Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.
The food at Fallowfields was a wondrous surprise. They try to source as much as possible from their kitchen garden and the animals that they have in the grounds. I apologise profusely for the lack of photos of the lunch that we had; technology was not my friend that day. The food was very well executed and with head Chef Shaun Dickens’ pedigree it’s no surprise.
How many times should you have to visit a restaurant to work out what it’s actually like? Perhaps I should rephrase this. How much money should you have to spend in a restaurant to work out the quality of the food and service?
Let’s take the first question. If the chef is having a bad day, they’re short on staff and really busy it might not necessarily be the most incredible olfactory experience you’ve ever had. Take the opposite scenario where everything is perfect, how come you can still leave hideously disappointed? There are so many factors involved but despite any issues the establishment is having, we the customer, should be the priority.
Several things can occur when out for a meal. One of these is that the food you order is made from poor ingredients and cooked badly, another could be that the dish is too complex and cooked terribly. My favourite meals out are those where excellent ingredients are cooked to perfection in a simple way and The Royal Oak at Ecchinswell does exactly this.
The menu looked very promising, choosing what to have was the only issue. I decided to forgo a starter and save room for pudding for a very good reason; the head chef here had, at one time, been the second best pastry chef in France. I’m not sure anyone would ignore the pudding menu knowing that.
I trust very few people when they tell me if a restaurant is good or bad. All of these select people went to The White Hart (after its recent reopening) before I’d had a chance and to say they were less than impressed would be somewhat of an understatement. However, I have learnt recently that a poor first experience is not always a fair representation of a restaurant although, to be honest, why should you put up with a poor experience when you’re paying for it? That’s another matter.
This was a gifted meal.
Glo restaurant in Reading might be one that you walk right past without even noticing it. It is slightly understated and doesn’t make a meal of itself. I have to say that I thought Glo was a chain and it was all mass produced microwaved food. I was invited to review this restaurant by a PR company. It turned out that in fact the food is locally sourced and freshly prepared on site.
There are grills, pizzas, curries and all sorts; something for everyone. They also have an extensive range of cocktails and some rather inviting combinations and flavours. It was nice to see that the non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu had been considered and were not just an afterthought. The picture is of a delicious mango lassi and it took us a while to realise the swirls actually spelled something out!
I visited a friend in London over the weekend and we took ourselves out for some cocktails. I had been invited (by a PR company) to go to Pierres Bar in La Brasserie in Kensington. It’s in a lovely location and it’s just the right size to have atmosphere without being cramped. The staff were all lovely and seemed genuinely interested in making sure we were catered for in every way.
I didn’t take many pictures as I was too busy tucking in to the cocktails! I’m not a cocktail expert but when they’re using a fresh watermelon to make your martini instead of an ominous looking watermelon flavouring it’s going to be good.
The Red House at Marsh Benham jumps out at you as you drive down the road and I had been meaning to go for some time. There was no point in going for a half arsed meal; I wanted to go for a proper one. I’m not sure I’ve been to a place that is both modern and outdated at the same time. The garden is modern, the bar and bar area are modern but as soon as you step over the threshold into the restaurant it is like stepping over the threshold to the 1990s. The bottle green patterned carpets and red velvet chairs should have been replaced when the rest of the restaurant was updated. Fortunately the food distracted me from the décor.
I have spent much time wandering around Reading trying to find somewhere half decent to eat that wasn’t the London Street Brasserie. I feel like I exhausted the Brasserie a long time ago and if you’re wondering, they do fantastically good puddings. I wanted good food at a reasonable price and I found exactly that.
Forbury’s looks a bit pretentious from a distance but when you read the blackboard outside you’ll find you can have 3 courses for £14. For that price, you can’t complain! It’s a really airy, modern, light space with all these newfangled flower arrangements and the like but what they are truly about is wine. What I am truly not about is the waiter being so obviously uninterested in us when we declare that despite being in a wine bar we’d rather not have a glass of wine. He looked like he was about to vomit each time we raised our offensive soft drinks to our mouths.
There were so many tempting things on the menu I couldn’t decide what to have. I decided to start with Gazpacho. I’ve never had it before and thought that this would be the perfect place and time to do so. I was fully aware that it was a cold soup but despite this knowledge it was still a complete and utter surprise. It looks like tomato soup, it smells like tomato soup, they’ve given you a soup spoon but none of this prepares you for the first mouthful. It’s a strange and wonderful sensation and was lovely. Vibrant, fresh, clean and delicate Gazpacho is definitely something I will have again.
The main course was Spring vegetable risotto. I was craving asparagus, courgettes and peas and the risotto did not disappoint. It was exactly what I wanted although a bit more generosity with the Parmesan would have made it a little better. There was what looked like turf planted on top of the risotto but it turned out to be tarragon. Fortunately there wasn’t an abundance of it as too much aniseed can ruin a meal.
By this point I had consumed tomatoes, various green vegetables and a little rice. I was feeling a little bit well behaved, threw caution to the wind and ordered dessert. It was a bright mango parfait. Two very generous slabs were consumed with gusto. It seemed to have little pieces of toffee or honeycomb along with pistachio embedded in the parfait. This was surrounded by mango and raspberry coulis and raspberries themselves.
Things got a little weird at the end of the meal. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and tea and coffee was being enjoyed amidst much merriment. Suddenly this bubble was burst as, without warning, the bill was put on the side of the table. The bill had not been asked for. There are restaurants where I wish the bill would turn up as I’m so bored of waiting and trying my hardest to get the attention of the waiter. On this occasion, we were the only people in the restaurant and they couldn’t have made it more obvious they wanted us out.
I am very confused about this meal. Considering the meal was £14 for 3 courses I was pretty impressed and I’d love to go back and sample some of their A La Carte menu it all sounded incredible. However, the service did not match up to the food. If you’re in Reading and bored of the restaurants on the riverside, venture out a little. You’ll be surprised what you might find.
All That I’m Eating
I have had the debate for a long time that good service can change an average meal into an exceptional one. There are some that disagree and say that the food speaks for itself. It tends to be that the better the food, the better the service but I have had some atrocious service in supposed excellent restaurants and impeccable service in a Café.
One particular level of service that I’m not sure will ever be beaten was at a 2 Michelin starred saloon. Before even opening my mouth I was informed that my friend was waiting for me and that drinks were already at the table. How did they know who I was and who I was meeting? I find that sort of thing pretty impressive. The food is always incredible but would it be the same if the staff weren’t so exceptional? This level of service I like to have once in a while otherwise all other service would be a catastrophe in comparison.
When service is terrible, does the food taste different? I think so. I once had Quail and wild mushroom tagliatelle in a very popular restaurant. I like Quail, I like mushrooms and I like tagliatelle. Did I like this? No. Now was it because the food was poor or was it because the staff were some sort of joke. They were terrible to us – most likely because I wasn’t smothered in Jack Wills and Ralph Lauren. How can a restaurant allow its staff to be so judgemental and downright rude.
I once arrived at a restaurant and were stared at by members of staff in the car park – what was that even about? It’s not like I arrive in a Veyron but then I didn’t arrive in a Reliant Robin either. This restaurant has won several awards and even after being given a complimentary starter because the Yorkshire puddings hadn’t been cooked, when you’re sitting at the worst table in the restaurant – despite the fact it wasn’t full – you can see how the meal could be influenced. I certainly don’t want to overhear the bar staff talking about their Saturday night pursuits of drinking and violently vomiting while I’m trying to eat.
Both of the above restaurants are expensive and pretentious. I very recently enjoyed a six course meal with wine to match each course. This was £40 a head. Not only was it a bargain but the service was so amazing it shames the more expensive places. Did I like this meal more because of the quality of the food or because of the quality of the service? I’m pretty sure I liked it more because of the bounteous amount of booze I had consumed.
Maybe I’m expecting too much service for the money. You can see why I’m confused. Which affects the other the most? Take two bowls of the same carrot soup, would it taste the same in a place where you felt like the least important person in the room compared to a place where you are treated exquisitely. All this is before we’ve even factored the atmosphere, your personal mood and the restaurant design into the equation.
If an eatery has been deemed so fashionable that they need minimal lighting, can you really enjoy squinting at the menu to decipher what it is you’d like to order. If the restaurant has been set up like an assault course and to get to your table there’s a risk you can break your ankle on a precariously placed hand bag strap this might cast a cloud over your evening. If you eventually arrive at your destination after shouting at the sat-nav, declaring all road signs as ridiculous and no longer speaking to the people you share your car with, you can see how your experience could be hampered.
Where do you stand?
All That I’m Eating
If you are driving along the A4, the A34 or the M4 you must make sure you get off, break the driving stupor you’ve gotten yourself into and treat yourself to a truly wonderful experience.
It’s not just the food and the fact they always have specials on, it’s the service and the atmosphere that’s impeccable.
Get this.
We were eating a relatively boring, dull, same old food meal at a different restaurant which is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the area. All the waiting staff are under 12 I swear. Anyway, apparently I don’t qualify to be told that they have Chateaubriand on. Nor, was I allowed to then change my mind and order it when I overheard about it. Bear in mind I asked to change during my starter…before they kitchen would have started cooking my main (one would hope anyway). And so, 20 minutes later they bought me my main course. Was the fact that I really didn’t like it because it was bad food or because it was marred by the fact that they didn’t want to help?
