My burger looks picture perfect, but the bun is as brioche as Nigel Farage is French. There’s no soft, fluffy open texture; it’s dense and pushing heavily towards being on the stale side. It just dominates everything, suffocating any potential flavour from the bacon and cheese… READ MORE
The next course is easily the most photogenic plate so far; a green flecked riot of orangey-pinkness with roe, scattered like pearls off a broken necklace and a piece of trout cooked sous vide. It’s coated in a miso sauce with fresh dill and chervil providing a taste spotlight for the trout’s starring role… READ MORE
The pan roasted quail arrives, looking like a muddy winter walk. It’s crispy skinned, but the meat is on the dry side; any intended caramelisation of the blackened sprouts has turned to bitterness and it’s all heavily salted, magnifying the intensity of its dominant Bovril-like flavour… READ MORE
The pie arrives looking like a golden crown, alongside two plates of mash and the buttered hispi; almost translucent lime-green, fully leaved sweetheart cabbage. It looks like a plate of food from the school canteen but that comparison stops exactly there… READ MORE
These are magical times to be a pizza lover in Birmingham and we need it put in writing that it all started on 14th October 2016, when Otto opened with their wood-fired pizzas. For me—a fully confirmed wood-fired believer—this is comparable to the birth of Jesus … READ MORE
At its base sits a vegetable samosa; initially crisp, the yoghurty mix with its spicy chick peas and chutneys eventually entice the pastry into that optimum stage of being both simultaneously crispy and soggy. But you can’t linger on such mouthfuls of unbridled joy… READ MORE
I have to admit to a wave of food envy. The Calabrese with its spots of soft and spicy n’duja looks like God’s gift to hangovers, but it’s the Ancozzese (chilli flakes, smoked mozzarella, Tuscan sausage, friarielli and extra virgin olive oil) that taunts me the loudest about my poor decision-making... READ MORE
When the starters arrive, I see the others have mostly gone for antipasti and it only takes one mouthful to realise what a tragic mistake they’ve made. The ragù has cucina povera in abundance; it’s intensely meaty, beautifully flavoursome and succulent in a sauce richer than the deepest baritone… READ MORE
It’s a menu that changes according to seasonality and today, there’s a nod to the festive season with egg nog porridge, mulled figs, chestnut purée, Christmas cake crumbs and gingerbread; and panettone butter pudding, cranberry and clementine compote, mascarpone and candied kumquats… READ MORE
The Halim Hyderabad looks and functions like a bowl of porridge and its mutton boldness runs so deep, you’d think it’d been mined; with sweetness provided by caramelised onions it’s wonderfully gentle and indulgent. Sitting on top is a meatball that provides a crack hit of shish kebab... READ MORE
The waitress returns with a large serving tray of extra Yorkshires and roasties; these are absolutely spot on, with a thick golden crunch, scraped off the bottom of the roasting dish. The fresh batch of Yorkshires is as textbook as the first… READ MORE
My two stacked pieces of Louisana chicken are in the lightly coated, blackened spice style and just the right side of dry. Its spicy saltiness works harmoniously with the sweet and rich butter waffle, intensified by the maple syrup… READ MORE
The brisket is sat centre stage, ingot-sized, if not looking anything like so appealing. But tucking in, it breaks into beautifully moist meaty shreds in the ‘pulled style’… a Jenga-style pile of roasted parsnips and carrots, shredded collard greens… READ MORE
The scallops are cooked well, although they lack a caramelised, seared crust. The bonbons provide crunch, but in terms of flavour they are as near to crab and lobster, as prawn is to cracker. Nor could I get any sense of truffle oil in the pea velouté—‘mushy peas’ in all but name… READ MORE
The baby kale leaves are straight from kindergarten and salad fresh, combining beautifully with the thinly sliced, rasher style pancetta, the salty blue kick from the stilton and the scattering of crispy onions providing a crunch too... READ MORE
My Massaman curry arrives, looking the part—chunks of lamb and potato with chopped peanut and coriander garnish. I’m immediately hit by the power of the sauce; it’s just the right side of being over salted. But, by the third mouthful it’s just flat-lined… READ MORE
