Author: jamesclay

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Easy Carve Stuffed Duck

British Easy Carve Stuffed Duck

One of the dishes I like at Christmas is a partially boned stuffed duck. I had my eye on the Aldi version, mainly down to the price, but also the other stuffed ducks I had seen were slow cooked (as in pre-cooked), whereas the Aldi version was fresh (as in raw).

Aldi have a dynamic pricing when it comes to some of their Christmas specials. When the duck first went on sale it was £24.99, within a few days it was down to £19.99. However, I waited until Christmas Eve, when it came down to £9.99. That was the right price for me.

Of course there is a risk that they will sell out before Christmas Eve, but I usually have my eye on a range of specials, so don’t worry too much if I can’t get the one I want. 

It was very easy to cook and the final glaze made the dish. The duck was very tender and full of flavour. It was a lovely main course for the festive feast.

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Eating Greek Again

Staying over in London, I had planned to eat in the hotel I was staying at, however there was an issue with the included meal allowance. So I was then left with the decision to either eat at the hotel or choose an alternative. There wasn’t many choices close by, but I did like the idea of Greek, and nearby was an independent Greek place. I enjoyed my meal so much, on the next night I went again.  There was smiles as I arrived, and I sat at my “usual” table. Certainly a sense of déjà vu, which we all smiled at. This time I was going to have something different. 

This time I went with the halloumi followed by the pork gyros. The halloumi tasted really fresh, and was dressed with some olive oil. I really liked the dish.

I don’t think I have had gyros before so it was an interesting experience. They came with pita bread, tzatziki, and chips.

The pork was done really well, it was tasty and tender. I liked the addition of the red pepper.

The service was great, and I certainly would go again.

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Wahaca for One

I had really enjoyed my last meal at Wahaca at Paddington, so had thought about going again at some point.

Arrived in London and went to Wahaca for lunch. They do a deal for one, which looked nice. Better than a sandwich. Initially I thought do I want to go there, as it was quite early, just approaching midday. But then I thought, what was the alternative? A sandwich from Pret? So headed on up the stairs. I was the first person in the restaurant. However, by the time my food arrived twenty minutes later, the place was packed.

What you got was:

      • Guacamole & Tortilla Chips
      • Smoky Sonoran Hummus
      • Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito
      • Two tacos of your choice, I went for the Buttermilk Chicken Taco and the Beef Gringa Taco.

I loved the way the food was presented on a wooden board.

The guacamole tasted nice and fresh, and it was nice to have the mixed tortilla chips as well. I really liked the smoky Sonoran hummus, not too smoky, but I liked the addition of the sunflower seeds. The Sonoran hummus is a Mexican hummus, made with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, guajillo and herbs, drizzled with chilli oil.

At the heart of the board was a sweet potato & feta taquito. There was a variety of textures and flavours in this taquito. It came with caramelised onion, salsas and chipotle mayo, and was served in a crisp blue corn tortilla. The crunch of the rolled taco and the smooth sweet potato made this a tasty treat.

I had gone for the buttermilk chicken taco and the beef gringa taco. You got one of each. The gringa taco was slow-cooked British grass-fed beef with grilled cheese and salsa fresca, in a soft corn tortilla. The beef was tender and full of flavour.

The buttermilk chicken taco was chicken crispy fried in WildFarmed flour with pink pickled onions and spiced mayo, in a soft flour tortilla.

It was a great meal, really tasty. Service was excellent as well.

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Eating Greek

Staying over in London, I had planned to eat in the hotel I was staying at, however there was an issue with the included meal allowance. So I was then left with the decision to either eat at the hotel or choose an alternative. There wasn’t many choices close by, but I did like the idea of Greek, and nearby was an independent Greek place, the Ithaki Greek Kitchen.

I walked over, and looked over the menu, one of the waiting staff came out and asked if I wanted to come inside and look at the menu, as it was warmer inside than out. I said yes, by then I had pretty much made my choice that I would eat there. There was an Italian place next door, but I did fancy Greek.

Having decided to eat, I was given a choice of where to sit. The welcome was warm and friendly. I went with the hummus followed by lamb chops. The hummus arrived and was accompanied by a large portion of warm flat bread.

hummus

The hummus was nice and fresh and the bread was warm, soft and doughy. Delicious.

pita bread

The lamb chops soon followed. There were three chops on top of crispy chips.

lamb chops

The lamb chops were very tender, but the char in some places was a little bitter. The chips were twice cooked, but were seasoned. Personally I would have liked some salad with it. I washed down the meal with a bottle of Mythos, Greek beer.

The service was great, if anything a little over attentive. 

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Time for Tacos

One of my go to places for a light lunch, is Tortilla. I always go for the three tacos, usually with added guacamole.

I was at the Mall doing some shopping and decided to grab a bite to eat at Tortilla. I went for the chicken tacos.

What I like about the food, is it tastes very fresh, true the chicken has been around for a while, but combined with the fresh salad, salsa, and toppings, they are delicious. Can be a bit messy to eat, so I usually use a fork, but in theory you can eat them by hand. One time I will get a burrito from Tortilla and see how that is.

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YO! Sushi Magic Bag

I knew I would be around at the collection time of 8pm so I ordered a Too Good To Go Magic Bag from Yo! Sushi at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

The app stated £15 of food for £5.

I got three items.

Pack of o-mega Salmon – 3 YO! roll, 4 salmon nigiri, 4 avocado maki
£8.95

Kaiso seaweed – marinated mixed seaweed, edamame & carrot in a su-miso dressing.
£4.25

Classic edamame
£3.25

Value of Bag
£16.45

So it certainly meets the terms of the deal. However on a previous visit I got almost three times as much sushi, and as they had over-estimated the number of bags, they actually made me some fresh sushi for the bag. So though this bag was a good deal, you can imagine I was a little disappointed as the bag did not meet my unrealistic expectations. Would I go again, probably. 

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Sticky Pig Rustica Pizza

I like the Rustica pizza from Zizzi. So when I saw the Zizzi Sticky Pig Rustica Pizza in the freezers at Waitrose I was intrigued and liked the sound of it. 

Sticky Pig Rustica Pizza

However the experience was rather disappointing. I know I had quite high expectations, but even so, I think it could have been better. It was frozen, but I didn’t think that should make too much of a difference, maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. The overall experience was of a stale pizza, I like my pizza base to be fresh, soft and doughy. This felt like it was cooked, and then I recooked it, drying it out.

I nearly bought two different kinds of the pizza, but glad I didn’t.

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Five Pound Kebab Deal

I had a tasty kebab from GDK back in August so when I saw there was (another) £5 deal on the Three+ app and needing some lunch, I popped to the branch of GDK in Cabot Circus and using the app ordered a five pound deal for a kebab. I went with the beef kebab, and this time I felt there was a more generous portion of meat in the kebab.

kebab

It was served with salad and sauce. I added fries and a drink as well. I did enjoy it, but I think I prefer “normal” pitta bread with a kebab. This was pretty good value lunch.

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Unearthed Iberico Pork with Pasta

Unearthed Iberico Pork with Pasta

Once when I was staying in an apartment in London I had tried the Unearthed Iberico Pork, and had enjoyed it. Didn’t write about it though.

The ultimate pork meat which delivers an intense flavour! This award winning free range Iberico pork is from South West Spain. This ancient breed roams freely and forages for food. Iberico is widely revered as one of the best meats in the world due to its rich delicious flavour. Ibérico Presa Roaming freely in the dehesas, sparsely wooded pasturelands of quercus trees that can only be found in the south-west of Spain, this ancient grazing breed is perfectly adapted to this environment. Ibérico pigs are able to store large amounts of fat which makes the meat especially succulent and tender. The constant exercise and natural source of feed also mean that the meat is delicious! 

I recently bought a pack from Waitrose, 

I followed the instructions on the pack, cooking the steaks for three minutes each side, basting in butter. I let the meat rest and then sliced and served on a bed of butternut squash and sage tortellini.

The meat was very tender and full of flavour. I really enjoyed it.

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So what about the specials?

I have been to the Landing Light quite a bit recently. It’s local so easy to get to, the menu is good, with special offers it’s good value for money. As a pub food place, it’s really nice.

Reflecting on why I had been going more often, I remember when it opened its speciality was rotisserie chicken. The menu was awash with rotisserie chicken, not only could you have plain old rotisserie chicken, you could also have rotisserie chicken with sauce. Many of their dishes were made with rotisserie chicken as well. I am not a great fan of rotisserie chicken, as I often find the chicken has been overcooked and can be somewhat dry. I think that was why, when looking for places to eat, I would avoid the Landing Light. Another reason was that a few years ago there were quite a few choices of places to eat out in Weston, we had Prezzo, Pizza Express down at the seafront, Frankie and Benny’s was close by. However they have all closed down since the pandemic. With less choice, the Landing Light has become a more attractive option.

So, when deciding where to go for a celebratory meal, it was an easy choice, to choose the Landing Light. Booking was quick and simple online and upon arrival we were given a warm welcome. We were shown to our table and told who would be our server for the evening.

There was a wide choice of food to choose from and we were impressed with the attitude towards allergies, as one of our party requires a gluten free diet.

I was a little disappointed that there was no specials menu, and literally as I mentioned this in a matter of fact way at the table, our server arrived, whereupon promptly she apologised and went to get them.  When she came back, I did apologise as I had been discussing the specials at the table and I was aware I came across somewhat rude as she approached the table. She was fine about it, and just to add her service was fantastic. She made us feel welcome, and nothing was too much trouble. 

I looked over the specials menu, our server did say that the cod wasn’t available. So I decided I would have the lamb from the specials menu. I did think about having the pan roasted chicken again, as I had enjoyed that last time. It did amuse us when the server came back and I said I was going to have the lamb, she said it wasn’t available. She was joking and I could have the lamb.

Our food arrived, all freshly cooked. We particularly liked the fact that the gluten free dish arrived separately to avoid contamination.

I had a slow cooked lamb shank with mashed potatoes and green vegetables.

plate of food

I knew the lamb was probably pre-cooked and then heated up when ordered. The lamb was tender and had a great flavour. The mash was smooth and creamy. Overall I enjoyed my meal and it was nice to have something I wouldn’t normally have.

The other food on the table was said to be delicious and everyone enjoyed their dishes.

Our server did an outstanding job as our server, she was smiling, welcoming, efficient and we were all impressed. She is an asset to the team.  We did expect good service, but our server went over and above in serving us, from providing menus, checking what we wanted, serving drinks and settlement of the bill. She made us laugh, she made us smile, and we had an ever better dining experience than we expected. 

Overall the service was excellent, the food was delicious and good value for money.