tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84388857511324425762024-02-19T00:07:36.382-08:00The Hungry BoyfriendThe Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-33586438993374386022017-03-12T08:04:00.003-07:002017-03-12T08:04:41.870-07:00Eric's Fish and Chips, Thornham, Norfolk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of years ago finding gluten free fish and chips was
like finding the holy grail. Now, as awareness of food intolerances continues
to increase and gluten free food becomes more mainstream the choice of chippies
is getting better! Frustratingly, there are still those that claim to do gluten
free but don’t have separate fryers (I won’t name and shame). Let’s not dwell on the negative though; I
think I’ve found my favourite fish and chip place ever<br />
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Eric’s fish and chips is in nestled in North Norfolk in the
picturesque village of Thornham. At just over an hours drive from Norwich, I
think it could be the first ‘destination chippie’. Plus there are tons of
beautiful places to visit in this area, we were nearby at Wells beach this
weekend but couldn’t resist the short drive to Eric’s.<br />
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It’s simply decorated inside with a stripped back colourful
look. The menu is kept simple too, which means that they pay plenty of
attention to everything they do. Both times I’ve visited I’ve had the battered
cod loin. The fish is the most succulent I’ve ever had, the batter crunchy and
crispy. The gluten free batter is a thing of beauty… I had a look around and I
think it actually looks better than the ’normal’ one. They use separate fryers
so there’s no cross contamination. The chips are great too, crispy on the
outside, soft on the inside. Letting you know which of the local spuds was used
is a nice touch. Mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce are both excellent. An
extra special mention has to go to the battered gherkins… I could just eat a
plate of these! That same crunchy batter gives way to the acidic hit of the
pickle and it just works brilliantly! There are so many dishes I want to try
too but it’s hard to resist when the cod loin is so good. The squid and prawns
both sound delicious, plus there are more unusual fish shop catches like
gurnard and mackerel.<br />
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My only niggle would be that we couldn’t take the dog in. As
I said the décor is pretty minimalist so I wouldn’t see a well behaved dog
causing a problem. In the summer though, there a tables outside which will be
dog friendly but it was cold and raining this weekend. We saved her a little
fish to make up for it. Even she was a fan of Eric’s cooking!</div>
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I absolutely love this place and can’t wait to go back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a couple of other Norfolk gluten free fish and chip
reviews, check out these links:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/no1-cromer-norfolk.html">No.1 Cromer</a>, Norfolk</div>
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<a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/orford-plaice-norwich.html">Orford Plaice</a>, Norwich</div>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-89337061079907474482017-03-03T07:41:00.000-08:002017-03-03T07:59:46.314-08:00Gluten Free Guide to California and Las Vegas Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In this final part we head out of San Francisco and on to Napa Valley for some wine tasting. We stayed in an Airbnb, which had a BBQ so we took the opportunity to eat in a couple of times. The local supermarket was well stocked and things like gluten free bread was readily available. I would definitely recommend the wine tasting experience at <b>Gloria Ferrer</b>! We took the 'Bubbles and Bites' package and got to sample an array of still and sparkling white wines with a few nibbles alongside. Our host was hugely entertaining, giving us a mix of information about the wines and gossip about the Ferrer family, weddings and other tales. The setting is stunning; overlooking the vineyard and to finish we were treated to another large glass of our favourite wine!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbles and Bites at Gloria Ferrer</td></tr>
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We headed on to our next stop - Yosemite National Park. We stayed at a place called <b>Tenaya Lodge</b> on the outskirts of the park. It was great to be nestled in amongst the forest and wildlife and we did a trek to nearby waterfalls. The food was good and like most places in America, knowledgeable about gluten free. As it's the only place around, it was quite expensive, knowing it had a captive audience. Deep fried sprouts were again a highlight and dishes of salmon and steaks were well presented and tasty. During the day the bar served sandwiches on gluten free bread and I had a good club sandwich.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon at Tenaya Lodge</td></tr>
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After a stunning drive through the breath-taking Yosemite park, we headed for Death Valley. The contrast is incredible. We broke up the journey with a stop in a little town called <b>Bishop</b> where we'd heard about an amazing BBQ joint. It didn't disappoint, <b>Holy Smoke</b> did amazing BBQ meats including brisket, pulled pork, ribs and more. Nearly everything was gluten free and the staff were clued up. Sides of potato salad and slaw were nice accompaniments to the delicious slow cooked meat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy Smoke BBQ in Bishop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAoraaW76RS66cKMtRAZ-ERCbzaqjZwKUJBNTpufSqeOcIuvp4UoGtQOqR3NzNFD5MMhjOUuNU8wrCEhThxOcd0w7Y-btmYhAjnvKEmjq_xmOgS0PwBXiqX_UuRJbZslvRN1wZw2AFoF7/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAoraaW76RS66cKMtRAZ-ERCbzaqjZwKUJBNTpufSqeOcIuvp4UoGtQOqR3NzNFD5MMhjOUuNU8wrCEhThxOcd0w7Y-btmYhAjnvKEmjq_xmOgS0PwBXiqX_UuRJbZslvRN1wZw2AFoF7/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow cooked brisket and sides at Holy Smoke</td></tr>
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On to Death Valley and we were treated to 120 degree heat and desert landscapes. Little did we know that we'd be caught in a rare storm! Half way through our meal at <b>Furnace</b> <b>Creek</b> the power went out leaving only a back up generator powering the kitchen and a couple of lights. Even worse, we now had no air conditioning in the restaurant or any of the rooms. I've never felt heat like it, even the wind brought by the storm was hot! The food included dates wrapped in bacon with blue cheese for starter, followed by a huge Tomahawk steak. My friend and I shared this but we were beaten, a combination of the sheer volume of meat and the heat was just too much. After very little sleep we were up and out early to escape the heat and headed on to Las Vegas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCM5Ldmn3x1sbFPGY6RmKpbuO9clTf6iLNe6AIZAng6oYjDOJxP2IHsdZcEd2_CybW_TsomDCh4wjsIK0cwfezXqtZodiBtpXPCbrik6DpSA_z5EyiCxAK2YDIRFTRfnJKFc-qEm3NVIZ/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCM5Ldmn3x1sbFPGY6RmKpbuO9clTf6iLNe6AIZAng6oYjDOJxP2IHsdZcEd2_CybW_TsomDCh4wjsIK0cwfezXqtZodiBtpXPCbrik6DpSA_z5EyiCxAK2YDIRFTRfnJKFc-qEm3NVIZ/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomahawk steak at Furnace Creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon, dates and blue cheese at Furnace Creek</td></tr>
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There's a huge choice of places to eat in Vegas from luxury hotels to casual diners and like the rest of our trip, it was easy to find great gluten free food. Here's a quick list of places we found:<br />
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<b>Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel</b><br />
We stayed at the Hard Rock and this was definitely one of my favourite places. Really great corn tacos filled with things like re-fried beans, slow cooked pork and beef, and fresh salsas were delicious. Make sure you try the bacon wrapped jalapenos, stuffed with melting mozzarella as these were a real hit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tacos at Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel</td></tr>
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<b>Mr Lucky's at the Hard Rock Hotel</b><br />
We only had breakfast here but they do some awesome gluten free blueberry pancakes. The menu was clearly labelled and staff were knowledgeable. Washed down with some maple syrup they were a great way to start the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pancakes at Mr Lucky's at the Hard Rock Hotel</td></tr>
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<b>PF Changs</b><br />
If you fancy a gluten free Chinese then PF Changs is a chain that's always worth hunting down. With a dedicated gluten free menu they know what they are doing. We tucked in to delicious dishes including Chang's spicy chicken and Mongolian beef.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chang's spicy chicken at PF Changs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian Beef at PF Chang's</td></tr>
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<b>The Buffet at Aria</b><br />
I'm always a bit wary of buffets, they conjure up images of generic beige food but this was something else! The chef came and took me round the plethora of different stations. Most was gluten free so he just pointed out the things to avoid. Highlights were definitely the snow crab and the various sweet treats I could have. Worth adding on the all you can drink option too to stock up on cocktails!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow crab and seafood at Aria</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desserts at Aria buffet</td></tr>
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<b>Chart House at the Golden Nugget</b><br />
On our final night we headed to the older part of Vegas - Fremont street. We had a delicious steak dinner at Chart House. I had the crab to start, a mountain of fresh crab meat with a mango and avocado salad - delicious.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab at Chart House at the Golden Nugget</td></tr>
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We loved our American road trip and from a gluten free perspective it was easily one of the best places we've visited. It was always easy to get great food and the service and knowledge was brilliant.</div>
The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-15036297659858204152017-01-29T07:44:00.001-08:002017-02-01T12:34:55.636-08:00Gluten Free Guide to California and Las Vegas: Part 2 - San Francisco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So only a few months since the last instalment... I've made a vow to get quicker at blogging, wish me luck! If anyone can tell me a quick way of getting photos from icloud to blogger, I'd appreciate it.<br />
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Here's part 2 of my whistle stop tour of places to eat gluten free in California. First up San Francisco:<br />
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<b>Tony's Pizza</b><br />
This place was busy so we had a little wait but it was well worth it! It was referendum night in the UK and we were watching on with dread as news came through that we would no longer be EU citizens. Luckily amazing gluten free pizza was on the way! It was even fantastic cold the next day before going to a ball game.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten Free Pizza at Tony's</td></tr>
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<b>Fog Harbour Fish House</b><br />
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After spending the morning on Alacatraz, we headed to Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf for a bite to eat and found Fog Harbour Fish House. Fantastic seafood and very accommodating for gluten free too. Fresh oysters and crab and a tuna steak and prawns all beautifully cooked.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oysters at Fog Harbour</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Crab at Fog Harbour</td></tr>
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<b>Copita, Sausalito</b><br />
Biking over the Golden Gate bridge was well worth it and at the other side is a fantastic town called Sausalito. We had some incredible mexican food at a place called Copita. Delicious gluten free tacos and the best guacamole I've ever had!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexican feast at Copita</td></tr>
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<b>The Pub at Ghiradelli Square</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked wings at the Pub at Ghiradelli Square</td></tr>
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For an all out American feast the pub is the place to go. We definitely over ordered, we should have paid more attention to the look our server gave us! Ribs, brisket, pulled pork - it's all about the BBQ. We started with some baked chicken wings and then all had duo's where you can pick 2 meats and 2 sides!<br />
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<b>Proposition Chicken</b><br />
San Fran really is a treat for gluten free eaters and no more so than Proposition Chicken. Crispy, crunchy, seasoned deep fried chicken of the sorts that coeliacs can usually only dream of! Go for a side of deep fried brussel sprouts too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep fried chicken at Proposition Chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fries and deep fried Brussel sprouts</td></tr>
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<b>Ben Thai Cafe</b></div>
Final night in San Fran and we headed out for a Thai meal. Tasty classic thai dishes were serve at Ben Thai Cafe and they were good at handling allergies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten free Thai at Ben Thai Cafe</td></tr>
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Next stop, on to Sonoma, Yosemite, Death Valley and Vegas!<br />
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-60949261485139629542016-09-16T06:19:00.000-07:002016-09-16T06:40:45.170-07:00Gluten Free Guide to California and Las Vegas: Part 1Earlier this summer my wife and I had an amazing break with our friends travelling around California and on to Las Vegas. We started in Los Angeles before travelling up the coastal road to Pismo Beach, Monterey Bay and on to San Francisco. After a few days in San Fran it was on to Sonoma, Yosemite National Park and Death Valley before ending our epic adventure in Vegas. It was an awesome holiday, from trekking the Hollywood Hills, to the amazing coastal drives, Alcatraz, wine tasting, waterfalls, the brutal heat of Death Valley, to pool parties and landing in the Grand Canyon for breakfast! But this blog is always about the food! Eating gluten free was easy, a bit of research to make sure there were plenty of options but everyone understood and had a good knowledge of what I could and couldn't have. So here's a whistle stop tour of some great gluten free places to eat.<br />
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<b>Denny's (LA and Vegas but nationwide)</b><br />
First stop was a classic American diner breakfast and Denny's has lots of gluten free options clearly marked on the menu. Be prepared for huge portions and refillable drinks. We ate at Denny's a couple of times for breakfast / brunch, I tried the Santa Fe Skillet - chorizo, potatoes, peppers and eggs and a Philly Cheesesteak Omelette with hash browns. Both very tasty, both absolutely massive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Fe Skillet at Denny's</td></tr>
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<b>Cheesecake Factory (LA and Vegas but nationwide)</b><br />
Another American institution with a lot of gluten free options on the menu. Tasty pasta dishes and burgers with gluten free bread buns and an epic gluten free cheesecake called Godiva. It's a huge portion of deliciously rich chocolate cheesecake - make sure you save room!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All gluten free at Cheesecake Factory</td></tr>
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<b>Odys and Penelope (Los Angeles)</b><br />
A trendy Los Angeles restaurant that specialises in grilled meats. They were really knowledgeable about what I could have and there were lots of options or adaptations they could make. For starter, I had grilled squid which was filled with potato hash and a roasted tomato sauce. Squid was beautifully cooked with a nice char and the tomato sauce had a real depth of flavour. For main course I had tri-tip with a Bearnaise sauce and grilled broccoli. The tri-tip, a cut of sirloin was sensational and really showed off their grilling skills!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squid, potato hash and roasted tomatoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tri-tip with Bearnaise sauce and grilled broccoli</td></tr>
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<b>Bay Cities (Santa Monica, LA)</b><br />
Recommended by a friend as the best sandwiches in LA we had to try it! The place is an old Italian style deli and was packed with keen customers. The sandwiches were well worth the wait though. The gluten free ones are served on a delicious Italian style flat bread. I had the 'Godmother', an insane amount of Italian meats, provolone cheese, salad and peppers. Definitely one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6nlI1GXkzhSd2OHYcza3kodVjkSTE2JKJ16TlMwFFmLUvN_aHXL7ugLHrkZU4ri__6sVOIfJ4DF6B8RDp-ZZmO0iF1dyrzOh6poYdTJxyy6DKWDtSNqtdiQuLLUzeAU2JiuMVvoKFesg/s1600/IMG_6814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6nlI1GXkzhSd2OHYcza3kodVjkSTE2JKJ16TlMwFFmLUvN_aHXL7ugLHrkZU4ri__6sVOIfJ4DF6B8RDp-ZZmO0iF1dyrzOh6poYdTJxyy6DKWDtSNqtdiQuLLUzeAU2JiuMVvoKFesg/s400/IMG_6814.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Godfather at Bay Cities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Sea Venture (Pismo Beach)</b><br />
Great seafood restaurant overlooking Pismo beach. Succulent scallops were served with crispy Brussel sprouts and goats cheese. For main, the Sea Venture special, shrimp, scallops, mussels, white fish and sausage in a delicious tomato broth. All of the seafood was cooked perfectly. There were lots of clearly labelled gluten free options on the menu too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgXu_jXU4NG5NYVx35c86rPBjCHNVGeLrbSSyivyNR0WzKPWiX7Vit4mliM1Iwid04AsCGJhKPgnJE_3SOrIQnzLSHILdqB6SLyzMpiDsR5NMtZAdA1QSPYysE06XkDiKyYFLemF7F8iE/s1600/IMG_6828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgXu_jXU4NG5NYVx35c86rPBjCHNVGeLrbSSyivyNR0WzKPWiX7Vit4mliM1Iwid04AsCGJhKPgnJE_3SOrIQnzLSHILdqB6SLyzMpiDsR5NMtZAdA1QSPYysE06XkDiKyYFLemF7F8iE/s400/IMG_6828.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops, Brussel sprouts, goats cheese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzc5OChgv5DB8y4RxzBudXb6-7_rR5b4Kf9mMJBl5EBvkZ-cpKa6AbTDYjYUeHfZGzgXjZGY3wyfMKjWYIJPW_Dc8IJnH4mG6g1t3FUBAExcxzNK4v2tELGD9lIpMBz_47v-2b1bJOlrd/s1600/IMG_6829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzc5OChgv5DB8y4RxzBudXb6-7_rR5b4Kf9mMJBl5EBvkZ-cpKa6AbTDYjYUeHfZGzgXjZGY3wyfMKjWYIJPW_Dc8IJnH4mG6g1t3FUBAExcxzNK4v2tELGD9lIpMBz_47v-2b1bJOlrd/s400/IMG_6829.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sea Venture special</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Hula's Island Grill (Monterey Bay)</b><br />
A busy bar with a great atmosphere and cocktails. The seafood on the Californian coast is so good we had to have the ceviche which was fresh and flavourful. The chicken wings came with a delicious coconut curry sauce. We shared shrimp tacos and shredded pork tacos for main, all washed down with plenty of Hula's Mai Tais!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQB_bq578lbkN_Daf0KJ0DvDqtSdcPhgFUO0w53KlDuIFFVEUtSOZlclG07oteTD0IPNUKcAJk7VcslLSpGkA_Cq6zf_sKfnTPGEvhed2IVGWHWjJvhvfrdU-4nuDb0D_14fKm8ktOxWaF/s1600/IMG_6871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQB_bq578lbkN_Daf0KJ0DvDqtSdcPhgFUO0w53KlDuIFFVEUtSOZlclG07oteTD0IPNUKcAJk7VcslLSpGkA_Cq6zf_sKfnTPGEvhed2IVGWHWjJvhvfrdU-4nuDb0D_14fKm8ktOxWaF/s320/IMG_6871.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken wings at Hula's</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKdTHxUKTn6gxIKzA0NMSRjiovuA83JmB5DA6BAv-H9XKHNC_vNYXD8owue5l0meDhp7Plft4gWdRsTQZA6U7BZQfliWawWEXklFMxfmXAqPcnvfBBCqIDr2WSkmj5ISQcfnZPIjrUvoa/s1600/IMG_6874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKdTHxUKTn6gxIKzA0NMSRjiovuA83JmB5DA6BAv-H9XKHNC_vNYXD8owue5l0meDhp7Plft4gWdRsTQZA6U7BZQfliWawWEXklFMxfmXAqPcnvfBBCqIDr2WSkmj5ISQcfnZPIjrUvoa/s320/IMG_6874.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp tacos at Hula's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XYfjZAXEY28Zk2F1FA-AD5iSfOwmB2jrAeepTocrXU_aIx9TnrOjgDXWhyphenhyphenWpUZoILbnzeMO5mPJAx6HBItB0OfsBE4N7DkEMZqBXA_Efi3sUfTNZ6xaJocNk1Nr4sHDvVAoz89-Xo0s7/s1600/IMG_7603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XYfjZAXEY28Zk2F1FA-AD5iSfOwmB2jrAeepTocrXU_aIx9TnrOjgDXWhyphenhyphenWpUZoILbnzeMO5mPJAx6HBItB0OfsBE4N7DkEMZqBXA_Efi3sUfTNZ6xaJocNk1Nr4sHDvVAoz89-Xo0s7/s200/IMG_7603.JPG" width="150" /></a>If you've got time be sure to drop into <b>Lilly Mae's </b>in <b>Monterey Bay </b>for gluten free cinnamon rolls!<br />
<br />
Coming up - San Fran, Sonoma, Yosemite, Death Valley and Las Vegas!The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-27932994512542870602016-04-09T09:12:00.001-07:002016-04-09T09:12:50.138-07:00Your gluten free guide to Thailand!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyWXgoE2uDfTHSTm5cfwoTmI6hEjaVhdi1LjogLMbTfl-6R1_YChh76u2g0JG2IhQWzd5AM3Va4enOAZIxoh0RxrhbX5A6uXpLExw58Wdap5am73_GQDsJUco1MihIqAr8F2J5wFPK39i/s1600/IMG_5699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyWXgoE2uDfTHSTm5cfwoTmI6hEjaVhdi1LjogLMbTfl-6R1_YChh76u2g0JG2IhQWzd5AM3Va4enOAZIxoh0RxrhbX5A6uXpLExw58Wdap5am73_GQDsJUco1MihIqAr8F2J5wFPK39i/s320/IMG_5699.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our creations at the Thai Farm Cookery School</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thailand was always going to be a culinary adventure but as a coeliac, I was a little apprehensive. With no language skills or EU allergen labelling to fall back on it could have been very challenging. However, a combination of restaurants cooking everything from scratch and the extremely accommodating people, it proved one of the best places I've ever been for gluten free food. We were there for just over two weeks and went to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. I'll use this blog to give some general tips and some of the stand-out places we ate:<br />
<br />
<b>General Tips:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Do a cookery class or school. We did one called the Thai Farm Cookery School in Chiang Mai which was fantastic. You learn a lot of the common ingredients in Thai food and therefore what can be made gluten free. </li>
<li>I didn't find the translation cards overly useful. They talk about wheat, barley and rye which isn't overly useful in Thailand. The most common things to avoid are soy sauce, oyster sauce and deep fried pastry type things like spring rolls. </li>
<li>Everywhere we went understood my request for 'no soy sauce / no oyster sauce'. Better still we took our own in little plastic bottles. As everything is made from scratch most places were happy to use my gluten free versions even if they didn't quite understand why!</li>
<li>Street food is delicious! Most places rinsed out woks etc. between dishes but you'd have to determine whether you thought that was safe for you. I never had any issues.</li>
<li>Supermarkets can be a little tricky. It was very challenging to work out which crisps etc. were gluten free but eating out is so cheap and tasty we didn't need to use them much.</li>
<li>Generally curries are gluten free - thai red, yellow, green, penang etc. Stir fries usually contain soy sauce and oyster sauce - either ask for without or take your own. Soups were generally gluten free e.g. tom yum. Rice and rice noodles are popular so you can always substitute any other type of noodle. Pad Thai is made with rice noodles but some add soy sauce, again just ask for it without.</li>
<li>Desserts tended to be mango sticky rice or bananas in coconut milk which were both gluten free and delicious!</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Bangkok</b></div>
<div>
Where we stayed - Hotel Muse - fantastic boutique style hotel with an infinity pool overlooking downtown Bangkok.</div>
<div>
Where we ate -</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Nahm - for an extra special Thai treat check out this Michelin starred restaurant. Thai food as you've never tasted before. Flavours are ramped up, presentation is spot on and the whole experience is spectacular. We went for the tasting menu and any dishes were modified seamlessly to be made gluten free. The soft shell crab was out of this world!</li>
<li>Soul Food - trendy downtown restaurant which did Thai dishes with a twist. Dishes such as red curry with smoked duck and pork cheeks with green peppercorn curry provided a break from the usual. Staff were very clued up and the cocktails washed everything down very nicely.</li>
<li>Street food off Koh San Road - first time braving a little cafe style place on the side of the road. Super cheap and tasty so we never looked back!</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9W2Wo8Vur2Y10nFvqJywZbaJOfGhgZfqHqtoRJ93ymrg8rRlH-bMmaUd6k8wQJdCL6pibcBPuIfN91R4AeiPnoQWlAWNTW7FNNPlkghB-7qtGr-WmixuOjAy2nt0x9IMn9ELfF2Y9zDy/s1600/IMG_5633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9W2Wo8Vur2Y10nFvqJywZbaJOfGhgZfqHqtoRJ93ymrg8rRlH-bMmaUd6k8wQJdCL6pibcBPuIfN91R4AeiPnoQWlAWNTW7FNNPlkghB-7qtGr-WmixuOjAy2nt0x9IMn9ELfF2Y9zDy/s400/IMG_5633.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street food off Koh San Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nI0s6jomUZK6-5FD0mJQk6_iPvn0DNU6TJuXWiRPKuneSd7oZNrTgaLHL2qSwNe19sQKCukUBUVdLB0KmByq5bm0U-PFx3l02aNYhAHZHDIU8f5dN8hDSnk22EZA-wAiH5E6-rKYx5T8/s1600/IMG_5591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nI0s6jomUZK6-5FD0mJQk6_iPvn0DNU6TJuXWiRPKuneSd7oZNrTgaLHL2qSwNe19sQKCukUBUVdLB0KmByq5bm0U-PFx3l02aNYhAHZHDIU8f5dN8hDSnk22EZA-wAiH5E6-rKYx5T8/s400/IMG_5591.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing food at Nahm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBloA-PmxG5qgjK60-rGbB07YbOuK2rQHRQtmOgHa9TqalEUpbCdmzbd2xxSC6hk4Uu6hYcQe4LpasgYZrLgnfkrkEWWLCHPCDWivgvod6JpNTo0gYqOAQ_Y3rwcUg2eNqcxOi2pmfaSD/s1600/IMG_5638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBloA-PmxG5qgjK60-rGbB07YbOuK2rQHRQtmOgHa9TqalEUpbCdmzbd2xxSC6hk4Uu6hYcQe4LpasgYZrLgnfkrkEWWLCHPCDWivgvod6JpNTo0gYqOAQ_Y3rwcUg2eNqcxOi2pmfaSD/s400/IMG_5638.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soul Food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>Chiang Mai</b></div>
</div>
<div>
Where we stayed - Anantara - amazing colonial style hotel looking out over the river. The food and drinks here were amazing too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjealoeHt6d7hofvQ4wAg5EPCgW3ChcfU6EttcN8-GWIYFZL7JXJgKl7egt1Oe5Zt752oQn07YkYDQxsfyuCrWTBLsOZVLP7l7ecSdSe07GIUPFyC5lMh_4KlDtx9EixuQVnHVEyAVLwcXH/s1600/IMG_5877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjealoeHt6d7hofvQ4wAg5EPCgW3ChcfU6EttcN8-GWIYFZL7JXJgKl7egt1Oe5Zt752oQn07YkYDQxsfyuCrWTBLsOZVLP7l7ecSdSe07GIUPFyC5lMh_4KlDtx9EixuQVnHVEyAVLwcXH/s320/IMG_5877.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Thai street food from Anusan Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Where we ate -</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Lemongrass - doesn't look much from the outside but this was a favourite of ours for lunch. Cheap but ridiculously tasty and they were more than happy to use my soy and oyster sauce to make delicious stir fries and pad thai. Washing it down with a cider was a treat too.</li>
<li>Anusuan market - there's a whole host of fantastic street food places in this night market where we ate regularly. There's also a cool bar where local Thai bands play covers - don't miss it!</li>
<li>Salsa Kitchen - if you need a break from Thai food this Mexican is great for gluten free options including a dedicated menu. </li>
<li>Whole Earth Restaurant - Set in a traditional Thai house this has an Indian influenced menu common in northern Thailand. Tasty curries alongside classic Thai dishes in a beautiful setting.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdaYiiaRrky-gjygPF8lykm0hIB5DIT3sIfc-Yf6aAqpbLaRxOSvzAzPPf7LmQeLJmb7s-DKSQ2gEtg2g1oTHOG8cNYS1Og9XEkZhuBmTMlGbxHyqJCn19m8HapYCdYArhthka0w5d1nG/s1600/IMG_5654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdaYiiaRrky-gjygPF8lykm0hIB5DIT3sIfc-Yf6aAqpbLaRxOSvzAzPPf7LmQeLJmb7s-DKSQ2gEtg2g1oTHOG8cNYS1Og9XEkZhuBmTMlGbxHyqJCn19m8HapYCdYArhthka0w5d1nG/s400/IMG_5654.JPG" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Yum soup and cocktails at Anantara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b>Koh Samui</b></div>
</div>
<div>
Where we stayed - Sareeraya - beautiful ocean front hotel in Chaweng Beach. Great food, cocktails and breakfasts. Only downside was they brought me gluten free bread every day which was like a rock! Full marks for effort though.</div>
<div>
Where we ate - </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Greenbird - has to be one of my favourites. Small place with plastic tables and chairs but incredible authentic Thai food and happy to use my soy and oyster sauce to make incredible dishes like the chilli chicken stir fry and sweet and sour. Brilliant service too, this became a regular lunch spot and we might have even gone twice in one day!</li>
<li>There's loads of great places for seafood. They all do different offers - lobsters, prawns, crabs, squid etc. all BBQ'd on searing hot grills.</li>
<li>In neighbouring Bophut we ate at an awesome steak place called the Shack run by an American and Irish guy where they imported Australian beef. </li>
<li>For amazing sushi, check out Tai by Red Snapper. They make the most of the fantastic seafood available and were easily able to adapt dishes to ensure they were gluten free.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8y9_naMPRw3wE-xqgSXpeddXFW2BCuwbpyj-FEPwR571vKuY9dJzgq6czLpBdgSx0x_gVmnJ8Z7UA23XkDLpIknCCIjtT2CC5vLL_RYRmjdUpE64wWRYF-L31i_wRCjTR64bdwFAFLem/s1600/IMG_5939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8y9_naMPRw3wE-xqgSXpeddXFW2BCuwbpyj-FEPwR571vKuY9dJzgq6czLpBdgSx0x_gVmnJ8Z7UA23XkDLpIknCCIjtT2CC5vLL_RYRmjdUpE64wWRYF-L31i_wRCjTR64bdwFAFLem/s400/IMG_5939.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A holiday favourite - Greenbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tV37upezhgdcJ1LuaTbKFpMAgriGYHrmrTjOy94Qk-HpudVyKoid1Rq56OZ3KxcGYTRUc5Fn53WYaPcU3CxR2c1Nk9KuCeGU5G2E8rkUMSHHaKHmekQ8KPkU40K1VezlDnB4eEKW8RUc/s1600/IMG_5960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tV37upezhgdcJ1LuaTbKFpMAgriGYHrmrTjOy94Qk-HpudVyKoid1Rq56OZ3KxcGYTRUc5Fn53WYaPcU3CxR2c1Nk9KuCeGU5G2E8rkUMSHHaKHmekQ8KPkU40K1VezlDnB4eEKW8RUc/s400/IMG_5960.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the amazing seafood available in Chaweng</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious sushi at Tai by Red Snapper</td></tr>
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It was an amazing trip with amazing food. If you're gluten free don't let that put you off, it's easy enough to navigate and you certainly won't be disappointed.</div>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-87416650166538545432016-02-24T11:46:00.001-08:002016-02-24T11:52:30.287-08:00The Gluten Free Cafe, NorwichI have to admit, I think I need to eat a little gluten free humble pie. I was sceptical when I heard that Norwich was getting a dedicated gluten free cafe. Even more so when I heard it was going to be called 'The Gluten Free Cafe'. I thought there would be nowhere near the demand in my adoptive home city. I thought that the name would make anyone who had no need to follow a gluten free diet run a mile. However, a few weeks after opening my wife and I had to wait for a table on a Friday lunch time and every time I've been in since it's been busy. I really hope it stays that way because this place is an absolute gem for coeliacs and gluten sufferers.<br />
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The cafe is located downstairs and upstairs you'll find a shop which is like an Aladdin's cave of gluten free products. On the cafe menu, there's a whole host of usually 'off-limits' options including sausage rolls, cheesy dough balls, pies and pasties. There's also salads and soups on offer and a mouthwatering selection of cakes. I went for a pie filled with chicken and ham with a stuffing topping. Delicious pastry stuffed with well cooked meat and a tasty stuffing flavour really hit the spot. My wife's cheese and onion pasty was equally good and definitely on my list for next time. We took a couple of millionaire shortbreads back to the office which were faultless. Having this place a stone's throw from work could be dangerous! I have since tried a slice of their Bakewell tart which was as good as any I've tasted. It was my favourite dessert at school so I had fond memories (pre-gluten free days) and I really wouldn't have been able to tell this was gluten free. They sell a great selection of breads in the shop too which I've been getting weekly, much better than anything the supermarkets currently stock. I'm really pleased it seems to be doing so well and if they keep up the good work I'm sure it will continue.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-7017982662976806792015-11-25T12:55:00.001-08:002015-11-25T12:55:43.494-08:00Wagamama's, Nationwide After a fairly mixed gluten free dining experience at <a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-return-to-jamies-italian-gluten-free.html">Jamie's Italian</a>, the following day we were having a much better time at Wagamama's at Heathrow Terminal 5. Obviously buoyed by the excitement of going to Thailand that day (more on that to come!), I tried to remain level-headed enough to write an impartial review.<br />
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I've eaten at Wagamama's quite a few times since being gluten free, but lately I think they've made some big improvements, so I thought it was time to put pen to paper. Until recently options were fairly limited, although always tasty. My 'usual' was Chicken Itame, a warming and spicy coconut broth, packed with Asian vegetables, chicken and rice noodles. It's one of the few dishes that was naturally gluten free. In recent times though, the gluten free options seem to have expanded and they seem better equipped to modify dishes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVW85m43qaQIFZWt2Z-sohfCYTNqbHVSGKHW4cGEwXjA-MRFBCFmd_BuVJp0f8sXXXeYBsMOc6XvkcoZ1z1Ey89nnrssG6lnMyRZMDmYPi7zn_THGiGj09JOkf9QTpcdhjZbdX6O-zJtR/s1600/IMG_5528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVW85m43qaQIFZWt2Z-sohfCYTNqbHVSGKHW4cGEwXjA-MRFBCFmd_BuVJp0f8sXXXeYBsMOc6XvkcoZ1z1Ey89nnrssG6lnMyRZMDmYPi7zn_THGiGj09JOkf9QTpcdhjZbdX6O-zJtR/s400/IMG_5528.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lollipop Prawns</td></tr>
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The setting at T5 is pretty impressive with huge floor to ceiling glass overlooking the aircraft. We were given a comprehensive allergen menu to look through and the website also has similar dietary filters. We were told that because we had specific dietary requirements the manager would take our order. I guess this is a fairly simple way to ensure consistency in the level of service for those dining with allergens. I did initially go for the chilli salt squid for my starter but was told that that despite the dish not having any gluten containing ingredients it was fried in the same oil as other products rendering it unsuitable for coeliacs. I was impressed with their knowledge and he quickly pointed out some alternatives. Instead I had lollipop prawns which were awesome. Grilled beautifully leaving them sweet and succulent and bathed in flavours of lemongrass, lime and chilli and whetting my appetite for what was to come in Thailand. For my main course they've recently added a new curry. Surendra's chicken curry come's in a rich, thick and spicy green curry sauce with crispy sweet potato straws and perfectly cooked rice. It's a delicious dish and gluten free too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z2S0GXHnWWCDLRDpTSsl7OnTAkAAuZc5gTTjvQF-zTt4pTGCAXYEe6NYHRp8BZR_tdIEuMCiOfR9R4Dr6IKtC-VryHlWXW4TGah5INn291fYmIf1zsTzaZhRTMj58VQMz7cUaOVrYr87/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z2S0GXHnWWCDLRDpTSsl7OnTAkAAuZc5gTTjvQF-zTt4pTGCAXYEe6NYHRp8BZR_tdIEuMCiOfR9R4Dr6IKtC-VryHlWXW4TGah5INn291fYmIf1zsTzaZhRTMj58VQMz7cUaOVrYr87/s400/IMG_5529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surendra's Chicken Curry</td></tr>
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I've not had too many dishes adapted but I know they can substitute rice noodles in dishes such as the chilli chicken men. I think if they committed to using gluten free soy sauce throughout the restaurant (it is available for gluten free diners) and had separate fryers for certain dishes they would exponentially increase the number of gluten free dishes. Until then, we'll just have to make do with the delicious ones they have on offer at the moment.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-53032875559422754902015-11-21T01:20:00.000-08:002015-11-21T01:20:03.355-08:00A return to Jamie's Italian - gluten free hit or miss?As I've posted before I'm a big fan of Jamie's and I'm particularly enjoying his new Superfood book. You know you're always going to get straightforward recipes packed with flavour and for me I carry that expectation to his restaurants. <a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/jamie-olivers-italian-glasgow.html">I originally reviewed Jamie's Italian back in 2011 </a>and thought it got off to a great start. However, <a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/jamies-italian-gluten-free-pasta-u-turn.html">a blip in 2013</a> caused by a diner taking the chain to court left a sour taste in many coeliacs mouths when the chain pulled their gluten free pasta options. Without the pasta option, I remember one visit where I was left eating a sorry looking burger without a bun at an astronomical cost.<br />
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Fast forward to autumn 2015 and I was invited back to the <a href="http://www.skiddle.com/restaurants/Norwich/Jamies-Italian---Norwich/212791/">Jamie's Italian in Norwich</a> with reassurances that gluten free pasta was back and that the chain had focussed on creating even more gluten free options. The<a href="https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/menu/"> menu</a> on the website was promising, it now had a specific allergen filter and there were certainly more options than I'd noticed previously. Unfortunately, the hard work that's gone into creating the online menu just doesn't seem to translate into their restaurant experience. My server enthusiastically talked about the gluten free pasta options and that they could possibly modify other dishes but that was it. I'm left guessing as to which ones could and couldn't be modified, using my own knowledge of ingredients to try and guess and trying to look on the website to see what I'd found previously. When it came to ordering there even seemed to be a mismatch between the website and what our server thought. I chose the spinach and ricotta croquettes because I thought this was an unusual dish to be gluten free. It's specifically stated as gluten free on the website but my server thought otherwise. Even if it was, she thought it might be fried in the same fryer as other gluten containing produce so either way it was a no go. Not a great start. When it comes to allergens, diners are looking for a seamless experience, anything else leaves you with a constant nervousness which detracts from the excitement of eating out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM61qI0VyGagXWc_zfjH-0An0VvT4TuiEwMjSbIkStVcLSQX_1p0EPfQT_saXN66yNb-AQtW-bjiF_KXgNgs8CmF9_8fiaSfQ9ueDGykYWUiXZ-TlfxwUZeTJfjvwUnsKVwXhV0mtiK7Rr/s1600/IMG_5524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM61qI0VyGagXWc_zfjH-0An0VvT4TuiEwMjSbIkStVcLSQX_1p0EPfQT_saXN66yNb-AQtW-bjiF_KXgNgs8CmF9_8fiaSfQ9ueDGykYWUiXZ-TlfxwUZeTJfjvwUnsKVwXhV0mtiK7Rr/s400/IMG_5524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork scratchings will chilli, fennel and apple sauce</td></tr>
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Thankfully when we did agree on some starters they hit the usual flavour highs expected. We ordered the meat plank to share and the quality of the cured meats was the real stand-out. Antipasti is common place on menus up and down the country these days but it's rare that you find places using quality ingredients. Again, disappointingly the Manchego was brought on a cracker which I couldn't eat. When prompted the server offered to bring us some without the cracker but it really shouldn't have needed us to ask. Problems continued when we were informed the slaw on the plank contained gluten in the dressing so I was to avoid this too. We also shared pork scratchings which were some of the best I've ever eaten. Powdered with chilli and fennel and served with an apple sauce they were deliciously moreish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0haEyjzI9OLKt3f74m8fN4VcKnY8DCLRfF1Yi8MRAKEos-PUwCT69IvYCm94HtPA2WOtsjmalUm23PdWHQ4maYmOozxOQIbfUcJolKwbrdXJ_RNxucdYpIJrGB9cwAAhd7DQzNcLgFGmZ/s1600/IMG_5525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0haEyjzI9OLKt3f74m8fN4VcKnY8DCLRfF1Yi8MRAKEos-PUwCT69IvYCm94HtPA2WOtsjmalUm23PdWHQ4maYmOozxOQIbfUcJolKwbrdXJ_RNxucdYpIJrGB9cwAAhd7DQzNcLgFGmZ/s400/IMG_5525.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cured meat plank</td></tr>
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With pasta back on the menu I was determined to give it a try. I went for a fresh crab dish served with capers, chilli, fennel and anchovies. I was pleased to see it come out with a brown pasta (so often the gluten free pasta is the same from chain to chain) but it was sadly overcooked. It was a real shame as the combination of flavours in the sauce and with the crab was spot on. The pasta however, just fell apart on my fork. It hit the flavour expectations of a Jamie inspired dish but the execution was sadly lacking. My wife had the Chicken Cacciatore which again received plaudits for flavour. Beautifully grilled and succulent piece of chicken with a rich sauce full of the heady flavours of Italy. Bizarrely though, the decision to serve it on the garlic bread rather than next to it meant that the bread was a soggy mess by the time you got to it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIj3Xg0AmsgFS67zZO4hiOLjcP4gd2iTNHpMMYaOXC11hG871yEfn9IfPnENIY11BS1yiZmJgjrxjCPv27VFuJ7470I4MbIu8r5jcw5aiXqQ3pHZ6aelHJd4lZCzSpjnacZuOV2P3f_NS/s1600/IMG_5526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIj3Xg0AmsgFS67zZO4hiOLjcP4gd2iTNHpMMYaOXC11hG871yEfn9IfPnENIY11BS1yiZmJgjrxjCPv27VFuJ7470I4MbIu8r5jcw5aiXqQ3pHZ6aelHJd4lZCzSpjnacZuOV2P3f_NS/s400/IMG_5526.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab with gluten free pasta</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBusnEdQpcy7SlBhpVhkOBWDyOxP5YhF9DXFAkeum3XaVeHV9ktK5dyOFwJ5MZIpR68SgEu6Yp4ZlSPNMROinrgRkPNhFCMjkhnHUqzzD1Zis499hzq0TGiLju6fOMwb4o_7Bqd2N5Awvi/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBusnEdQpcy7SlBhpVhkOBWDyOxP5YhF9DXFAkeum3XaVeHV9ktK5dyOFwJ5MZIpR68SgEu6Yp4ZlSPNMROinrgRkPNhFCMjkhnHUqzzD1Zis499hzq0TGiLju6fOMwb4o_7Bqd2N5Awvi/s400/IMG_5527.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Cacciatore</td></tr>
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So an overall mixed experience. The flavours and quality of ingredients give you a lot to get excited about but sadly there's still work to be done for those dining with allergens. With so many competitors getting it right (Cote Brasserie for mid-market diners, Pizza Express for Italian) it baffles me that with the resources behind Jamie's Italian, it's still not quite hitting the mark.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-26620638731743658202015-09-27T01:46:00.001-07:002015-09-27T01:48:41.630-07:00Pickled Plates Supper Club, LondonMore than ever, eating out is becoming a social experience. My instagram is awash with people's culinary snaps. Chefs and critics may bemoan bloggers, vloggers and the like for reaching for the camera with every dish they're served, but it's all part of a new social era. Social has become virtual, but it's also gone back to basics too. Supper clubs have sprung up across the UK. What can be more social than someone inviting you into their home to try their food? One of my very talented friends Polly, a trained chef, and Hana, with a background in events, have created a superb social dining experience with their <a href="http://www.pickledplates.co.uk/">Pickled Plates</a> Supper Club. Earlier this year we got a group of friends together and went along to their home in Walthamstow to give it a try.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickled Plates Supper Club Menu</td></tr>
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We arrived excitedly and were greeted with a cocktail of whisky, blood orange, ginger and bitters. If all greetings were with a cocktail that was this good the world would be a better (and drunker) place! I can imagine that if you didn't know your dining compatriots then starting off with a boozy cocktail is a great way to get the conversation flowing. Handwritten menus, tea lights and succulents dotted artistically around the table - this is an instagrammers paradise - created a wonderfully cosy atmosphere too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HAB-_Zv4GQuSUkLPJhq_XLEuEm-a4nvRENexnb2_VJ0Dp7phMC4CtdXzj-WZ0KCN4lBy9wQQ12PF2lkrQI4dA1siZKJj6loh0hIyqUQwMQXb7v7zK7YvhBAiGL1nhyphenhyphenKkAEFb4G0d-oFq/s1600/IMG_4232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HAB-_Zv4GQuSUkLPJhq_XLEuEm-a4nvRENexnb2_VJ0Dp7phMC4CtdXzj-WZ0KCN4lBy9wQQ12PF2lkrQI4dA1siZKJj6loh0hIyqUQwMQXb7v7zK7YvhBAiGL1nhyphenhyphenKkAEFb4G0d-oFq/s400/IMG_4232.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whisky, Ginger, Blood Orange and Bitters</td></tr>
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Polly and Hana are big fans of Lee Wescot from the Typing Room and James Lowe at Lyles. Both chefs are about celebrating British food with a modern twist and this is certainly echoed in the Pickled Plates menu. A canapé of haggis, neeps and tatties, were crispy, coated, deep fried balls of good Scottish stuff. It's worth adding at this point that they were great at catering for my gluten allergy too. They had sourced gluten free haggis and cooked mine separately and they were delicious. A rabbit rillette was well seasoned, pickled beetroot and radishes cutting beautifully through the richness of the rillette, beetroot crisps giving added texture and a cassis dressing bringing all the components together. The salt baked celeriac was a real triumph, with a wonderful depth of flavour, and provided a superb companion for a perfectly cooked chunk of whiting. The crispy chicken skin provided a sumptuous, salty seasoning for a creamy clam and prawn butter sauce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1_ppjcv_ApUBl0LtgjoznyWKMgzmAOAUWJJkbKbaOuRE9OoCte58_GuYMgkowVg7saNWR27zKmYUgaTq_a8mT7-1ffkImLpV5Cd_yz0c4LligIrhz2NcUi_xSYogvHLXM_WJ7Yfpe1Hp/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1_ppjcv_ApUBl0LtgjoznyWKMgzmAOAUWJJkbKbaOuRE9OoCte58_GuYMgkowVg7saNWR27zKmYUgaTq_a8mT7-1ffkImLpV5Cd_yz0c4LligIrhz2NcUi_xSYogvHLXM_WJ7Yfpe1Hp/s400/IMG_4234.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haggis, Neeps and Tatties</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAdxdvuGtgqnPoh0tDaUNHYDlghdndOwcV2IkG3oe7bgsupkwte87Hx7GpeT89fRij0_aoQzF9k0gjjpY2HRDSa2HHqqui-t3FCS7r9YWWmxe0tCx9jFZaUUb0Fk0SfFiQsqNMJd1ANwF/s1600/IMG_4236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAdxdvuGtgqnPoh0tDaUNHYDlghdndOwcV2IkG3oe7bgsupkwte87Hx7GpeT89fRij0_aoQzF9k0gjjpY2HRDSa2HHqqui-t3FCS7r9YWWmxe0tCx9jFZaUUb0Fk0SfFiQsqNMJd1ANwF/s400/IMG_4236.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Rabbit Rillette</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU9rVhlYjAYGsCMWRTKfjUcQ7ESj7ln1hkMcFucgDZh8jRX0KIvgkTASWhliC0R80LLpgck5GPMLUMovwAYEHSg_IvpYK4kOOZgeT-Da9j0dBTjDRReP8m-0e_lneJ3J0bZUyDQhPJSOV/s1600/IMG_4239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU9rVhlYjAYGsCMWRTKfjUcQ7ESj7ln1hkMcFucgDZh8jRX0KIvgkTASWhliC0R80LLpgck5GPMLUMovwAYEHSg_IvpYK4kOOZgeT-Da9j0dBTjDRReP8m-0e_lneJ3J0bZUyDQhPJSOV/s400/IMG_4239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan Fried Whiting with Salt Baked Celeriac</td></tr>
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When I read toasted marshmallow on the menu for dessert it conjured up images of bonfire night. I'll be disappointed with the Guy Fawkes version in future, because this toasted marshmallow was something else! A big, creamy, silky square, blow-torched to give just the right amount of caramel notes and then served with the acidic hit of blood orange and perfect (gluten free) shortbreads, it was a brilliant dish. The bring your own bottle policy - plus cocktails and a sloe gin accompanying the cheese course - meant that things were probably starting to get a little hazy! But I've got just enough recollection of the deliciously nutty comté, served with plum and juniper jam, a candied walnut and again gluten free oat cakes for the coeliac.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDq4cV0KzCM9fZUiYJK99hIaeavx9MiTmqrInZ6ldzq8XJyMnvPZ-YTNqKT6d2w3esqpk7_VM6tA6ps40-KQIdyL77Um7J8wK5FYPy1CBVikyqGaZlZQgvuFye1C2ywlf49pvu6nJGj0Ae/s1600/IMG_4241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDq4cV0KzCM9fZUiYJK99hIaeavx9MiTmqrInZ6ldzq8XJyMnvPZ-YTNqKT6d2w3esqpk7_VM6tA6ps40-KQIdyL77Um7J8wK5FYPy1CBVikyqGaZlZQgvuFye1C2ywlf49pvu6nJGj0Ae/s400/IMG_4241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasted Marshmallow with Blood Orange and Shortbread</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDH-2g1lHLePOv3S1ncwyZBeEO4MC9m1YsWCrcEhCGkNhXgNhnFx6eWBj8g0XFyeWtSZ2fIFuWIvn13Y0_zJK5zm0TBgZiU0Fws8ZohkFOVEpaTI_3kh3J8Re1v59OIRNJfuGE8EzVFbb/s1600/IMG_4247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDH-2g1lHLePOv3S1ncwyZBeEO4MC9m1YsWCrcEhCGkNhXgNhnFx6eWBj8g0XFyeWtSZ2fIFuWIvn13Y0_zJK5zm0TBgZiU0Fws8ZohkFOVEpaTI_3kh3J8Re1v59OIRNJfuGE8EzVFbb/s400/IMG_4247.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sloe Gin, Comté, Plum and Juniper Jam, Candied Walnuts and Oatcakes</td></tr>
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It was a great night, with great friends and great food. So if you want a fantastic social dining experience check out Pickled Plates, you'll also get the bonus of having some brilliant food to instagram!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm8QdF7FWPV-8QdUrN3_-8n2OkXy0dGheazBW0bWE2ios3SsaXEiF0KPzNFqxsmo_NZ6bjGlaSUXGtN04epwqWsi7mEIvVot2viYbJFS7jikOxtiA4Aiu7FrFnG7u9E9GXRD8inUwfNI-/s1600/IMG_4246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm8QdF7FWPV-8QdUrN3_-8n2OkXy0dGheazBW0bWE2ios3SsaXEiF0KPzNFqxsmo_NZ6bjGlaSUXGtN04epwqWsi7mEIvVot2viYbJFS7jikOxtiA4Aiu7FrFnG7u9E9GXRD8inUwfNI-/s400/IMG_4246.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Pickled Plates Team For the Night</td></tr>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-54432661446002459052015-09-20T02:25:00.000-07:002015-09-20T02:25:51.418-07:00Loch Fyne, Norwich (branches nationwide)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnG1fUE56k6_H7r9VkrV9Q02wOLv-SONEafNHIhVAN00svecSwr0ATOTjOQUhQnWOOlSVkSRgd17xCF71tjMCa35wpRUZ7uw6E7vTGCCDDoyjpqBbNwzomGuRk7alfc9ClH5h2QyU2c1j/s1600/IMG_5268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnG1fUE56k6_H7r9VkrV9Q02wOLv-SONEafNHIhVAN00svecSwr0ATOTjOQUhQnWOOlSVkSRgd17xCF71tjMCa35wpRUZ7uw6E7vTGCCDDoyjpqBbNwzomGuRk7alfc9ClH5h2QyU2c1j/s200/IMG_5268.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loch Fyne Oysters</td></tr>
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I hadn't been to Loch Fyne for a few years, the last time I went the menu was fairly restrictive for those following a gluten free diet. So when I was invited to review their '<a href="http://www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk/sites/default/files/non_gluten_15333_a4_alc_dessert_ncgi_menu_np_17659.pdf">non-gluten' menu</a> I was keen to see what changes they had made.<br />
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My wife and I visited their Norwich branch on a busy Friday night. We were shown to our table and our server, Pedro, couldn't hide his excitement at being able to explain their new gluten free credentials. In fact, Pedro was great all night, excitedly explaining dishes to all his tables and even at one point bringing out a lobster to one table to show them what they would get and how to eat it. The staff have always seemed impressively knowledgeable and there is clearly a passion for produce and provenance when it comes to fish and seafood. We were given the 'non-gluten menu' which has good selection and we were also brought the allergen bible which detailed the allergy ingredients in each dish. Pedro also explained that a number of the dishes could be modified as they make nearly everything from scratch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRi_BSztb_z6n1qGzqr-_dpNdEosIer55iQYCaSc8F557FZ38a-jElVnIs_BYFUk7C58DwIpH4gcInjVWqnKu6UGZhBQInmiKxr1ApXoFkVqz6TgDMjcz_aMm1CrKQ8RYkptcH1QUg403/s1600/IMG_5273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRi_BSztb_z6n1qGzqr-_dpNdEosIer55iQYCaSc8F557FZ38a-jElVnIs_BYFUk7C58DwIpH4gcInjVWqnKu6UGZhBQInmiKxr1ApXoFkVqz6TgDMjcz_aMm1CrKQ8RYkptcH1QUg403/s400/IMG_5273.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razor clams with chorizo and basil</td></tr>
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We started with some oysters which were served with a red wine and shallot dressing, a coriander and chilli dressing, a wedge of lemon and a bottle of tabasco. I love oysters and these, fresh from Loch Fyne's own farm on the west coast of Scotland, did what good oysters do, take you straight to the sea. For starter I had razor clams with basil and chorizo which was full of flavour and reminiscent of a Spanish tapas dish. My wife had the Loch Fyne Smokehouse Ashet and I have to say I had a little bit of food envy. It had an element of theatre with the centre piece of Bradan Rost smoked under a cloche. It also came with two different types of smoked salmon, crispy capers and a horseradish cream. Each piece of salmon was beautifully smoked with a range of tastes and textures. The crusty gluten free bread roll we shared was some of the best gluten free bread I've eaten in a restaurant too. A crunchy exterior and soft middle - perfect for mopping up the leftover chorizo and basil butter from my starter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loch Fyne Smokehouse Ashet</td></tr>
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For main I chose the seafood grill, a celebration of Scottish fish. The stars of the show were the hand dived scallops, served with the roe and cooked to perfection. They were meaty and packed with flavour. Plump mussels were well cooked with the chilli and coriander butter seeping into the shells. Salmon and bream were also succulent pieces of fish, only let down by an absence of crispy skin caused by the butter. A large whole king prawn looked like it should have been the protagonist but couldn't compete with the quality of those scallops! It was all served with spinach and sautéed potatoes and was certainly a filling plate of food. My wife opted for the fish bar, a great concept where you chose a fish, how you want it cooked, a sauce and two sides. She had positive reviews for her grilled cod with tomato salsa, sautéed potatoes and samphire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBq-YvJpxLCBWdKLD2xJnIkLqF9gU9pcjfzZtd6WxFjm63FzsgucIhTlabrCR_hOS3HEsEBJlNl1E88YfQ4GT-31kXALvfr2Wm_y0yf6X6y4w4zCC1LBbNSqHnyh9ufwI7wkMfyjpibKS/s1600/IMG_5274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBq-YvJpxLCBWdKLD2xJnIkLqF9gU9pcjfzZtd6WxFjm63FzsgucIhTlabrCR_hOS3HEsEBJlNl1E88YfQ4GT-31kXALvfr2Wm_y0yf6X6y4w4zCC1LBbNSqHnyh9ufwI7wkMfyjpibKS/s400/IMG_5274.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafood Grill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ntj5zP_OitOkx3blQ41-cDcL6hmadQ6i7WxBkGjnIJ4unH1kxgQtmxdQ71MGGAErozSlaO5pXhJm8mCfblkH64CKWxn4wPROR9Ji-ygc3_4ba7mQk5PpGJv-bRa0IP7yy-2c5LNF5z9K/s1600/IMG_5275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ntj5zP_OitOkx3blQ41-cDcL6hmadQ6i7WxBkGjnIJ4unH1kxgQtmxdQ71MGGAErozSlaO5pXhJm8mCfblkH64CKWxn4wPROR9Ji-ygc3_4ba7mQk5PpGJv-bRa0IP7yy-2c5LNF5z9K/s400/IMG_5275.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled cod, tomato salsa, samphire and sautéed potatoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWOSb_0SCKS20xwZvx4t5xKiJXu8_jvLMVhlNjPxSRMrrCmGHUGvX2nuNECSMBeWnObm8YH6UCNXNp32jbO-YCOCWmfyuUsfnR3_zd7WXFRrox-zE8esdYLKpdqjxG7RP-nyZSMdw7Kmj/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWOSb_0SCKS20xwZvx4t5xKiJXu8_jvLMVhlNjPxSRMrrCmGHUGvX2nuNECSMBeWnObm8YH6UCNXNp32jbO-YCOCWmfyuUsfnR3_zd7WXFRrox-zE8esdYLKpdqjxG7RP-nyZSMdw7Kmj/s200/IMG_5277.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut rice pudding with mango</td></tr>
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As a coeliac I'm used to a limited choice when it comes to gluten free desserts so it was great to have a few to chose from. I chose the coconut rice pudding with mango compote. Luckily our server explained that it came with some biscuits that weren't gluten free which they would leave off, so when the kitchen accidentally put the biscuits on the plate I knew to steer clear. Mistakes happen and our server was very apologetic and there was no harm done. The dessert itself was a winner, a crunchy brulee top with delicious coconut flavoured rice and mango to cut perfectly through the richness. My wife, who can't resist the allure of the words salted and caramel in the same description, was always going to pick the salted caramel ice cream which she said was one of the best she had had.<br />
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I was extremely impressed with Loch Fyne's new gluten free menu, plenty of choice, delicious dishes and some great cooking.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-81580551689365388652015-08-23T10:50:00.001-07:002015-08-23T10:50:24.887-07:00Herman Ze German, London<br />
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After a great theatre trip to the Globe in London we needed a late night place to eat. Step up Herman Ze German! I love the current restaurant trend of sticking to one thing and doing it well. Honest and Bird have it sorted for burgers and chicken. Now Herman Ze German has it sorted for German sausage! They have a comprehensive allergen menu on their website which clearly indicates their gluten free options. I went for the Chilli Wurst with pommes (chips) and sauerkraut. The sausage tasted great, with just the right amount of chilli, crispy and salty pommes to mop up the american mustard and ketchup and sauerkraut giving a tasty pickled flavour to cut through everything. There are a few outlets dotted around London. It's no frills dining and we were in late so we were joined by a few drunken revellers but for good, gluten free food at inexpensive prices it's a great place to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14qjdT8vE1JEI1Q5dl8cyUv4CYsdaw2FMwHkdhYbsWRkXKCZhbSwaMaeY-5EqZy_EAOajw36IW9luBFwIE11jQFrASPeCRBEFC1dGkI_4kJSBl-TL-OGYFkvEUCoRMOF20d-LcOBsqw6y/s1600/IMG_5184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14qjdT8vE1JEI1Q5dl8cyUv4CYsdaw2FMwHkdhYbsWRkXKCZhbSwaMaeY-5EqZy_EAOajw36IW9luBFwIE11jQFrASPeCRBEFC1dGkI_4kJSBl-TL-OGYFkvEUCoRMOF20d-LcOBsqw6y/s400/IMG_5184.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herman Ze German - Gluten Free Chilli Wurst, Pommes & Sauerkraut</td></tr>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-55997269056430868722015-08-15T10:44:00.000-07:002015-08-15T12:35:54.342-07:00Orford Plaice, NorwichFish and chips, a British staple. Well not for everyone, but gradually coeliacs are getting back in on the action too! I blogged recently about <a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/no1-cromer-norfolk.html">No.1 Cromer</a> and then along comes Orford Plaice, a gluten free chippy even closer to home and perhaps dangerously close to my office! Inside it's pretty no frills but then that's not what anyone is here for. I glance around and people are tucking into generous portions of battered goodness. I double check that the gluten free option is cooked in a separate fryer and the server gives me the reassurance I was looking for. There's another chippy in Norwich that is serving gluten free but unfortunately not cooked separately, potentially putting coeliacs at risk. I was pleased to see the care and attention that Orford Plaice gave to my order. Cooked separately, separate warming drawer, separate chips and finally separate utensils. They even had gluten free labelled vinegar, they clearly knew what they were doing. As for the fish and chips? They were great, crisp, crunchy batter, succulent soft cod and good chip shop chips. It get's the thumbs up from me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzSydXJ0MDSJi9l1p5bplH7-T6kzWtn9hJHab-uAEajEfF9kQWvkMQUrTXpt-wItlpqmXySSXcERKWhfyGB7dcRg6fMKjILSR0zfIVHkB1xtcRJ2bk4saz1SNYP-xJUUrUYmIinyXcufb/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzSydXJ0MDSJi9l1p5bplH7-T6kzWtn9hJHab-uAEajEfF9kQWvkMQUrTXpt-wItlpqmXySSXcERKWhfyGB7dcRg6fMKjILSR0zfIVHkB1xtcRJ2bk4saz1SNYP-xJUUrUYmIinyXcufb/s400/IMG_5182.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten free fish and chips at Orford Plaice in Norwich</td></tr>
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<br />The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-17749912075875731832015-07-29T13:05:00.001-07:002015-07-29T13:05:31.957-07:00The New Inn at Tholthorpe, near YorkThe chain restaurants are really starting to crack catering for the gluten free community. Most have the investment behind them to size the market share, test menus and put in place training and systems to avoid any potential mishaps. However, there are many independent places up and down the country that seem to be behind the curve. Not everywhere I might add and certainly London has the sheer volume of people and places to cater for a multitude of requirements. Outside of the capital the coeliac experience can be a bit hit and miss. One place that certainly hits the spot though is the New Inn at Tholthorpe near York.<br />
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I was born and bred in York and often head back for a long weekend to visit friends and family. We decided to head to the New Inn after coming across it on the Tesco clubcard site as it takes their vouchers. There was a review that mentioned it catered for gluten allergies so it certainly sounded promising.<br />
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After a long drive from Norfolk I was ready for refuelling. The menu had a host of options for coeliacs and was clearly labelled. When I told our server I was gluten free he also told me which of the specials I could have and then to my excitement added that they could make the fish and chips gluten free too! He reassured me that they were cooked separately, I was sold! They were delicious too, a light and crispy batter, 'proper' chips (not like door stops but nothing skinny about them either), mushy peas and a creamy tartar sauce. I just about had room for a dessert and couldn't resist the sound of a lemon panna cotta with a cherry coulis. It was a great find, good pub food at a reasonable price with a range of gluten free options.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcqEKJH-yYNxSP4MgQvQzagz0NnvvbUquv7G8u2o7PHUL2M8C9UP08GYxkYwQ9jnuFJlOwBJAE37yz4cMOqZ5nX1EfrjQL-ZoO2gi-Q0h4hj0F3BbWMwfn4azkVzHobw9XifUCHQppTx7/s1600/IMG_4465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcqEKJH-yYNxSP4MgQvQzagz0NnvvbUquv7G8u2o7PHUL2M8C9UP08GYxkYwQ9jnuFJlOwBJAE37yz4cMOqZ5nX1EfrjQL-ZoO2gi-Q0h4hj0F3BbWMwfn4azkVzHobw9XifUCHQppTx7/s320/IMG_4465.JPG" width="320" /></a>It was so good we headed back on a recent trip to Scotland. We judged it was about half way and thought it would be the perfect place to stop for some lunch. The lunch menu had a good range of options too, smaller plates, sandwiches and some larger dishes. We over ordered but it was definitely worth it. A rich and creamy baked Camembert which was served with an apple and grape chutney was suitably moreish. Perhaps not as moreish as the little deep fried pieces of pork belly served with a sweet chilli sauce! Soft tender meat with a crispy crackling around the outside, these were really something special. Sandwiches served on a really good gluten free bread were great too. <br />
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I'm hopeful that this level of catering for coelics will become the norm and more pubs will catch up with the New Inn. Until they do, I'll be heading there whenever I get the opportunity!The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-78053129850840045562015-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:002015-07-22T12:55:29.676-07:00Where to eat out in Copenhagen, Denmark - Gluten FreeBack in May, my wife and I travelled to Copenhagen looking for a weekend of relaxation, sight seeing and, of course, delicious food to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. After arriving in torrential rain we checked in to our hotel and dried off. From then on there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the city was bathed in Spring sunshine. Our hotel was in a great location, right by Copenhagen's food market where we would spend a lot of our time! The people of Copenhagen were great and I didn't have any trouble eating fantastic gluten free food. As always, I took coeliac translation cards, but didn't need them. I think Copenhagen was possibly the most clued up place I have been so far! So here's a whistle stop tour of some of the great gluten free places to eat out in Copenhagen:<br />
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<b><u>Hotel Kong Arthur</u></b><br />
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Ok, not somewhere we actually ate out but I had to give a quick shout out to the hotel. The service was fantastic, they even upgraded us to a suite as it was our anniversary, but there were two especially good features.... 1. The proximity to Copenhagen's food market (more on that soon!) and 2. 'Cosy Hour', a brilliant idea - between 5pm and 6pm on an evening the bar gave out a free glass of wine. It was the perfect timing, following a day of walking round the sights, to recharge the batteries ready for an evening out.<br />
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<b><u>Torvehallerne</u></b><br />
We spent a lot of time here! Copenhagen's food market with loads of stalls selling fresh produce to tapas bars, sushi bars and, our favourite, the outdoor cava bar! Here's some of the awesome places we found in Torvehallerne...<br />
<b><a href="http://www.palaeo.dk/en/">Paleo</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGpL3LBQYH7fyBM1sJkMnDqQ3HtBzuwrqy94Ccdfs4TdfysxgkKITnJkYAxqLNKdi7DlIN5YdjC-tpUADhWmshr0nJ-VKrUzIpt3kl1mXTjcQHQDdvlkekAosD4yGNytnA6xy8fTLTNVV/s1600/IMG_4589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGpL3LBQYH7fyBM1sJkMnDqQ3HtBzuwrqy94Ccdfs4TdfysxgkKITnJkYAxqLNKdi7DlIN5YdjC-tpUADhWmshr0nJ-VKrUzIpt3kl1mXTjcQHQDdvlkekAosD4yGNytnA6xy8fTLTNVV/s200/IMG_4589.JPG" width="150" /></a>There's a couple of these in Copenhagen as the trend for 'clean eating' hits the Danes too. Whether you're a fan of fad diets or not, for those avoiding gluten, Paleo is perfect. It's always worth checking when you go but everything was gluten free when we went. We shared a couple of dishes which made for a very tasty lunch. We were so ravenous following our flight that I didn't get chance to take pictures so you'll have to trust me on this one. Spiralised vegetables with a rich tasty bolognese and pulled pork in an omelette style wrap.<br />
<a href="http://groed.com/"><b>Grod</b></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4SIkGx_VmQuWIcWsYPea3pzUZ48aDjO2-5NMMkd_KPP8sJAFwEEBNXpoBPt7ZMHxf5iQz5qP4RaJ4l0MaX5zZxSsaLT1515sr65M3IqQF1bci7KOqFlmUSGG4i4q5idqcGVcxTbcuArc/s1600/IMG_4632+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4SIkGx_VmQuWIcWsYPea3pzUZ48aDjO2-5NMMkd_KPP8sJAFwEEBNXpoBPt7ZMHxf5iQz5qP4RaJ4l0MaX5zZxSsaLT1515sr65M3IqQF1bci7KOqFlmUSGG4i4q5idqcGVcxTbcuArc/s200/IMG_4632+%25281%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a>Possibly the best gluten free breakfast anywhere, ever! I'm a big porridge fan but I'm an even bigger porridge fan when it's gluten free and served with almonds, chopped apple and caramel sauce. They make it fresh while you wait and there's loads of toppings to choose from. The gluten free porridge blend was deliciously creamy and a hearty filling breakfast which set you up for the day!<br />
<b><u><a href="http://coffeecollective.dk/">Coffee Collective</a></u></b><br />
Again, not really a gluten free recommendation, just a great cup of coffee recommendation. Seriously good coffee and the perfect accompaniment to your gluten free porridge!<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.sushilovers.dk/">Sushi Lovers</a></u></b><br />
Sushi is certainly popular in Copenhagen and it's really good quality too. Staff were knowledgeable when I asked what they could make gluten free and there were plenty of options. They ended up doing us a sharing platter and provided gluten free tamari sauce.<br />
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And the rest of Copenhagen...<br />
<b><u><a href="http://cofoco.dk/da/restauranter/spuntino/">Spuntino</a></u></b><br />
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Spuntino is described as a modern Italian kitchen but is like no Italian food I have ever eaten! There are clearly nods to Italy with a beef carpaccio, creamy polenta and fava bean pesto on the menu but these collide with Danish influences to deliver a really creative menu. With tables packed into a small room split with glass panels and a large olive tree growing through the middle of the restaurant, it's an unusual but ambient setting. Once again there were no problems catering for coeliacs and those with a gluten free diet. I ordered what I wanted from the tasting menu and there were just a couple of minor modifications which didn't detract from any of the dishes. A highlight was the lumpfish roe with marscapone and lardo, a lightness that is often evident in Danish cuisine and delicious combination of texture and flavour. Although I'm not normally a fan of polenta this may be because it's never been served with pea shoots, popcorn, mushroom boullion and ricotta! A combination that sounds like you just staggered drunkenly into Waitrose and came out with a random selection of ingredients but one made your tastebuds do a little dance with every mouthful!<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.restaurant-relae.dk/en/mad/">Relae</a></u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdidokA9KhySboIX3irBpPnSYnLhHZfVR-DezWihIi449p6yMACgXM-0sckBQHdntFqChLLsd_a1x0yeGYqoqCDtbUdIw5-I8Ibs7oPH6b3Ihv1Uu_xMd3XVIuCdEbufA9GDAtdzjYqWH/s1600/IMG_4667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdidokA9KhySboIX3irBpPnSYnLhHZfVR-DezWihIi449p6yMACgXM-0sckBQHdntFqChLLsd_a1x0yeGYqoqCDtbUdIw5-I8Ibs7oPH6b3Ihv1Uu_xMd3XVIuCdEbufA9GDAtdzjYqWH/s200/IMG_4667.JPG" width="150" /></a>I've not even finished the blog and even thinking about this restaurant is making me want to go back to Copenhagen. As Noma was fully booked (my credit card was certainly more pleased than my wife!), we decided to splash out and go to the Michelin starred Relae, now one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. With restaurants like this you can clearly see why the food scene in Copenhagen should be taken seriously. Ingredients I've never tasted, processes that I couldn't dream of and a knack of creating wonderfully fresh dishes that awaken a palette I didn't even know I had! I can't do it justice but a dish of trout, cucumber and pine which sounds simple was stunning and a dessert of warm egg yolk, yoghurt sorbet, lemon curd and caramelised butter milk the most delicious piece of artwork I've ever eaten. How you can have a warm egg yolk inside a cold yoghurt sorbet and how you can make it all taste sensational is beyond my culinary know-how! There were some really nice added touches too, from the gluten free crisp breads they provided me, to the hidden drawer in the table containing your cutlery and menu! Relae is a real experience and one I would certainly recommend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.xn--dp-lka.dk/en/Menu.aspx#">Dop</a><br />
From a Michelin starred lunch to a hot dog in the street; it's great to have so many gluten free options. This organic hot dog stand outside the round tower is a must for a quick bite to eat. The hot dogs were naturally gluten free and although you can't have the bun, who would want one when you can get it with delicious mash, pickled beets and a tangy mustard.<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://www.sushi.dk/">Sticks n Sushi</a></u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PTlLImixrEddQMNuZ8oEjBnOp0D75fj33kL6gQ4df7psINL2x434KElcgAWykErrb7IusNA0-Qn9FtqaNeZNhJQG-aVzsJg_whUHqAySSmLMVYB3WBY6Ij8T4eZvq6rgLEc1puU_NDh8/s1600/IMG_4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PTlLImixrEddQMNuZ8oEjBnOp0D75fj33kL6gQ4df7psINL2x434KElcgAWykErrb7IusNA0-Qn9FtqaNeZNhJQG-aVzsJg_whUHqAySSmLMVYB3WBY6Ij8T4eZvq6rgLEc1puU_NDh8/s200/IMG_4719.JPG" width="200" /></a>I didn't realise there are now branches of Sticks n Sushi in London but this was great for a late night meal. We sat at the bar and watched them working the extremely hot grill and rolling the sushi by hand. It's exactly what it says, grilled sticks of various meats and fish in delicious Japanese inspired marinades and a wide variety of sushi. Once again we ordered a selection and they swapped in and out a couple of sticks I couldn't have and brought gluten free tamari sauce.<br />
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<u><b><a href="http://cofoco.dk/da/restauranter/les-trois-cochons/">Les Trois Cochons</a></b></u><br />
For our last meal of the holiday we went to the French inspired Les Trois Cochons which is part of the same group of restaurants as Spuntino. I've no idea what you do if you're on your own as everything was served for a minimum of two and to the table but it's an excellent spot for a romantic meal for two or a big family meal. The food is big, hearty and delicious. If you had a French grandma I imagine this is what she would serve. A trio of starters including smoked mackerel, braised baby gem lettuce and a delicious beef tartare all hit the spot. The main was where it really delivered, a huge portion of perfectly cooked steak served with creamy mash, green beans and a delicious red wine sauce. We just about managed the trio of desserts, let's face it, who can resist a crème brulée!<br />
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We had a fantastic weekend in Copenhagen and I'd thoroughly recommend it!The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-88899878353963785362015-05-31T03:12:00.000-07:002015-05-31T03:12:29.976-07:00Beef and green peppers with black bean sauce and egg fried rice - Gluten Free<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef with green peppers and black bean sauce & egg friend rice</td></tr>
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One of my favourite take away dishes before my gluten free days was beef and green peppers in black bean sauce. Unfortunately, due to the soy sauce, you can rarely find a gluten free version. I love recreating Chinese dishes at home. You can recreate the flavour of your favourite Chinese takeaway classics but making it from scratch gives it a real freshness. I was amazed at how authentic this tasted. The people at Tilda sent me some wholegrain and wild rice which you can stir fry straight from the packet. If you want to make the rice yourself, just cook basmati rice for around 8 mins, drain and spread out on a plate and leave to cool. As everything is fairly quick cook, you're better preparing everything ready to go. I'll give you the steps for the rice and then the beef to make it clear, but as we're only looking at a few minutes cooking time you need to do both at once.<br />
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Ingredients (serves 2):<br />
For the egg fried rice:<br />
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<ul>
<li>150g cooked rice</li>
<li>An egg, whisked</li>
<li>3 spring onions, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 tbsp soy sauce</li>
<li>1 tbsp sesame oil</li>
</ul>
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For the beef and green peppers in black bean sauce:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Thumb sized piece of ginger, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, crushed,</li>
<li>3 spring onions, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 red chilli, finely sliced</li>
<li>1 pak choi, washed and roughly chopped</li>
<li>1 green pepper, roughly sliced into squares</li>
<li>350g beef, thinly sliced into strips</li>
<li>1.5 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed (local Asian grocery shop will stock)</li>
<li>150ml vegetable stock</li>
<li>1 tbsp corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water</li>
<li>1 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div>
<div>
To make the egg fried rice put a wok on a high heat and add the sesame oil. Add the cooked rice and break up with a wooden spoon, Keep it moving round the pan. After a couple of minutes, add the spring onions and fry for a couple more minutes. Push the rice and spring onions to the edge of the wok and add the egg to the middle of the pan, leave for around 30 seconds to cook, then break up with a wooden spoon and mix together. Finally add the soy sauce and fry for another couple of minutes, or until a some of the rice has started to crisp up.</div>
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<div>
To make the beef in black bean sauce, put a frying pan on a high heat and add the oil. Now add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and fry for a minute. Add the green pepper and beef strips, fry for another minute to sear the beef. Now add the black beans and pak choi and keep everything moving in the pan for another minute. Now add around 100ml of the vegetable stock, followed by the corn flour mix. Check the consistency of the sauce, if it's too thick and some more of the vegetable stock. Cook for another minute to bring everything together and then serve alongside the rice.</div>
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You don't need to be overly precise with the times, the key is to have the wok and frying pan on a really high heat and keep things moving so they don't catch. Hope you enjoy, we certainly did!</div>
The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-4440418837548509332015-05-23T03:08:00.002-07:002015-05-23T03:08:28.776-07:00No.1 Cromer, NorfolkAfter reading the <a href="https://fabulouslyfreefrom.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/gluten-free-at-erics-fish-and-chips-on-the-north-norfolk-coast/">Fabulously Free From blog</a> on Eric's in Norfolk I had a craving for fish and chips. Although becoming more common, gluten free fish and chips have been hard to come by. Some places are grasping on to the increasing popularity of gluten free diets, but don't provide dedicated fryers, which doesn't help a coeliac like me. Eric's was a little far for us to drive this time, but we vowed to make a trip soon. Instead, we headed out to Cromer, about a 40 minute drive from Norwich. 40 minutes might seem a long way to drive for fish and chips but trust me, these were well worth the effort!<br />
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No.1 Cromer is a relatively new venture by the extremely talented chef Galton Blackiston owner of the Michelin starred <a href="http://hungryboyfriend.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/morston-hall-norfolk-dinner.html">Morston Hall</a> in Norfolk. There's a traditional take away, an eat in restaurant and a more modern take on British cuisine available in the upstairs restaurant. We were here for one thing and one thing only though, gluten free fish and chips! We phoned in advance as many places only do gluten free options on certain nights but were informed that No.1 Cromer did them all the time. We took a seat in the window looking out to sea and the Cromer pier. We both ordered gluten free cod and chips with a side of mushy peas. I think the peas had a sort of mint sauce running through it which wasn't gluten free so they provided ours without this. The waitress was well informed and took great care. The fish and chips were certainly well worth the trip! A crisp, crunchy gluten free batter coated a beautifully cooked, succulent piece of cod. The chips were proper chip shop chips. There's a time for the triple cooked ones and there's a time for skinny ones, but when you're having fish and chips, they need to be proper chip shop chips! It came with a creamy tartar sauce, in my view the perfect accompaniment, and a tasty tin of mushy peas. The portions are big too, we were saving room for ice cream but were too full by the end!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten free Cod & Chips at No.1 Cromer</td></tr>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-85996969010670100792015-05-15T04:37:00.000-07:002015-05-15T04:43:24.421-07:00Sausage, leek and fennel pastaWaste not want not! I realised that I used half a packet of sausages in the last recipe I posted, so I thought it would be remiss of me not to give you another recipe to use the rest of the pack! This is another quick and simple pasta recipe which is great for a mid-week meal. Sausages and fennel seeds go great together, the fennel seeds offering little pops of flavour, added chilli flakes provide a gentle heat.<br />
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Ingredients (serves 2):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>3 sausages (or the rest of your pack of Debbie & Andrews gluten free ones!)</li>
<li>1 tsp fennel seeds</li>
<li>1/2 tsp chilli flakes</li>
<li>1 clove of garlic, crushed</li>
<li>6 spring onions, finely chopped (keep the white parts separate from the green)</li>
<li>1 large leek, finely chopped</li>
<li>75ml white wine</li>
<li>2 tbsp sour cream</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>150g pasta (I used Juvela gluten free fusilli)</li>
<li>Handful of grated Parmesan</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
</ul>
<div>
Put a frying pan on a medium heat. Put a slit in the sausages and squeeze out the sausage meat into the pan. As it fries, break it up with a wooden spoon, moving it around so it browns evenly. This should take around 4 or 5 mins. Add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes, followed by the clove of garlic and whites of the spring onions. Now add the chopped leek (you may need a little oil depending on how much fat was in the sausages). Keep stirring to partly cook the leeks and onions for another 3 or 4 mins. Now add the white wine and reduce the heat to a simmer whilst you get the pasta on. Drop the pasta into salted boiling water and cook for 8 - 10 mins or according to the packet. Whilst your leeks and pasta cook, you can make the sauce. Simply spoon the sour cream into a small bowl and whisk in the egg. When your pasta is cooked, drain and add leek mixture and bring it all together. You can now add the green parts of your spring onions so they give a little texture. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sour cream mix. Keep stirring to distribute evenly and then season with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the Parmesan.</div>
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Sorry - we ate this one too quickly for a photo! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!</div>
The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-49864970461274711472015-05-11T14:07:00.000-07:002015-05-11T14:07:29.659-07:00Vodka, chilli, sausage arrabiata with spaghettiI don't often blog recipes, usually because we're working through a growing mountain of recipe books and magazines, so usually, I can't take credit. I can't wholly take credit for this one either though. It's inspired by Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/nyc-vodka-arrabbiata">vodka arrabiata</a> in his America cookbook. I've made a few tweaks though and I think this version tastes even better! Plus an instagram follower asked me to blog it, so here we go:<br />
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Ingredients (serves 2):<br />
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<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2FrlNZXVn41WugG6YZEzw72I0kP_y-6Js5gz-aUxq-I1-IHgBqnWtrLs-BmEGvFTF13WQ84mNJrQv_z4Dtm6DXcWCraFBUhOhsC7n46bnBBIZ7ejkivPEl-IPit24fNpi9RjHNZyTRXZ/s1600/01384b687ab9e1303aa0859168d55692f93c938395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2FrlNZXVn41WugG6YZEzw72I0kP_y-6Js5gz-aUxq-I1-IHgBqnWtrLs-BmEGvFTF13WQ84mNJrQv_z4Dtm6DXcWCraFBUhOhsC7n46bnBBIZ7ejkivPEl-IPit24fNpi9RjHNZyTRXZ/s320/01384b687ab9e1303aa0859168d55692f93c938395.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<li>3 sausages (I used Debbie and Andrews gluten free ones)</li>
<li>1/2 red onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 red pepper, sliced</li>
<li>2 red chillies, finely chopped (de-seed if you don't like it hot!)</li>
<li>2 anchovy fillets</li>
<li>150g cherry tomatoes, quartered</li>
<li>30ml vodka</li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato purée</li>
<li>Small bunch of parsley, stalks finely chopped and leaves picked</li>
<li>150g spaghetti (I used Juvela gluten free spaghetti)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Put a frying pan on a medium heat. Put a slit in the sausages and squeeze out the sausage meat into the pan. As it fries, break it up with a wooden spoon, moving it around so it browns evenly. This should take around 4 or 5 mins. Next, add the red onion, chilli and red pepper (add a little oil if needed) and soften for a further 3 mins. Now add the anchovy fillets, break these up with the spoon, then add your tomato purée. Now it's time to add the vodka, cherry tomatoes and parsley stalks. Reduce the heat to simmer whilst you cook your pasta. Drop your pasta into a large pan of boiling water and boil for 8 - 10 mins or according to the packet. Add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water from the pasta to the tomato sauce just to give it the right consistency. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pasta to the tomato and sausage sauce and mix well. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle over the parsley.</div>
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<div>
Enjoy!</div>
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The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-69925079191002980092015-03-10T14:34:00.001-07:002015-03-10T14:34:34.090-07:00Tredwell's, London<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">I've been spurred into writing this blog today. As you can see from the timings of my posts, I'm not always the most frequent blogger. But today I felt the need to write this one in particular. Today, a number of top chefs decided to publicly criticise the new allergen regulations which require restaurants to make information available on 14 allergens. Their criticism of the EU regulations were made public in a letter to the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11460125/Top-chefs-attack-EU-rules-on-allergens-in-food.html">Telegraph</a> (where better to slate alleged EU bureaucracy than British right-wing media). Interestingly, when you search 'allergen' in the Telegraph search bar, the first item that pops up is an advert for home allergen testing kits! The article in question quotes Thomasina Miers, whom I'm a big fan of, as saying:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "<span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">It is a total fiasco and in my view is the responsibility of the allergee to ask." Unfortunately, I think she sadly misses the point. We do ask. Since I was diagnosed coeliac nearly 5 years ago I've asked every time I've eaten out. It's a pain, but I'm used to it. What the new rules mean is at last restaurants should have the answers. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">One restaurant which certainly had the answers was Marcus Wareing's new restaurant Tredwell's. It's </span></span><a href="http://www.tredwells.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Menu-Tredwells-2015-website3.pdf" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">menu</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;"> I'm holding up as the exemplar on how to make allergen info clear and simple to understand. When it's backed up with food which is excellent too, it's a dream come true for 'burdensome' allergy </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">sufferers</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">. If restaurants can get it right like Tredwell's does</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">, they are more likely to get my custom and that of other allergen suffers. They are widening their market, it hardly screams fiasco to me.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Down the apples and pears cocktail</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">Tredwell's is a more casual addition to Wareing's restaurants and boasts a more relaxed and informal atmosphere. The place was bustling when we arrived on a Saturday night. We took seats at the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. The cocktail was seriously good, my 'Down the apples and pears' had Belvedere vodka, with apple, pear and elderflower, finished with a hint of thyme which perfectly balanced the sweetness. Our server knew the menu well and </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">recommended</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;"> that we share a couple of the starters. There was plenty of choice for those with a gluten allergy and there seemed to be a concious effort to avoid the use of </span></span><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">unnecessary</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;"> allergens. My wife and I shared sticky chicken wings and a chicken satay dish. Both sound simple, but were brilliantly executed. A moreish BBQ glaze on the chicken wings made them some of the best I've ever tasted. The satay was silky smooth with almost a mousse-like texture, and served with tender poached chicken and a chilled cucumber relish.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">The starters were always going to be warm up acts when the headline act comes under the banner 'Braised beef short rib'. A huge hunk of meat, that was braised so the meat melted away from the bone, served with perfectly balanced gravy. Sweet potato fries were crisp and came with a knock out BBQ mayo. The 'on trend' addition of kale to the slaw worked really well too. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtmquJgqGtqQbTbJvJuSfhQ-I406eXSM1Me-vyolpc9zFCdYPwQnPMmO3w765OKACzKTpdRybzt14KdHi35phc7R5sxnBItP5SO9yXBhxOnUMD_PCV12iw2MeOrsHyApByWDfmstxOlRv/s1600/0119308eae698719e87201e6444c3bdbdf17c24801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtmquJgqGtqQbTbJvJuSfhQ-I406eXSM1Me-vyolpc9zFCdYPwQnPMmO3w765OKACzKTpdRybzt14KdHi35phc7R5sxnBItP5SO9yXBhxOnUMD_PCV12iw2MeOrsHyApByWDfmstxOlRv/s1600/0119308eae698719e87201e6444c3bdbdf17c24801.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Braised Beef Short Rib</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBavP5Znxa7hX8YbHcRKr0ZtUgLZYLNClt-egcjhmySPJyMTXfBtQbeuBLqODU6yztnB1PqtZ2CSRJJ9fUwLq-YP-oCIMYBWVFgxuVCZxybPnwVB3skfXI4no8accEoOWauGcJJ860nplh/s1600/01f3f4ea8a38b535df85774627795c6a844ea69720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBavP5Znxa7hX8YbHcRKr0ZtUgLZYLNClt-egcjhmySPJyMTXfBtQbeuBLqODU6yztnB1PqtZ2CSRJJ9fUwLq-YP-oCIMYBWVFgxuVCZxybPnwVB3skfXI4no8accEoOWauGcJJ860nplh/s1600/01f3f4ea8a38b535df85774627795c6a844ea69720.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Sweet Potato Fries, BBQ Mayo and Kale Slaw</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">We somehow found room for desserts and I couldn't resist the allure of salted caramel soft serve, which really was just a Marcus Wareing McFlurry! It was everything a dessert should be. Unfortunately, the 'virtuous' chocolate brownie was everything a dessert shouldn't be. Desserts weren't meant to be virtuous and sadly this meant that the brownie was the one let down of an otherwise impeccable meal</span><span style="line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIDM16SekSw1LxYwbIL4QBPfj6Xa3RWiIvhWmlioMWXVorw8AoQf4XbajsHqyDKqkY6kL3Hz2LWzusRbAxeLmUOhi4Y3wSphfDRwlqV3drnjo8_hfmMTUzhnGSgYBG1KZaOTNp6kY8_Wi/s1600/01139f026eadd6f6b0c8cb49c02b1810427898fc1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIDM16SekSw1LxYwbIL4QBPfj6Xa3RWiIvhWmlioMWXVorw8AoQf4XbajsHqyDKqkY6kL3Hz2LWzusRbAxeLmUOhi4Y3wSphfDRwlqV3drnjo8_hfmMTUzhnGSgYBG1KZaOTNp6kY8_Wi/s1600/01139f026eadd6f6b0c8cb49c02b1810427898fc1b.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">Salted Caramel Soft Serve with Honeycomb</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; line-height: 20.7199993133545px;">I think the food, drink, service, and consideration for <u>all</u> their diners means Tredwell's is on to a winning formula. The requirement is simple, for restaurants to know the food they are serving. More restaurants embracing this philosophy can only be a good thing.</span>The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-18665923036791954722015-01-14T12:25:00.001-08:002015-01-14T12:25:38.586-08:00Honest Burgers, LondonI don't know why it's taken me so long to blog about Honest. The moment just seemed to pass because it's so well known in the gluten free community. But not blogging about it just seems to do Honest a grave injustice because quite frankly they do the best burgers I've ever had! Since I first heard about Honest on twitter a couple of years ago we must have been more than half a dozen times and I don't even live in London. If I did, I think it could be seriously detrimental to my health!<div>
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Honest Burgers started out in 2011 on a small stall in Brixton market. The focus was on using quality ingredients to create a small but perfectly formed menu. A couple of combinations of beef burgers, a chicken burger and a veggie option - simple. And it's proof that concentrating on doing a few things very well is the way forward - the burgers are mouthwateringly good. The burger served medium, unless you request otherwise, is unlike any burger I've ever had. The quality of the meat simply shines through. They don't over complicate things either. The 'Honest' burger comes with cheese, smoked bacon, relish pickle and lettuce - all the components of the perfect burger. They have branched into a 'special' but they only do one at a time, meaning that the focus on consistent quality never falters. Moreover, Honest banished the dark days when coeliacs and gluten free followers had to contemplate having a burger without a bun. The bun is good too. Far too often gluten free buns can disintegrate into nothing, this one stands up to the task, soaking up all the delicious juices. The chips have taken a back seat in this review so far, but again, they are simply the best chips I've had on the side of any burger, anywhere. Simply fried and then seasoned with a rosemary salt, they are the perfect accompaniment. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honest burger, with chips</td></tr>
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Honest's attention to it's gluten free followers goes above and beyond. A couple of years ago they had a burger served with deep fried (breaded) Camembert, which suddenly meant the chips were off the menu for coeliacs due to cross contamination. But they listened to the feedback and this year they developed the same burger but with gluten free bread crumbs. They have also created the best onion rings I've ever had, gluten free beer battered onion rings are really something special. Giant hoops of onion with a golden crunchy batter - they're really spoiling us now. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten free onion rings</td></tr>
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I can't wait to try this month's special at the weekend - an Indian inspired burger with tandoori rub, a (gluten free) vegetable pakora, halloumi and cucumber raita. Oh and don't forget you can wash this all down with a gluten free Estrella Daura Damm Lager - perfection.</div>
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They have a number of restaurants dotted around London now, check out their <a href="http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/locations/">website</a> for more details.</div>
The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-3612174116949950462014-11-21T12:35:00.003-08:002014-11-21T12:35:23.148-08:00Wild Thyme, Norwich, NorfolkAfter taking a short break from blogging to move house, I'm back. With lots of blogs to write up I thought I’d start with a little gem I discovered in Norwich recently.<br />
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With the world population increasing and new emerging middles classes in countries such as China and Brazil, demand for meat has soared. Leading experts cite consequences ranging from rapidly increasing prices, to climate change, and even the potential need to look at test tubes as the solution. As a result, we’re being urged to eat less meat and the recent trend for #meatfreemondays has become very popular. It used to seem that vegetarian food in the UK was an afterthought to most menus, a damp tasting aubergine in a nondescript tomato sauce, now vegetarian food is influenced by flavours form around the world and can be, and often is, exciting and vibrant.<br />
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The food is certainly exciting vegetarian fare at Wild Thyme in Norwich. Wild Thyme is nestled in a small courtyard next to a wholefood store (where you’ll find some great gluten free products), in the heart of Norwich. I've been twice in the last couple of months, the first time with some work friends and the second with my wife. Both times I've been hugely impressed. I've enjoyed an excellent salad of goat’s cheese, wild mushrooms and pumpkin which came with a tangy vinaigrette which balanced the dish perfectly. Sweet potato wedges are baked to give sweet gnarly skins with soft centres; so often can sweet potato wedges become sweet crisps or damp mush. I've had the bubble and squeak, packed with veg and topped with a perfect poached egg and piccalilli. Indian spiced pea, potato and peanut cakes are served with a tangy tomato chutney, their crisp exterior hides a tasty filling. It is simple food, superbly executed. It’s great value too, starters (easily enough for lunch) are around the 5.95 mark and mains around 8.95.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu3MTEiK71D-RY8Zy-ka9Ff7N9LoNAY3ZFFHeTu3wMhuwICHHlTwPPmhmHQ123LZu2PO_E3FeFnAMPTD6iRtWgmepSACyba6uoN53dSl4TjCBEzux3Fpne4BgGUtIg2_A-DkJeOZ4y_3o/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu3MTEiK71D-RY8Zy-ka9Ff7N9LoNAY3ZFFHeTu3wMhuwICHHlTwPPmhmHQ123LZu2PO_E3FeFnAMPTD6iRtWgmepSACyba6uoN53dSl4TjCBEzux3Fpne4BgGUtIg2_A-DkJeOZ4y_3o/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
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The menu is clearly marked with dishes that are gluten free and there’s even gluten free bread available for sandwiches or to dunk in what sound like sumptuous soups. Many of the dishes are vegan too, so would be good for dairy free too. One of my friends said I’ll have to tell my vegetarian friend about this place’… I’d say tell all your friends about this place and let’s all embrace a little less meat without compromising on flavour.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-21989103649656328192014-08-13T04:23:00.002-07:002014-08-13T04:25:15.592-07:00Kabuto Noodles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolDkZW2LAKxMTKaf_Sg5fc829M4-C_kxn8cixIHSk8q2vmhz_Q_Y11xprQMzRqo2NaFDEmZvJZb2DHK2jGUnR-XHTYAqVSF58CcLVy3uTXx-J0sCSrRNPpayIK-Qt5yF5VWBZ1mKRjiL9/s1600/kabutoShoot_ProductLifestyle_130214_JoeO-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolDkZW2LAKxMTKaf_Sg5fc829M4-C_kxn8cixIHSk8q2vmhz_Q_Y11xprQMzRqo2NaFDEmZvJZb2DHK2jGUnR-XHTYAqVSF58CcLVy3uTXx-J0sCSrRNPpayIK-Qt5yF5VWBZ1mKRjiL9/s1600/kabutoShoot_ProductLifestyle_130214_JoeO-63.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>The quirky people at Kabuto Noodles got in touch recently and sent me some samples of their new range of instant 'upmarket' noodles. Food 'on the go' is always a difficult one for coeliacs. I'm generally on my best behaviour and take a packed lunch to work - salads, sandwiches, soups - the usual fodder. But, sometimes time is against you or you just fancy grabbing something that's hassle free. Kabuto have launched two of their instant noodles made with flat rice noodles resulting in a new completely gluten free lunch option.<br />
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Prior to becoming gluten free I think I'd only ever tried the 'well known other brand' of instant noodles once and in the dark days of studenthood, I may fallen into the depths of the own-brand supermarket variety. Both had that murky nondescript taste to them. As a coeliac you get used to reading the ingredients list before trying anything. One thing I liked about these new Kabuto noodles was that the list wasn't an endless list of 'flavour enhancers' you have never heard of. It was a simple and expected list of ingredients. So how did they taste? Surprisingly good actually both had a freshness that you wouldn't expect from essentially re-hydrating food! Rice noodles can be infamous for getting stuck together but simply adding boiling water and leaving for a couple of minutes gave you silky smooth strands. The chicken one was definitely my favourite, it just seemed to have a bit more going on. I found the miso one perfectly palatable, if a little bland. I'm sure you could 'pimp' your noodles with a little chilli oil or (gluten free) soy sauce if you wanted to add a bit more flavour.<br />
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All in all, a good product and great to have another gluten free 'on the go' option. These would be great to take as an emergency supply to a festival or travelling if you weren't sure exactly what you could eat. Let's hope there's even more to come.<br />
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Available from Ocado, Wholefoods and now Sainsbury's for around £1.99.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-49748310354523424972014-08-10T03:13:00.000-07:002014-08-10T03:13:09.216-07:00How To Organise a Gluten Free Wedding!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEv29vmBlaodKx6vP3e-39uaIFVwihyphenhyphenRkmklwjSg0mjoO8A5TuIu8kY-x5scho9Q96VdYrbac8pAYJJBuiOG0UiW__BbS1Mux_lTc3ghK_KP2TsXkbMthxA8RdNwt9vtFbmwTNPTUhCTT/s1600/10453059_10152431120714690_2071570039280100996_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEv29vmBlaodKx6vP3e-39uaIFVwihyphenhyphenRkmklwjSg0mjoO8A5TuIu8kY-x5scho9Q96VdYrbac8pAYJJBuiOG0UiW__BbS1Mux_lTc3ghK_KP2TsXkbMthxA8RdNwt9vtFbmwTNPTUhCTT/s1600/10453059_10152431120714690_2071570039280100996_o.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>I thought I'd interrupt the honeymoon food blogs with what is really just a shout out to some of the fantastic suppliers who helped make our wedding day so incredibly special. Food was always going to be important to us and we succeeded in having a completely gluten free wedding (without people even noticing!).<br />
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When we found <a href="http://beckettreid.co.uk/">Sarah</a> our caterer, we were overwhelmed by the passion with which she spoke about food! She didn't even hesitate when accepting the challenge of ensuring absolutely everything was gluten free. Sensational canapés including tempura vegetables with a sweet chilli dip, mini Norfolk sausages in a honey glaze and shots of tequilla laced gazpacho were devoured by our guests. We managed to source gluten free breads from <a href="http://www.kellysbakeries.com/">Kelly's Bakeries</a> at Lenwade. They provided a whole host of different flavoured breads which were all beautifully baked and delicious. We always wanted food to be a big part of our day and Sarah pulled out all the stops creating a fantastic wedding breakfast and in the evening, a cheese truckle with cooked Norfolk ham and beef, more gluten free breads and crackers and various pates, olives and pickles. Everything was perfect!<br />
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We found an excellent bespoke wedding cake designer and they assured us they could do everything gluten free. One of the best bits about organising the wedding was definitely sampling the copious amounts of cake at <a href="http://www.vanillapatisserie.co.uk/">Vanilla Patisserie</a>! We had 5 tiers, with lemon cake, carrot cake and a classic raspberry cream cake with white chocolate design.<br />
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We both love Macarons and couldn't resist a Macaron tower to go with teas and coffees. We're lucky that the masterchef finalist Tim Kinnaird has set up his shop <a href="http://www.macaronsandmore.com/tim-kinnaird">Macarons & More</a> in Norwich. Macarons are usually naturally gluten free so make a great addition to any coeliac wedding! They created a fabulous Macaron tower for us which I'm sure took a lot longer to make than the speed with which it disappeared!<br />
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We did our own home-made jams and chutneys for favours. After quartering my 200th cherry tomato I was questioning whether this was the right decision but they went down brilliantly and were well worth the effort.<br />
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Actually, it was surprisingly easy to create our perfect gluten free wedding because everyone involved knows just how perfect you want it to be. We went the whole way and had everything gluten free which I would definitely recommend. It allows you to relax and eat what you want on your wedding day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua1Y-GvI1ODyHAUdyZ_bEPrJptXWYSmoVrRhVs7krbTPNgz66f66TuWcZlHwmp6reLaFHtcvk7jOgvi84f8LxzQs8fJ5ug38uWDhJUEYmvFkPrZy3hz-K_J_EBpfPrfqKoHrlKE_D_plx/s1600/10549021_10152431124179690_5202904493158066607_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua1Y-GvI1ODyHAUdyZ_bEPrJptXWYSmoVrRhVs7krbTPNgz66f66TuWcZlHwmp6reLaFHtcvk7jOgvi84f8LxzQs8fJ5ug38uWDhJUEYmvFkPrZy3hz-K_J_EBpfPrfqKoHrlKE_D_plx/s1600/10549021_10152431124179690_5202904493158066607_o.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>We had so many fantastic people involved to make so incredibly perfect... <a href="http://blog.katherineashdown.co.uk/category/weddings/i-do-matt-lindsey-kimberley-hall-sneak-peek/">Katherine Ashdown</a> captured our wedding perfectly providing us with some superb pictures to look back on.... <a href="http://studio1208.com/">Studio 1208</a> blew us away with their video which we can't stop watching (and you can see <a href="http://www.marriageisthebomb.com/2014/07/best-film-ever.html">here</a>)... We got married at the breathtaking <a href="http://www.kimberleyhall.co.uk/">Kimberley Hall</a> and Sarah Goodson and <a href="http://www.softleyevents.co.uk/">Sarah Softley</a> made sure everything ran like clock work... Fabulous flowers were arranged by <a href="http://www.libbyferrisflowers.co.uk/">Libby Ferris</a>... The <a href="http://benwestontrio.com/">Ben Weston Quartet</a> jazzed up our canapé reception in style... <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Captain-Scarlet/12779232587">Captain Scarlet</a> played the hits that made sure the dance floor was full to the very end... Thanks to everyone involved who made marrying my beautiful wife so perfect.The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-55058256984855074312014-06-24T12:49:00.000-07:002014-06-24T12:49:59.450-07:00Where to eat in Montreal, Canada - Gluten Free<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIVzBLC1HYNHzVk08rjRvRokTeHWgNtCxhXdpumyAj6N7oAAIONZ4b6_JMKFbl3rBKNtdUl3m7O-3IdfS5cZ3hzHMfQpjfCVxGVTlCglXuYoxskhyphenhyphenges2Pw-JctfvkZwDU-GmWvFrcr5E/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIVzBLC1HYNHzVk08rjRvRokTeHWgNtCxhXdpumyAj6N7oAAIONZ4b6_JMKFbl3rBKNtdUl3m7O-3IdfS5cZ3hzHMfQpjfCVxGVTlCglXuYoxskhyphenhyphenges2Pw-JctfvkZwDU-GmWvFrcr5E/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a>Next stop on the honeymoon was the marvellous city of Montreal. Despite packing for mixed weather the sun shone down on us as we walked round the beautiful parks and saw the sights of this fantastic French-speaking city. I speak French but most people seemed to speak English as well so there were no issues with explaining dietary requirements! One of the highlights was the incredible Cirque du Soleil, so if you get chance to see it in it's home-town then do so. Of course the food was a highlight too so here's a run down of some of the places we ate at:<br />
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<b>Toqué</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.restaurant-toque.com/">Toqué</a> is for serious foodies! The experience here was easily equal to some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in Europe. We had booked in advance and they acknowledged that I was gluten free when we were seated. We couldn't resist the temptation of the tasting menu. You've got to be brave at Toqué, you have no idea what you're going to get but I can assure you it will certainly excite and enthral. As we were on honeymoon we had to start with the champagne and oysters. You receive two glasses of champagne and the extremely knowledgeable sommelier talks you through the differences while you sample the fresh tasting oysters. I won't go into all 7 courses but I can guarantee that you'll have flavours and combinations you'll have never tried before. Highlights included a scallop ceviche with strawberries. It sounds like one of those terrible combinations an over-enthusiastic Masterchef contestant would try but it worked seamlessly. Sea urchin was certainly a first for me and with a creamy taste of the sea it didn't fail to disappoint. A beef dish provided rich dark meat and the pigeon dish which followed looked like artwork on plate. Toqué gave me the most unusual cheese dish I'd ever had, with flowers of cheese, smoky hay cream, and tangy mustard seeds. Everything was effortlessly gluten free and the little touches such as a different crumb around the cheese really showed the attentiveness of the chefs at Toqué.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Urchin at Toqué</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese at Toqué</td></tr>
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<b>Accords</b><br />
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<a href="http://accords.ca/">Accords</a> is a fantastic wine bar and bistro with a quaint courtyard just down from the Notre Dame Basilica. They clearly mark the gluten free options on their menu which is great to see. We went there for a spot of lunch but as it was a Sunday they only serve brunch. In fact, we were in for a treat! They had a simple set menu with a few choices again clearly marking what was gluten free. We both had the salad to start and simple though it was, it was beautifully dressed. We both then had what we thought was the eggs Benedict (mine ordered without the muffin). This is where my French let me down in a good way! What we in fact ordered was eggs Benedict but instead of the usual ham or bacon we had huge lobster claws. The perfectly poached eggs and zingy hollandaise made for one delicious dish. As well as a large selection of wines they also have gluten free beer available!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster Benedict at Accords</td></tr>
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<b>Le Comptoir - Charcuteries et Vins</b><br />
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One of my favourite restaurants of our entire trip was <a href="http://comptoircharcuteriesetvins.ca/">Le Comptoir</a>. It was helped by the fact that we had front row seats! Being able to sit at the bar and watch the chefs meticulously put together these delicately crafted plates of superb food was brilliant. The waiter checked each of the dishes we ordered was gluten free or could be adapted. It was hard not to watch the chefs with eagle eyes, but I soon relaxed when you could see the level of care and attention that chefs take in such a well-oiled professional kitchen. The dishes are small and perfect for sharing. We started with one of their home-made charcuterie platters, delicious smoked and cured meats. My favourite was a smoked bacon carpaccio with parsnip purée, sprouts and pickled onion. The combination worked perfectly and was some of the best bacon I've ever tasted. I loved this place and would definitely recommend booking as it was packed all night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Carpaccio at Le Comptoir </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veal at Le Comptoir</td></tr>
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<b>Café Pavé & Nococchi</b><br />
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Just opposite Accords we found <a href="http://www.cafepave.com/en">Café Pavé</a> which is a great place to grab a gluten free sandwich for lunch. There's a whole host of different fillings you can have in your gluten free bread. I had the pulled pork sandwich which was the perfect fuel after a morning seeing sights. It's worth noting that like some gluten free bread in the UK, the slices are a little smaller so for those with big appetites, you might want to order two!<br />
<a href="http://www.nocochi.com/Nocochi/Home.html">Nococchi</a> was also another good spot to grab a gluten free sandwich - the BLT was particularly good. They also had a number of salads on the menu too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gluten free BLT at Nococchi</td></tr>
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<b>Cartel Street Food</b><br />
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For our last night in Montreal we found the <a href="http://cartelstreetfood.com/">Cartel Street Food Bar</a> an eclectic mix of tacos, quesadillas, ceviches and Asian dishes. The menu was clearly marked with gluten free options and once again we found the staff knowledgeable. It was at Cartel that I had my first poutine, a sort of chips, cheese and gravy medley that is a Montreal speciality! Other dishes we tried included a blackened grilled chicken with a fruity guava dressing and a pork belly and pineapple fried rice. There's certainly something to please everyone here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poutine & Beef Tacos at Cartel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLWMA4-aEPIvQV36X_UGCW7mOOU83VD_HfOsvqHW2ZPy-rMDiB7qIBtLTr42Ur3YTJvIX8H-3xo4x3aY1A0GDfoONhoOgoSkD5RoxGDVXUnWuZ431LVHDTkcVU8J4j7NDj9jaa_4HFqJU/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLWMA4-aEPIvQV36X_UGCW7mOOU83VD_HfOsvqHW2ZPy-rMDiB7qIBtLTr42Ur3YTJvIX8H-3xo4x3aY1A0GDfoONhoOgoSkD5RoxGDVXUnWuZ431LVHDTkcVU8J4j7NDj9jaa_4HFqJU/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackened grilled chicken and guava sauce at Cartel</td></tr>
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Finally if you're looking for a great bar, we loved Dominion Square Tavern - you have to try the Orange Julep!<br />
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Next stop Toronto!The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438885751132442576.post-44517779901980351692014-05-26T12:06:00.000-07:002014-05-26T12:06:17.087-07:00Hotel Sacacomie, Quebec, CanadaThree weeks ago, the Hungry Boyfriend became the Hungry Husband. Yes I tied the knot with my beautiful wife! For blogging purposes though I'm sticking with the Hungry Boyfriend, primarily because of the effort involved in changing it all over! The next few posts are going to cover our honeymoon; we've just got back from an amazing trip to Canada followed by Antigua in the Caribbean so lots of food stories to share.<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpIqUNqameJsK3bgto6jrAZR9oKajsssHSoB5X1ixLmz_Dv8WGuc29i8vfNExQGZbyV3o3sU3PJO_Vr3DrY8-D82rUbqMIT16WWJPjxBsJH3qoumeQVwnyweTuCQvaghW95GmlWwKPKRj/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpIqUNqameJsK3bgto6jrAZR9oKajsssHSoB5X1ixLmz_Dv8WGuc29i8vfNExQGZbyV3o3sU3PJO_Vr3DrY8-D82rUbqMIT16WWJPjxBsJH3qoumeQVwnyweTuCQvaghW95GmlWwKPKRj/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Anyone who has recently got married will testify that it takes a lot of organisation and hard work, particularly in the run up to the big day, so we decided that our first stop in Canada needed to be for some relaxation. Having flown into Montreal, we hired a car and headed to <a href="http://www.sacacomie.com/">Hotel Sacacomie</a>. Although it was blissfully relaxing when we got there, the journey there was anything but, as I managed to reverse our Chrysler 300 hire car into a ditch! We had to get pulled out by some friendly French-Canadians living nearby! The less said about it the better!</div>
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When we did finally arrive we were greeted by the most breathtaking view from our room. It was such a peaceful place, the rooms, all made out of wood were like log cabins and we had large jacuzzi bath and a log fire. I'd notified the hotel in advance that I was gluten free and they did a fantastic job throughout our two night stay. It's a French speaking place and although I speak French, many spoke perfect English/Canadian. Having admired the view, we headed downstairs for some lunch. It was a great lunch menu with lots of variety. I had the smoked trout salad, the trout was caught from the lakes nearby. It was absolutely huge (as were a lot of the portion sizes) but was beautiful. Lots of flaked trout and perfectly dressed salad. We shared some fries but it was more than enough for lunch. The next day I couldn't resist ordering the salad again as it had been so good, so we agreed to share a salad and some chicken wings. The wings were great too, succulent and flavourful. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtFLIBzRhMhkpnB_Ccku1Fu1PjUOwW9-Q_06oPfk4Nlk8OagAHsFxj7kD8aPcFYYjiV1D5r6Z3IADskJNXQU-vBOonE2CfUV_SVZrMvjlmjNSPCFRU9MSFl0jvAQAsQHIlrA0Cw5sSpYk/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtFLIBzRhMhkpnB_Ccku1Fu1PjUOwW9-Q_06oPfk4Nlk8OagAHsFxj7kD8aPcFYYjiV1D5r6Z3IADskJNXQU-vBOonE2CfUV_SVZrMvjlmjNSPCFRU9MSFl0jvAQAsQHIlrA0Cw5sSpYk/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked trout salad</td></tr>
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Our breakfast and evening meals were included in the package we booked (which also came with Swedish massages - which were amazing!). Breakfast was a buffet and so there were plenty of gluten free options. The chefs also made omelettes to order which were great, especially with a side of crispy Canadian bacon. There was plenty of choice on the dinner menu too and I could have easily eaten here for a week without getting bored or having the same thing twice. We had booked Sacacomie without knowing too much about it but couldn't have picked a better place to relax and enjoy some delicious (gluten free) food! Each day they had a delicious homemade soup to begin the meal which was always gluten free. Some of the starters we enjoyed included more of the smoked trout, this time in a delicious rillettes, a type of coarse paté garnished with thin strips of the smoked trout and baby beetroot leaves. My wife (still not quite got used to saying it!) enjoyed a carpaccio of venison with pine nuts, parmesan and balsamic which was perfectly balanced. On the first night we both enjoyed some perfectly cooked blade of beef which was melt-in-the-mouth tender. For our final night at the lodge, I had the scallops and king prawns which came on a bed of pea purée with celeriac and crispy bacon. The scallops nicely caramelised on the outside and soft in the middle, the prawns meaty and flavoursome. My wife enjoyed the duck, which as with everything, was cooked perfectly, crispy skin and pink in the middle It was a struggle finding room for dessert but the creme brulée was heavenly! Crunchy top with a silky smooth vanilla custard. I had the crème <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">brûlée</span></span> both nights as there wasn't as many gluten free desert options but I was more than happy to have it again! We washed this all down with some great Canadian wines.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTK2TKHwYPqywVveQBM-xdhxRyD4jpkTN2BgOcxSAL1ngbVv6rBPRkQeCBSnUyhGaC-A7tawJHqMQnS0uIKwhZyMvUq6SDelh_QZbpGQTJeaRWIhyVpa5UL1MDP4Ga3jtnSr4VebSuGb6/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTK2TKHwYPqywVveQBM-xdhxRyD4jpkTN2BgOcxSAL1ngbVv6rBPRkQeCBSnUyhGaC-A7tawJHqMQnS0uIKwhZyMvUq6SDelh_QZbpGQTJeaRWIhyVpa5UL1MDP4Ga3jtnSr4VebSuGb6/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trout rilletes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPtgNddITqOB11Y0QN5ExvkUNqOZi9M3AUzmwJ8UAbvYOqX1qImXnZL8SCUhBHymGgPL4mvHm3boPFuKv7xga2qIuEQNVHqN_x9vfLV8aK6ThXL6wotMt9cXrK57d_mGmyaO9iDZuy42s/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPtgNddITqOB11Y0QN5ExvkUNqOZi9M3AUzmwJ8UAbvYOqX1qImXnZL8SCUhBHymGgPL4mvHm3boPFuKv7xga2qIuEQNVHqN_x9vfLV8aK6ThXL6wotMt9cXrK57d_mGmyaO9iDZuy42s/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venison Carpaccio</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh506fVoQ_GRsIL13eiKUiGmw27IWbMK5lHbpfBGucV36xOJohviMtUjhIbwmKaYXQKbslVAqqcsndvzbxZVDac0y1QnBCEv00isQaa8KeRsBVItmFm2q-F6q7dFTg3iSGOctEzEF2-9xn/s1600/IMG_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh506fVoQ_GRsIL13eiKUiGmw27IWbMK5lHbpfBGucV36xOJohviMtUjhIbwmKaYXQKbslVAqqcsndvzbxZVDac0y1QnBCEv00isQaa8KeRsBVItmFm2q-F6q7dFTg3iSGOctEzEF2-9xn/s1600/IMG_0049.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Prawns and Scallops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUDS9iaT8s70gPOza3MHVYQNL-IxgUK3XI3soHlPuqMEdosRuW6IcHoANFD8CR0ttfEHhA6usCdClvSDBMEztLIx7cvH_zkfX540X6TAJpHYWCbNcjASs9memBq1UwiZqX3dseL4BwmtJ/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUDS9iaT8s70gPOza3MHVYQNL-IxgUK3XI3soHlPuqMEdosRuW6IcHoANFD8CR0ttfEHhA6usCdClvSDBMEztLIx7cvH_zkfX540X6TAJpHYWCbNcjASs9memBq1UwiZqX3dseL4BwmtJ/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck with sweet potato mash</td></tr>
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It was a fantastic place to which we would happily return The spa was excellent with outdoor jacuzzis and saunas with stunning views and a cold plunge pool which I didn't stay in long enough to admire the view! We were slightly out of season but there's a huge array of activities you can do depending on the time of year or you can just go and relax and enjoy some great food!</div>
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Next stop Montreal!</div>
The Hungry Boyfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08121737580466640582noreply@blogger.com0