FIRST POST

Hi everyone! Welcome to my new food blog! 

Many of you may have seen my Instagram page (@rheasfoodblog) and have come on to this page for more mouth watering photos.. well you're in the right place.I've set up this page after realising all I ever do is take photos of food, review food on tripadvisor, talk about food, eat food, dream food, live food. Therefore, it was time to put my obsession to some sort of good use. 

I knew it had got extreme recently when my family were sending me photos of dishes of food and I could name the restaurant they were in from one food photo alone. I have decided to share my (many) experiences with you and hopefully give some good advice for places to try (and avoid) in and around Nottingham & Loughborough.I go to London and travel quite regularly and when I do I go on a major food hunt whilst I'm out there so keep your eyes peeled for cool places to try in other cities too.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now, bear with me on all of this as I'm new to blogging.  Hopefully, you guys can leave me some comments on things I could add on here for the future or even great new places for me to try! The last thing I will say is, trust me, I know my food.

Enjoy! Lots of love, Rhea xoxo

NO DIM SUM?

SHANGHAI SHANGHAI

After traipsing around town looking for a nice new dim sum restaurant to try, me and my friend found this little spot in Hockley which we thought we'd give a try.We walked into the restaurant at 11:50 and were told by a guy who appeared to be a manager that they weren't open for another 10 minutes. This wasn't something that was said apologetically or even nicely but as though we were told to leave. The man was just stood behind the counter on his phone and it did seem slightly unnecessary. 

After waiting outside for 10 minutes, we were sat down and given our menus. I flicked through trying to find the dim sum which I had been so looking forwards too. I asked the same man "excuse me, do you have a dim sum menu?" to which he replied "No, we don't do dim sum". This was very surprising since in the window it clearly states 'dim sum chinese restaurant and bar', similarly their main tagline on their website reinforces this again. We were a bit annoyed, especially since, again, the man was not apologetic. We were starving and the menu still looked good so we thought we would give it a go.

I ordered the salt and pepper squid, won ton soup and chicken satay skewers. My friend ordered salt and pepper tofu and the spicy vegetable noodle soup bowl.. The starters were nice and well presented, in particular the chicken satay sauce was really tasty. My friends main of the noodle soup however, was seriously bad. It was extremely spicy, somewhat fishy and she couldn't even nearly finish it. My squid was dry and my won ton soup again, average. 

Overall, the trip wasn't particularly memorable, the service wasn't great, the food was ok and being a 'dim sum' restaurant without dim sum it felt like false advertising. Another point to make is that after looking at their website, their homepage even has photos of dim sum - which they do not serve. Strange! In the window there was newspaper articles of food awards they had received and this had definitely got me excited to begin with and left me feeling so underwhelmed by the end. I wouldn't return there again and not sure if it somewhere I would recommend for others to try. 

HIDDEN GEM

TIMEOUT CAFE

Timeout cafe is an amazing hidden away spot just off market square on Wheeler Gate in Nottingham. It is a funky, modern, urban cafe which serves oriental food from pho to gyoza and tempura prawns. It is self service where you order at the counter and granted the service isn't great with a significant language barrier. HOWEVER, the food is fab, it's presented so well and the vibe in there really makes it. It is relaxed and laid back with board games, video games and even a piano you can sit and play. Some people sit in there doing work on their laptops, others playing games with friends and some just popping through enjoying the vibe with a light lunch. Me and my sister recently went and played Jenga whilst waiting for our food which was such a different dining experience and really fun! I recommend the sticky korean chicken and tempura prawns! It's a small but very mixed menu and recommend trying it if you like quirky new places to try (and especially if you like taking pretty photos of food).

QUICK LUNCH

MANGA SUSHI

After trying this restaurant on a number of occasions within the past year, Manga is definitely somewhere I would recommend trying if you like sushi. It is a small Japanese restaurant located on King Street right in the hustle and bustle of Nottingham city centre. On my most recent visit with a friend, she ordered from the lunch menu which she could order three courses for just over £10. She ordered sushi, prawn gyoza and chicken teriyaki noodles all within the deal which was fantastic value for money. I was left feeling a little jealous as I ordered off the main menu with about the same amount of food for double the price. However, it did not disappoint. I ordered the prawn gyoza which is a must try there and arguably the best prawn gyoza I've had to date. I also ordered the dragon roll which is the main reason I keep returning. The dragon roll contains tempura prawn, avocado and crab stick and is to dieeeee for (see photo below). The atmosphere in the restaurant is very relaxed and almost feels like a cafe vibe - its not somewhere I could imagine ever going in the evening. The service is always good and the staff are polite, the only downside I would say is that the food as a takeout or deliveroo just really wasn't the same. A must try if you love sushi and are looking for a quick lunch on a budget. 

REGULAR VISITS

THE BASIN RESTAURANT & BAR 

The Basin (Loughborough), where do I start? I visit this restaurant at least once a week, sometimes twice, sometimes three times. Being only 10 minutes from my house and about 30 seconds away from my gym, its difficult to avoid.The menu is mixed with Thai, such as green curry and Japanese, with sushi and ramen. The great thing about The Basin is that unlike many restaurants local to me, it actually serves dim sum all day. The food is consistent, well presented and I am yet to have a bad experience there. The prawn toast is a must try! Best ever! Once you've tried the prawn toast there it is difficult to enjoy it anywhere else. I've left some recommendations at the bottom of the page of dishes I recommend, as there are simply too many to describe. The ones I've listed are some of the best on the menu.

It has a very relaxed vibe, sometimes I rock up in my gym kit and other times dressed up in heels for a special occasion. The Basin can be whatever you want it to be and and often you see people there on special occasions as well as a students having a quick, casual lunch. I always order a vast amount of food there, especially starters to share and yet my bill never comes to a huge amount. 

 The main down side of The Basin for me, is sometimes the service can be very slow and you can sit waiting for your bill for over 15 minutes. Although I must add, they've recently had some new staff and it is slowly improving. Another thing I think The Basin should consider, is special offers such as student discount or even a loyalty card, since I visit so regularly it would be great for customers like me to receive some sort of benefit/appreciation. Another gripe is that you are charged extra for things such as making your food spicier which always irritates me slightly because it does seem like an unnecessary charge to pour a drizzle of chilli oil onto my food. Finally, I think The Basin could work on their cocktails, I have tried a few and the word I would use to describe them is, interesting.

Anyway, I'll round it up and say - the menu is vast and there is something for everyone, the vibe is relaxed, service needs improvement BUT the food is always consistent and really bloody tasty!

My Recommendations -

Starters - Prawn Toast, Negima Yakitori, Chicken Spring Rolls, Prawn & Pork Steamed Dumplings, Ebi Katsu Sushi, Chai Sui Buns. 

Mains - The Basin Special with Crispy Noodles, Prawn Pad Thai and Beef Black Bean Ho Fun Noodles.