OUT IN BRUM

A Taste of Japan by Tim Anderson at The Balcony, Selfridges

Posted on March 9, 2016 by outinbrum

Last week, we were lucky enough to be invited to The Balcony in Selfridges where MasterChef winner Tim Anderson was hosting an evening of Japanese flavours as part of their Taste of Japan campaign which has been running across all departments.

The evening introduced us to Tim’s cooking, which is best described as traditional Japanese cooking with a modern twist.

Since winning Masterchef in 2011, Tim has used his time to expand his culinary business. His repertoire now includes being a freelance chef, food writer, consultant, and his latest addition, opening Nanban Japanese soul food restaurant in Brixton, which also lends it’s name to the latest must have cookbook to hit the shelves.

The evening started with a glass of Prosecco in the bar area of The Balcony where everyone could relax and mingle before dinner, prior to being introduced to the evening’s menu by Tim.

Our first dish was Yaki Imo, which was a baked sweet potato with ponzu butter and sesame salt. My fellow diner for the evening was a real hater of sweet potato and was dreading this dish. However, the soft and succulent portion of purple buttery loveliness that greeted us was nothing like any sweet potato either of us had tried before and he was won over.

This course was served with a Tedorigawa Junmai Yamahai Sake which went great with the pickles.

Second up was Chicken Karaage, marinated deep-fried chicken thighs. Tim had introduced this as his JFC dish (Japanese Fried Chicken) and it didn’t disappoint.

My only experience to date of Japanese chicken dishes has been the Chicken Katsu Curry at Yakinoro, which I think everyone knows is a personal favourite. Tim’s JFC hit the spot for both of us with moist, succulent meat, surrounded by an uber-crisp coating. The closest I have come to this dish before would be the buttermilk chicken at The Butcher’s Social. A pickle plate of fennel, cucumber and radishes accompanied these first round of taster plates. Our friend and fellow foodie @SKCWitter had recently told us (much to our disbelief until we checked wikipedia) that KFC is MASSIVE in Japan for a Christmas day family meal! Here’s a link if you don’t believe me.

Onto the main event. I think most people had been excited to get to the Ramen having heard the description on the event page and also seeing such an evocative picture on the cover of Tim’s cookbook, which had been strategically placed at the entry of the restaurant.

I don’t think anybody present was anything other than impressed when the bowl of Ramen Soki Soba was placed in front of them. Okinawan-style pork ribs in katsu dashi, with nira, pickled ginger, bean sprouts and a tea-pickled egg with a delicious, slightly gelatinous yolk. This dish was served with a bottle of Hitachino Classic Ale.

The dessert I think was always going to be a challenge for both of us. The combination of banana miso ice cream, with black sugar syrup,
kinako and castella cake was always going to be a unpopular dish on our table as we were both banana haters. With the help of a glass of Hibiki Harmony whisky, I managed about half of the ice cream before having to admit defeat and scrape it off to get at the cake underneath. I can see, and appreciate the flavours being used, but the banana won the battle as the main taste and I just couldn’t do it.

After the meal, and whilst the staff who had been very attentive all night struggled to serve us green tea under the weight of the beautiful cast iron tea pots we love at The Balcony, there was opportunity to meet and have a chat with Tim. He signed plenty of copies of his new cookbook (£17).

The Balcony in Selfridges is open all day and serves up a choice of brunch, afternoon tea or and lunch and dinner, and has started to host guest chefs for special events including over the past few months Tim Anderson, and Anthony Demetre. Keep an eye on their twitter for more events to come.

It was a freebie dinner but we paid for beers. See our reciprocity promise here.

Posted in Article | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | Leave a comment

English Wine Takeover at The Bond

Posted on March 7, 2016 by outinbrum

We love wine, we love The Bond, what’s not to like?!

The Food & Drink Events Company are once again teaming up with a number of exciting
UK vineyards to put even more English Wine on the tables of Birmingham this May.

After a successful festival in 2015, the English Wine Takeover (in partnership with trade association, English Wine Producers) is back on Sunday 15^th – Saturday 21^st May with even more producers, bars and retailers involved. Tickets start at around £15.

The week long celebration culminates in a wine festival at The Bond Company on Saturday 21st May. The festival will showcase English wines from around the country, giving discerning drinkers the chance to meet producers and experience a range of tastings, food pairings and innovative masterclasses.

Confirmed producers range from the multi-award winning sparkling wine makers Gusbourne, to local producers Halfpenny Green Vineyard (based just 25 miles away from Birmingham).

Clive Vickers (founder and Winemaker at Halfpenny Green Vineyard) commented on the event, “English wine is experiencing a huge surge in popularity and is winning accolades and awards in both national and international competitions. We’re excited to be involved in this year’s English Wine Takeover. It’s a fantastic opportunity to teach wine lovers about the virtues of the fantastic products which are being made here in England.”

Also returning to the festival is Astley Vineyards, whose delicious dessert wines proved to be a real hit with last year’s attendees.

Amy Seton (Managing director of The Food & Drink Events Company) shared this “The goal of the event is to encourage people to come and try new things. English sparkling has gained a great reputation but English wine is more than just bubbles. There are lots of producers and vineyards making some stunning red, white, rosé and even dessert wines. We’ve created the event to showcase fantastic English producers and to give attendees a great educational and enjoyable day out.”

As well as delicious wines, the festival will offer attendees a unique day out. With local food offerings from Jewellery Quarter favorite, The 8 Foot Grocer, and entertainment taking place throughout the day. Attendees have the option of starting the day with a VIP sparkling brunch by the canal or standard entry, which starts from just £15 (not including booking fee).

Tickets for the English Wine Takeover Festival go on sale on Tuesday 1st March at 12pm. For more information and to book a place, head to the ticket page. For other information about the partners, events and vineyards, head to our website.

Some attendees have now been announced:

a’beckett’s – Producer of predominately still varities, great harvests have meant that they do make some sparkling wine. Paul’s (vineyard owner) driving passion when establishing the vineyard was to produce red wine which may account for the 65% Pinot Noir planting.

Astley Vineyards – A favourite from last year, we’re very pleased to welcome Astley back for 2016. Try some delicious vintages from this small, but perfectly formed vineyard in Worcester. Since the first significant production in 1983 it has consistently won awards in every year. All their wines are Quality Wine status (PDO).

English Wine Producers – The EWP team will be bringing their expertise and knowledge of the wonderful world of English Wine. Sip, learn and find out more from the experts at the English Wine Takeover!

Gusbourne – “English Wine Producer of the Year” at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). Gusbourne will be bringing a beautiful selection of their sparkling wines for you to taste.

Halfpenny Green – It was the vision of farmer Martin Vickers 30 years ago to plant a vineyard that would one day match continental sites. Today, 30 acres of vines are managed by Martin and produce award-winning wines crafted by his son Clive.

Three Choirs – Three Choirs Vineyards produce a range of award-wining English wines – all grapes are grown on their two estates at Newent Gloucestershire and Wickham Hampshire and all wine making is undertaken at their modern purpose built winery at Newent.

Warden Abbey Community Vineyard – Nestled between the picturesque villages of Old Warden and Cardington, vines were first planted on this beautiful Bedfordshire field in medieval times by monks at the Cistercian Abbey of Warden. Centuries later, the Whitbread family re-planted the monks’ “Lyttel Vineyard” in 1986, and went on to produce award-winning wines right up to their last vintage in 2008. Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity now lease the vineyard in an ambitious project to provide a unique community and educational resource – and are carrying on the tradition of making medal winning wines.

Wiston Estate – We’re very pleased to announce that Wiston Estate are sponsoring our “VIP Bubbly Brunch” this year. The Wiston Estate has been owned and managed by the Goring family since 1743. It’s multi-award winning products are putting English wine on tables around the world.

With many more to be announced!

Posted in Article | Tagged birmingham wine, birmingham wine festival, english wine birmingham, english wine festival, wine festival the bond | Leave a comment

Resorts World (The World of Last Resort)

Posted on February 27, 2016 by outinbrum

Vegas-ification of the UK leisure industry has hit Birmingham in the last few months in the form of Resorts World. Spend spend spend say the neon lights – shop, eat, drink, gamble, catch a flick, all in the comfort of a single building. Resorts World has been thrown up to look over the lake at the NEC, I’m not sure whether it’s supposed to be a destination for conference goers who could arrive by foot but getting there by public transport is a bit of a pain (train to airport then a walk from there). I’ve made three trips now, eaten in two venues, drunk in three, watched a film, and bought items from a couple of the outlet shops. I’ve done that because it’s been convenient when I’ve needed to be at the airport (drop off, pick up) and when I needed to buy gifts from Clagau (pronounced “clog-i”, it’s a Welsh gold brand).

Walking over one January evening from the airport was a little intimidating as groups of youths have obviously decided this is a place to be now instead of Stab City. They were congregating and climbing over the lit up NEC letters on the roundabout. Arriving by car isn’t much better, the parking is ridiculous. It reminded me of an Escher painting, all pillars and lanes narrowing to infinity. I have to wonder whether the design software had a fault – cars shouldn’t have to swerve chicanes to get out. It is quite cheap to park and if you do need to go and restock the wardrobe then you will find some bargains in the outlet shops of e.g. Next, Pringle, Gap and North Face. If you want to arrive by Taxi do check their taxi policy and choose a partner company or you may end up being turfed out at the “secondary drop off point” and made to walk through the wind and rain in your Gucci loafers and Louboutin heels to the bars and restaurants (as has happened to some friends).

One Sunday evening we went to try out the Skybar as the other half had a flight early on the Monday. It was shut. We had a drink in the Highline, a New York “inspired” bar, and then ate a slow and average meal at TGI Friday’s. We had considered eating in World Bar but after spending quite a while waiting for drinks while the teenage staff were busy chatting to each other, generally messing about, and going out for a smoke, we decided against it. We’ve been back for drinks there since and it was no better.

The following Friday, on the evening I was picking up the other half from Birmingham airport, I thought I’d catch a film, so I went along to see The Danish Girl in one of the small screens. It was a reasonably nice cinema to attend. After the cinema I went back to the Highline for a quick bite to eat. It was quite busy. I was a bit put out that the bouncer (Bouncer! At about 7.30pm in a restaurant!) did the full toe-to-head review of my dress before looking me in the eye and saying someone would be with me shortly – I’d come straight from work and though it was dress down Friday I wasn’t scruffy. It took about forty-five minutes to be seated, have my order taken, be provided with food, and then the bill. I’m not sure if they didn’t want a solo diner, or whether they were very efficient and unaware that they were completely rushing me. I ordered the Reuben sandwich and truffle fries. The sad looking square of ciabatta (not Rye bread) with flavourless pastrami and rocket (Rocket! On a Reuben!) was a disappointment. I was given normal fries, not the truffle fries because “it came with it and I didn’t want to charge you extra”. Erm, but I asked for the more expensive ones. Not sure how the bar is New York inspired either, other than they’ve stuck up some wallpaper with the Statue of Liberty on it. It does look nice, I just don’t understand how it’s very NYC.

The fact I think it’s more Last Resort World than Resorts World doesn’t mean I won’t be back. It’s convenient for where I work, and for the airport runs, and sometimes I want the lowest possible common denominator place to pick up a cheap jumper and get a burger.

I haven’t mentioned what must be the anchor restaurant there – Waters – by well known midland Chef Andy Waters. We will travel there for dinner and review it separately, I’ve every expectation that his restaurant will be worth the trip in itself.

Posted in Area: Out of Birmingham, Article, Cuisine: Modern Mixed, Venue type: Restaurant | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | 1 Comment

Adam’s Restaurant on Waterloo Street

Posted on February 20, 2016 by outinbrum

We were not surprised to see on twitter that within weeks of Adam’s Restaurant moving from their “pop-up” twenty-eight cover venue on Bennett’s Hill to their new larger and permanent establishment on Waterloo Street that the Michelin guide inspectors just happened to be in the city. We’ve always felt that chef Adam Stokes is one to watch and are hopeful that he’ll be the first in the city to gain a second Michelin star. Whether you agree that the guide is “a tool of Gallic cultural imperialism” favouring a classic and formal French style, few would disagree that those venues who gain and keep their stars do offer something special, which is exactly what Adam’s is – something special.

With the larger restaurant and much larger kitchen (the size and utility of which other Birmingham chefs must be weeping over) comes more options for dining. You can now take a three course lunch for £35, a three course dinner for £60 (except Saturdays), or an 8 course taster menu for £85. We took the taster menu at the first sitting of the chef’s table. For larger parties the marble horseshoe chef’s table can seat around a dozen overlooking the pass. We had great fun watching our food getting prepared and cooked and then plated and checked. I’ve not had such a good view of a kitchen before. It was really captivating to watch the furrowed brows of chefs checking this and stirring that before presenting to the pass for its final finesse before service, or indeed on a couple of occasions to be rejected, with a moment of pique from chef, as sub-standard. You don’t have to book the entire chef’s table – you can just book a table for two. Alternatively for up to around fourteen guests there’s a private dining room, which is of course as elegant as the rest of the dining room and bar.

Service here comes with quiet efficiency and the warm smiles of people who know what they’re doing and want you to have a great time. Get chatting to one of the waiters and you may end up with a drop of his private stock of Port from his Portuguese home town, or comparing notes on the best Calvados with restaurant manager Marcellin, a Normandy native. Of course when it comes to the wine, sommelier Shaun will help you choose a spot-on wine match to go with your meal, whatever your budget (from £25 a bottle to hundreds).

Counting the chef’s snacks and chocolates we ate around sixteen different things. A tour de force, but not one that left the diner feeling bilious, the skills of menu balance here are impressive. As “snacks” (for which, read amuse-bouche) we had earthy beetroot macaron with goats cheese filling; steak tartare bites with miniature egg yolks; crab on the tastiest crispiest chicken skin; and juicy tempura prawns with silky bearnaise. On the horshoe chef’s table the waiters served from the inside and then chef explained what was offered. This was very effective and gave an opportunity for questions to the kitchen team including the imposing eponymous chef Adam Stokes, and to the other half of the Stokes team, Natasha.

After snacks came the best minestrone I’ve ever had with punchy sausage and sweet prawns. Then succulent veal sweetbreads with cauliflower and hen of the woods mushroom. Onward we had snow-white halibut with brown shrimp, shitake, and leek.

Next up was my stand-out dish of the night: hare with minus 8 vinegar, watercress, blue cheese, blackened onion, and chocolate. Sounds odd, no? The combination was like a magic trick, the earthy notes from the chocolate underlined the flavour of the hare and was punctuated by the blue cheese. Loved it, a very clever dish.

Next we had prawns with “popcorn” – sweetcorn shoots – an ingredient I’ve not had until this year but I’ve now had twice (the other time at Mortimer’s in Ludlow), so I think it’s safe to say it’ll be on-trend and coming to a restaurant near you soon. Then on to plump scallops with white onion, baby leeks, and rhubarb, followed by lamb with onion, miso, and fennel. I loved the next savoury dish of Tunworth cheese with cauliflower, and then we moved on to puddings.

First up was rhubarb with grated foie gras where the luxuriousness of the liver was cut through by the sweet sour rhubarb. Then rhubarb with nasturtium leaves and a “crumble” type ash. After the rhubarb parts one and two, we had aerated chocolate with an aerated sponge with mint and orange, and then finally, chocolates.

Wow. What a meal.

I’ve not yet talked about the wines. The taster menus can be taken with a well matched wine flight. With our dinner we had ten different wines with a good selection from all over the world. We started, of course, with a glass of Champagne Jacquart, then moved through France with a Limoux, on to Austria for a gruner veltliner, then to Australia for a what I think was a cabernet sauvignon from Promised Land, then Argentina for a lovely floral Torrentes (a current favourite), then California, Portugal, and Spain, before arriving back in blighty for a Nyetimber demi-sec sparkling, before completing our wine road trip in Sicily. Not a dud among them.

We’re a tough crowd to please. Not least because often when we go out as a group we have four significant dietary requirements – one pescatarian, one nut allergy, one shellfsh allergy, one dairy allergy. This was handled admirably and each diner had their own printed menus tailored to their various allergies. Even the wines were paired differently for the courses which were changed for those with dietary issues (or as I like to call them, the “fussy” eaters – only teasing!).

This is a place to go for a wonderful celebration, and now with the addition of the a la carte menu it can be more affordable, and gives an option for more frequent visits.

Excellent venue, staff, and food, they’ll continue to go far – maybe to the second star…

See below for more gratuitous foodie pictures.

A week in #Birmingham and there's a palpable sense of positivity surrounding the city and its restaurants #SecondCity #MichelinStars

— The MICHELIN Guide (@MichelinGuideUK) February 19, 2016

Posted in Area: Central Shopping, Area: Colmore Business District, Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Cuisine: Fine Dining, Cuisine: Modern Mixed, Price: Average, Price: Get your dad to pay - above average, Price: My eyes are watering - expensive, restaurant review, Venue type: Restaurant | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | Leave a comment

Silver Service and Steam with Vintage Trains

Posted on January 10, 2016 by outinbrum

Slam doors opened and we boarded the train accompanied by the quiet hiss of released steam impatiently waiting to push us off in to the winter morning. The mighty Earl of Mount Edgcumbe locomotive, silhouetted in early morning light, would take us to the Christmas market at Lincoln from Tyseley station, criss-crossing country tracks, tacking between obscure stations, and avoiding speeding intercity services. We took our comfortable paisley seats in the Pullman dining car and watched other passengers decide whether they’d sit facing where they were going or where they had been, while they chattered excitedly over the crisp white table cloths, bud vases of sleeping irises, and breakfast crockery.

From Tyseley Works Railway Station, just a couple of miles from the city centre, occasionally you can take a steam train service to various attractions, organised by Vintage Trains. In a world where time is of the essence to the point where one can purchase pre-cut apple slices, there’s something awfully luxurious about surrendering yourself to the whims of steam. A trip to Lincoln for instance will take you over four hours. You’ll spend that time glued to the view, spotting the spotters in fields and on bridges, at the end of platforms, with cameras and microphone in hand waiting to capture the chug chug chug and whistles of this now rare sight. We saw dozens, maybe a hundred of them, in all, not to mention all the people at stations waiting for their own trains who whipped out their camera phones as we pulled through their stations.
You’ll be well fed, of course. At our 7.15am start Chef and the team had already put in quite a bit of prep in the tiny rolling kitchen to feed his passengers a hearty three course breakfast, and three course dinner on the return. Our hostess, Momma Steam as her team of waitresses called her, had also been aboard a while ensuring cutlery shined and that champagne was chilling.

Coffee was welcomed after an early start, and then our first breakfast course arrived – porridge with whisky soaked raisins. Start the day as you mean to go on, right? It was a silver service affair, with friendly staff balancing chafing dishes while walking along the narrow aisles. Breakfast lasted around two hours, it was a leisurely pace. The second course was pastry, a buttery croissant, and toast. The main event was a full English breakfast. Chef told us he gets his sausage and black pudding from Birmingham meat market’s City Butchers, and it was very nice, as was the rest of the generous breakfast. After another coffee, and a glass of chilled prosecco, we were almost there.

Vintage Trains arrange trips throughout the year, you can go for a romantic meal for St. Valentines day, take the Shakespeare Express to Stratford, take a Christmas trip to York, or steam through the lake district up to Carlisle. They have different prices, and you can pay for different levels of catering and service. Drinks prices were very reasonable. We went the whole hog for a special Christmas trip to the renowned Lincoln Christmas Market. All the trips sell out quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.

Lincoln Christmas Market runs for just a few days in December. We went on the Saturday and it was incredibly busy. The town is pretty and the market is set up in and around the historic castle, at the top of Steep Hill. And boy is it steep! Products on offer include winter ware, wooden toys, candles, cheese, beers, ciders, blankets, and all your usual stocking filler fodder. We had a nice time wondering around most of it, but retired after an hour or so to a pub with some friends who live in Lincoln.

We departed Lincoln around 5pm, enjoying a bottle of cold Champagne (£39) before dinner. The carriage was warm and snug as the night blacked out the view. Our starter arrived, a tasty chorizo and chicken soup. I was impressed the waitresses were managing to serve from a terrine without spilling a drop. The main course was a roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding (of course), roast and dauphinoise potato, and veg. Dessert was a Christmas spiced apple crumble with custard. I noted that they were offering non-dairy alternatives if required. Food quality and service was very good.

With the remnants of red wine from dinner (a reasonable Amarone at a cheap £22), and a couple of bargain Grey Goose vodka and cokes (£3.50), we trundled on, arriving back at Tyseley around 10pm. It’s a lovely day to spend with a significant other or friends and family for a special occasion. We finished the trip feeling relaxed and contented.

You can take a look at the Vintage Trains website here:

http://www.vintagetrains.co.uk/

Here is the train we were on whistling whilst passing through a station (courtesy of a deep link to John Edkin’s on YouTube):

And here she is leaving Lincoln in darkness, again whistling, and chug chug chugging (courtesy of a deep link to Joshua Rawson’s work on YouTube).

Posted in Article, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Price: Average, Price: Cheap as Chips - Inexpensive, Price: Get your dad to pay - above average, Price: My eyes are watering - expensive, restaurant review, Special Event | Tagged birmingham days out, Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, birmingham steam railway, birmingham tyseley railway, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | 2 Comments

Nomad Restaurant

Posted on December 31, 2015 by outinbrum

It’s the second time in three weeks I’ve attended a venue that I can describe as “in close proximity to a sex place”, the first being OPM which is a stone’s throw from Taboo Cinema, and the second being the new more permanent home of Nomad restaurant on Dudley Street, opposite “Adult World”. Don’t let that put you off either venue, as they’re both extremely close to the Bullring shopping centre and New Street Station, and the change of scenery adds a frisson of quirkiness. Take a date and it will definitely illicit a “where are you taking me?” reaction.

We’ve covered Nomad’s food, prepared by chef-owner Alex Claridge and his head-chef Brian Smith many times as they’ve moved between pop-up venues including the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath and Urban Coffee in the city centre. Call me an unashamed Nomad fanboy if you will, but I still think that the team here offer something different to the other eateries in town.

I’ve eaten ingredients at Nomad that I’ve had nowhere else before or since including wood ants (crunchy lemon), melilot (a weird vanilla flavour crossed with hay, I wasn’t a fan), and sea blight (like samphire). These curios are crossed with more standard fare, and the combinations are showcased at Nomad in a ten course (maybe nine, maybe eleven) for £50. The menu changes very frequently depending on seasonality, and what the team have been able to harvest from their allotment, or collect foraging.

Water is served filtered at £2 a large bottle, with profits going to the Water Aid charity. I’m not a fan of bottled water unless it’s a necessity while travelling, so I think that’s a great idea. Obviously we had booze as well. You can add a wine flight for a reasonable £20, or take wine by the glass (£3/£5) or bottle (£25). However you won’t get winemakers, varietals, and vintages on the menu, you’ll order by description: “herbaceuous, preserved lemon, tropical finish”, or “plum chutney, spiced, big personality”. The team here want dining with them to be a fun and memorable experience – there will be things you like, and things you don’t, and invariably something you’re not quite sure about (mine was the melilot syrup cream).

The exterior of Nomad is unobstrusive, blink and you’ll miss it. You’ll see a bronzed glass door with their logo, just to the left of the phone box. The interior is tranquil, with comfortable seating enabling a lengthy three hour dinner. You can look in to the kitchen at the pass, and see the chefs titivating dishes before they are served. The waiting staff will talk you through the options, suggest wines, and explain the considerable detail of each of the dishes.

Given the number of courses, many are small tasters, but by the time we had eaten the lot we were pleasantly full. I know people worry about leaving hungry from fine dining establishments, but thankfully I think most of the good ones have given nouveau cuisine (big white plates with nothing on them) the heave ho and understand we all want feeding. We started our ten or so courses with what could only be described as a particularly phallic looking carrot. It had been cooked slowly for twelve hours with thyme. It was soft, sweet, and earthy, and mildly comic, presented with a flourish by the waiter.

Two seaside-reminiscent mussels with a little shallot came next on a bed of shiny mussel shells. Then on to a dish of sweetly cooked leek with a bitter burned tinge, with slightly peppery yarrow flowers and grated cured egg yolk. This was followed by mallard breast, salsify, chestnuts, and sprouts. I love sprouts and any bitter flavour, but for those worried, there were just a few of the outer leaves of a sprout dressing the plate. The mallard duck was slightly, but not unpleasantly, tougher than duck I’ve tried before (which would ordinarily be a Gressingham duck which is a Pekin / mallard cross breed apparently – I had to google it). The bronzed salsify added a sweetness to the dish. Then on to a wintery favourite of Jerusalem artichoke with parsley root, and a gentle garlic cream. My partner thought this dish was all too single texture but to me it was comforting.

Next up was the first of the two “mains”. Cornish red-mullet with lacto-fermented ramson, and nori potatoes. A fleshy fillet of golden mullet laid crisp across the potatoes and light garlic ramson. The next of the two mains was a vol-au-vents style pie of mallard, salsify, mushroom and chestnut. Sort of a rework of one of the starter dishes in a different context.

On to puddings, plural of course. A rum and raisin parfait carried strong flavour and a puree of tea infused raisin added a bitter edge to take off some of the sweetness. Second dessert was poached pear with a light almond sponge and melilot syrup cream. The cream had perfume notes of the melilot – as I said above, I’ve still not made my mind up on this, but it was an interesting new ingredient. Final dessert was a bitter chocolate sorbet, with sea buckthorn. I wondered how chef would manage a dairy free chocolate sorbet but the chocolate was so intensely rich there was no need for dairy, the chocolate flavour was dark and had hints of red fruit. The sea buckthorn added its slight sourness to the dish.

It’s an interesting offering. The location is quirky, the service fine dining, and some of the dishes are experimental. You’re probably not going to get great hunks of meat but you’ll get delicious curated ingredients and stars like that lovely mullet. Dinner with the wine flight will cost £70 a head, which I think is good value compared to similar quality establishments. Unsurprisingly given the Nomad cult following January bookings are almost full. If you like a different experience, and love unusual food, then get booked in for a special dinner out, romantic or with friends, this place fits the bill and is bound to delight.

I have not talked at all about the craziness of some of the events the Nomad team run, under the moniker “Nomad – No Rules”. They’re known to be a little extreme, in activity, participation, and food. If you attend one of those events, don’t say I didn’t warn you! You can get more information about all of their projects on the website here: http://foodbynomad.com. You can also find out more by following them on twitter here, and by following the chef’s here: @lyndon_alex and @451Brian.
See our reciprocity promise here. Including this review, nine out of ten most recent reviews we’ve paid in full. Unusually we accepted an invitation for a freebie dinner at Nomad, though we paid for drinks.

Posted in Area: Central Shopping, Area: China Town, Area: Grand Central, Area: Hurst Street / The Gay Village / South Side, Area: The Bullring, Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Cuisine: English, Cuisine: Fine Dining, Cuisine: Modern Mixed, Price: Average, Price: Get your dad to pay - above average, Venue type: Restaurant | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | 2 Comments

Goodbye (for now) Butchers Social, hello Harborne Kitchen

Posted on December 22, 2015 by outinbrum

It would appear to have escaped the attention of many people that The Butchers Social, on Harborne High Street, closes on New Year’s Eve. The pop-up venture that was opened by chefs Jamie Desogus and Mike Bullard initially for just one night back in March, caused such a stir that the venue has remained open ever since. As I live just a ten minutes’ walk away from it, its closure is coming as quite a blow, I have definitely drank the koolaid and become part of its cult following.

Why would they close such a successful venue you ask? It was always Jamie’s and Mike’s intention to dramatically transform the old Walter Smith’s butchers shop in to “Harborne Kitchen”, a restaurant that will focus on innovative British dishes, and that has been operating as a pop-up in various locations for a year or so. In fact we’ve already reviewed one of their pop-up nights and you can take a look at the kind of excellent food and experience they’ll be offering on our review here.

The builders will be moving in on 2nd January, and while the regulars will no doubt be disappointed at the demise of The Butchers, the team are currently on the look-out to find alternative premises in South Birmingham, or possibly the city centre, so the Butchers brand can live on. “It took us a week to transform the Butchers and we can do it again,” said Mike. “We are looking for somewhere that we can quickly take over and get up and running by February.” If you know of any locations that might be right, tweet the guys @ButchersSocial .

With the understanding that when good venues come along you have to jump on them, the chefs took over the butchers shop knowing they’d have many months with it empty before their plans for Harborne Kitchen were ready to proceed. Faced with those months of waiting due to planning issues, they decided to clean up the premises and with just a makeshift bar and some borrowed speakers, opened up for one night only in March. ‘We didn’t know if it was going to work, or if anyone was going to turn up,” said Jamie. “But people were queuing out the door.”

The success of that first night, and with a growing fan-base on two subsequent weekends, Mike and Jamie took the risky step of quitting their jobs and running the Butchers full-time, transforming it with pallet tables, a marquee area outside and some bespoke graffiti but with a nod to its meaty past by retaining the wall tiles and using the old fridge as a walkway. They’ve gained a reputation for producing a constantly evolving menu, inspired by often-overlooked ingredients, and a range of great local beers. Chicken wings with flavours including salted caramel, lemon meringue and cider, star anise and orange have become legendary, while live music events have proved extremely popular.

While Jamie is looking forward to getting the new restaurant started in 2016, for now they are concentrating on the final days of the Butchers Social. Christmas Eve will see Brummie musician Simon Boswell return for a gig, and tickets for the closing bash on New Year’s Eve are selling fast. At £35 a pop and with unlimited chicken wings, it’s sure to be the perfect way to bow out after a rather exciting year.

“The Butchers Social has continued to evolve since we started it in March and we’re grateful for all the support from our customers,’ said Jamie. “2016 is going to be a huge year for us,” added Mike. “We’re looking forward to opening the Harborne Kitchen and for people to find out for themselves what it’s all about.”

p.s. Grammar Nazis – Don’t bother tweeting me about the lack of apostrophe in “The Butcher’s Social”, it appears to be something of an in joke with the team, I’ve also see them style it “Butcher’s” and “Butchers’”! It makes me twitch every time I see it!

Posted in Area: Harborne, Article, Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Cuisine: English, Cuisine: Fine Dining, Cuisine: Modern Mixed, Cuisine: Street Food, Price: Average, Price: Cheap as Chips - Inexpensive | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | 1 Comment

Original Patty Men

Posted on December 13, 2015 by outinbrum

The Original Patty Men, or OPM to the initiated, have made frequent appearances at Birmingham’s street food events like Digbeth Dining Club for a couple of years, and invariably their stall would serve crowds of hungry people who’ve waited all week to get their hands on one of OPM’s deliciously filthy burgers. I don’t think you can call yourself a serious burger fan until you’ve had Big Vern’s Krispy Ring, which must be a thousand or so calories of Krispy Kreme doughnut sliced and sandwiched with their signature seasoned 35 day aged longhorn beef meat patties, maple cured bacon, and cheese.

We love Brum’s street food scene but we sometimes fancy an amazing burger when there’s no street food available. Brilliantly for Brum and those people who like a nice sit down, OPM have solved that by opening their own restaurant a stone’s throw from Selfridges in the city centre, in partnership with Siren Craft Brew. OPM have come a long way in a short time, as Chefs Scott O’Byrne and Tom Maher started with no experience in the kitchen, but a background in design which is evident in the branding.

Although in distance it’s only maybe two-hundred metres from the staff door of Selfridges, the area it’s in is really rather down-at-heel. To find it you’ll need to walk down the hill beside Moor Street train station, turn left under the dark dank railway bridge, then take the first right down Shaw’s Passage opposite Taboo sex cinema, and it’s in one of the railway bridge arches on the right hand side before the closed internet café. Just around the corner from vegetarian Warehouse Café. There’s ticket parking on the street should you wish to drive, and of course Moor Street Car Park is just two minutes away. Digbeth and Eastside have not managed to capitalise on the second city’s dining transformation and success over the past decade, but I hope that interesting independents like OPM, Digbeth Dining Club at Spotlight, The Karczma, and the popular Rico Libre tapas restaurant, will start to take advantage of the much more reasonable rents and rejuvenate the area. Landlords in the city centre would rather their properties remain empty while they wait for the big chains to spend mega bucks, than nurture an up and coming business.

The interior is functional and well styled. Spray paint art of a cow in the style of an Immaculate Heart of Mary painting, with the heart replaced by a burger, adorns one wall. The activities of the kitchen are clearly visible from the tables and the waiting staff flit around efficiently. On a Saturday lunch time there were tables available when we went in but all of them were full by the time we left. They’ve got two railway arches and I hope that in the summer the right hand one, which is where you’ll enter the restaurant from, will have outdoor seating.

All the draft beers from Siren were extremely hoppy, which I’m not a fan of, so I opted for a tin of Anchor lager which was good. There seems to be a bit of a thing for overly hopped beer at the moment so I know it will suit the crowd even though it doesn’t suit me. While we contemplated the menu the sound of trains passing overhead quietly reverberated around the cosy venue. We opted for the O.D.B. triple cooked skin on fries which come loaded with spice mix, jalapeño slaw, mayo, crispy onion, and spring onions. We also had some of the tasty slow cooked barbecue beans. The sides were really good. For my burger I chose Darron’s Fancy – beef patty, sriracha (chilli) mayo, ripe tomato, strong red Leicester cheese, and crushed pork scratchings, in a sesame bun. It was unctuous and hearty, and the first bite caused a rivulet of meat and cheese juice to run down my hand to my wrist, a sure sign of a good quality filthy burger. We also had the Bacon Cheese burger, with sweet bacon and fairly heavy on the mustard, it was also very tasty.

For research purposes we shared a slice of Kit Kat brownie, the sweets are brought in from Kimmy Loves Cake, who had been highly recommended, and rightly so. The brownie had a perfect balance between cocoa and sugar, not too sweet, and with a cool velvety mouthfeel.

For two burgers, fries, beans, two beers, and a brownie, our filling lunch came to a modest £30. The service was great, the food excellent, and the vibe cool but not try-too-hard. I suspect when word gets around, you’ll be fighting for a table hear, so get in early to avoid the rush is my advice.

Posted in Area: Digbeth, Area: East Side, Cuisine: English, Cuisine: Street Food, Price: Average, Price: Cheap as Chips - Inexpensive, Venue type: Restaurant | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | 3 Comments

Fybin & Loin at Norjske

Posted on November 12, 2015 by outinbrum

It’s all about Edgbaston at the moment. Specifically Highfield Road, not too far from the top of Broad Street. While Simpsons Restaurant has been a stalwart restaurant of the well heeled in these parts since 2004, the last couple of years have seen some new kids on the block – The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel and Cocktail Lounge, The Highfield Restaurant, and also Norjske. They’re all very different in style: Simpsons, having undergone its refit over the last year now looks a warm Scandinavian cool; The Edgbaston have gone for a rich byzantine art deco; The Highfield are more comfy country pub; and Norjske a bright Nordic look.

Norsjke have just upped their game in terms of a food offering. The chef team Fybin & Loin, aka Gavin and Ade, have taken over the deli where during the day all kinds of gourmet produce and sandwiches can be purchased. They’ve also taken over the bar and seating upstairs as a full service restaurant. We went for a bite to eat on a Friday evening, about two days after they opened. The team have big plans and we look forward to seeing the venue develop over the coming few months.

I won’t talk about the wine as they tell us they’re about to completely change the wine list so are running this stock down. I will say that, of course, we had too much. Hic! The food menu is suitably short, but plenty varied, for a small quality venue. It’s kind of a 2.5 courses sort of affair, in that there aren’t many starters nor desserts – I’ll explain…

We started with breads from the fabulous Brummy bakers Peel & Stone, and excellent butter from Nether End Farm, with Muffelata which is a dip of pickled vegetables and olives, and Santorini Fava, a puree of yellow lentils, garlic, thyme, onion, and lemon. The dips were packed full of punchy flavours, a perfect light start to a Friday night supper. Well. I say light. I ate about a loaf. I was carbatosed (I’ve just added that to Urban Dictionary) by the end, and slightly traumatised that I still hadn’t managed to eat all of the bread nor all of the Santorini Fava.

After the really tasty dips I had the Jimmy Butler’s Maple Cured Pork Ribeye. This was a really pretty dish to which my photo does not do justice. The ham was cushioned on soufflé-like burnished Comté cheese, which complimented wonderfully. I loved the baby apple that was served with it. Though it had many components it was a very balanced dish, and was paired with truffle and pecorino roasted potatoes.

We also had a dish of Hake a la Plancha, with carrots, and black cabbage. Again a well presented dish. Though this one had a foam, which I’m never sure about. We tried the the cannon of lamb, which had great flavour and was served with gigandes – enormous butter beans cooked with tomato and herbs. We also enjoyed the ox cheek with wobbly bone marrow.

For dessert we tried the brownie which was very rich, and very excellent Portueguese Pastel de Nata, sort of a light egg custard tart. They’re virtually a religion in their own right in Portugal, but I don’t think anyone could complain at Fybin & Loin’s proffering to the pastry gods – just set sweet custard cream filling rested in almost croissant like buttery pastry cases. I’m rarely bothered by desserts but these were serious patisserie.

Excluding drinks dinner will set you back less than £25 a head I reckon. I can’t wait to see what else the team will offer when they’re fully up and running. Give it a go soon.

Some links:

Fybin & Loin Website

Fybin & Loin on Twitter

Norjske Website

Posted in Area: Edgbaston, Cuisine: English, Cuisine: Fine Dining, Price: Average, Price: Get your dad to pay - above average, restaurant review, Venue type: Bar, Venue type: Cafe, Venue type: Gourmet Shop, Venue type: Restaurant, Venue type: Wine Bar | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, eating out in birmingham, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, OutInBrum, restaurant review, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | Leave a comment

Independent Birmingham – Online Shop

Posted on November 6, 2015 by outinbrum

Independent Birmingham was launched in August 2013 as a website designed to bring to the masses the great independent companies that Brum has to offer. We’re lucky to have a wealth of independent coffee shops, restaurants, bars, arts venues, and shops, but they’re so easily overshadowed by the marketing of McBusinesses. Now the mass-marketers have realised the appeal of an independent they’re trying to muscle in on the act – there are a few chain places now dressed up like independents that aren’t (Lost & Found is for instance a Marston’s PLC pub). Independent Birmingham is trying to make sure we know about all the great independents so that we can support them.

You can join Independent Birmingham (link here) to get discounts from dozens of the city’s best indes, including Chung Ying Central, Bodega, Itihaas, Cafe Opus, Brewsmiths, The Lord Clifden, Island Bar, The Bureau, Rigs Fitness, Mac Birmingham, Ikon Bookshop, The Electric Cinema and many many more.

Now you can also purchase art, plants, apparel, cards and suchlike from Birmingham artists and designers from the Independent Birmingham Online Shop. You could find the perfect Christmas gift for that special Brummy in your life, how about an “Alright Bab” necklace? There’s plenty of items without a direct connection to the city though, other than being produced or designed here.

Creator of Independent Birmingham, Joe Schuppler, said:

“The word independent spans further than food and drink, and we want to show the world just how immensely talented and creative some of Birmingham’s inhabitants are. We want to make it easier than ever before to discover local. We want you to be able to tell people ‘Happy Birthday’ through our shop, to cover that blank wall through our shop, and to have your next coffee through our shop.

“The shop will start off with a cadre of immensely talented local artists, photographers, illustrators and designers and will evolve over time. From posters to mugs and paintings to tote bags, the idea is to bring together local talent and provide them with a huge platform to sell their fantastic work.

“Tens of thousands of people visit the website every single month in search for something different, something unique, just like them – and we want to be able to give people the opportunity to buy distinct and individualistic products, whilst supporting Birmingham’s creative community and celebrating the strength of the city at the same time.”

You can find the Independent Birmingham website here:

http://independent-birmingham.co.uk/

Posted in Article | Tagged bimringham merchandise, independent birmingham, independent birmingham card | Leave a comment