Giraffe World Kitchen Norwich Review*

As you all know by now, I do love my food and I love trying out new places. I was recently invited to try out Giraffe World Kitchen in Norwich which has recently been re branded. I couldn’t wait to see the new look, I hadn’t been to Giraffe for a long time so a visit was long overdue. For those who are local, Giraffe World Kitchen is right outside Chapelfield Shopping Centre, located near to the other eateries. We arrived at 7pm for dinner and were greeted by two smiling members of staff. I took James with me to help with any photos and it made a good excuse for a date night as well.

As soon as I walked in I noticed the changes in décor. The restaurant is really bright and colourful and I love the pops of yellow that they have all over the walls. It was bright and had a fresh feeling to it. The tables were laid out nicely. We were seated in a booth and I quite liked that we felt a bit tucked away from the rest of the restaurant. You could also sit outside if you wanted to. The atmosphere was great, music was playing and people were chatting. I thought it had a really nice vibe. The staff were really friendly and couldn’t do enough for you. As soon as my drink was getting low, the waitress came over and offered me another one which was great.

Speaking of drinks, I had a couple of Mocktails called ‘Wavebreakers’ which was a blend of pineapple and coconut and oh my, they were amazing. I think when I took my first sip I said “this tastes like summer in a cup” and that is the only way I can really describe it. So fruity and refreshing, I want to recreate these at home! James had Franklin & Sons sparkling Apple & Rhubarb drink which he really liked too, it had a hint of cinnamon which he said gave a nice kick to it.

There were a few different starters to choose from including World Tapas so that you could taste your way around the world by sharing a few small plates. There were also a range of super starters. We decided to go for 3 tapas starters which cost £14.95 which we then shared between us. First up we had the shredded chicken tacos which came topped with guacamole, sour creme, and chipotle. They had a lovely kick to them and were very filling. Secondly we chose the salt and pepper squid which came with a delicious sweet chilli jam. The final starter we had (and my personal favourite!) was the karaage chicken. This chicken was served with a honey and soy dip and was really tasty. The starters were a good size, there was also the option to have five for  £24.95 but I think this would have been a bit too much since we were having three courses.

I had trouble choosing a main course as there were so many delicious tempting options, I just didn’t know where to begin! With dishes from around the world you could go for Enchiladas, Burgers, Vietnamese Steamboat or even a Texan BBQ Brisket. I decided in the end to try out the Turkish Pide topped with grilled chicken, baby spinach, feta and roasted red pepper and chilli on a spiced tomato base with charred Turkish peppers. This dish was amazing and the toppings were well spread across the dish and were plentiful. James went for the Vietnamese Steamboat which consisted of honey and soy glazed sea bream sprinkled with sesame seeds, in a broth of bok choy, red chillies, sugar snaps and cherry tomatoes. From a traditional Dzao recipe. He said it had a nice array of vegetables to it and felt like a pretty healthy option. He said the Sea Bream was cooked to perfection.

We couldn’t leave without trying dessert. The waitress recommended the Hot Chocolate Brownie and the Eton Mess so we decided to go with them. The Hot Chocolate Brownie was served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and some hot chocolate sauce. It was absolutely amazing. When it came out, I thought it was a bit small however you didn’t need any more as it was so rich and delicious. My only complaint is that as it was served on a plate it was hard to scrape every last morsel off, whereas in a bowl I may have been able to get every drop of sauce, but maybe that is just me being greedy. James had the Eton Mess Sundae. He struggled to finish it all as it was a decent sized portion and he thought it was a little bit sickly after a while. This didn’t bother me as it meant I could ‘help’ him finish it. It was very sweet. The meringues were crunchy and delicious, it could have done with a bit of ice cream to take away the sweet flavour of the cream and sauce but between us we polished it off.

Overall we had a really enjoyable meal at Giraffe World Kitchen. The staff were great, food was amazing and there was a lovely atmosphere. What would you have picked from the menu?

*I received this meal free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Norwich Does Vintage - Open Norwich Event

I’ve never been to a vintage fair before but it is something I have always wanted to go along to. I recently found out about an event called ‘Norwich Does Vintage’, which is taking place this Saturday at OPEN in Norwich. For only £2 entry the event is open from 11am - 4:30pm and you can come and go as you please throughout the day. I will be heading to the fair to experience my first ever Vintage Norwich event!

Norwich Does Vintage offers authentic vintage and there will be many stalls available ranging from fashion to homewares. There will also be live music from Sarah Probert, a vintage tearoom with Artisan Pastry Chef, free vintage workshops including a super free vintage style cupcake decorating workshop with Sugar Buttons and a funky nail bar by Dotty Designs.

The event is hosted by Britain Does Vintage which puts on similar events around the country. Business owners Alex and Tom are really looking forward to building the Norwich fair up to be the go to event for people to come along to from far and wide. I am certainly looking forward to attending. Some of Norfolk’s finest traders will be showcased at the event and there is bound to be something for all customers. If you’re into vintage then it will definitely be worth popping in, with such a low entry fee you have nothing to lose!

For more information, check out the Norwich Does Vintage Facebook page,  or head over to the website. I can’t wait to tell you all about my experience.

Thank you to All You Need Is Love Photography for providing the photos used in this post.

Will I see you there?

Harriets Cafe Tearooms Norwich - Review

For my birthday this year I very kindly received some afternoon tea vouchers for Harriet’s Café Tearooms which is on London Street in Norwich. As a massive lover of Afternoon tea I couldn’t wait to try somewhere new. The vouchers I received were for Traditional Afternoon tea which is perfect for a nice treat.

We arrived at 12oclock for a lunchtime treat and I couldn’t wait to be seated. It wasn’t very busy when we arrived and were seated almost instantly. My voucher was presented in the style of a ration book and was the perfect gift to open on my birthday. Included in the Traditional Afternoon tea was a lovely pot of Harriet’s special or Tearoom blend fresh leaf tea. There was free refills on this so we had a couple of pots of tea throughout our afternoon tea session.

The bottom tier of our plate was topped with egg mayonnaise and ham sandwich quarters. These sandwiches were really nice but I just wish there was more of them, I am not sure if you can request more or not. There was also a little pot of salad garnish which was fresh and you could then use and eat as you wished.

The middle tier contained two scones with the choice of  cheese, plain or fruit. We both opted for fruit and these were served with clotted cream and jam in individual little pots. The scones were nice, not outstanding but a scone is a scone. The jam and clotted cream tasted lovely however my friend said one of her scones was a little dry and tasted a bit off.

The top tier of the cake stand contained an assortment of mini sponge cakes including fruit cake, carrot cake, coffee cake, chocolate and lemon drizzle. Unfortunately we noticed that one of our pieces of cake had mould growing on the side! When we called a member of staff over to query it and tell them there was mould she replied with “I don’t think so” but then took the top plate away. The plate then returned and I’m convinced they just sliced the mouldy end off instead of replacing it but it was hard to say. The icing still looked a bit ‘fluffy’ and I’ll be honest it did put me off slightly. The fruit cake was dry but the other cakes tasted alright. We came out feeling  full which is the main thing.

Overall I had an alright experience at Harriets but I am not going to rush back, the whole mouldy cake experience did put me off slightly. The staff did apologise at the end and said they had thrown that particular batch of cakes away but it should have been spotted before it was served to us. It was a shame really. Harriets have kindly offered to reiumburse me for the meal. The people sat next to us had some delicious hot food so I would consider going back and having something else so I will happily do another review.

 
Have you ever been for afternoon tea in Norwich?

Halfords Ultimate Camping Guide*

Summer is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate by going on holiday. Holidays can be expensive but there is a cheaper way to get away for a few days and that’s by going camping. If you’ve never been camping before then have no fear, Halfords have brought out a really handy camping guide which you can download for free and contains plenty of information, advice on local attractions, cycle routes and hints and tips you’ll need for the perfect camping trip this summer. I’ll also be bringing you some great tips in this post too so read on for more information.

I received the Halfords Camping Guide in paper form and I cannot recommend it enough. I used it for my recent camping trip and it helped me out no end and ensured I was completely prepared for my trip.

The guide has pages on tourism hotspots from Scotland to Yorkshire and I decided to check out the Norfolk section as that’s the most local to me. You don’t have to go far to have a good time, the whole camping experience in itself is fantastic regardless of where you are in the country or even the world, sometimes it’s just great to get out of the house! Some of the tourism hotspots of Norfolk include Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, Sandringham Estate and The Broads. Having been to all three of those places I can definitely recommend them for a great day out.  If you’re looking for a good cycle route in Norfolk then Marriot’s Way is a great place to go. The 15 mile stretch is completely traffic free and surrounded by trees and is a lovely atmosphere. Take a picnic with you and stop at one of the many benches on route.

The guide also contains great ways to entertain the little ones and beginners camping tips. Some of the tips I picked up in the guide that sat well with me from experience were:

Check the forecast – I have had many a soggy camping trip because I simply didn’t check the weather. Most campsites will allow you to pitch up without advance booking but check before you go. This way you can make a last minute decision. Checking the weather on a pre-booked trip allows you to pack accordingly and bring your waterproofs if there’s a chance of rain!

Practice pitching your tent – There is nothing worse than arriving at the campsite and not having a clue how to pitch your tent. I once went on a camping trip and it was so windy and we had no idea how the tent went up. Teamed with the strong gusts and trying to figure out what poles went where was an absolute nightmare. If only we had practiced at home beforehand it would have made the whole process a lot smoother.

Prep your food beforehand – It’s a good idea to prep as much food as you can before you go to save you time and effort. Chop any veggies you need and store in re-sealable bags. Pre-cook some pasta or rice. These can be added to campfire meals to bulk them out and feed hungry campers!

Bring plenty of warm clothing – Even if the temperature is set to be nice and hot during the day it can soon drop during the night. Bring lots of blankets and warm clothing for the evening. It is better to have too many layers to take off than not enough!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these top tips but please check out Halfords Camping Guide for further advice - it’s free after all! If you’re feeling inspired to go camping after reading this post, then check out all the information you need and view the extensive range of tents available at Halfords here.

*In collaboration with Halfords

Cote Brasserie Norwich Review

When me and James visited York last year we wanted to visit restaurants that we didn’t have in Norwich to make it a unique experience. One of the restaurants we went to was Côte Brasserie and it wasn’t until we looked it up online afterwards that we realised we do actually have one in Norwich too! We had a really nice meal there despite our table being delayed and decided we would treat ourselves to a meal at the Norwich branch seeing as it is so convenient to visit. If you’re visiting Norwich or coming from afar then it is worth noting that Côte Norwich is on Exchange Street. We parked at St Andrews Car Park which was just a couple of minutes’ walk away at the most and only costs £1.80 after 6:30pm right through until the early hours.

I booked our table at this beautifully decorated French restaurant online which was really convenient and it meant I could easily change our booking to a later time when James found out he had work. We arrived about 10 minutes before our allocated time and were seated. The atmosphere was quite noisy, I don’t know if that was because it was a Saturday but I felt as though other tables were shouting at each other instead of talking and generally being loud. There were a lot of groups so this could have been why.

It was quite difficult to find a starter that James would like as a lot of them seem to contain some form of garlic which he hates! We don’t like to appear fussy and I am sure there was the option of having it taken off but we wanted to simply pick something without having to make amendments. Last time I visited Côte I had the French Onion Soup which was delicious. I wanted to try something new this time and went for the Chicken Liver Parfait which was pate with toasted brioche and apple chutney. It was delicious, and just the right amount. James settled on Calamari in the end which was sautéed in garlic and he ate it! I was so impressed. He said that it didn’t taste very garlicky and he enjoyed it.

For our main course we wanted to try something different to what we had last time. I went for the Cassoulet De Toulouse which is duck, Toulouse sausage and smoked pork belly stew with tarbais beans and toasted garlic and parsley croutons. This is something I would never have at home so tasted very luxurious and like a lovely indulgent treat. It was cooked to perfection and served nice and hot. It was very filling and something I would love to try and recreate at home. James had the Fish Parmentier which is essentially Fish Pie and he was impressed with it. The portion sizes were just right.

I couldn’t leave without having dessert and I went for the same dessert that I had when I visited the York branch and that was the Praline Crepe. It tastes like heaven on a plate. Essentially it is just a crepe but the praline filling tastes exactly like melted seashell chocolate and served with the crème Chantilly and caramelised bananas this indulgent treat is everything I crave on a plate. The plus side is because it has banana in it, it’s basically healthy –right? James had Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla ice cream which melted in the middle. I think if I were to return I would go for that for a change!

Overall our meal came to about £60 and that included a couple of drinks. A 12.5% service charge is automatically added to your bill, however this is optional and you can ask to have it taken off if you don’t think that’s fair. We had a great service so we left the bill as it was. I will definitely return to Cote when I want a nice treat. Have you ever been?

Lunch and Free Cake at John Lewis - Norwich

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend James and I popped for lunch at John Lewis... Twice! I have some free hot drink and cake vouchers so each time we shared a cake and then bought something savoury to go with it.

The first time we went, I had a tuna mayo and sweetcorn sub, it was delicious and really packed with filling.

We shared a slice of chocolate cake, which was very rich but really tasty. 

James had a prawn mayo sub which he said was really nice and filling.

The second time we visited we had two cake vouchers to use! So that meant one each. I went for the Carrot Cake and James had a cheese scone. I have another 2 vouchers to use for free cake so I can't wait to try something different next time.

What flavour cake would you go for?

The Gluten Free Cafe - Norwich

A couple of weeks ago me and Kim from Romanovs Views met up for lunch. As Kim is a coeliac (read more about this here) she suggested we meet up at the new Gluten Free Cafe that has recently opened on Timberhill in Norwich.

(Photo taken by Kim - Romanovs Views)

The Gluten Free Cafe is run by Louisa Kiddell and Tony Garrick, who used to run The Gluten Free Shop at Hellesdon Barns. Downstairs is a small cafe area and upstairs you have a shop. The cafe only opened a few weeks ago and was quite busy when we went inside.

The menu is displayed on the back wall and there is plenty to choose from. You can have soup, filled rolls or even quiche. Everything is gluten free and there are also plenty of vegan options too. There is also plenty of delicious looking cakes if you fancy something sweet afterwards. After we had queued at the counter and paid for our items we sat at our table. Our food was brought over to us shortly afterwards. The staff were friendly and attentive. Kim wanted a different spoon for her soup and they happily swapped it over for her.

 I opted for a ham salad roll which came with some vegetable crisps. The roll was filled to the brim and very tasty and cost just £4. You can see how colourful and vibrant the salad was that came with it. Kim went for leek and potato soup which was also £4 and served with a gluten free roll and dairy free butter. I also had a green tea which cost £2 and came in a little teapot which was nice.

After our food we had a look around the shop. There wasn't LOADS in there as they are fairly new but there were plenty of gluten free and vegan treats and they will be expanding the range once they are up and running. They have moved from their hellesdon barns location recently and will have lots in store to choose from! I enjoyed my food and the atmosphere of The Gluten Free Cafe. I think once they have been open a bit longer and running a bit smoother then this will be a really nice place to come for lunch and no doubt me and Kim will be returning!

Zaks - Norwich Waterside Review

Before I start this post, I have to apologise about the photo quality. I took these on my phone, I'm not quite brave enough to take my DSLR into a restaurant, but maybe some day. something is better than nothing though right?

I recently went to Zaks with my Dad, Step Mum, Step Brother and my Boyfriend for my birthday meal. I love Zaks, they do the BEST burgers and it's somewhere I absolutely love going. We visited the Zaks at Waterside. fun fact: It used to be a mortuary!

The interior is decorated in an American diner style, and the menu options reflect this. The menu portions are also reminiscent of American portions. In short, they are massive.

I've never had a starter at Zaks, so I thought I would chose something relatively small as I wanted dessert as well. Needless to say, I left the restaurant absolutely stuffed. I chose onion rings for starters which came with a little pot of mayo. This was delicious, the batter was really crispy and the onion rings were piping hot.

For main course I really fancied fries, but didn't want a big burger so I decided to go for traditional spiced vegetable fajitas. they came with 6 small wraps and a range of condiments and cheese. The guacamole was delicious.

Like I said, the portions don't come small. I ordered fries on the side which I don't think I needed but they were delicious.

I really didn't need dessert but decided to go for an ice cream sundae. This one had vanilla ice cream and chunks of honeycomb and chocolate and chocolate sauce. Delicious.

My boyfriend had the ice cream cake which was sorbet and ice cream. Refreshing!

Have you been to Zaks?