Rockfish, Exeter fish restaurant review

 

There's nothing more dispiriting than a service station lunch. From a rogues' gallery of fridge cold Cornish pasties, price-inflated burgers, and lackluster noodle boxes, it's hard to say what the least appealing is (of course it's the pasty).

So, whenever we go on a long journey, I often try and find somewhere a bit more exciting to eat. 

On a recent trip back from Cornwall for Verdant's Little Summer Beer Bash, we made a short detour to Exeter to stop for lunch at Rockfish.

 

With nine branches in coastal locations across the south of the UK, Mitch Tonks’ Rockfish chain is one of the first names to crop up when discussing the country’s most highly regarded fish restaurants.

And their ethos of buying the best British seafood and cooking it simply is most certainly an admirable one too.

Set on Exeter’s quayside, the restaurant is located in a glass-surrounded building with boat-like wood-panelled banquettes. The shipping forecast playing in the loo also very much emphasises the nautical theme.

With vast paper menus acting as place settings, there’s a small selection of mainstays such as rockfish fillets, roast turbot and charred Brixham calamari as well as changeable daily specials which appear depending on what’s available. On our visit this included gurnard, lemon sole, lobster and whole mackerel. The menu also highlights which dishes are caught locally and which are MSC certified.

As I was nursing a *slight* hangover, I lasered in on the deep fried stuff.

A crispy can of Bru Lo’s Coba Maya (£4.25) was an excellent example of an alcohol free lager.

Slices of fairly pedestrian sourdough (£4.95), which lacked a crisp crust, were accompanied by a genius anchovy mayonnaise. With a big salty, savoury and ever so fishy hit of anchovy, it’s a condiment which I’d happily slather on anything.

Strips of salt and pepper calamari (£9.95) were pleasingly tender and well-flavoured with its headline seasoning as well as slices of spring onion and red chilli. But, I’d have liked a more assertive crunch from the slightly anaemic looking batter.

There were no such pitfalls with the main courses, which were universally delicious.

A generously proportioned regular portion of haddock and chips (£16.95) was golden and crisp with a juicy and flaky interior. Crisp chips and herby and zingy tartare sauce hit the mark too.

A pot of curried mushy peas (£2.95) was an excellent idea. The thick sweet peas and fruity and spicy curry sauce were delicious mixed together and it saved me having to order them both separately.

Dense, meaty and oily gurnard fillets (£19.95) had lovely golden edges and crisped skin. Not seen on restaurant menus very often, it’s certainly a fish that I’d like to eat a lot more regularly.

A side of salty and buttery samphire (£3.95) was a lovely accompaniment.

So too was a pot of thick, sweet, nutty and piquant romesco sauce (£2.95).

A green salad (£3.50) was well-dressed and vibrant - it’s all you can hope for from such a simple dish.

We had an delicious lunch at Rockfish. Despite having nearly ten restaurants, it’s a restaurant group which still clearly very much has its eye on quality. With Cardiff still lacking a dedicated fish restaurant, it’s exactly the type of place you could see doing well here.

The Details:

Address - Rockfish, 9 Piazza Terracina, Haven Rd, Exeter EX2 8GT

Web - https://therockfish.co.uk/pages/exeter-seafood-restaurant

Telephone - 01392 491664

Ceylon Spicy Pot, Adamsdown, Cardiff Sri Lankan restaurant review

If you’re a fan of Curry Hut, the delicious and bargainous Cathays-based Sri Lankan restaurant, then you'll be interested to know about Ceylon Spicy Pot.

This recently opened Sri Lankan restaurant is owned by the same couple who first ran Family Choice, the takeaway which was hidden at the back of a convenience store, before the business was returned to the owner and transformed into Curry Hut.

Now, they’ve struck out on their own and taken over the former site of The Broadway Cafe, just off Clifton Street in Adamsdown.

Other than changing the sign on the front door, it doesn’t look like there’s been much sign of refurbishment. But, there’s a definite charm to the lack of slick interior design flourishes, which look so good on the ’Gram.

With a menu featuring string hoppers, biryani, kottu, fries, curries and a Saturday special of lamprais, there’s a lot of tasty sounding stuff on offer. And the absence of Devil paneer meant I was forced to order something different for once.

Whilst Ceylon Spicy Pot is applying for an alcohol licence, it’s currently bring your own booze. As we lacked that nugget of information before our visit, we instead enjoyed a pair of delicious mango lassies (£2.50) with plenty of fragrant tropical fruit.

Despite there only being ourselves in the restaurant and a small takeaway order to deal with, we had a bit of a wait for food. I can imagine if the place was any fuller then things could get interesting.

Piping hot crisp mutton rolls (£1.99) were filled with tender curried meat and potato with a big blast of chilli. Somewhat ironically, a bowl of sweet chilli sauce served to temper the spice.

Runny yolked egg hoppers (£1.50) had a hyper-crisp lacy edge and were seasoned with a good twist of black pepper. It was a little bowl of katta sambol that really brought the dish alive - combining red chilli, plenty of citrus, and the salty savouriness of dried fish flakes, it was a deliciously complex condiment.

King fish fry (£6) combined seriously crisp crusted pieces of meaty fish, topped with golden fried onions and little green chillies, which I dared not to eat. Whilst the fish pieces were a little bit dry in places, there was still something very compelling about the dish.

Aubergine curry (£5) was the star of the meal. Long-cooked pieces of soft and tender aubergine and sweet tomatoes that had been added at the last minute were bathed in a copper coloured gravy with layers of warming spice and good thrum of chilli.

Egg kottu (£4.50) was a lovely example of one of my essential orders. Combining soft paratha shreds, scrambled egg, carrot shavings, soft sweet onions, it was a corking bowl of comfort food. Whilst the recipe eschewed curry leaves, it made up for it with its bold spicing.

It was also accompanied by a dinky pot of ferociously spicy mutton gravy which was lovely poured over it.

We really enjoyed Ceylon Spicy Pot - they serve great value Sri Lankan food that's cooked with a lot of love and I’m certainly looking forward to exploring more of their menu. 

The details:

Address - Ceylon Spicy Pot, 10 Broadway, Cardiff CF24 1NF
Web - https://www.just-eat.co.uk/restaurants-ceylon-spicy-pot-cardiff
Telephone - 07455 192175

Heaneys, Pontcanna, Sunday roast review

Some dishes are more suited to different seasons than others.

It's hard to beat chicken souvlaki and Greek salad in the sunshine or a hearty bowl of chorizo and butterbean stew and some crusty bread on a crisp autumn day.

However, if Pillars on Cardiff's Queen Street deems steak and kidney pie and lasagne to be "lighter options", then I'm fully backing my unorthodox decision to visit Heaneys in Pontcanna for a Sunday roast in the middle of a heatwave.

I’d heard great things about their roast dinners for ages and their well-priced Sunday set menu offers three courses for £35 with dishes including BBQ Welsh lamb, salt baked pork belly and whole Cornish place a la Meuniere.

Their newly revamped terrace area is a lovely spot to enjoy a meal and a few glasses of wine in the shade too.

Excellent house sourdough had a dark caramelised crust that was teetering on the right side of charred. With a compelling chew and light crumb, it was served with their unmistakeable whipped marmite butter that packs a big umami punch.

Buttery golden lamb sweetbreads was a robust dish masquerading as a light summery plate. Peeping out from a light and savoury manchego foam were briny cockles, tender coco beans, al dente pieces of fennel and onion, and a sticky meat sauce.

A summery gazpacho was perfect for the heat. Packing a vibrant hit of fresh vegetables, it was zhushed up by the addition of creamy goats curd and the texture of spiralised courgette.

There are few people around who can cook a piece of fish as well as Tommy Heaney and a crisp-skinned and flaky fillet of cod was the perfect exemplar. Accompanied by a vivid green seaweed butter, beurre blanc and crisp gram flour balls that were a clever riff on scraps / scrumps / scranners (delete as regionally appropriate), it was a corker of a dish.

A rose pink slab of dry aged beef had a lovely meaty intensity and a layer of flavoursome fat running around its edge. Slow-cooked shreds of oxtail were packed into a dinky croquette and a behemoth of a Yorkshire pudding was crisp whilst retaining a soft interior.

A selection of side dishes, which covered the entirety of our table, were all on point.

Airy and buttery whipped potato was served with a tender braised carrot with a compelling sugary sweetness.

Duck fat roast potatoes were shatteringly crisp with a fluffy interior.

Buttered cabbage was punctuated by salty shards of crispy bacon.

Thick cauliflower cheese was equal parts brassica and rich burnished cheese.

An extra jug of thick meaty gravy meant that no part of the dish was spared and a pot of creamed horseradish delivered a throat tickling punch.

 

For dessert, a light and crisp choux bun was stuffed to the edges with a silky and rich dark chocolate cremeux. Topped with whipped cream and a blob of cherry puree and served with a scoop of airy ice cream with a whiff of kirsch, it was a cracking pud but I reckon it could have taken a bigger hit of cherry and booze to make it even more Blackforest gateaux-like.

Baked yoghurt had the silky texture of a posset combined with the tanginess of a cheesecake. Accompanied by crunchy honeycomb, macerated peaches, and a thick raspberry sorbet, it was very good indeed.

As if we needed any more to eat, pieces of soft fudge with the savoury twang of miso accompanied the bill.

Technically accomplished yet generous at the same time, this was one of the most memorable meals we’ve had at Heaneys. And at £35 for 3 courses, it's great value for the quality too. It's fair to say that Heaneys Sunday roast more than lived up to expectations; it's easily one of the best in Cardiff.

The Details:

Address - Heaneys, 6-10 Romilly Cres, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9NR

Web - https://www.heaneyscardiff.co.uk/

Telephone - 029 2034 1264

A few great places to eat an drink in Malaga, 2022

Malaga is one my happy places.

Located on the Andalucian coast in the south of Spain, it’s got everything I look for in a holiday destination. There’s amazing food, cracking wine and beer, sunny weather, wild flamingos, regular flights from Bristol, stunning architecture and well-priced city centre hotels with swimming pools.

We last visited Malaga around eight years ago and ate well but this time we were armed with some great recommendations from Paul Bobo, Bar 44's Owen Morgan and Edible Reading, meaning our food and booze experience moved up a few notches.

Over seven days we worked are way around a bunch of restaurants and bars; although it took a lot of restraint to not keep on going back to our favourite places time and time again. Here's where I recommend, ordered loosely by how much we enjoyed them.

Meson Iberico

Calle San Lorenzo, 27, 29001 Málaga

Situated on a side street a little bit away from the crowds, this traditional restaurant and tapas bar still seems to be permanently busy with locals and tourists. On one visit we perched at a windowsill and on another occasion we sat at a dinky table next to the kitchen.

We worked our way through a good range of their dishes with highlights including a lovely riff on an ensalada rusa, a mayonnaise-y potato salad flecked with pieces of plump sweet prawn. By the end of the holiday there was a risk that we were going to turn into an ensalada rusa.

Oxtail croquetas were loaded with intensely beefy bechamel.

Whole fried boquerones were crisp, grease free and gorgeously fresh.

A plate of crisp-edged sauteed mushrooms with a big oomph of garlic were an example of beautifully executed simplicity.

Ruby red slices of jamon iberico de ballota melted in the mouth and had a lovely intensity of flavour.

Stupidly tender lamb skewers were bathed in an a moreish Moorish marinade.

La Cosmopolita

Calle José Denis Belgrano, 3, 29015 Málaga

This restaurant just screams class – Dani Carnero’s high end Spanish cooking combines traditional flavour combinations with modern technique yet manages to steer clear of any gimmicky bells and whistles. In addition, their service is immense and we enjoyed excellent Marquis de Riscal white wines by the glass served from the magnum.

A toasted sandwich combined the lightest of crystal bread stuffed with vibrant red fatty tuna belly, fresh salad and a gently warming spiced mayonnaise.

Crab omelette saw this humble dish elevated to the greatest heights - oozy top quality eggs were topped with a whopping amount of earthy brown crab meat flecked with soft sweet onions.

Iberian pork tenderloin was one of the best bits of pig I've ever eaten. Crimson of flesh, crisp of crust and exceptionally tender, it was accompanied by a deeply savoury sauce made with miso and oyster sauce and dotted with earthy shiitake mushrooms.

For dessert, the brilliantly named tocino de cielo (aka sky bacon) more than lived up to its billing. This silky caramelised confection was truly heavenly and an accompanying dollop of zesty lime cream was the perfect companion.

Taberna Uvedoble

Calle Alcazabilla, 1, 29015 Málaga

Despite looking like a characterless chain café, this tapas bar serves some of the most interesting and flavour-packed cooking we enjoyed on our trip.

Squid ink vermicelli had a lovely fish stock intensity and was flecked with baby squid and accompanied by potent allioli. It was a cracking meal in itself.

Bronze-crusted buttery sweetbreads were bathed in a glossy meat sauce and served with a roasted pumpkin puree fragranced with honey and anise.

 A ludicrously indulgent éclair was stuffed with shreds of pork and topped with meaty mayonnaise.

A belter of a meatball fell apart into shreds of yielding oxtail and was accompanied by bonus chips to mop up all those meat juices.

La Cosmo

Calle Císter, 11, 29015 Málaga

The younger sibling of La Cosmopolita, La Cosma has a more modern vibe but is still grounded in big flavoured Andalucian cooking without any gimmicks. We enjoyed a cracking lunch sat at the bar looking into the open kitchen.

A riff on a gilda, the iconic pintxo inspired by actress Rita Hayworth, added sweet roast tomatoes and fatty tuna belly into the mix alongside a warming guindilla pepper and salty anchovy.

An ensalada was probably the best of the entire trip; zhushed up through the use of soft mashed potato and meaty flakes of hake, it was an excellent riff on a classic.

Steak-like slices of blushing red tuna belly were draped over crisp fries, piquant fried peppers and a citrusy and piquant green pepper emulsion.

An excellent sirloin of steak was cooked beautifully and coated in crisp golden crumbs. I'm not sure it was an improvement on a simply grilled steak but it was damn fine.

A slab of chocolate mousse tart, inspired by Paris' 3 Michelin star L'Ambrosie, was commendably light textured with notes of dark fruits and a thin pastry case.

But a light and creamy corn flan was uniquely delicious – each mouthful reminded me of both popcorn and corn tortillas whilst a corn crumb added extra crunch.

El Cortijo de Pepe

Plaza de la Merced, 2, 29012 Málaga

The logo of a man chasing a pig at this old skool tapas bar feels rather fitting. Sat in the bar we enjoyed excellent chorizo cooked over charcoal as well as tender skewers of pinchitos morunos with a lovely warmth of cumin.

El Carpintero

Calle Beatas, 32, 29008 Málaga

With pictures of Jesus covering the walls, you certainly feel like you’re being watched whilst you enjoy the food and booze at this excellent and great value traditional back street tapas bar.

We worked our way through hulking pieces of chorizo, light textured salt cod fritters, excellent earthy mushroom croquetas and citrus-twanged pork belly shavings.

 

Casa Mira

Calle Marqués de Larios, 5, 29015 Málaga, Spain

There are massive queues in the evening at this first glass ice cream parlour but it seems to be a lot quieter in the daytime. Take a ticket from the dispenser and wait for your number to be called.

We particularly enjoyed a boozy Malaga flavour made with the province’s sweet dessert wine and dotted with soft raisins.

La Guacamole

Calle Cárcer, 1, 29008 Málaga

The margaritas served at this Mexican bar are worth the visit alone - served with a chilli salt rim and poured at the table into a glassful crushed ice, they're just the ticket on a balmy night.

A trio of tacos were pretty good too - standouts were a puebla, combining chicken in a deep-spiced mole sauce, and al pastor with marinated pork and balancing pineapple.

Casa Aranda

Calle Herrería del Rey, 2, 29005 Málaga

If you’re looking for churros then this traditional café is the place to head. Served piping hot from the fryer with a mug of thick hot chocolate, they’re a real treat. But for me they’re a one off treat rather than and everyday breakfast.

We also regularly visited the nearby Café Framil for breakfast where we enjoyed cracking value jamon and tomato and tortilla sandwiches washed down with iced coffees.

Central Beers

Calle Cárcer, 6, 29008 Málaga

This craft beer bar really captures an American vibe but there are plenty of great Spanish craft beers on tap from breweries like Basqueland and Peninsula.

Their burgers kick ass too. An American combined a sturdy soft-crumbed bun with a seriously juicy and well-flavoured pink patty, crispy bacon, oozy cheese and barbecue sauce.

Birras Deluxe is another craft beer bar worth checking out. There we enjoyed beers from Basqueland and Arpus.

Chiringuito El Cachalote

Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 29016, Málaga

Dotted along the seafront of the city, chiringuitos specialise in fish cooked over charcoal and are lovely spot to dine al fresco. We visited El Cachalote as it was one of the closest to our hotel.

A massive salad of tomatoes alinado was judiciously seasoned with garlic.

It was all that was needed to go alongside a generous skewer of blistered sardines that were simply seasoned with lemon and salt.

Los Patios de Beatas

Calle Beatas, 43, 29006 Málaga, Spain

We enjoyed some excellent wines by the glass at this wine-focused bar and restaurant, including a particularly memorable stone fruit-packed La Ola del Melillero made with a blend of Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel.

Modern tapas was mostly very tasty. Meaty pulpo a la brasa was accompanied by smooth mashed potato and a pokey paprika spiked mayonnaise.

"Lasagne" saw a crisp deep fried pastry shell sandwiching a deeply savoury tuna stew and a drizzle of buttermilk like dressing.

Marisqueria Cerveceria La Peregrina

Calle Villanueva de Tapia, 2, 29004 Málaga

We had a meal of two halves at this bright and modern fish restaurant. A plate of fine and crisp tortillitas de camarones were studded with baby shrimp whilst sizzling hot gambas pil pil were seasoned with buckets of chilli and garlic.

Perhaps we caught the deep fat frier before it was fully up to temperature but both calamari and octopus pieces were overcooked and disappointingly rubbery.

La Tranca

Calle Carretería, 92, 29008 Málaga

This dive bar oozes charm with its retro record sleeve-adorned walls and singalong playlist. Excellent empanadas were stuffed with a pokey concoction of four cheeses and fiery gildas were constructed from pickled peppers, anchovy and olives.

We weren’t so successful on the booze front. A copa of vermut blanco turned out to be Cinzano (next time I’ll ensure I order what they’re serving from the barrel) whilst a glass of white wine was just about drinkable.

Vertical

Calle Juan de Padilla, 13, 29008 Málaga

Spanish natural wines are the focus at this contemporary bar and we enjoyed some delicious varieties by the glass including an apple-packed La Vie y Sone viognier from Barranco Oscuro, Andalucia's oldest Natural wine maker. But, service was painfully slow.

Sobrasada, honey and cheese on toast was delicious even though it reminded me a bit of a Pizza Express Sloppy Giuseppe.