New Entries: Cafe Ikon and Turners

I have just uploaded two reviews.

Café Ikon

http://www.wonderbirmingham.co.uk/birmingham/ikon_en.html



Honestly, I was rather disappointed on this occasion.

Instead, still excellent was this place.

Turners in Harborne, Birmingham.

http://www.wonderbirmingham.co.uk/birmingham/turnerschristmas_en.html




I am not sure if I can upload more stuff during the holiday period.


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In Ananda Bhavan the other day, a guy of the restaurant asked me if the group of Chinese people who had visited there were my acquintances.

I asked him if he was sure that they were Chinese and not Japanese. He said he wasn't.

Although I look pretty much like a Chinese, my actual nationality is Japanese and don't speak Chinese (I do read Chinese characters, as all the Japanese and most of the Koreans do). I don't have any Chinese acquintance who knows about my www activities. So, it is improbable that they were Chinese and my acquintances. They could be my Japanese acquintances, but in that case, they did not tell me, so I don't know.

I really don't have a clue who is reading my website, except those 5 or 6 kind souls who dropped me a line either on this blog or to my e-mail address.

Dear readers, you are really mysterious!

New Entry: Rajdoot Tandoori

This week I went to Rajdoot Tandoori and sampled Christmas lunch.

Rajdoot Tandoori



Truth or not, Rajdoot claims to be the first to introduce tandoori oven to UK (their website says 'Europe', but I assume this Europe includes Great Britain).


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The name Rajdoot reminds me of an Indian guy I met in Birmingham. He was from South India and was doing PhD when we met. We used to live in the same area of Birmingham and to take sometimes the same bus from the University to our flats.

He was a very handsome guy, although too short to be really good looking. He had a really nice character as well and was always oozing his kindness and charm. He was here with his wife and I thought it cool how nicely he treated his wife. We used to chat in the bus when it happened. So, it was not a great relationship, but he was one of these persons that you cannot forget and don't want to forget in your life.

He must have been very good in his subject and, when he finished PhD, he was invited to do PosDoc in Princeton.

It was about two years ago, but I often remember about him, when I take a bus home from the uni. His name was Rajdoot.

New Entry: Shangri-La 香鍋里辣

Went back to Shangri-La, Szechuan restaurant in Station Street, behind New Street Station, after 8 months or so and wrote an update.

http://www.wonderbirmingham.co.uk/birmingham/shangrila1_en.html




Well, actually, there was nothing much to up-date; the food and service are still good and even the price remains the same! They seem to resist the temptation to sell Chinese Hot Pot, which I don't care very much. In food wise, I prefer some other places, but if I have to take people who are not particularly familiar with 'authentic' Chinese food, I might come here for good service and approachable food.

New Entry: Edmunds

I have wanted to visit Edmund for some time, and finally I made it for lunch although I could not secure a dining companion.

Edmund's



Mr. Waters was in the restaurant and at one point he came out to speak with one of regular patrons.

The meal was very enjoyable and almost cheap, but the food was a bit of hit and miss and the quality of ingredients was somehow suffering while the quantity was plenty. I did not want amuse-bouche or petit fours, but I wanted better quality meat for the main instead. I need to see their dinner service to understand really what they can do.

Anyway, it is a great restaurant and I can recommend it to everyone.

Speaking about Andy Waters, I noticed Cielo has increased the price of lunch and pre-theatre pre-fix menu by £1.



Now two course is £12.95 and 3 course is £15.95. With this increase, I hope they can still serving the good food as before.

New entry: Red 'N Hot

As I wrote in the last post, Red 'N Hot in Hurst Street has removed its signage. I went there to see what was going on. Didn't actually bother to ask, but it should be part of the refurbishment and rebranding project.

Read my review here: Red 'n Hot

Now the interior decor is much improved and the English translation of the menu has been totally rewritten. Positive move!

New entry: Cariba Bites

Yesterday I made a new page, and as I don't have a plan to do it any more pages today, I post about it here now.

Cariba Bites

I don't know if you recognised it, but it is in Indoor Market. This is more like a takeaway than restaurant, although they do have some seats available. As I have never eaten Caribbean food before and was so excited, I decided to make it an entry.

Today is the day of Birmingham Half-Marathon. Some colleagues of mine are going to participate and I am planning to see them on the street, as they are passing near my flat. Good for them!

Have a good Sunday everyone and don't forget to change the clock [saying to myself as well]!

Recent entries: Maharaja and BBQ Village

Between August and October, I passed sometime abroad and did not have enough time to explore Birmingham and write about it. However, I did write two restaurant reviews meanwhile.


First is BBQ Village



Isn't this tea pot lovely? And there was a really interesting range of regional Chinese dishes. However, it does not come cheap. For detail, please read the review.

And the next is Maharaja on Hurst Street.




Legendary establishment in Birmingham's curry history. Unfortunately, as the occasion was unexpected, I did not have my usual digital camera and had to use mobile cam. Korma here is one of the best I have ever eaten, and I usually don't like kormas!

I wish you a good weekend to everyone!

New entry from the 18th to 25th August 2008

The new page of this week is a review of the restaurant Edward Moon in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Edward Moon

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From this week we will go for a vacation in Greece for 2 weeks and, consequently, I won't be writing about Birmingham for this period and maybe a bit longer, as I should write about Greece somewhere else instead.

Before I go, I want to show you a dish I had in Malaysian Delight in Chinatown, Birmingham. Usually I order Malaysian dishes here, but on this occasion, I wanted to do something different and chose a dish called "Salad Pork" without having any idea what it should be. A food exploring adventure.

Here, this is salad pork:





'Salad Pork' was basically sliced, battered, and deep-fried pork served with salad cream mixed with chili paste. Ah, yes, and some "salad" consisting in shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumbers, and wedges of tomato.

I was not quite expecting to be served with that amount of salad cream in a Chinese cafe (Ok, Chinese-Malaysian Cafe). Chinese do adopt mayonnaise from time to time, as you experience in some deep-fried dim sum dishes, but this one looked far closer to "Western" dishes than to any Chinese dishes I have ever seen in Chinese places. Fusion dish? Maybe... The pork itself was very tender and flavoursome, though.

It is priced £6. And I noticed that they started to charge 50p for Chinese tea that used to be free here. Food price inflation everywhere. Mmmmmh.

New entry from the 11th the 17th August 2008

New entry of the week is another report about dim sum lunch at Golden Pond in Arcadian Centre, Birmingham Chinatown.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Golden Pond (the 9th visit)



I have written so much about the dim sum of Golden Pond. I hope this one is excused since the past entry was written some time ago.

I wish a good week to everyone.

New entry from the 3rd to 10th August 2008

New entry of the week is a review of Dragon BBQ in Five Ways



We did not have BBQ, but only the lunch buffet for £5.50.

As you can see, I am still writing about the places we visited in July; and I still have to write 2 other pages. And in August, we are not eating out very often because we are under the credit crunch regime...

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It is not true. We are just saving for our holidays between the end of August and the beginning of September. But I will be finding something to write anyway.

Wish you a very good week from tomorrow!

New entry from the 18th July to 2nd August

It has been a long time since last time I uploaded an new item. This time I have an excuse! (but excuses are never something to proud of! ha ha). I have been moving to a new flat and I did not have time and, for some time, internet connection from home.

But last week, finally I managed to upload a page, which I am afraid isn't a good news.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Beirut




Unfortunately this time, it was not as good as the last time. The price increased and the quantity diminuished. Difficult age, I suppose.

Have a good week, everyone!

New entry from the 7th to 17th July

Well, I am getting lazy these days, but I did upload one page in these days!

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

City Cafe



I went to City Cafe for lunch. If the food is not the tastiest food you can buy, the lunch course offer delivers very good value for money, and the service staff is perfectly pleasant. Thumb up.

New entry from 30th June to 6th July

I have not done much. Only one page.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Thai Edge



I went there for lunch. In food wise, the experience wasn't positive as the food in general was too sugary.

I know that many Thai restaurants in UK suffer the sugar-overdose syndrome. Do the British people really like the Thai food in this way, or is it a myth created by the Orientals who don't trust British palate? Who knows?


Today I went to Peach Garden in Chinatown. Food was ok, but no better (or worse) than in Arcadian Palace or Tung Lok. Maybe I have to try their roast dishes that many customers were ordering. Suggestions, anyone?

New entries from the 23rd to 29th June 2008

I am a bit behind, but managed to upload a couple of entries this week.

Birmingham restaurant guide

Salama Somali Restaurant in Small Heath



This place is brilliant. Do go if you are an adventurous eater.

Shiraz Persian restaurant



Slightly disappointed comparing to the meal I had here a couple of years ago, but not bad.

Update to New Sum Ye restaurant and take-away



The price is slightly increased.


Have a nice week from tomorrow!

New entries from the 8th to 14th June 2008

These are new pages uploaded between 8th and 14th June.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide


Nando's (Broad Street Branch)



Ok. Everyone knows Nando's, but it was the first visit for me.

Food was ok. BBQ chicken with a variety of sauces. But I don't like large franchise restaurants, because they don't give me that excitment of eating-out. I prefer to visit the places where I can expect new discoveries and personal touch of the chefs, however good or bad may be). Of course, it is just a matter of personal taste. :)

Syriana (Lebanese & Syrian restaurant in Hockley)




New Lebanese & Syrian (evidently the cuisine in Lebanese and Syria is pretty much the same) restaurant in Snowhill area. Food was fine, but it was a bit sad to be only diners whole through the meal.

According to the advertisement I found on Metro newspaper yeasterday (13 June 2008), it offers belly dance show in Fridays and Saturdays evening. Maybe it is a better idea to go there on one of these occasions.


I wish you all nice weekend!

New entries from the 23rd to the 28th April

Here are the new entries from the 23rd to the 28th April.

Restaurant Guide

Lumbini Nepalese Restaurant



This one is not in Birmingham, but in Studley, near Redditch. The food was fine, but what we remember the most is our waiter. Read the reason in the review!


England for Food Lovers

I wrote a report, but it is not in England.

Cothi Valley Goats of Carmarthenshire




I found this cheese in Ludlow, but, evidently, I can find it also in Birmingham. I have to check it out next month.

Have a nice week, everyone!

New entries from the 15th to 22th April 2008

These are the new entries from the 15th 22th April to WonderBirmingham.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Somaga

Finally I managed to visit this Nigerian-Kenyan restaurant. Really interesting food; not to miss (well, in a certain sense).

And we returned to this place.

Han Dynasty



Again we found a very nice dish. I need to return in a larger group so that I can try out more dishes.


Have a nice week, everyone!

New entries from the 8th to the 14th April

I am very busy recently and could not find time to write new pages except for this one.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

CHINA COURT


I would like to try also a la carte menu here.

New entries from the 1st to 7th April

Here are the new entries from the 1st to the 7th April.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Savannah

New Eritrean-Ethiopian-East African restaurant on Bristol Street. Food was very interesting as well as tasty. Recommended.


Tung Lok





Our usual haunt.


And we ate at this restaurant when we visited Ludlow.

The Clive





Have a nice week, everyone!

New entries from 24 to 31 March

These are the new entries to Wonderbirmingham between the 24th to the 31st March. Today may April fool, but this is TRUE. Ha.

Birmingham Restaurant Guide

Lahore Buffet (Balti Triangle)

I am not a fan of buffet restaurant, but in the case of Lahore Buffet (aka Lahore Karahi Buffet), I could see the point. It is true that there are rubbishy dishes, but some are as good as at the best balti houses. Although curries are generally oily, for many people, I think, it is the authentic/traditional way how the Asian cook their curries. If you choose well, you can enjoy nice Pakistani food.



England for Food Lovers

Ludlow Food Centre



Very interesting farm shop, which not only sells, but actually produce its own merchandise. We met the managing director, Sandy, who was behind the creation of Chatsworth Farm Shop.

We did not visit the coffee shop, as I ate at The Clive next door, but next time I want to visit it too.