Handmade Burger Co - The Bullring, Birmingham City Centre

If you didn't know already, I love a good burger. I also love restaurants that specialise in burgers and Handmade Burger Co is one of my favourites. The menu is so big that you can always have something different and there are plenty of options for non-beef eaters, but it's not overwhelming and it's easy to find something that you fancy.

A couple of weeks ago I headed into town with a couple of friends for some burgers. I'd been desperate to visit Handmade Burger Co since I came back to uni in September and I was so glad we finally went there. It was pretty busy for a Tuesday night but we didn't have to wait long for a table and we quickly decided what we wanted as we were rather hungry (and by rather I mean absolutely starving). There was a bit of a queue to order but our food arrived pretty quickly after ordering.

The American Cheese Beef Burger

The Peppered Beef Burger

The Avocado and Bacon Beef Burger

We all enjoyed our burgers. I've had the peppered beef one before and it is really good but seeing as I'm still obsessed with avocados I had to go for the avocado and bacon burger. It was really good but I have to say that I think I prefered the same one in GBK. In GBK they cook the burgers medium and for me that really improves a burger. I still really enjoyed the one in Handmade Burger Co though and the meat is of really good quality, I just wish it wasn't so well done!

We shared two portions of chips between the three of us which was about the right amount I think. There were a few left over but one portion wouldn't have been enough. I don't think I can stress enough how much I love their chips. They remind me of chips you get from fish and chip shops and they are the perfect balance of crunchy and fluffy. Word of warning though, they are boiling when they first come to your table and I always forget so dive in and end up burning my tongue. They are kinda worth having a burnt tongue for a few days though. SO GOOD.

What makes Handmade Burger Co even better is the value for money. I have a loyalty card that gives you free things every few visits (this time I got a free drink) and they do pretty good student discount. 15% off  with a valid student card and I think they still do 30% off between 3-6 on a Monday (I'm not sure on that though!).

All in all a great place to grab a burger, especially if you like your meat well done!

Gourmet Burger Kitchen - The Mailbox, Birmingham

Although on the whole I do prefer independent restaurants, I do enjoy going to a chain every now and again, especially if they focus on burgers. Generally burger chains tend to be pretty darn good. I haven't been to GBK a huge amount in the past but after going last week for a catch up with a friend I was reminded how good it is.

As you will know if you read this post I'm obsessed with avocados, and bacon and avocado is one of my favourite combinations. Naturally I went for the avocado and bacon beef burger.

It was a pretty big burger, but not so giant that eating it is a massive challenge. It came with the usual salad in burgers, as well as a burger relish that I think was a bit mustard-y. I'm not a huge fan of mustard but it wasn't too strong and just complimented the burger wonderfully. I had mine cooked medium-rare. I love it when places give you the option of how you'd like your burger cooked as I think the main way burgers are ruined is when they are well done.

My friend went for the cheeseburger (which she enjoyed) and we shared a side of sweet potato fries, which came with baconnaise. The fries were a good balance of crispy and super soft and I will definitely be having baconnaise again. We also got a free portion of garlic mayo that I got from downloading the GBK app.

Having satisfied our savoury cravings we decided to get a couple of milkshakes to round off the meal. This was one of the best decisions ever.

I got the honeycomb milkshake and it was massive. I couldn't quite finish it because it was pretty rich, but in no way sickly as a lot of milkshakes are. It had a lovely, caramel-y flavour with pieces of honeycomb in it and wasn't overly thick or sweet. The only word to describe it is perfect.

I wouldn't say the burgers at GBK are amazing or outstanding, but they're pretty good and the menu is pretty vast so you're bound to find something you like. I will definitely go there again (especially as they do student discount), if not because of their burgers but because of their milkshakes.

Pinocchio's Restaurant - Norwich City Centre

As mentioned in my last post, I went to Norwich for a mini-break with my family and got home yesterday evening. I had no idea how nice Norwich is, I expected it to be full of 1960s and 70s grey buildings and full of chain restaurants and shops. Although there are parts like that, we mainly kept to the old part of the city centre, with cobbled lanes and independent shops and cafés. The old buildings were so interesting to look at and this part of town had such a nice character.

On Tuesday morning, we wandered down to the cathedral, which was enormous and one of the most beautiful cathedrals I've seen.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the town and by the evening we were pretty hungry. After walking around for a very long time we decided the go in Pinocchio's Restaurant on St Benedicts Street. It described itself as a Mediterranean Brasserie and the food mainly focus' on an Italian theme.

I ordered the burger, which had an Italian twist as the beef patty was accompanied by pancetta, taleggio and salsa verde.

 

I hadn't had taleggio before, which is an Italian cheese that has a consistency when melted that reminded me a bit of melted mozzarella but with a more pungent flavour. I'm not a huge cheese lover so I found there to be a bit much, but it was interesting having something a bit different to the usual cheddar you get in burgers. Salsa verde is a sauce made up of ingredients like parsley and vinegar and compliments meat well. It was quite strong and there was a tad too much of it in this burger for my liking but overall it was a really good burger.

It was nice to have a slightly different version of something I always have and the triple-cooked chips it was served with were really good.

My parents both had pasta dishes - tagliatelle carbonara and pappardelle with spicy lamb ragu, both of which were delicious.

 

My sister had a lamb dish served with bulgur wheat in a pomegranate sauce (I thought it was horrible but she thought it was one of the best meals she's ever had).

Earlier in the day I had decided against getting an ice cream and planned on having dessert with dinner instead, and I'm glad I did!

I had the salted caramel filo crisp with white peaches. Salted caramel mousse sandwiched between two layers of crispy pastry filled with nuts and topped with slices of white peach. It was a combination I've never had before and it was very tasty.

The salted caramel mousse was particularly good! I wish it was served with a scoop of ice cream or some extra sauce but I still enjoyed it and I would definitely have it again.

My mum had the tiramisu which she enjoyed.

 

Overall we had a lovely meal and the service was great. If I was going back to Norwich for a couple of days I would probably find somewhere else to try out but if I lived in Norwich I would definitely go back there.

Birthday Celebrations in Cosy Club - Cardiff City Centre

Last week it was my friend's birthday and to celebrate we went into town for some food and drinks. The birthday girl wanted to go to Cosy Club, which is part of the same group as the Lounges (read about the Fino Lounge here). Cosy Club is similar to the Lounges and there are few around the South of the UK in town or city centres and they are open all day, for brunch and coffee to dinner and drinks. Cosy Club Cardiff is located in the St Davids 2 centre and is on the first floor with huge windows looking over The Hayes so is really bright and helps to create a relaxed atmosphere. It has a similar feeling to The Plough - the quality and offering of food and drink and the layout of the restaurant makes Cosy Club a casual yet special place for a birthday meal.

I decided to splash out a bit and order a Raspberry Mojito. As I'm only a poor student I normally can't afford cocktails as they can be pretty pricey, and even though this one wasn't cheap it was definitely worth it.

Mojitos are my favourite cocktail and this one was beautifully made. The addition of raspberries made it even better than a standard mojito and the flavour came through nicely but didn't overpower the lime and mint. Very refreshing on a warm evening.

I wasn't particularly hungry and opted for some tapas. I think the menu has changed since I went last week looking at the website and two of the dishes I had have changed or been taken off the menu.

From left to right: chorizo cooked in red wine; broad bean, pea and mint paté; and honey glazed 5-spice pulled pork. I think its been made more expensive on the new menu but they still offer 3 dishes for cheaper than they would be individually and they are still served with ciabatta. If you're looking for traditional Spanish tapas dishes then this isn't what is on offer at Cosy Club but its still really tasty.

It was all delicious; the chorizo was very flavoursome and the pork was very juicy and tender. I really enjoyed the broad bean, pea and mint paté and I think its a shame that its no longer on the menu. It was fresh and was great spread on the ciabatta.

Three of the other girls also ordered tapas and I tried some of the falafels with cumin and coriander yogurt that my friend ordered.

They were really tasty and well spiced and are still available on the menu so I recommend trying them out.

The rest of the girls all had the falafel burger.

The service was wonderful in Cosy Club and our food came quite quickly after ordering. If you're looking for somewhere a bit more interesting than the standard coffee shop or chain restaurant for lunch or dinner in the city centre, then check out Cosy Club, you won't be disappointed!

Lunch at The Plough - Harborne, Birmingham

Yesterday I finally went to The Plough, which I've been wanting to do for the whole of my two years in Birmingham. Loads of my friends have been and rave about it and I can see why.

I instantly fell in love with The Plough when I walked in. It's my type of place; relaxed and friendly yet really well decorated and a bit special. The price reflects this, its not cheap but you get what you pay for - excellent food and great service in a really lovely environment. Sadly I didn't take any photos of the restaurant itself, but it was bright, with lots of windows and had a bit of a rustic feel with the use of wooden panels on the walls and ceiling and an eclectic mix of chairs. There is a big outdoor area too which would be perfect to sit in on a sunny day or summer evening.

I loved the fact they had their name on their glasses. Its another factor that makes it a bit more special than the average pub and sort of makes it clear that they have a strong identity.

As for the food, I was very impressed and I know I will be back to try more on their menu. I decided to have the pizza on the Specials menu, which changes daily.

It was a thin and crispy base topped with tomato sauce, pulled cajun chicken, halloumi, peppers, sunblushed tomatoes and spinach (if I remember correctly) and it was absolutely delicious. I'm sure there were pizzas on the main menu with similar toppings. It was just a really yummy pizza, perhaps a little too crispy as it was a bit difficult to cut up but that is the only flaw I could find. The cajun chicken had a great flavour and it was very filling - it defeated me, I did eat most of it but one of my friends who usually finishes my food ate it up so it didn't go to waste. In fact I was so full that I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day. I'm not sure it was better than the pizzas at The North Star in Cardiff (read about their pizzas here) but it was not much, if any, worse.

Next time I go to The Plough I will 100% be having this burger. It was described by my friend as "amazing. The best burger I have ever eaten in my life". I cannot underestimate what high praise this is. My friend has eaten a heck of a lot of burgers. Most of the time when we eat out together, if there is a burger on the menu, she will have it. So for it to be given the title of the best one she has ever eaten, it must be good. I will definitely find out for myself one day.

The Plough do Calzones for £6.50 Monday - Friday before 5pm and my other two friends I went to lunch with had one. You just choose two fillings to go in the Calzone (along with mozzarella and tomato), so one of my friends had ham and peppers and the other had spicy beef and caramelized red onions.

They were huge and looked so tempting. My friends both enjoyed them and they would be a perfect choice for lunch or an early dinner.

We had a great time catching up over lunch and I would really recommend The Plough. The food was delicious and arrived very quickly, the staff were friendly and its a really nice pub/restaurant if you're looking for somewhere relaxed yet a bit fancy.

The North Star - North Road, Cardiff

A few days ago I went for dinner with some friends in The North Star in Cardiff. I've been a couple of times before and could not stop thinking about their pizzas for the few weeks before we went. The menu is quite varied, from said pizzas to classic pub dishes - there is something for everyone. Although it is, essentially, a pub, there is a restaurant feel to it as tables are served by waiting staff and the food is much better than a bog-standard pub. Its a relaxed place with great decor and a really good atmosphere.

Both times I've been before I have had a pizza, so I felt like I should have something different, and there was plenty on the menu that caught my eye, but seeing as a had been suffering from a pizza craving for about a month, I gave in and ordered a Margherita with mixed peppers and grilled chicken as extra toppings.

I was not disappointed when it arrived.

It was massive! It was larger than the wooden board it was served on!

I much prefer thin and crispy pizzas to deep bases, and this one was deliciously thin and crispy. The sauce was great, a perfect amount of cheese, and there was plenty of toppings too. A very yummy pizza. So good that I ate it all even though it was huge and I was pretty full towards the end.

Two of my friends had pizzas too. They both had the Four Seasons, but one substituted olives for red onions and the other substituted the mixed peppers for red onions too.

They both enjoyed their pizzas as much as I enjoyed mine and were really pleased they could swap toppings at no extra cost.

Another friend had the fish and chips.

She said the batter was really good and the chips were delicious - a great standard fish and chips.

My other friend had a cheeseburger which she said was really yummy.

You can't really see the burger that well - soz, I didn't take the photo, blame my cheeseburger eating friend

Another friend came to join us after we had finished our main meals, and as she wanted to order pudding, it would have been rude not to join her!

I've given up chocolate for lent and I've found it surprisingly easy not to give in this year. However sitting across the table from this brownie was quite challenging.

It looked so good and my friend really enjoyed it as it was not dry but not too moist. I think warm brownies and ice cream is one of my favourite desserts, and after lent is over I'm sure I'll find an excuse to make some (the stress of exams will be enough of an excuse).

Four of my friends had sticky toffee pudding.

I've never really tried sticky toffee pudding and I've never really been that bothered to give it a go but I wish I asked for a little taste of one of my friend's puddings as the more I look at this picture, the more I want to try it. They all enjoyed it though, apparently it wasn't too sickly and it was very spongy (whatever that means?!).

I thought I'd try something I hadn't had before - key lime pie - but seeing as I love limes I was pretty sure I was going to like it.

It was so creamy and had a wonderful lime flavour. The base of the pie was made from ginger biscuits (I assume anyway, it tasted gingery) and went really well with the filling.

We all really enjoyed our food and the whole menu is really reasonably priced. I spent under £14 and got a drink, main and pud that were really, really tasty. The service was a little slow at times but it really didn't bother us as we were in no rush to leave, I think we chatted away for well over three hours. I love The North Star and I will definitely return sometime in the near future, and maybe next time I'll choose something other than a pizza. But then again they do some of the best pizzas I've had in the UK so maybe I won't!

Fiery Chicken Burgers

It has been such a long time since my last post, I've been super busy and unfortunately haven't eaten out anywhere interesting or cooked anything besides boring pasta dishes - until last night.

A few months ago I was faced with a plain old chicken breast for dinner and decided to throw some spices together to cook with the chicken. I was impressed with the result and I think this combination of spices works perfectly in chicken burgers.

To serve 4 you will need:

• 4 chicken breast fillets
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of hot pimentón
• 1 tablespoon of sweet pimentón
• 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoons of lime juice (either from fresh limes or a bottle)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 burger rolls
• 4 thick slices of mature cheddar
• Sweet gem lettuce leaves
• 4 thick slices of beef tomato

Pimentón is a type of smoked paprika that is used in Spanish cooking (e.g. chorizo) and has a wonderful flavour and colour. It comes in different varieties and is available in supermarkets in the seasoning section.

Its best to leave the chicken to marinade for several hours, between 5-8 hours if you have the time.

Centre: Chicken        Left to right: Hot pimentón; ground cumin; lime juice; olive oil; chilli flakes; sweet pimentón

 Measure out the spices into a bowl and add the lime juice and oil. Mix to form a thick paste.

Place the chicken breast fillets in a mixing bowl and rub the paste over each fillet, making sure there is a thick, even coating on each piece. If there is any of the marinade left over, pour it over the chicken. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

When its time to get cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a sturdy frying pan until its nice and hot. You don't need any oil in the pan. Turn the heat down to low-medium and throw the chicken into the pan. It takes about 15-20 minutes for the chicken to cook, depending on how thick the pieces are. Keep turning them over to make sure each side gets cooked equally. Don't worry if it looks like its burning, the spices will blacken and the chicken will look a bit chargrilled.

While its cooking, prepare your burger rolls, slice up the tomato and cheese and rip off the lettuce leaves.

Once the chicken is cooked, heat up your grill (if you have one), place a thick slice of cheese on top of each chicken fillet and stick the frying pan under the grill until the cheese has melted.

Assemble your burgers and serve! I served mine with homemade chips and homemade coleslaw.

This is so easy and the chicken is really juicy and flavoursome, its the perfect dinner for a Spring evening. It has a bit of a kick to it so if your not keen on spicy food then maybe leave out the hot pimentón and chilli flakes.

If you decide to give my Fiery Chicken Burgers a go I'd love to hear how it turned out!