Bristol - Kookoo Cafe

This wee Persian restaurant situated at a far flung corner of Gloucester Road is, I would say, totally worth the trek. 

And a trek it is. Although a trek that is admittedly partly my fault... I foolishly left my bag there, which resulted in us walking the entirety of Gloucester Road three times in one evening. I may never have done D of E, but I honestly feel I can now put down Bronze Award on my C.V. 

Anyway, the place is small but bright, and incredibly welcoming. A small bouncy man greeted and seated us, and then plied us with Persian teas and a starter of aubergine, egg (?) and tomato. Although we were at first dubious at the inclusion of egg, it was actually a delicious dip that came with yummy flatbreads.

The tea was served in teapots that were on stands above a tea light to keep them warm, and was drunk out of teeny cut glass cups. Much more exciting than your average cuppa.

Kookoo cafe has a different dish each day of the week, and being a wednesday, I alighted upon a lamb stew. However, this was no ordinary stew, and was in fact a whole lamb shank, with a huge mound of saffron and ordinary rice - understated amazing-ness. There was so much food that we both left merrily swinging blue and white striped bags with tomorrows lunch in. A lunch which I am very much looking forward to. 

J

Coming soon - Fallout Burger Challenge

Yes, that's right - the Fallout Pizza Burger Challenge at Atomic Burger, Bristol. I'm going to attempt it.

It's £25. It's 3 stacked burgers, cheese, and mini-pizzas for buns. And it's very very very hot.

Containing 2 of the hottest chillis known to man, you have to be over 18 to take the challenge and you have to sign a legally binding contract saying you agree to it. The challenge also requires that you wear protective gloves throughout.

Never one to turn down a food challenge, I see this as my Everest. Prepping myself on XXX-hot peri peri sauce from Nandos will seem like Ben Nevis in comparison.

Bring it.

A

York - Evil Eye

Ok, not strictly food, but I had to write something on this place - it's incredible. ...and the amount of ingredients that go into each one of the delicious cocktails made them pretty much a meal in their own right.

Last weekend I was up in York with my two best friends visiting the one at uni there and he took us on a little sightseeing tour of the best pubs and bars. The place we ended up was 'Evil Eye', settled intimately between Shakespearian buildings, hidden away.

Operating a one-in-one-out policy, we initially didn't get in, but seeing a few people leaving, we pounced on the opportunity and the night was ours. Walking through a drinks shop to get to the bar, you're greeted by low lighting, potted plants and walls adorned with souvenirs from around the world, making it seem as if you've just walked into one of those cafes smuggled away in the depths of the Mediterranean - or just the bedroom of your friend that brags on about their gap yah. Although there were actually beds for people to lie down on. No joke.

With hundreds (literally) of cocktails, each one seeming as brilliant as the next, the choice was hard; so we shared each others, eventually sampling around 10 of them between us.

These were not just any cocktails though and it was not just about the drinks themselves, but seeing these drinks expertly crafted and the whole atmosphere of the place added to the experience. From the lighting of citrus fumes to flaming sugar dripped into the glass, the bartenders certainly knew how to put on a show. Now, I'm not particularly a cocktail kind of guy, but it was hard not to be amazed by the layers of colours and the incredible range of tastes that came from such concoctions. We even had cocktails that tasted like a Forest Gateaux!

As with anything, it's hard to explain what a cool experience something was, so just go visit if you get the chance! I'll certainly be returning, should I ever venture up North again!

Shamefully, I didn't take any pictures as my phone had died (stupid iPhones with their low battery life!). So here's a photo from Google of about half of their drinks range...

Over and out,

A

London - Ukai

Sushi lovers among you, I recommend, nay, I implore you, to venture a visit to Ukai Sushi. This is a great sushi restaurant that my friend and I wandered into by chance and, (I'm embarrassed to say this as I'm noticing a pattern here), it's in Soho.

However, quickly before we get to the sushi, across the road is Barrio Central, a Mexican bar that is bright and buzzy and that did some killer mojitos.

Now into Ukai. We received a really warm welcome when we entered, not least because three of our four cocktails were on the house. Who could fail to warm to that. But regardless of the sake that kept reappearing in its multiple forms - as cocktails and also cold - the sushi was amazing. As in, move over Yo Sushi amazing.

We had the classics; salmon sashimi and salmon avocado sushi rolls, and we also had tempura sushi that was my favourite.

Here they are, in all their glory. Each photo is accompanied by the funny little man that you can see on the table mats, and all photos are artfully taken by Miss Cate Dwyer, who demanded a mention.

J

London - Yalla Yalla

This is one of the best rated restaurants on the Time Out website, and having now been, I completely agree with their recommendation.

Yalla Yalla translates, (or so the waitress told me), to 'Come on, come on!'. This is a fitting name, as I am now repeatedly urging friends to 'come on!', to join me in an expedition back there, as I really long to return.

Yalla Yalla can be found down an unassuming side road in London's Soho. It seemed to appear out of the blue as we wandered through the alternating grey, and rainbow coloured district, and as we alighted upon it, the cosy scene within the windows was a warming sight. It is a simple but tastefully done place, and the staff were very friendly in helping us to navigate through the multitude of wraps on offer.

We both went for the spicy chicken wrap, and ordered some hummus to share. What could have been a simple and tasty, but forgettable meal, turned out to be one of the best that I have ever had.

On first sitting down you are given a bowl of olives and a bowl of pickles to nibble at, and then a beautiful carafe also appears, one that far surpasses any jug. Even the word 'jug' now sounds unsatisfactory, please, I want a 'carafe'.

The wraps were truly delicious. They were free from gimmick and seemed intent on presenting you with just wonderful tasting food. Meanwhile, the hummus was similarly fantastic, and appeared in a bowl in which olive oil and chickpeas were nestling in its hollowed out middle. This also came with two other dips, both of which alas I can't identify now, but which were fun to mix with the wraps and pittas in different combinations, and which without fail, worked every time.

With the student streak living strong within me I can't resist my loyalty cards. I have practically a whole purse full of them. So when I saw that Yalla Yalla, too, had loyalty cards, well, I was over the moon.

J

London - Meat Liquor

Over the Christmas period I went to a few different places, and as my Bristol adventures have been fairly lax lately, I thought I'd share these instead.

One of these restaurants was Meat Liquor, just off Bond Street.

The place itself is styled like a derelict, underground, American Diner; it's very dark, has graffitied walls, and loud music. There are also cages where rolls upon rolls of blue paper towels are piled high. This is almost an ominous sight, but as we found out later, they were SO necessary. We were sat at a table with three young businessmen who didn't particularly suit the place, and who were talking about something very boring to do with the economy. These were soon replaced by two young'uns, (a couple? or were they just friends? we couldn't tell..), who were much more interesting to listen in to.

Now for the food. If you're in the mood for a burger and fries, my God this is the place. Oh and the onion rings! who can forget the onion rings? They were absolutely amazing. And the size of my face. The food is served all together crammed onto a tray, and although this approach is unconventional, it really works. The burgers taste fantastic and are a far cry from anything I've previously had burger-wise; they don't hold back and come with all the extras. The fries were typical, American style french-fries, but were still bloody good.

There are only two things that I would warn you about Meat Liqour. One is that you must be prepared to get messy. The blue towels become your most beloved friend, and are essential in your quest to try to counter the amount of food that is steadily appearing all over your face. And secondly, be prepared to feel full. Very, very full. Not only was I was very silent on the way home, but I then had to lie down for the rest of the afternoon.

However, through all this pathetic semi-suffering, I kept thinking how wonderful it was that a meal that had made me feel this full, had only cost me about a tenner.

J

You'll never guess what happened at our first meal...

So first, to set the scene.

It was midday, and we decided to go to one of our favourite haunts, MochaMocha, on St Michael's Hill, for lunch. (They do a great coffee and pastry deal for £2.50 before 10am which is a fantastic motivation to help get you to the library early).

We were perusing the sandwiches, (a personal fave is their Bacon, Brie and Cranberry Sauce panini, it never fails), when I casually glance to my right to see who is beside me. It's Peter Andre. The one and only.

How odd.


I was of course more excited than my 'How odd' suggests, but we (or rather I, A wasn't that bothered), tried to remain calm, and we went to sit down after ordering. Then, lo and behold, the door opens about a minute later, and who wanders in in? Bill Bailey. Again, the one and only.


This was the most baffling thing that's possibly ever happened to us and of course, we jumped at the chance to get photos. So here they are...

(Food will be the focus of the next blog however, I promise).

















J

So we decided to set up this blog...

Both being food lovers - and possibly even for a lack of something to say in that precise moment - I suggested to Big A that we set up a food blog. 

The idea persisted, and in the lull after an essay hand-in, I braved the internet and set this little beauty up.

We are both University students living in Bristol, and regardless of the persistent student idyll of living off a shoe-string, we both love to cook, and eat out, and we will jump at the chance to do either. 

Starting a food blog, therefore, became a fantastic excuse to indulge in both of the above.

Let's see what happens.