Out and About with Lise-Ann – At The Hampton Manor…

The Hampton Manor
Shadowbrook Lane
Hampton-in-Arden
Solihull
B92 0EN

http://www.hamptonmanor.eu/

I love discovering new places especially when they are literally on your own doorstep leaving you wondering how you never knew about them before! I had such an experience last Sunday when I visited the new Hampton Manor Hotel in Hampton-in-Arden.
Once the estate of Sir Fredrick Peel, the house was originally designed to host political, commercial and social meetings that a man of such standing would have been expected to hold, so as you can imagine it’s quite an impressive building. Until recently the estate was used as a care home for people with learning difficulties until it was bought by hoteliers Derrick and Janet Hill who have successfully converted the manor into a luxury hotel and conference centre.
The restaurant is currently only open for Sunday Lunch prior to the official launch of the hotel, a clever idea as it gives the kitchen a chance to iron out any potential issues before they fully open and also allows the waiting staff a good opportunity to perfect their service.
Sunday Lunch is a tour de force of five courses for £29.95 a head. A weekly changing menu features locally sourced seasonal produce and features a choice of starters, mains and desserts.
On our arrival we were shown to the bar to have a pre-lunch drink as we considered the menu. The house has been lovingly renovated with a few modern touches in the furnishings. Our order was taken whilst we had our drinks and we were shown to our table in a nice, leisurely fashion when our food was ready. The meal began with an amuse bouche of vine tomato soup with freshly baked bread, a delicious gutsy start to the meal that would have been welcomed as a full starter in its own right. This was followed by starters of sweet melon with passion fruit sorbet and a smoked mackerel and crab parfait, both of which were interesting and rather unusual but none the less tasty. The sorbet was a rather new way to begin a meal while the fish parfait was more of a terrine.
For mains we had roast pork with crackling, roast potatoes, apple puree and sage, and roasted vegetable with polenta and a fresh pepper sauce. My companion thoroughly enjoyed the pork, however is a fan of more chunky apple sauce. My vegetarian main was packed with flavour and very satisfying.
Between dessert and mains we were served a vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb compote which was rather rich and creamy. The rhubarb cut through the cream nicely but there wasn’t enough in comparison to the panna cotta.
We both opted for crème brulée for dessert which was, for what is essentially baked eggs, very, very good!
Overall the lunch was a real treat and the service was impeccable. The team at the manor is well on their way to opening with a finely polished product when they launch the full Hotel.
Alternatives:
Mint – Sutton Coldfield http://www.mint-restaurant.com/
Pascals – Edgbaston www.pascalsrestaurant.co.uk

Out and About with Lise-Ann – The Orange Tree, Chadwick End

The Orange Tree
Warwick Road
Chadwick End
Warwickshire
B93 0BN
With Autumn well and truly here it’s out with barbeques and alfresco dining and in with log fires and good hearty food, which was exactly what we found last weekend at the Orange Tree.

When we arrived at 6:30pm the bar was already buzzing with the post-office crowd welcoming in the weekend. We ordered a couple of drinks and managed to find a free couch by the open fire to settle into. After a while our hunger got the better of us but having not booked we were regretfully informed there were no tables available in the restaurant, however we could still order food and eat where we were which we decided to do.

If you have visited any of the other five venues in the ‘Lovely Pubs’ collection, including The Boot in Lapworth and The Crabmill at Preston Bagot you will be familiar with the menu which features a selection of sharing plates and starters, followed by salads available in either small or large portions. The mains are divided into sections starting with a range of ‘fired pizzas’ which when read quickly is easily mistaken for fried pizza! There then follows a selection of pasta, grill, and stove dishes to chose from and finally four rotisserie options including piri piri and lemon and tarragon.

We decided to go for a selection of dishes to share which included a sharing plate of rustic breads with roast garlic and extra virgin olive oil, crostini with deviled chicken livers, fresh mint and chili from the appetisers, a pizza pollo pesto with tomato, chicken and pesto and a side order of fries. The food arrived and we proceeded to tuck in attempting to retain some form of table manners despite essentially having to eat on our laps!!

The deviled chicken livers were delicious, perfectly cooked they melted in your mouth and packed a fair punch of flavour. Pizzas in pubs are in my experience a rather hit and miss affair but I can happily report a definite hit this time, with plenty of chicken and a generous scattering of mozzarella it was crispy and delicious and all gone in next to no time! The rustic bread was a little greasy for my liking but the chips were good and fluffy.

We did manage to leave room for dessert and opted for the daily special, a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream. Now with brownies being one of my favourite cakes to bake this dessert had a lot to live up to and unfortunately it didn’t quite make the grade, we both agreed it was more of a chocolate cake than a brownie but still tasty enough in its own right.

Overall the Orange Tree continues to deliver a reliable and friendly atmosphere with well cooked food freshly prepared according to the season. Worth braving the chilly autumnal wind for!

Alternatives:

The Saxon Mill
Coventry Road, Guys Cliffe, Warwick CV34 5YN

Twenty-Three Essex Street
23 Essex Street, Birmingham, B5 4TR

Future Focus with TV personality and Birmingham Alumni Ben Shephard…

From rolling around in tights with 16 other dance students to rolling around on a rugby pitch, Ben Shephard’s time in Birmingham was varied to say the least. In this month’s Future Focus, we hear from the television presenter about his memories as Birmingham alumni, his advice for the City’s students and graduates, and get to the heart of the matter – City or Villa?

1. As a Birmingham graduate, do you feel this helped or hindered you in your career?

I’m not sure I have ever actually been employed because I went to Birmingham and can now do a passable brummie accent, but there’s no question that my experiences at uni in Birmingham led me to the job that I now do

2. What is your favourite memory of Birmingham?

There are tons. The rugby, rolling around on the floor in leotard and tights doing my dance degree with 16 other girls has left me with loads of great memories, scoring a try on the 1st xv pitch during a big BUSA game with a large crowd was very special too, oh and I met the wife there too

3. What was your first big career break?

I did a show for C4 called control freaks

4. If you were not presenting, what do you think you would be doing instead?

I like to think I’d be travelling.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on TV?

Amongst the wealth of embarrassing moments falling off the back of the GMTV sofa is up there

6. Have you tried the assault course on the Krypton Factor?

Unfortunately due to insurance issues I haven’t had a chance, but hopefully if we do it again I’ll sneak on

7. Have you ever been star-struck?

Not horrifically, although the first time I met Kate Beckinsale was a touch difficult once she admitted she rarely wears underwear

8. Do you return to Birmingham often and have you noticed any significant changes?

I haven’t been back for a very long time, although when I have returned I am aware how much more fashionable the students are and how much money they must spend on their hair now

9. What advice would you give to both students and graduates of Birmingham University?

You are at an incredible place, in one of the most underrated cities in the country. Soak up every moment it ends far too quickly and the beer will never be as cheap again!

10. Villa/City?

I am a west ham fan but all my family are from Brum and are big Villa fans so have to go with The Villa

This interview is thanks to Nadia Yaqub from Brewin Dolphin and Member of the Birmingham Future Marketing committee.

Out and About… With Lise-Ann at Thai Edge

Thai Edge, 7 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HL – www.thaiedge.co.uk

My sister was up from the city recently working at the REP so during her visit we popped over to Brindley Place for a spot of dinner.

Due to her show starting at 7 we had to dine pretty early so most places were predictably quiet.  We decided to go for Thai and made our way to the well established Birmingham home of Thai Edge in Oozells Square.

As I say it was fairly quiet when we arrived and we were genially welcomed by a very attentive and happy young waitress dressed in the restaurant’s recognisable purple uniform.  It’s been about five years since I had last eaten here but my memory of the extensive menu was not inaccurate!  Indeed if you are planning a visit leave plenty of time to peruse the menu, a luxury, by virtue of the early show, we did not have! 

With time not on our side, rumbling bellies and indecisive natures we were struggling to make a decision but eventually gave in and allowed the waitress, who had been hovering in a not offensive but rather more polite and helpful fashion to take our order.

We decided to share a vegetarian hot platter to start, mainly because Vicky was intrigued to discover what delights the ‘golden bags’ contained and with her being allergic to prawns (more prawn crackers for the rest of us!!) it was safer to opt for the vegetarian platter!  The bags were I believe little filo sacks encasing a mixture of vegetables which were delicately fried.  The platter also offered some tempura vegetables, sweetcorn cakes and mini spring rolls.  All of which came with two dips, a bright red sweet chilli, and an as yet undetermined yet perfectly delicious brown dip. The starter was an ideal size split between three of us and the individual components all tasted fresh.  My only complaint would be that the tempura was perhaps a touch greasier that I would have liked but by no means did it resemble a deep fried offering from Mr Egg!

For mains we opted for a traditional Thai Green Chicken Curry for Vicky with sticky rice, and two fairly similar dishes of wok fried chicken with garlic and chilli accompanied by a portion of steamed and egg fried rice.

The dishes arrived shortly after the table had been laid with the necessary hot plates to keep them warm.  The curry was reported to be smooth with a nice subtle heat and plenty of chicken and vegetables, whilst the sticky rice was exactly as it should be, sticky without being claggy.  The wok fried dishes were also well received, again providing generous portions of chicken which was moist and packed with fresh and mouth-watering flavour.  The garlic, an ingredient I can struggle with in large quantities, was in my dish, more of a background flavour, which in my opinion is as it should be.  The chilli heat was just the right intensity (the menu offers guidance on the heat of each dish with handy little images of chilli) and the sauce itself was not to heavy or glutinous!!

We were all beaten by our portions due to late lunches but had I been in the fullness of my appetite I would have gladly done the kitchen the favour of cleaning my own plates!!

Alas we didn’t manage to sample anything from the dessert menu due to time however there is a modest offering of ice cream based dishes and three traditional Thai puddings to select from if you have got the time and appetite, and with ice cream supplied by Joe Delucci’s I will be leaving plenty of room next time!!

Well priced and consistent, Thai Edge has all you need for an authentic taste of Asia.

Alternatives:

Barton Arms http://www.oakhamales.com/bartonabout.asp?m_pid=0 

Suko Thai, 334 Stratford Road, Shirley Solihull

Out and About with Lise-Ann at Pascal’s…

Out and About
Pascal’s
1 Montague Road,
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B16 9HN

www.pascalsrestaurant.co.uk
It was Mrs Brennan’s birthday on Sunday. After reading a couple of recent reviews in the local papers she has been keen to try a couple of Birmingham’s restaurants for a while.
Top of her list were Turners of Harborne and Pascal’s. Since Turners no longer opens for Sunday lunch the decision was made for us! I called to book our table the week before and spoke to Pascal himself. He was most helpful and apologetic that my internet booking had not been responded to. When I mentioned there was a birthday in our party he was more than happy to arrange for this to be marked in someway on the day.
Pascal’s is located in the former home of the restaurant where Glynn Purnell, along with Pascal, earned Jessica’s an enviable reputation for fine dining in the city. Following Glynn’s departure, Pascal bought the premises and opened the doors to his own restaurant in July 2007 with Chef Andrew Wilde at the helm in the kitchen.
We arrived for lunch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and were warmly welcomed by Pascal and his front of house team. A sly wink form Pascal assured me he had not forgotten we were celebrating and we were shown to a delightful table in the middle of the conservatory.
The restaurant was moderately quiet but not worryingly so and there was a steady stream of diners coming and going during our visit. We were presented with the Sunday Lunch menu, the A La Carte menu is not available on Sundays. The menu offers three choices for starters, mains, desserts.

Whilst Mr Brennan did what he does best and interrogated the wine list, the Brennan ladies chose their meals.
From the options of soup, wood pigeon, or trout and gnocchi starters, Grace and Vicky both went for the wood pigeon while dad and I went for carrot & cumin soup with seared scallops.
The soup, strikingly orange in colour, was a delight of delicately spiced cumin and carrot with three scallops cooked to utter perfection, crispy on the outside with a soft melting middle
The main course offerings were two roasts, a beef or pork option with traditional accompaniments, and a beer battered fillet of hake with pea puree and potato and caper salad. There were three unanimous votes for the traditional beef roast whereas I chose to break with convention and ordered the hake.
The roasts arrived with generous helpings of roast potatoes and enormous, freshly made yorkshire puddings. The yorkies had a mixed response but in the main were well received however the only low point of the entire meal was that the roast potatoes appeared to have been pre cooked and reheated. The hake however was faultless, the light golden batter encasing a delicate, perfectly cooked fillet of mild, yet salty, hake which was beautifully offset by the pea puree and potato salad. A bowl of seasonal veg was provided with the mains including spiced roast carrots and green beans. The food was exceptionally good and we still had dessert to enjoy!!

There was a choice between a white chocolate and lime tart with exotic fruit sorbet, homemade bread and butter pudding with vanilla crème anglaise, or a cheese selection. We managed to order at least one of each from this selection. Mrs B, not having a sweet tooth, opted for the cheese plate however prior to serving our desserts she was presented with a small sliver of the white chocolate tart with a candle and happy birthday written in chocolate on the plate! Once we had embarrassed her sufficiently by enlisting the rest of the dining room to join us in a rendition of happy birthday we tucked into the puds. The bread and butter pudding was moist and well balanced with plenty of fruit for the amount of bread, served warm in a light but creamy crème anglaise. The chocolate tart was rich but the lime cut through perfectly and the sorbet was the perfect accompaniment. The selection on the cheese plate was vaired and generous without being overpowering.

We rounded off with coffees which were served with homemade dark chocolate and orange truffles.
Before we left Mrs B was presented with her own selection of truffles to take home, a lovely touch and the perfect end to a truly wonderful lunch.
The service throughout the meal was faultless and the attention to detail was impeccable. Pascal and his team were attentive and charming and we will most certainly be returning soon to sample the A La Carte.
Alternatives:
Le Bistrot Pierre

www.lebistrotpierre.co.uk
Petit Gourmand

www.petit-gourmand.co.uk