Japnees Car

In front of a garage in Balti Triangle, I found this board and thought it was funny.



I can almost hear how the person who wrote this pronounces "Japanese". ha ha ha.

Hello Good-Bye @ Bullring

When I went to the town this Saturday, I noticed there was 1 opening and 1 closure at & near Bullring.

First, a new comer.

Do you recognise this building?



It is situated between Bullring and St. Martin's church, and used to be occupied by Costa Coffee.

As I noticed some activity inside, I got closer and found this poster.



It will soon be reopened as Gloria Jean's Coffee. I have never heard this name, but it seems to be a pretty large international franchise. It is good that we will have more choice.

And one good-bye.



Pret of Bullring is closing. Actually it was closing Saturday, so should already be closed. It has  always looked strange; closed on Sundays and recently I found it somehow derelict, so the closure is not a surprise.

Evidently this particular lot is specially difficult (Birmingham is difficult, and Bullring is difficult if not as much as the Pavilion). The Tiffin Box, the former occupant, could not last long, and I don't think the former former occupant, which I don't remember, did last long. Before Pret got the place, there was a long interval, so I don't expect someone comes to get it quickly.

What's become of Imagine Cafe in Harborne?

Have you ever heard about Imagine Cafe in Harborne?



It was pretty famous among those who love Japanese food. It is a traditional English cafe, but in the evening it used to serve Japanese food.

I have never been here in person, but I have heard about it from many Japanese friends, including those who worked there. According to what I heard, it is owned by a Japanese husband and English wife team, and before the opening of Mt. Fuji in Bullring, it was the only place in Birmingham where you could eat authentic Japanese food, cooked by Japanese cooks.

At certain point in last year, however, it increased the price of evening Japanese menu, and not long after that, I heard that they stopped opening for the evening as Japanese restaurant.

When I happened to pass in front of it, I tried to see what happened.

I saw, first of all, that the opening hours are reduced to from 9-4, short even for a traditional cafe. I would guess they want to open only the hours the staff does not need change of shifts.

Then the menu. It still serves some Japanese-ish stuff, but it contains only, Yaki-soba, Shio-Yakisoba, Yaki-udon (these are all varieties of stir-fried noodles), with meat/pranws (£5) or with vebetable (£4.50), Kimchi Yaki udon for £5.50, Miso-ramen (Japanese-Chinese style noodle in soup dish) for £5.50, and Kara-age (Japanese style fried chicken) for £3.50.

That's it.

They all can be served from 9 to 3 o'clock. But who order these dishes for lunch? Students? Possibly, but they are usually not in Harborne for lunch time. I am genuinely curious.

It seemed to me a rather sad demise of this once renowned place.

Related Links on WonderBirmingham
Japanese Food in Birmingham

New entries from 24 Feb. to 2 March 2008

These are newly uploaded pages between 24 February to 2 March, 2008.

Birmingham Restaurant Reviews

• Blue Mango : 2nd visit. I really like the curries of this restaurant.






• Lahore Kebab House : We ate in the fastfood area, not in the restaurant inside.

And I decided to make this directory for those who look for foreign foodstuff in Birmingham.

Birmingham International Grocers Directory


Food Lovers' England

• Hillers' Farmshop in Warwickshire






• Gwillams Farmshop in Worcestershire

Labour Conference @ ICC, Birmingham

This week there was Labour Conference in Birmingham. Today, Gordon Brown was coming to Birmingham to make a speech.

Because of it, the traffic around the ICC, where the conference was being held, was strictly controlled.

This is Broad Street closed by the Police.



Part of the Canal side walk was also closed/

And Hyatt Hotel. It was completely surrounded by the blockade. Probably either part of the conference was held in the hotel, or many important people were staying there.



And this is the ICC itself.



Also completely enclosed.

The conference seems to have finished in peace, but, later, I saw this between Bullring and Pavilion.



It looked there was a fire in Waterstone's, and some firefighters were entering into the building. It did not seem anything serious, though.