Time for a coffee

August 27, 2026

Tricolour Tomato and Burrata Salad

I really like this simple salad of fresh Italian burrata cheese with tomatoes.

For this salad I took a selection of tomatoes I had in the fridge. They were from The Heritage Tomato Collection, a box of tomatoes I had got from Waitrose.

Sweet Rich Juicy Aromatic Vibrant Fresh. A Carefully Curated Range of Heritage Tomatoes. Bringing Back that Real Tomato Taste. Discover our carefully curated range of heritage tomatoes, grown in the UK for exceptional flavour and authenticity. Our selection changes throughout the season, ensuring you receive the freshest varieties at their peak. Each mix is chosen to celebrate the diversity, colour and rich taste that heritage tomatoes are known for.

I took three different colours of tomatoes, sliced and the dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and white wine vinegar.

Burrata is an exquisite Italian fresh cheese with a unique texture. It starts with a pouch of fresh mozzarella, which is then filled with a rich, creamy mixture of stracciatella—shredded mozzarella curds and cream. The name “burrata” comes from the Italian word for “buttered,” which perfectly describes its luxurious consistency. When sliced open, the firm outer shell gives way to a soft, spilling interior. This creates a delightful contrast between the solid exterior and the milky, buttery filling.

August 26, 2026

Awesome Bento Box

A Friday lunch break in Bristol took me to the vibrant Finzels Reach Market, where I picked up an incredible bento box from She Sells Streetfood featuring beef donburi alongside tan tan udon noodles.

With the Beef Donburi, the beef itself is incredibly tender and packed with savoury depth.

What really elevates it, though, is the contrast. Crispy fried onions bring a satisfying crunch, while pickled vegetables and cucumber salad deliver just enough sharp acidity to cut through the rich meat.

Another wonderful dish is the Tan Tan Udon. Pure comfort in a bowl.

Soft, chewy udon noodles are mixed with seasoned minced pork and fresh pak-choi, all submerged in a rich, creamy broth. Every single spoonful gives you a bit of everything—no sad, bare bites here. Whatever you do, don’t skip the crispy chili if they ask. That extra kick of heat ties all the creamy, savoury flavours together into absolute perfection.

It was an absolutely delicious meal, rich, balanced, and completely delicious.

August 17, 2026August 17, 2026

Double Pistachio

I do enjoy walking around Portishead Marina, it’s a lovely place. There are quite a few places to get food and drink. Reality is that I don’t go to many of these, as lots of other people like the marina too, and a lot of places are very busy. I also seem to be there in the afternoon, so too late for lunch and too early for dinner.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in August, so I was expecting places to be very busy, however when I got to Cafe Mokoko I was pleasantly surprised that it was busy, but not too busy, no queues.

I ordered a pistachio oat latte and a pistachio ganache pastry. So, I had one drink and one pastry and even I was a little surprised that the total cost was £9.90. So nearly ten pounds. I know it sounds like an old man complaint, but it did feel a little steep to pay nearly ten pounds for essentially a coffee and a snack!

I am guessing that I have been spoilt with the Three+ app where I was getting £1 coffees from Caffé Nero for the last couple of years. When it was sunny I would often have a pistachio latte, so having to pay full prices was unusual.

I went with the oat version of the latte as I don’t normally have milk in my coffee, and I rarely have milk with cereal either. It was almost an impulse decision to go with the oat milk version, I think it was partly as it was on the sign next to the till.

I did enjoy the latte. I could tell it was made from oat milk, but it worked. There was a good taste of pistachio, and it wasn’t too sweet either. Nice and cold as well. Certainly, would have this again, on another visit to Cafe Mokoko.

The pastry was a croissant style pastry filled with pistachio ganache.

I did think this might be too sweet and sickly, but actually it worked well. The pistachio ganache was not too sweet and was absolutely lovely The combination of flaky croissant style bread with the soft flavourful ganache was perfect.

This was a lovely drink and pasty. Often Cafe Mokoko can be really packed and busy, but today it was just about right, there was a lovely atmosphere. They have outside seating, but I chose to sit inside (it was cooler) and had lovely views of the marina. I will be going back there again.

August 10, 2026

Waitrose Honey & Mustard Deboned Chicken

I was in Waitrose looking for something for my dinner and I saw this Honey & Mustard Deboned Chicken which had been reduced from £11 to under £4. A bit of a bargain I thought.

This is a deboned chicken, in a honey and mustard marinade. You cook it in the provided tray in the oven for 35 minutes.

I thought it was actually very good, the marinade had a good flavour. It wasn’t a large chicken so don’t expect it to feed lots of people. I am not sure that this is worth paying £11 for, but for the reduced price it was good value.

August 8, 2026

Creamy Cajun Pasta

I used a Morrisons Cook It Creamy Cajun Pasta Seasoning & Paste Flavour Kit, which cost a pound. It was very easy; I cooked some fresh tomatoes and mushrooms in a pan. Added the dry seasoning and cooked for a few more minutes.

I then added the cooked pasta, seasoning paste, and spinach to the pan. Combined everything before adding some single cream. I also added some grated parmesan cheese.

I really enjoyed the pasta, and it would be something I would cook again.

August 5, 2026

Teriyaki Tuna Ramen

I don’t think this is authentic, but I enjoyed cooking and eating this ramen dish.

First I stir fried some vegetables and I added that to my bowl. I cooked some noodles and they were added to the bowl as well.

For the protein, I cooked some diced tuna in a frying pan, when it was virtually cooked I added some teriyaki sauce.

I then finished putting the ramen together, I added some chicken broth to the ramen bowl, which had been heated up while I was cooking the tuna. I then added the tuna to the bowl and topped with some crispy onions. I attempted to soft boil some eggs, I don’t think I managed that! These were then shelled and halved and added to the ramen.

The broth, which as from an itsu pack was very good, and I really enjoyed the tuna too. The noodles had stuck together, so need to reflect on that the next time I make this.

August 3, 2026August 2, 2026

Garden Centre Flat White

I’ve not had coffee at the Cadbury Garden Centre for a while now. I was there killing some time while my car was getting a hand wash.

I went to the café, I had originally planned to have breakfast there, but I wasn’t hungry, so I just had a flat white instead. You order at the till, but then you take a seat and they will bring your coffee to you.

This was a lovely coffee, beautifully made and delicious.

August 2, 2026

Time for a Flat White and Fruit Toast

I was getting some work done on my car and some time to kill. Nearby I had the choice of McDonalds or Starbucks, neither of which would be my first choice for a coffee (or a second breakfast).

In the end I went to Starbucks and ordered a flat white and some fruit toast.

I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee, but I have to say I really enjoyed the flat white. The taste and texture were excellent. I was surprised, but this was a nice surprise.

The fruit toast was good as well. Though I would argue that this is a toasted fruit bun rather than toast, but from the top it looks like toast.

Overall I was pleased with the coffee and the toast.

August 1, 2026

Disappointing Lobster Ravioli

I was in Lidl and as a limited release, from their Deluxe range they had a pack of Lobster Ravioli for £2.49.

These take three minutes in a pan of boiling water. I added some crème fraîche and grated parmesan cheese.

When I opened the pack there was quite a strong aroma of seafood, however after cooking this did not translate into flavour. The pasta itself was nice, but the filling was bland and lacked any flavour of lobster. This wouldn’t be something I would get again. I would rather spend more money on something like the Luigi Ugo Cromer Crab & Crayfish Ravioli I recently had.

July 31, 2026

Mozzarella, tomato and pistachio salad

This was a quick and simple salad I made. I took some Dolce Romana lettuce leaves and some sliced heritage tomatoes. I then added some ripped mozzarella before topping with pistachio nuts. I dressed the salad with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

I do like the Dolce Romana lettuce from Marks and Spencers, it has a great flavour and texture. It has echoes of romaine lettuce, but has more crunch and is sweeter. I quite like nuts in my salads, these were ready shelled pistachio nuts.