for left (good choice) and eventually after 5,minutes we found The Blue Piano ( no thanks I add to Google maps though). Even when we reached the restaurant we still weren’t convinced we had found the right place due to the look of the building, which is Victorian, but seemed like an old run down hotel or even care home. Anyway, we walked in and again became confused as there wasn’t anyone around to greet us. Then, as if by magic a waitress appeared and looked pleased to see us even though we advised that we were 15 minutes late.

Not to worry though. On sitting down we noticed the restaurant was split into a number of rooms, and was very quiet and didn’t have a piano . There was quiet jazz music in the background which was pleasant.

On looking at the menu we found some familiar and unfamiliar dishes from Blue Ginger in Kings Heath.

We decided to share a vegetarian platter for two (though my wife isn’t vegetarian she like veggie food. Good job I say!).

The sharing plate we chose includes what could be my all time favourite dish. The carrot cake. It is not sweet, but is a sticky spicy wonder of subtle flavours that is superb. The cake refers to the way the rice flour binds the ingredients. It is spiced gently and has carrots, mooli, rice cakes and spices which was equally as good at Blue Ginger.

Also included in the platter was a dish called Popiah which is a fujan spring roll- a mini pancake rolled and filled with vegetables, which was crisp and spiced perfectly so that it complimented the carrot cake. Finally the platter included sweet potato fries, which are Ginger infused sweet potato wrapped in rice paper and deep fried. Anything deep fried is good by me, and these went perfectly with the subtlety spiced dipping sauce and as a whole dish was a superb introduction.

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By this time we were feeling very relaxed and content.

The main course I ordered was the shitake mushroom, green bean, cauliflower, and sweet potato green curry. This was delicious. A green curry cooked with coconut which was of medium strength and had a superbly subtle flavour. It was beautifully cooked. The vegetables all complimented each other, and the gentle coconut flavour wrapped itself around them like a warm duvet. We had ordered a rothi paratha bread which is good for mopping up the sauce like a naan, and the jasmine steamed rice which I find thickens the sauce if combined and gives any curry an extra dimension in flavour and consistency. The dish was superb. There were also three other main course vegetarian dishes which also looked lovely.

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We passed on deserts as we felt quite full and instead ordered two coffees to finish a fine night.

Throughout we found the service to be friendly, informative and prompt.

The Blue Piano is a superb restaurant. It has many qualities, it is good value for food which is made with such skill and care. It is in a building that has character though was quiet on the night we visited, but when it has live music (on a Friday) would be full of atmosphere. It has a lovely garden for parties and chilling with a beer. It has superb vegetarian options, with plenty of choice. Always a bonus.

We noticed it has a good value lunch menu of two courses for £9.50.
Superb value for the dishes on offer.

Once upon a time Edgbaston seemed sleepy and a place you drove through. Now it has good food options, and with The Edgbaston bar nearby makes for a good night out with that special foodie combination of good cocktails, drinks and food.

The old Edgbaston has moved out it seems and the new one has moved in, a bit more smart, more confident and more discerning.

The Blue Piano’s food certainly feels and tastes the part and we should all be pleased about that.

The Blue Piano restaurant and bar
26 Harborne Road,
Birmingham,
B15 3AA

http://www.thebluepiano.co.uk

0121 454 6877

@Bluepianobham

The Edgbaston Bar, Birmingham Five Ways

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The Edgbaston bar is a bit like your glitzy and glamorous friend that you always want to be around. It is the epitome of sophistication and cool.

The Edgbaston is the sister bar and boutique hotel of The Kenilworth in Kenilworth. The Kenilworth has won numerous bar and cocktail awards and is the place to go and be seen.

The Edgbaston certainly has a Mayfair like location. Well healed it certainly is!

So why were my wife and I there I hear you say? Well we like cocktails and we had visited the Kenilworth a few weeks earlier, had a lovely indulgent stay and yes superb cocktails.

So being foodies we thought we would combine it with a visit to The Blue Piano (see review to come) 5 minutes away. A great combination we think for a night out.

On entering we were warmly greeted by name by the Maître d’ Kate Hands and the owner Stuart Insall and shown into a large cocktail lounge which can only be described as stunning and yes, glamorous. People were chattering and seemed very keen to devour the cocktails and taste this new memorable Edgbaston experience. There are two other smaller rooms, including a library space for chilling.

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The menu is huge and I mean huge! There were so many cocktails on the menu I thought that maybe we would need to stay over to sample them all. Yet, being simple folk and yes traditionalist (well a little!. Maybe next time) we chose two Martinis. We thought classy, stylish, perfect!
They were superb, the gin certainly hit the spot and were well balanced. We felt that they were the best we’d had in Birmingham. Most probably perfect!

As we still had time to go to dinner we ordered two more cocktails, but not from the menu. I ordered a Negroni (a Classic Italian aperitif made with Campari, gin again! And vermouth) my wife a dirty martini. My negroni was superb, the best I’d had outside of Italy and my wife enjoyed her dirty martini. We were impressed that the bar made these for us as they were not on the menu and they were stunning!

Throughout the service was spot on. Friendly, informative. The staff generally care and have a very welcoming approach that will surely be a success with its guests and customers.

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By that time we were feeling happy on cocktails and running slightly late for our dinner, and had no idea where The Blue Piano was from the Edgbaston Bar. Did we find it? You will have to wait and see:)

There are plans (from this weekend) to serve food. It will be small plates with a BBQ as well ( I will explore this another time).

The Edgbaston bar is above all a classy place to go for a celebration or to just chill before dinner (Simpsons Restaurant is also nearby) or with friends. We will certainly return and have some more stunning cocktail creations. Yes, the Edgbaston is a fine creation in itself. Trendy, slick and cool.

Welcome to Birmingham Mayfair.

http://www.theedgbaston.co.uk

01926 779473

@TheEdgbaston

Peel & Stone New bakery opening Jewellery Quarter

Posted in Bakery by

As revealed in the Birmingham Mail last Friday there is a new bakery opening in Birmingham. Which is very exciting!

Peel & Stone will be based on Water Street under the train arch near Snow Hill station in the city (near the Jewellery Quarter and St Paul’s Square). The bakery will provide bread, brioche, burger buns, and sourdough to the public and to resturants and outlets.

They will also have a fully transportable wood fired oven by Soul Food Project which will allow it to be taken into the community, for weddings and parties.

This Saturday 10th May 12pm-6pm Peel & Stone are holding an open day where fresh bread, Buns, Pastries and Doughnuts will be available.

For orders email, bakery@peelandstone.co.uk

http://www.peelandstone.co.uk

Twitter: @peelandstone