Bristol - Bravas

I've wandered past Bravas on Cotham Hill many a time now, and yet have always strolled past without a second glance. For some reason, it always looked too grown-up, and tapas always seemed to be more student friendly at Las Iguanas, round the corner. Until today. It's a buzzy bar/restaurant with an authentic spanish feel, all of which you can get the gist of by just peering in. But oh boy, the food was good.

We each had a lime and juniper berry G&T, which looked terribly pretty with lime rind curls and juniper berries in amongst the ice, but alas, I have no photo. In fact, I have only one photo of the meal, as I was enjoying it far too much to get my phone out. The one photo I have is of the grilled lamb with this hazelnut and parsley sauce, which was just great.

However, the dishes that absolutely stole the show and which, if you do go, you must get, are the fried aubergine with molasses, and the Iberico pork. The aubergine came cut up like little frites and had this sweet honey and molasses sauce all over it, which was peculiar, but amazing. Oh, but the pork. The waiter had warned us it would be good - something to do with a different curing and cooking process etc - we ended up ordering another plate.

It did all slightly add up and so was on the expensive side, but we figured that if we hadn't got drinks, and had chosen fewer dishes, it would have been just perfect.

J

Bristol - Mesushi.org

Mesushi is one of the most fantastic discoveries that I've made while at Bristol and it is, wait for it - a sushi delivery company. Although this all sounds very 'Sex and the City' and rather frivolous, let me assure you, this place is cheap. After all, Bristol is a far cry from New York, and I am but a lowly student.

They deliver on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, at both lunch and supper times. So, instead of giving in to a Dominos when the cupboard is bare, or trying to scrape butter onto a cracker like in that Flora advert from years ago, try this place out. It could only cost you £3.80. Oh that's right. Eight pieces of salmon and surimi sushi rolls fetch in at £3.80, and the addition of salmon nigiri takes it up to only £4.99. It's an exciting thing to have delivered and breaks up the monotony of what can become 'student food'.

They're terribly lovely too. I embarrassingly owed them I think £1.70 once, as my friend who I was eating with had not arrived yet with her money, and so I had to go sprinting all over the house looking for any house mates with loose change. This was never going to happen, and so the man kindly gave me an 'I owe U'. (I write this debt free).

This is also a great place to turn to, as in shunning larger take-away empires, you are also helping out a small local business. Enjoy.

J

London - Bi Bim Bap

I ended up popping down to London for an interview on Sunday and wandered into the small Korean restaurant, Bi Bim Bap. Found in Soho, on a road adjacent to Ronnie Scotts, this apparently small and unassuming restaurant bombards you on entering with a plethora of tiny photographs lining its walls, all of happy, smiling diners. However, far from being alarmed, this sight rather spurred me on to try and join these troops lining the walls, and so I sat. (Alas, in case you were wondering, I was unsuccessful). One day, maybe.

The restaurant is named after its signature dish, which is also Korea’s national one, Bi Bim Bap. This is a big responsibility for shoulders of such small metrical dimensions, however, Bi Bim Bap did not disappoint. Its signature dish is terribly healthy and consists of rice mixed with vegetables and possibly meat, then usually with the (almost random) addition of a fried egg. It was served in fantastic bowls that seemed to be carved out of stone and that remained firmly on their slabs of wood, as they were terribly hot. The bowls were particularly great as their circumference was wide enough to allow you to get to the food and mix it up as much as you wanted without the fear of it spilling everywhere. I may just be a messy eater, but I’ve definitely had that problem in the past.

We also had the Korean root tea, which was unusual, but delicious. Oh and just as a heads up, downstairs is plastered with posters of Korean girl bands that look like they are styling themselves on the nineties Spice Girls. A bit bizarre, but you can easily hurry past. Although I enjoyed trying the dish Bi Bim Bap, if I’m totally honest I’m not sure that I would return, oh other than to try and get a photo on their wall, of course. 

J

Bristol - Maximillion's Deli

A few weeks ago, my friend went to this place and offered me a bite of the roll he bought. One bite and I was sold. It was incredible - certainly the best 'bite to eat' I'd had in a while. So I made it my mission to find this place.

Snuck away, just beyond the beautifully colourful Nelson Street (the 'grafitti street'), it looked like any old humble cafe from the outside. Stepping inside, you're surrounded by food everywhere. There's just so much of it.

 

Shamelessly, I'll admit to having looked up 'Bristol food challenges' a while back in lieu of an English-equivalent to Man vs. Food and this was one of the results that came up. Here's why.

Firstly the roll presented to you is about as big as a human head, and that's not even hyperbolic. You're then offered 'meat' or 'non-meat' and, as a self-respecting man, obviously I chose the former. Then this is the catch - you then get 5 'sides', as they refer to them ('toppings' to normal people). You've got the standard ones - various types of cheese, cuts of meat, chillis, assorted veg. Then it gets a bit more strange - scotch eggs, different pasta salads, numerous potato salads. Potato freaking salad ...in a roll. Carb overload. It had to be done though.

There were probably around 40, maybe 50 sides to choose from. The very kind server told me that I should "come back on a weekday and [they] have sooo much more". I'm intrigued to see what other wonderful things they can think about putting in a sandwich. You could spend years trying out all the different combinations and unlike most places, they don't cut you short on the portions either - almost as if they want to get rid of their ingredients.

So I chose an unusual combination of pork with stuffing, filled with cheese, jalapenos, some sort of chilli salad creation, salami, and a curried potato salad. Costing a measely £3.50 for a roll as a big as my head. I'd say that's a bargain and a half.

Sitting down to eat it (you would have to sit down to eat one of these bad boys), I took in what is positively best described as a 'man-wich' - the highly generous portions made it almost as tall as it was wide, even Joey Tribbiani would be contemplating sharing one of these. But there was no sharing today. For such a strange mixture of ingredients and flavours, it was incredibly tasty. I couldn't put it down. Although slightly wary that on this occasion my eyes may have been bigger than my stomach, I powered through - a significant achievement if I do say so myself.

I will definitely be returning when my stomach feels ready to take on the challenge again. I'm also shocked at how few have heard about this remarkable place. Go and try it out!

A

P.S. Once again, I've forgotten to get photos (obviously couldn't put the tasty thing down long enough to be able to), but next time I will!

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