Suntory Japanese Restaurant

We recently decided to try the newly opened Suntory Japanese restaurant in Northampton's town centre. Having previously never eaten Japanese apart from the odd taste of sashimi and sushi we were unsure of what to choose . We had been advised by a previous visitor there to try one of the set menus. This way we would get a good taste of lots of things. A little voyage of discovery. We opted for the Mixed Teppenyaki beef menu (it also came with a Fois Gras option). This gave us a chance to try meat as well as fish.
As each dish was placed on the table we got a very good description of it from the very knowledgeable and attentive waitresses. They had also checked beforehand that we did like sashimi.
Our first dish was a Pickled Salmon dish . Now I'm not a fan of salmon at all but I have to say I really liked this. It was so fresh tasting ( I find salmon a bit too 'fishy tasting' ). It was a very good opening to the meal. I was happy it was on the set menu as it would have been a dish that I would not have chosen to try. This way I had no choice but discovered that salmon can be made enjoyable.

The next course was the Sashimi. For those of you who don't know Sashimi is raw fish not as commonly perceived, Sushi. Contrary to popular belief the little rolls of fish wrapped in seaweed that you can sometimes get in the supermarket is Sushi . If you have never tried Sashimi and are put off by the thought of uncooked fish this is the ideal place to try it for the first time. The fish is so fresh and extremely good. It came in dish on a bed of ice. There was a selection of salmon, sea bass and tuna .Served alongside a little dab of wasabi, daikon strips and a shiso leaf. There was soy if you wanted to dip into that too. Once again I have to say that the salmon was terrific as was the sea bass. My favourite however was the tuna (which was served separately on the dish in a pot). This was absolutely fantastic. An absolute must to order next time off the main menu.

Next we had a hot bowl of Miso soup. A lovely soup with added seaweed. Possibly an acquired taste to some but I loved it.









After the Miso came Tempura fried vegetables along with a large tempura battered King Prawn . Wonderful light, crispy batter encasing a fabulous king prawn with aubergine and sweet potatoes. This was served alongside a spicy dipping sauce which even after dipping the tempura was still crisp.

The main so to speak was Teppanyaki Grilled Sirloin of Beef served with a bowl of stir fried vegetables and a trio of dipping sauces and Japanese style egg fried rice. The beef  and rice both cooked on a teppanyaki grill in sight of the diners. (You can book the table around it to eat and watch the cooking). The beef was cooked perfectly and was furthermore enhanced by dipping into the Terryaki,teppenyaki and soy sauce. Thick, sticky and really delicious.

We decided to opt for a dessert even though we were advised that they weren't authentic Japanese dishes. We went for the one they said that was nearest to a Japanese dish. A banana type pancake served with ice cream. It would have been nice to have something more authentic but however this was still tasty.
To finish we had a fantastic pot of hot Japanese green tea. This was a pleasurable end to a lovely introduction to Japanese food.

Dip and Flip

I have to admit I don't usually go out to eat burgers. That's not to say that I don't like them as I do . Its just that when I think of going out for a burger unfortunately my mind swings to McDonald's, which quite frankly controversially or not I don't actually think of as food. Well back to the good stuff. I was asked along to the preview night of a new opening of London Burger restaurant Dip and Flip. A new concept for me as the burgers are served with gravy. Well I went along enjoyed it and decided to return the following week with my husband and son as a paying customer to see if what I'd previously enjoyed  would be the same in a normal customer setting.
We returned on a Wednesday lunchtime and sat at a seat in the window. From here we could see the kitchen area where the food is cooked. I quite like to see this . There's no hiding. We perused the menu and eventually decided that we would all try something different so we could have a broad variety of the menu. We also hinted that we might be greedily having seconds as there were so many good combinations (who knew burgers could be so good?). We were advised that the burgers were cooked medium and asked if this was ok? Well we were happy with that and they came cooked perfectly. They are made from West Country beef which I have to say tasted incredibly nice.
To start my son and I decided on the eponymous Dip and Flip burger. These are a cheeseburger served with either roast beef or lamb dunked in gravy. Served with ketchup, mustard pickles and slaw. I had the lamb one and my son went for the beef. Well it was so good. The beef and lamb in tender thin slices sitting on a wonderful meaty burger dripping with rather good gravy with extra also served alongside in one of those old fashioned mini enamel pie tins everyone's grandma had so you can dip to your heart's desire . The gravy really is good. Made from scratch using beef bones, vegetables and herbs. Oh yes and a few other beef related secret ingredients then simmered for a long time. This is 'proper 'gravy. None of your gravy granules here. Also its served in a brioche bun . Now although there are those out there that aren't happy with the brioche burger bun I genuinely have to say that this is really a good one. Not sweet and doughy like some. In fact it goes with the gravy really well.
My husband opted for the Bacon Double Cheeseburger as he finds it really hard to succumb to the lure of bacon. Again served with that lovely gravy. He ate his before we could get a look in. I think that speaks for itself !! Alongside the burgers we tried the very naughty Squeezy Cheesy Fries. Again not something I'd normally have but let's just say I've now got a guilty secret pleasure!! Gooey squeezy cheese melted over seasoned fries. A perfect accompaniment to a good burger.
Ok. I did mention that we were possibly going to go in for seconds . Well although  what we already had eaten was quite adequate we knew we wouldn't be eating for at least another 8 hours so we thought that good enough excuse. Also we had to eat more for the purpose of this blog . Research is the key. (Our excuse anyway).

So round two went like this : I had to try the Bacon Cheese Burger as I didn't get the chance to try my husband's. Well I have to say I was once again happy. It's so nice to see that they didn't skimp on the quality of the bacon and put in some salty horrible stuff. This was instead good sized slices that were cooked just right, so that the fat has dissolved and left a nicely crisped slice. It went lovely with the huge slices of pickle which are a particular favourite.
My son went for the Green Chilli Burger. It was  good to see that they served what they meant. No skimping on the lovely pile of green chillies sitting on top of a cheese topped burger. This one will be mine on our next visit! Lovely!. The last one was my husband's second choice of a Fried Chicken Burger . Juicy chicken in a crunchy bread crumbed coating served along with the slaw and pickle again. I got a taste this time and have to say it was lovely although I think the beef burgers were so good that I'd stick to them.
There's quite a good selection of drinks to be had too ranging from craft beers  to cider .They also make rather  good thick shakes which can be made into Hard shakes with the addition of a bourbon shot. My husband tried one of the 'regular' (if you can call them that with the amazing flavours they came in) shakes, a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie shake. The special. Wow! is all I can say. What a great, thick shake. Deliciousness in a glass. Highly recommended. Well to finish we tried a Pickleback shot which is a shot of Bourbon followed by a shot of the sweet pickle juice. Sounds wrong but it tastes pretty good.
All in all a great experience at going out to eat a burger . It was nice to see the cross section of customers that visited while we were there too. There were office workers ,a family, pensioners oh yes and us. So this is a concept that is so good that it appeals to all age groups.

With three locations Battersea,Wimbledon and Tooting (we visited Tooting) I can highly recommend a visit.

The Half Moon Melplash

This is my third visit to The Half Moon at Melplash in Dorset since  Karl and Suzie Bashford took over. I'd previously eaten at their previous pub in Powerstock so knew just what a high standard of food to expect. Although it was a cold winter's January night the pub was busy with diners.
 After ordering our drinks at the bar we were shown to our table next to the very inviting log fire. A lovely feature of this traditional country pub. Looking at the menu to choose our meals was difficult as there are so many fantastic dishes to choose from .This is always our dilemma when we visit as the menu also is quite seasonal so there is always something new to try. The prices too are very good with starters ranging from £6 -£8, main courses £12 -£18 and desserts all around £5-£6. Great value for good food. We were told that the langoustine had ran out but it had been replaced by a bream dish. (nice to have an extra choice in replacement).
As I had the delicious Dorset snails on my last visit I opted for something different this time and went for the Deep Fried rabbit with Southern Spices and aioli whilst my husband chose the West Bay Crab on toast. My rabbit was fantastic. Tasty chunks of rabbit covered in a really crisp coating with a lovely hit of spiced heat. Nothing overbearing but just right, along with a very perfectly garlicky aioli.
My husband's crab on toast was a generous portion of both white and brown meat (no skimping) which was fresh and so tasty. A simple but lovely starter.
Happily contented with our starters we soaked up the atmosphere and the warmth from the lovely fire until our main courses arrived. Now this is where I was very happy indeed. Belly of pork is a favourite of mine and I find it hard to resist when I see it on a menu. I was so right to have it on this occasion (as did hubby). I can honestly say this was one of the best belly of pork dishes I've ever had!! It was served on a bed of champ mash, along with a homemade faggot and cider apple sauce.

Well where do I start? Sat on top of fluffy creamy champ mash the pork was cooked to absolute perfection. Tender and tasty with the fat on top cooked until it was a thin layer of crisp ( a bonus). I've had some shockers in my time- soggy crackling and chewy pork. Not at all at The Half Moon. The crackling  a generous crispy slice of perfection served on the side. Also the homemade faggot was wonderful . Tasty, light, seasoned well and a nice addition to the dish with the cider apple sauce giving a nice fruity tang.  An all round wonderful dish. Totally recommended if it's on the menu when you visit. My husband also ordered a side dish of creamy ,cheesy cauliflower cheese which he devoured along with his mains. We also ordered a portion of the dripping chips for no other reason than these are just too good not to have although due to the very generous portion size of the main course a side isn't really needed.

 After a rest we ordered our desserts. Once again what to choose? Again there was another addition to the menu a flour less orange cake. After being tempted with this I eventually went for my first choice,  a real standout dish which was a wonderful flavour combination for me. A Rum and Nutmeg Creme Brulee which  tasted as good as it sounded . Very nice. This was served with one of Karl's homemade ice creams Camp Coffee flavour, one of my favourites. A perfect end to an absolutely delicious meal. My hubby had 2 scoops of ice cream ,one of his favourites which as it was his birthday they put a candle in . A lovely touch.

 All in all we had a fantastic meal with good, attentive service. If you are in the area ever give it a try. If you're not in the area its worth travelling to in order to sample the amazing food on offer.