TGI Friday's New Lunch Menu*

Earlier this week I was invited to TGI Fridays to try out their new lunch menu which consists of a number of dishes for just £7.99 available Mon-Fri until 5pm (excluding bank holidays). We arrived at lunch time at TGI Fridays in Norwich which is located within the Riverside Retail Park. We were promptly seated and given a chance to ponder over the new menu which had all sorts of delicious items on and I struggled to choose what I wanted! From hotdogs to pasta to subs, there really is something for everyone including vegetarian options.

I was very kindly provided with some food vouchers so could try a range of items from the menu and I brought James along with me to help out. The first meal we went for was the Pulled Pork Sandwich. This consisted of BBQ smothered pulled pork with apple slaw in a toasted glazed brioche bun topped with pickled red onion. I had this served with crispy fries and garlic mayo. The pulled pork was delicious and there was plenty of it to fill the brioche bun. I could have upgraded my fries for an extra cost but I decided to stick with crispy fries and they were lovely.

We then decided to try the Duck Salad. This was crispy duck coated in Jack Daniel’s glazed piled on a bed of green leaves, cucumber, raspberries, crispy croutons and onions. This was served with a raspberry and chilli dressing on the side which was really tangy and delicious. I thought it would be a strange combination to include the raspberries with the duck but it worked really well. The duck was cooked perfectly and had a lovely crispy outer skin and was absolutely delicious with the Jack Daniel’s glaze. It simply melted in the mouth. This dish would be perfect for someone wanting a slightly lighter meal but with maximum flavour. Who said a salad has to be boring?

Lastly we ordered the Texas Chilli Bowl. This spicy beef chilli was served with rice, corn chips and cheese topped with sour crème, red chillies, jalapeños and coriander. This was pretty spicy but the cheese and sour crème really helped to cool each bite down. The spicy beef was cooked well and the corn chips were fresh and crispy.

The food was served hot and it was absolutely delicious. We didn’t have to wait long at all for the food despite it being a busy lunch time in the school holidays. Our server, Toby was very welcoming and made sure my unlimited refill drink was topped up throughout the meal. James said that he thought the portions could have been slightly larger but I think for lunch they are just the right size. You can still order from the main menu if you want something slightly larger but for me the lunch time menu really hit the spot (and you can always order an extra one to share like we did!).

I was really impressed with the TGI’s lunch menu. Thank you to Toby and the rest of the team who made the experience a good one! Will you be checking out your local TGI’s for lunch soon?

*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.

Just Lobsters Norwich - Review*

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to Just Lobsters in Norwich for a complementary meal via their twitter account. I brought James along with me as a paying customer. The restaurant is on Tombland in Norwich and is clearly visible by its bright red Samson and Hercules statues either side of the door. They even use Lobster font for the boards outside! The building previously used to be a nightclub that my parents remember as ‘Ritzy’s’ amongst other things and was built around 1656. Beneath the site there is said to be 5000 victims of the plague buried. Just Lobsters is the newest business to take hold of this building and I couldn’t wait to try it out.

We arrived at 7pm and were promptly seated by a friendly member of staff. We were offered the choice of 2 tables which was nice so we picked the bigger one so we could fit more food on the table! I wouldn’t say the restaurant was jam packed but there was a steady flow of people coming and going from the tables. The restaurant has been designed and decorated with great care and attention to detail There are lots of ‘lobster red’ colours and lobster themed artwork hanging around the room. Our drink orders were taken. I went for a frozen lemonade which was served in a mason jar style glass and James went for cranberry juice. Shortly after the waitress took our food order.

Having never had lobster before I was excited to try it. The menu is packed with tasty options ranging from just plain lobster to lobster rolls, steak and burgers. There is something for everyone, even those who aren’t too keen on the thought of lobster! Just before our main course were served the waitress asked if we wanted to wear a lobster bib. I love this little touch! I was happy to protect my clothing from any mess regardless of how silly I looked and besides, everyone else in the restaurant was wearing one.

The food arrived very quickly which was good as we were both hungry and could smell the delicious food cooking in the kitchen behind us. James went for the Surf and Turf – Just Lobster Style. This consisted of half a lobster and a juicy 8oz sirloin steak served with fries, salad and coleslaw. I must say it looked delicious and very filling. This is priced at £25 which I think is very reasonable. He said it was really nice and cooked to perfection.

I went for a dish called Lobsters & Crab Au Gratin. This was half a lobster stuffed with creamy crab claw meat and baked with breadcrumbs. This was served with chips and a corn on the cob. It was really delicious. Creamy is a good way to describe the filling and it all came served lovely and hot. The chips came in a silver bucket and were piping hot. Everything was really delicious. My only quibble was that as a complete newbie to the lobster thing I had no idea how to crack the claws or what you could or couldn’t eat. James just made it up as he went along and ate everything he could scrape out. I gave him my claw in the end too!

As we were paying the bill I briefly chatted to some of the chefs who were all very friendly and asked if we enjoyed the food. There was also a man walking around in a suit who I assume was the manager and he was chatting to some of the diners on the other tables. He told us that there is also a new bar section to the restaurant in another room serving cocktails. I had a quick peek in there and it seemed to be quite popular and somewhere I would like to visit again.

As previously mentioned, I was invited by the Just Lobsters Twitter account which isn’t actually run by the restaurant but a management company. This caused some confusion when it came to get the bill and an awkward moment of not wanting to tell them I was offered a free meal. I hate awkward situations like this and the manager had no idea I was coming. Despite all of this, it was all sorted in the end and as James was paying for his meal they even gave him a discount which I thought was nice. I think the fact they thought we were paying customers and not just there to review the food showed them in a truer light which was good. I didn’t receive special treatment to sway my review as they had no idea I was there for that reason.

Overall I had a really nice meal and James and I will definitely be going back. There are so many options on the menu that I want to try. What do you think of lobster?

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

Nandos Relaunch - Norwich #NandosRehatch*

Who doesn’t love a cheeky Nandos?! When I was invited to the new relaunched and revamped Nandos recently for a meal I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into some tasty chicken! Nandos invited some of the Norwich Bloggers along for lunch and I was joined by the lovely Charley - I've just discovered her YouTube channel and I love it! The Nandos on Red Lion Street, Norwich has recently undergone a revamp and I could instantly see the difference. It even smelled new!

I ordered the 4 chicken drumsticks which came with 2 sides. I went for chips and coleslaw as I was in the mood for something naughty after being really good lately. It was delicious and served hot. The coleslaw was really creamy which is just how I like it and the chicken hit the spot. I also got myself a drink. Nando's do bottomless soft drinks and even have a new touch screen drinks machine which I enjoyed playing around with.

We were served quickly and efficiently by a smiley member of staff. I love that everyone in here is so happy and it just makes the atmosphere feel really good. We were asked by multiple members of staff if everything was ok or if we needed anything else and they were very attentive.

We were kindly given a tour of the new restaurant by a lovely friendly lady called Claire who was very knowledgeable about the refurbishments and talked us through all of the changes. She even explained that all of the different light-bulbs had different names which I thought was interesting. The decor looks really modern and unique, it's not like anything I've seen before. They've really done a great job of opening it up and it just feels brighter overall. There's even a living wall of plants! 

Overall,  I really enjoyed my meal at Nandos and I really like the new look. The atmosphere is amazing, service great and food is awesome. Will you be visiting soon?

*This meal was free of charge in exchange for a blog review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

The Town House Norwich – Crown Carveries*

I love eating at new places and trying new food so when I was invited to The Town House in Norwich for a meal I couldn’t wait to sample the new Winter menu. The Town House is on Yarmouth Road in Norwich overlooking the River Yare. I was interested to find out it was the final resting place for one of the Kray's! It’s a lovely family pub famous for its amazing carveries, how could I resist?

The Town House recently launched a new menu with some amazing winter warmers and new additions such as Shepherd’s Pie, Gammon and Eggs and Chicken Balti Pie. The menu also offers more traditional dishes like Fish and Chips, Sausages and Mash and plenty of vegetarian options. This place really is much more than a carvery and there really is something for everyone. I arrived convinced I was going to have a carvery as the Traditional Carvery is available from £4.39 on a Saturday but the other delicious menu options really threw a spanner in the works!

When we arrived we were greeted by Phil who kindly took us over to our table and let us look at the menu. I decided to have a bottle of wine which came in an ice bucket which I was impressed by. 

As we were sampling the menu we decided to go all out and have 3 courses. For starters we ordered a selection to share as it was such good value! We ordered the Hunters Gammon and Cheese Melts for £2.59. This consisted of a  garlic bread baguette slices topped with gammon strips, BBQ sauce and melted cheddar. They tasted delicious, the BBQ sauce came on the side so I could add as much or as little as I liked. We also went for the Southern Fried Chicken for £3.19 which was delicious. The skin on the chicken was crisp, they were cooked to perfection. Our third choice was the Nachos for one which was £2.89. The tortilla chips were layered up with cheese, salsa, sour cream and jalapeños. We noted that the cheese was layered throughout the nachos which we were really impressed by. Often you go to a restaurant and the nachos only have cheese on top so after the first layer it’s all gone but The Town House Nachos really hit the spot! The starters were served hot and came quickly after we ordered them. The waiter who brought them out to us couldn’t have done enough for us, he was very kind and helpful.

For the main course I had to go for a carvery to see what it was all about. The traditional carvery is £4.39 on a Saturday and I decided to go large for an extra £1.50. Going large meant I got a giant Yorkshire pudding and a sausage added to my meal. My plate was stacked with carvery meat. I had the choice of Gammon, Turkey, Beef or a mixture of all 3. I went for Turkey and then piled my plate with all the veg, potatoes and gravy I could have wanted. I was absolutely stuffed by the end of the meal. It was all served hot and I noticed the food was regularly being rotated at the carvery station. All main courses come with unlimited accompaniments. We could help ourselves to as much chips, vegetables, mushy peas, baked beans and sauces as we liked.

James had Gammon and Eggs which was £5.09 and couldn’t believe how much Gammon he got. The waiter told us to let him know when we were ready for our mains and they would make sure there were fresh eggs ready which was great service. Although you can’t see the eggs on the plate, James said they were cooked to perfection with the perfect runny yolk. He filled his plate with chips, beans and for some reason cauliflower cheese. That’s the best thing, if you want to add vegetables you can! You can really make the meal your own and if you want a healthier option you can skip the chips and just add vegetables.

By dessert we were pretty stuffed but couldn’t leave without sampling the sweets available! The selection was great, the menu boasts both hot and cold desserts and there’s something for all tastes. James decided to go for the Mega Chocolate and Cookie Dough Tower which cost £3.29. He had a layer of chocolate brownie, cookie dough and caramel topped with chocolate sauce and cream. It looked absolutely amazing and he only just managed to eat it all. I had the Rocky Road Sundae which cost just £3.49. The sundae was layered with ice cream, chocolate brownies, shortbread and chocolate sauce with cream and a Cadbury’s flake. The serving was plentiful and well balanced with the ice cream and the added extras. I’ve been to other restaurants and had similar desserts for £6+, I couldn’t believe how nice this was considering the great price.

Overall, the meal was really lovely and I can’t believe I have never been here before. Some people use the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ but this really isn’t the case at The Town House. The food is excellent value for money and tastes great. I had absolutely no complaints. It is also good to know that the pub continues to support the Armed Forces and Emergency Services through participation with the Defence Services Discount Card and Blue Light Card offering 10% discount on food for serving personnel so I will definitely be returning in the future with my discount card. I would love to return for breakfast, an adult ‘unlimited breakfast’  served with bacon, British pork sausage, free-range eggs, hash browns, plum tomatoes, beans, toast and fried bread, together with porridge, cereals and toast available as lighter options for just £3.99!

We really enjoyed our meal at The Town House, Norwich. Thank you to all of the staff who contributed to a great night! Have you ever been here?

*I was provided with this meal free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

Cosmo Norwich - Restaurant Review

I recently had a chance to visit a new restaurant to Norwich called Cosmo which I believe is a chain restaurant. Having walked past multiple times and seen the massive queue,  I couldn’t wait to try it out. We had a voucher for 2 meals for £14 which was ideal and luckily we were able to book a table just before the vouchers ran out despite the restaurant being fully booked the week we wanted to go.
I went in with no expectations, I had dreams of Cosmo being like Golden Corrall in America. If you’ve been to a Corrall then you’ll know what I mean, cheap and cheerful with every dish you can think of and a damn tasty range of foods to suit all appetites.



I had by this point seen some pretty bad photos of how they store their fresh food in with the rotting leftovers, and their vegetables on top of corrosive products. This came from a reliable source but I didn't let it put me off. This sort of thing probably happens a lot more often than we like to let ourselves think and having a pretty hardened stomach to this sort of thing I put those thoughts aside.

We were booked in for 7pm. I was suitably hungry by this point. We walked in the front entrance and we were greeted with a luxurious lobby area with escalators to take you up to the restaurant. It was packed! There was nearly a 2 hour wait and people were actually waiting! We were slightly early and the girl behind the desk told us to 'go away' for a bit. She seemed a bit flustered with the amount of people around. We came back 10 minutes later and she told us she had crossed our name off the list. I could see my mum's blood starting to boil. We then realised she was looking at the wrong page, found our booking and had given our table away. Fuming was an understatement. Eventually we got seated after some staff upstairs shuffled some tables about but it was all a complete mess.

The staff seemed rushed off their feet. I'll put this down to teething problems and the fact it was so busy but no one really knew what they were doing.

The range of food was varied, but mostly Asian inspired but there was also a carvery and plenty of dishes for fussy eaters such as chicken nuggets and chips. You could also have different meats and fish cooked fresh for you. My boyfriend went and had some squid cooked which he said was lovely. I lost track of what I tried as I was in a food induced haze. I went up 4 times in total with no order to what I stacked on my plate. Some of my favourite foods were the chicken korma, the sweet and sour chicken and the chips which is pretty standard and you can't really go wrong.

We ordered bottomless drinks, they brought us over empty glasses and we just refilled them whenever we wanted at the drinks machines.

 
The dessert selection was small, but you didn’t need a lot by that point! The chocolate fountain was the highlight for me, I just wish there was more things to dip in it other than marshmallows. The food was all kept well stocked up, I didn’t see any empty trays.

We only had two vouchers between 6 of us and our waiter very kindly let us have a 3rd one so we got discount on everyone which made up for all the stress at the beginning of the evening.

Overall, nothing beats the Corrall, it's just not possible, but I enjoyed my food. I'd love to go back and try the lunch time menu. Have you been to a Cosmo?