Thaikhun Nottingham Review

We love taking the children out to try new foods, so when we were invited to a new Thai Restaurant in Nottingham I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to get them to try something new.

Thaikhun is one of the new restaurants in Nottingham's Victoria Centre food court, offering quick and tasty food in one of the most wonderful settings I’ve ever seen, a mixture of traditional and industrial with a hint of retro kitch it was great for me and the kids loved it too.

Once we were sat down with our menus, the children were given a pencil case with crayons in and their menu to colour, anyone who has ever been out with children, especially on the spur of the moment will know only too well how important these little touches are.

To drink, I chose a smoothie, my daughter an apple juice and my husband some guava juice, they were all welcome after our mornings shopping and very tasty. I would have preferred mine in a glass as it arrived in a plastic cup but that’s just me being picky.

We ordered some starters, a selection with a bit of everything on, a great way to get the children to try some bits they normally wouldn’t. My son loved everything but the fish balls, but that was possibly because of the lemongrass in it, an acquired taste I think you’ll agree.

For mains, my daughter chose from the children’s menu, she loves noodles so we picked her some Chicken Pad Thai Dek, it arrived on a cute melamine plate but was a really good portion, she loved it but didn’t quite manage it all.

My son, being a little more adventurous chose from the proper menu, he had a Chicken Massoman curry with rice, he loved it and the flavour was good and not too spicy.

My husband had the Geang Phed Ped (duck curry) and I had the Khao Mun Gai Tod which was a tasty chicken with coconut rice, this was really lovely and I would definitely choose this rice again, if I had to pick one fault with it would be it was served with quite a lot of lettuce.

Overall the food was well cooked and had plenty of flavour, there was plenty of it and we all really enjoyed it.

The great thing about Thaikhun is that it has a wonderful outdoor area, this will be perfect on warm summer days and into the evening, perfect for meals with family or even romantic date night.

I really loved the atmosphere at Thaikhun, the staff were helpful and polite and bowed as we arrived and left, it made for such an authentic atmosphere and great food and drinks made it all the more exciting. 

We were all really full afterwards so didn't sample the puddings, they sounded great though and I know This Mummy Loves did so check out her blog for some pudding info.

NB: We were invited to Thaikhun to try out their menu, all words and opinions are my own.

Dinner at Rocket at Saltwater

This weekend was mine and my husbands 7th wedding anniversary, we decided to head out for a meal and a drink afterwards with a few friends.

We've been to a few places around Nottingham and wanted to try somewhere new, having tasted some of food from Rocket at a food show a few years back we decided to give it a go.

The menu looked great and we were able to book online the day before, it also happened to be where we had our first date when it was just Saltwater.

We started off with a cocktail, we both opted for a Stormy Mojito, very tasty we also ordered a bottle of Argentinian Malbec at the recommendation of the waiter.

We decided to skip a starter, I am more of a pudding person anyway and I didn't want to fill up before the main. I chose the belly pork on a bed of cabbage with bacon and a creamy cider sauce, and mashed potato. It was absolutely beautiful, the meat was cooked to perfection and the accompanying mash and cabbage was delicious.

My husband had the steak and chips, and on discussing with the waiter he decided to have the sirloin as he likes it rare. Unfortunately it didn't arrive rare but we mentioned it to the staff and they offered to replace. He declined as he didn't want to wait and it was medium so still tasted lovely, they were really great though and offered us something in return for the inconvenience.

Pudding was delicious I had the vanilla and raspberry marscapone cheesecake, it was really light and just what I needed. I do love a good pud, my husband chose the cheese, it was a huge plate which he didn't quite manage to finish.

We finished the meal off with some espresso martinis, if you haven't tried these before they are delicious and these were probably one of the best I have ever tasted.

Overall the meal was lovely, the waiter Ben was very attentive and made the meal a total success. Nothing ruins a meal more than a waiter who doesn't care.

I think we will definitely be going back for food, probably in the day to take the kids. The good thing about Saltwater it is a great venue day or night and with views over Nottingham it is stunning too.

Fleet Street Kitchen Review

A couple of weeks ago my family and I were invited to a preview lunch at a gorgeous new restaurant and bar in Birmingham.

The Fleet Street Kitchen is one of the most unusual restaurants I have been too in a while, with the Barbacoa grill being the main focal point of the room.

In a relaxed environment you can enjoy fabulous fresh food cooked to your liking, as neither of us were drinking we had virgin Mojitos.

As we went on a Sunday I opted for the Sunday lunch, the meat was cooked perfectly and the vegetables were divine covered in the all important gravy which tasted great.

My husband chose a 35 day dry aged Dexter beef rib eye with coffee chipotle BBQ sauce, the sauce was tasty and had a really lovely spicy tang to it.

Although they don't have a specific children's menu you can have any of the mains half portion and half price so we chose the chicken and chips for my son and daughter.

Starters were all great sizes too so you could just have a couple of those for the kids, we chose the baby back ribs and potted duck which were both fabulous.

High chairs were available and at no point were we made to feel uneasy about children wanting to go and look at the kitchen and a general walk around.

The whole atmosphere was wonderful and it felt like a kitchen come dining room with a modern twist.

Finally pudding, personally I would go for a pudding over the starter but since we were there to try everything, I went for the whole 3 courses. I decided to have the Eton Mess, my husband had the chocolate pot and my son went for ice cream. The manager sent over some melted chocolate and raspberries for the children which was a lovely touch.

And finally the downstairs, although it wasn't in full use yet the vibe we got from it was elegant with an edgy feel from the spray paintings on the wall.

The booths were great and the range of spirits suited mine and my husbands unusual and sometimes expensive tastes.

You can't tell from the picture but this door is huge!

Spray painted ladies on the walls.

Gorgeous chandeliers offered a luxurious feel

I really loved the kitchen feel and it's the great setting place for a lunch with friends or a post work meal and drink.

The staff were friendly and helpful and overall we had a great meal.

NB. The meal was given to us free of charge in return for our thoughts on the restaurant, all words and images are my own.

Favourite Recipe Friday - Chicken, Leek and Bacon Bake

I have decided to post my favourite recipe every Friday in a section called Favourite Recipe Friday.

Today is one of my new favourites, it is perfect for winter and is so simple. It takes virtually no time at all and could be turned into a vegetarian dish quite simply. It was originally a recipe from Good to Know but I have adapted it a little to fit the tastes of my family.

Chicken, Bacon and Leek Bake - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp oil
• 4 chicken breasts, diced (could use potato, pasta or veg instead of chicken)
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced
• 4 slices of bacon (leave out if vegetarian)
• 25g butter
• 2tbsp plain flour
• 300ml milk (I use full fat but you could use semi-skimmed for less calories)
• 125g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken for 5 minutes. Add the leeks and bacon and fry, covered for 10-15 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through).
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute . Take off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk, bring to the boil until thickened, keep stirring (I use a wonder whisk if you haven't seen these they are great). Season with a little salt and pepper and add half the cheese, stir until melted.
3. Place the chicken in a heatproof serving dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and place under a preheated grill for 2-3 mins until golden and bubbling.
4. The great thing about this dish is that it can be kept in the oven for 5 minutes whilst you set the table and get the children ready. You can then take the dish to the table and serve straight from the dish.

Serve with a salad or as I usually do some roast potatoes and veg.