beef Archives - Time for a coffee

June 7, 2026

Wahaca Feasting Menu

Though Wahaca is one of my favourite places to eat, I hadn’t been there since December 2024, when I visited the branch at Paddington and had the Wahaca for One deal. They use to have a branch in Bristol, but that closed way back in August 2020.

My son and I were in Wimbledon, and there are lots of places to eat there, however it was during the recent heatwave, so I wasn’t in the mood for spicy Korean food. So, we went to Wahaca. It was a Friday evening, and they looked busy, it took while for us to be seated, we then looked over the menu.

They have an extensive choice of small plates on offer in their menu, and they recommend 2-3 plates per person. I also quite liked the idea of ordering some Mexico City Nachos as well. However, I did though like the sound of their feasting menu. This is six dishes, and one of those, the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas was one I wanted to have. One thing I like about having a set menu like this is you get dishes you probably wouldn’t order if you were ordering separate plates. We ordered the feasting menu and two bottles of Corona.

The first four dishes to arrive were a Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito, Beef Gringa Tacos, Grilled Brindisa Chorizo Quesadilla and the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas.

The Beef Gringa tacos were made from grass-fed, slow-cooked beef, with grilled cheese and salsa fresca, in two soft corn tortillas. A dash of lime added a nice sharpness and freshness to the rich beef filling.

Yes, you could eat these in your hands, but it could be messy. The beef was rich and tender with just the right amount of spice.

The Grilled Brindisa Chorizo Quesadilla is not the best looking dish, but this was tasty.

There was ample chorizo within the quesadilla to add heat and bite to the filling of grilled cheese and crunchy tortilla.

The Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito with caramelised onion, salsas and chipotle mayo in a crisp blue corn tortilla, was served on a bed of lettuce.

The sweetness of the sweet potato was offset by the saltiness of the feta and the spicy heat of the chipotle mayo. It was a lovely combination of flavours and textures.

One of my favourite dishes of the feasting menu was the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas. This was raw line-caught tuna, marinated in soy and lime, with avocado, tomato salsa and salsa macha, on crispy tortillas.

I had enjoyed tuna tacos from Bills before, but these tostadas were very different approach and appearance. The crispy tostadas added a nice crunch to the fresh zingy tuna and the accompanying salsas added flavour and heat. Like the beef tacos, slightly messy to eat, but these were delicious.

As we were eating the final two dishes arrived, the Buttermilk Chicken Tacos, and the Chipotle Glazed Aubergine.

The Buttermilk Chicken tacos would probably have been a dish I would have ordered if I was ordering separate plates. These was crunchy fried buttermilk chicken with habanero mayo and pink pickled onions, in two soft flour tortillas.

This sounded great, and they were very nice, but out of all the six dishes I had these were probably my least favourite. I liked the habanero mayo and pink pickled onions, but I think the dish was let down by the chicken, which to be honest was a little dry (and possibly overcooked). They were okay, maybe I had higher expectations, but I was slightly disappointed.

I forgot to take a photograph of the Chipotle Glazed Aubergine: however, this was roasted slices of aubergine that had been brushed with a chipotle glaze and was served on top of macadamia mole, with jalapeño oil and crumbled feta. I doubt I would have ordered this dish if I was ordering separate plates, but this was one of the best dishes in the six. It was beautifully presented with a topping of crumbled feta. It had a lovely strong flavour, some heat, there was sweetness from the glaze which contrasted with the saltiness of the feta and the slight bitterness of the aubergine. Delicious.

Overall, we had six excellent plates of food. Obviously, I preferred some over others, but it was a nice variety and I was pleased we had made the choice to go with the feasting menu.

Service was excellent, warm, friendly and efficient. I would certainly visit again.

June 5, 2026June 4, 2026

Another Bento Box from She Sells Streetfood

It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote this:

When there is a street food market in Bristol and one of the stalls is She Sells Streetfood, then this is the place I will get my lunch.

So, there I was a week later working in Bristol on a Tuesday again, I headed to the Bristol Temple Quay street food market for lunch. Though like last time there was quite a bit of choice, I headed to She Sells Streetfood and ordered a bento box, with beef donburi and katsu fries.

The beef donburi was slow cooked beef in an oriental sauce on top of sticky rice with pickles and crispy onion.

The katsu fries are dressed with katsu mayo and furikake seasoning. On top are two crispy pieces of fried chicken.

As before the bento box was delicious.

June 1, 2026

Bento Box from She Sells Streetfood

When there is a street food market in Bristol and one of the stalls is She Sells Streetfood, then this is the place I will get my lunch. So, there I was working in Bristol on a Tuesday, I headed to the Bristol Temple Quay street food market for lunch. Though there was quite a bit of choice, I headed to She Sells Streetfood and ordered a bento box, with beef donburi and katsu fries.

The Katsu fries are dressed with katsu sauce and furikake seasoning. On top are two crispy pieces of fried chicken.

I am growing to like this dish, I’ve had it a few times now. The fried chicken was excellent and with the fries and sauce it is all very tasty.

The beef donburi as always was tender and full of deep Unami flavours.

The crispy onions add texture and the pickles and cucumbers salad add the necessary sharpness to cut through that rich tasty beef.

One of the reasons I buy this box on a regular basis, is that this is excellent fresh street food, full of flavour and very tasty. Also in a time where street food is getting more expensive (not surprisingly with increased costs of food and fuel) it is excellent value for money at £10 for the bento box.

May 15, 2026

Rigatoni pasta with a beef bolognese sauce

This is my recipe for when I made a beef bolognese sauce which I served with some rigatoni pasta.

- - 500g minced beef, I try and get 5% or 10% fat mince, otherwise the end result can be a bit greasy and you try and remove the excess oil
  - Pancetta
  - Splash of olive oil
  - One red onion, diced
  - One red pepper, diced
  - Handful of mushrooms, chopped
  - Splash of balsamic vinegar
  - Knorr chicken stockpot
  - Dried Italian herbs
  - Tin of tomatoes
  - Tomato purée
  - Garlic purée

I usually use a big pan for cooking this dish. I heat the pan add the splash of olive oil and then cook off the pancetta. This adds flavour, saltiness and richness to the bolognese.

Then add the minced beef and brown off the mince until it is all done.

If, at this point, you have any excess fat in the pan then drain the cooked mince and discard the excess oil and fat.

Add the onion and pepper. You can add extra vegetables at this point, such as carrot if you want. After a few minutes add the mushrooms. Once the onion is soft and cooked, add the garlic puree. If you want to use freshly chopping garlic add it at the onion and pepper stage. Then add the tin of tomatoes, the herbs, the tomato purée and the balsamic vinegar.

Cook for at least 20 minutes on a low heat, though longer would ensure that the beef is tender.

Serve with a pasta of your choice. Add freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley to taste.

April 11, 2026

Delicious bento box

I was working in Bristol on Friday and headed off to get some lunch. I had this delicious bento box with beef donburi and tan tan udon noodles from the amazing She Sells Streetfood at the amazing Finzels Reach Market.

The beef donburi is tender, full of flavour. The crispy onions add texture and the pickles and cucumbers salad add the necessary sharpness to cut through that rich tasty beef. The combination of ingredients in the tan tan udon noodles are wonderful. The minced pork, pak choi, and soft noodles are served in a creamy broth. There is always something in every spoonful. Don’t forget the chilli if offered, it adds warmth to the the whole experience.

So tasty, so nice, so delicious.

On a previous visit I had swapped the noodles for the katsu fries, but this time I went back to the noodles.

April 6, 2026

Another new Bento Box

It was a Friday in Bristol, wanting lunch I headed off to Finzel Reach street food market.

I went to She Sells Streetfood and went with a bento box and went with the same choice I had last time I was there. This was the Beef Donburi and the Katsu Fries.

The beef donburi was delicious as always. It’s a fantastic dish with flavourful tender beef in a teriyaki sauce, not overpowering served on rice with pickles, cucumber salad and spring onion garnish.

The Katsu fries are dressed with katsu sauce and furikake seasoning. On top are two crispy pieces of fried chicken.

This time the chips were hotter than previously, though the chicken was better last time, I think last time it was chicken thigh whereas this time it was chicken breast. I personally prefer chicken thigh for this kind of dish.

As I have written many times, this is one of my favourite street food vendors and the food that Lisa serves is always very tasty.

March 26, 2026

Roast Beef Smørrebrød

Visiting Copenhagen I was looking for somewhere for a snack. There are lots of choices of places to eat. I had gone to the fifth floor of Magasin du Nord where I planned to get some coffee. They had a wonderful food department in the basement, which reminded me of Selfridges in London. While I was up there I noticed Hallernes Smørrebrød which sold some amazing looking Smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches). They had a lovely looking variety, egg and prawn, beef tartare, chicken, roast beef, potato and roasted pork. I chose one enjoyed the roast pork version. I thought to myself, if I am hungry later, I am coming back for another sandwich. Later I did just that.

I was going to have the beef tartare sandwich, but they had sold out. Instead I had the Roast Beef Smørrebrød. This was rare roast beef with mustard, pickles and crispy onions.

You do need to use a knife and fork to eat this kind of sandwich and it was delicious. The beef was full of flavour and I enjoyed it. It was nice to sit down and eat the sandwich with some lovely views from the fifth floor windows.

March 22, 2026March 22, 2026

A new Bento Box

It was a Friday in Bristol, wanting lunch I headed off to Finzel Reach street food market.

I went to She Sells Streetfood and had something different this time. I went with the Beef Donburi, but instead of the Udon Noodles, I went with the Katsu Fries instead.

The beef donburi was delicious as always.

I enjoy the tender slow cooked beef rib which is full of flavour. I did enjoy the fries, but they weren’t hot, just warm. It was a really cold day, and I think they weren’t that warm when they were served, but I did enjoy the seasoning, the crispy chicken, and the katsu sauce.

I think I prefer the Udon Noodles, but it was nice to have a change.

February 22, 2026

Little Smoker Beef Brisket

As I mentioned in a previous post, when I was in Bristol recently and I walked to Finzel Reach for some lunch. I was tempted by the Little Smoker who were there again, but when I saw them preparing their food, I was (initially) a little disappointed. So, I went to King Fin and ordered the Fritto Misto.

Now as I waited for my Fritto Misto two people walked past with their Little Smoker meals and they looked really good. So, much so, I will try them out next time they are at a street food market I am at. I realised what I saw, they hadn’t finished putting the dishes together.

So when I was in Bristol last week, I saw that Little Smoker was going to be at the Temple Quay street food market, I made the decision that this time I would got and try their food out.

You create your own dish choosing smoked beef brisket, smoked pulled pork, or they have a vegan option of crispy seitan. Feeling hungry or not sure what to choose they also have beef and pork combo. You can then choose a side of a bun, spiced fries or mac fritters.

You can top of your choice with more mac fritters, cheesy mac fritters, spiced fries or cheesy fries. You also have a choice of sauces to go with your smoked meat.

I went for the beef brisket and some mac fritters.

They did however get my order wrong, serving me fries, I did complain and they then created a bowl of food for me. I was a slightly disappointed to see they left the sliced brisket out, getting cold, but we got there in the end.

In my bowl I had two mac fritters, which was balls of mac and cheese, covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried, there was also shredded lettuce, red cabbage slaw, slices of cucumber, and of course the beef brisket, of which two thick slices were placed on top. I went for the chimichurri sauce to go with my brisket. I think if I had gone with fries I might have gone for bbq.

The beef was tender, not melt in your mouth tender, but certainly not as soft as some beef brisket I have had in the past. Though it had a good flavour, I felt it needed more smokiness. I really liked the mac fritters more so than I thought I would. I wasn’t in the mood for fries, so this was a good choice for me. The salad accompaniments were fresh, but lacked seasoning or dressing. I expected the slaw to really enhance the beef, but it was quite flat.

This was a nice bowl of food, the highlight for me was the mac fritters. I am not sure I would go again, might go and get some mac fritters as a side to something else. Having said that I did enjoy having something different.

February 19, 2026

Charlie Bigham’s Beef Short Rib Ragu with Rigatoni

I have been trying out a few of the Charlie Bigham’s meals. One I tried recently was the Beef Short Rib Ragu with Rigatoni. This was slow-cooked beef in a rich ragu with a fresh herb dressing, topped with Parmesan & served with rigatoni.

I followed the instructions on the packet, though I did cook for a shorter time than indicated, as my oven seems to work too well at times.

I did enjoy the beef ragu, which was intense and had a good flavour. Alas the pasta was slightly overcooked, I am not sure if it arrived like this, or whether my cooking had something to do with it.

I did like this meal, but I think it wouldn’t be one I would get again.