Review- Chaophraya

Firefox, Talk Talk and Blogger have a lot to answer for, as I'd practically completed this review yesterday and in the blink of an eye, it was gone....

So here I give you my rescued, re-written review of Chaophraya (which should have been posted yesterday....)

After being granted the day off yesterday, it felt like a Sunday (as I was working on Easter Sunday). I woke up late, without setting alarm (something which I haven't done in some time) and rolled out of bed. I showered and got dressed (this is all after midday by the way!) and headed for town on the bus.

I trudged through the shops like many others, weighed down by my umbrella which is now part of my essential, everyday kit. I never leave the house with the threat of the impending rain on my newly straightened locks....

After waking up so late and having 'brunch' we found we weren't hungry at the customary times. I'd planned for some time, to take my partner out for Sushi as a treat, but unfortunately, Etsu was closed and I'm thoroughly fed up of Yo-Sushi!...

So, we continued clumping along the windy streets of Liverpool searching for somewhere good to eat. For some reason, we honed in on Liverpool One.... even after passing the San Carlo on King Street and salivating over the wide seafood selection.... We thought it was a bit too formal for our attire, so we thought we'd go down the casual route...


My boss, Candice Fonseca and my work-mate Emma Morris had been raving about Chaophraya since it opened and I can see why- Candice loves exotic cuisine (especially when they don't scrimp on portions) and Emma is a keen vegetarian and they have an extensive menu dedicated to those of us who choose not to eat meat.

Upon our arrival we were seated in the waiting area, but were quickly chaperoned to a table. You could just tell they'd had a busy lunch service, as lots of tables were being re-layed, just in time for the next influx of diners.

Before ordering, I thought I'd make use of the 'facilities' and boy am I glad I did! If you visit Chaophraya, I urge you to take a trip upstairs to the 'Royal' dining suite (the toilets also happen to be on this floor too!)

As we'd never eaten here before we decided to order from the set menu so we could sample a few different items. So we ordered the Set Sukhothai (at £25/head). This consisted of a shared starter platter including the most succulent, honey glazed satay skewers and fresh, juicy deep fried prawns.

After that colossal first course, I was genuinely quite full, but we pressed on with our mains. We were served three dishes- a beef dish with garlic and pepper, a Thai green curry and a duck stir-fry.

As individual dishes go, the beef was my favourite, by far. The meat was dark and flavoursome, not a strip of sinew in sight! The sauce was thick and tangy, without being overpowering.

The Thai green curry was excellent as well. The chicken was extremely tender, contrasting well with the crunch from the green beans. The sauce was piquant and a wonderful shade of green.

The duck was a little on the bland side, despite it being cooked to perfection, but I ate it all the same. After finishing what little I'd put on my plate (through fear of not having enough room for dessert), we asked the waiter if we could take the remaining food home. Shortly before dessert arrived, we were presented with three large takeaway tubs of food!

Dessert was light and refreshing, just what we needed after that mammoth meal! Again, this was a shared platter which consisted of; fresh fruit skewers (and a chocolate sauce to dip them in) a square of cake and a scoop of ice-cream to share.

Once we had fought it out as to who got the last strawberry, we settled up and were on our merry way....

We'll certainly be coming back to this place, as every minor detail in this restaurant has been considered. From the incredible food (and a sneaky window so you can see into the kitchen), to the tranquil water features, and baskets of towels in the bathrooms- nothing is left to chance. We were treated politely and well, and as the staff bid us farewell, one lady bowed graciously to us, which we both thought was a nice touch.

I bet you can guess my verdict... Book It!

Easter and all things Chocolate related...

Well, like most of the population, when the clocks went forward and the days started getting longer, I thought for a split second that spring might be approaching.... how wrong I was!

The freaky weather has made many of us (myself included) go back into winter (or hibernation) mode i.e hats, gloves, scarves and thermals! So whilst the weather limits us as to what we can do outside, I'm going to have fun reacquainting myself with my kitchen.

As my partner and I are working all through Easter, I thought it would be good to prepare some food in advance, so we could simply help ourselves, so I've stayed up past midnight baking pies and making some lovely Gammon and Lentil Soup (domesticated or what?)

I used the Waitrose guide on how long to cook the joint, using just plain water and I adapted a recipe I found on Not Delia. I added some bay leaves, parsley and oregano and replaced the carrot with some new potatoes and it's currently happily, bubbling away on my stove.

So after a hard day's graft at the Delifonseca stall (at the Chocolate Fair) in the unpredictable atmosphere of Liverpool One, I'll be glad to come home to a big bowl of homemade soup- yummy!

You'd have to be clucking mad to eat at Nando's!

I had a vague memory of eating at Nando's some years ago. It was nothing special, just simple, inoffensive food. As of last Sunday, my impressions have certainly changed!

As a bit of a last resort, we decided to grab a bite to eat in Liverpool One's food court. Nando's was the only place still open- so what choice did we have?
The menu read: chicken, chicken, and more chicken! If it wasn't their breasts, it was their livers or their poor wings! Don't get me wrong, I'm an omnivore at heart, but how many innocent chickens are slaughtered a week just to keep up with the demands or these hardcore chicken fans?!

With the option of having a whole chicken, or even two to myself seeming a bit daunting, I opted for the chicken breast fillet in a pitta with salad and chips on the side- simple!
Now I hate to harp on about chicken, but when I say these people like chicken I mean it! The chips even tasted like they'd been deep fried in chicken fat- not a drop goes to waste here!
To top-off our evening, we had a poultry panto act, in the form of our cap wearing waiter. He regularly, seemingly appeared out of nowhere, often startling us with his idle patter- I never thought the phrase "Okey Dokey!" would cause someone to jump out of their skin, but he certainly had a knack!
Between dropping cutlery on us and messing up our beer order, we actually had a really good night! Must have been the company!
My advice- go and see the colonel if you want chicken!