Crown Kitchen, Roath, Cardiff Chinese restaurant review

I’m a sucker for a superlative.

In fact, one of my mates takes the piss of out of my tendency to regularly declare something to be the “best” I’ve eaten in Cardiff. The best pizza. The best kebab. The best burger. The best ham in aspic. The best turducken.

What can I say, I’m in the hype game. And people don’t want to read about the seventh best birria tacos in Caerphilly or the fourth best pulled pork bun in Cardiff.

So, when an Instagram connection who knows a lot more about Chinese food than me declared Crown Kitchen on City Road to be the best Chinese restaurant in Cardiff, I promptly dug out my elasticated eating trousers and booked a table.

Crown Kitchen has only been open for four months and is owned by a wife and husband team who hail from Shanghai and south China respectively. One half runs front of house with fabulous warmth and enthusiasm whilst the other, who previously worked as a private chef at the Four Seasons hotel in London for over twenty years, runs the kitchen.

The bright and simple dining room was quiet when we first arrived at 7pm on a Saturday evening. But, it swiftly filled up with a massive group who spread themselves over three tables and tucked into a procession of excellent looking dishes.

As often seems to be the case, Crown Kitchen serves two different menus. One offers westernised Chinese cooking for diners looking for sweet and sour pork and chicken chow mein, the other features traditional Chinese food that draws influences from across the country.

Handily, all the dishes are photographed. So, if you’re as clueless as I am then it gives you a very good idea of what to expect.

I’ve eaten a lot of potatoes in my lifetime but none like the shredded potatoes in chilli sauce (£10.80) from Crown Kitchen. Finely shredded, slippery spuds with a lovely bite and no starchiness whatsoever were served as a warm salad lightly dressed with vinegar, oil, coriander and a potent kick of dried chilli. For such a simple dish, it delivered a huge amount of flavour.

Salt and chilli squid is one of my favourite Chinese restaurant dishes and here it took the form of crunchy tentacles (£16). The pile of tender Cthulhu-esque tendrils were coated in a super crisp and light batter that was aggressively seasoned with salt, chilli and garlic. It was seriously moreish stuff and perfect with an ice-cold beer.

Beef ho fun in black bean sauce (£13) was another belter of a dish. A mound of beautifully tender beef was bathed in deeply savoury black bean sauce and piled on top of thick ho fun noodles with a compellingly savoury wok smokiness.

A lightly dressed cucumber salad that was dotted with roasted peanuts brought some freshness and lightness to the meal. However, at £10.80, it was perhaps the only dish which was questionable value for money.

Crown Kitchen’s dry fried organic cauliflower with pork (£12) transformed an all too often dour vegetable into something exciting. Florets of cauliflower had just the right amount of bite and were stir fried with nuggets of tender pork belly, peppers and onion in a savoury and spicy sauce.

Sichuan spicy boiled fish (£22) lived up to its billing. A vast cauldron of intensely flavoured, spicy, lip-tingling broth was the home to plentiful meaty pieces of white fish and a heap of beansprouts. Autumn is my soup era and this hit the spot.  

A big slab of roasted lamb ribs (£22) was one of the dishes I was most looking forward to. And they very much delivered on their promise, with their combination of crisp skin, stupidly tender flesh and a liberal dusting of just the twenty different types of spice (I bet chilli and cumin were a big part of the mix). Unfortunately, the pretty platter they were served on was stone cold, meaning that within a few minutes they were tepid and had lost their mojo. I refried some of the leftovers the next day and can confirm they were just as good as the first mouthful.

The last dish of the night was Hainanese chicken curry (£18). With its plentiful chicken off the bone in a creamy and fragrant coconut sauce, it was very reminiscent of a Thai curry. Whilst it was very tasty, it was probably the only dish which I wouldn’t be in a rush to order again.

We had a superb meal at Crown Kitchen. With its immensely friendly front of house and deliciously big-flavoured cooking from a talented chef-owner, they serve some of the best Chinese food I’ve eaten in Cardiff. Oh look, there I go dishing out another superlative.

The Details:

Address - Crown Kitchen,120 City Rd, Cardiff CF24 3DQ 
Telephone - 07551 037509

West Pizza, Canton, Cardiff review 2024

Mrs G is rarely in the mood for pizza. So, whenever she is, it’s action stations and I immediately dig out my emergency pizza slice and secret stash of garlic and herb crust dip.

It was one of those occasions the other week and I remembered that we hadn’t yet visited West at their permanent home in Canton, which opened in March last year.

Owned by Jez Phillips and Ieuan Harry, the same team behind the excellent Ffwnres Pizza in Cardiff Market, West specialises in New York style pizza. West was previously based at Kongs in Cardiff city centre and we had a few excellent meals during their time there.

Their permanent home has the feel of a modern American diner but arguably lacks the same warmth and comfort. It’s the kind of place to eat and go rather than settle in for an evening.

In addition to serving pizza by the slice and by the pie, West now serves coffee and freshly baked goods, including brownies and Basque cheesecake.

Despite having a permanent home and bigger bills to pay, West’s prices are still excellent value. A slice will set you back between £3 and £4 whilst a whole 18-inch pizza weighs in between £15 and £22.

Having previously enjoyed excellent slices of their Meri-Ann margherita and Ray pepperoni pizzas, this time around I was laser focused on ordering a whole pizza to share.

It’s great to see a strong Welsh presence in West’s booze selection, with cider from Gwynt y Ddraig and beers from Crafty Devil and Bragdy Twt Lol. I knocked back a super easy drinking can of Mikey Rayer (£5.25), whilst Mrs G enjoyed a can of fiery ginger beer (£2.50) from Heartease Farm.

As much as I love Neapolitan style pizza, West’s New York style pizza is an excellent contrast to one of the city’s most common varieties. With its thin and crisp base and airy crust, it’s a slice which is easy to pick up and inhale very quickly.

With the option of ordering West's whole pizzas as a half and half of two different types, I chose their Delme (£20) whilst Mrs G opted for their Squatternut Bosh (£22) weekly special. Our pizza came to £21 so I assume that they just take the average of the two flavours you order.

It can’t be emphasised enough just how big West’s whole pizzas are. Served on a giant silver platter, it’s the kind of grand serving dish that would also be an appropriate home for a whole suckling pig with an apple stuck in its gob.

The Delme saw a light tomato sauce and caramelised melted mozzarella topped with coarse fennel twanged sausage, oregano and slivers of garlic with the balancing acidity and heat of pickled peppers.

Meanwhile, the Squatternut Bosh utilised sweet and earthy butternut squash puree instead of tomato sauce. It paired very well with the savoury funk of perl las, the crunch of roasted butternut squash seeds, and the fiery kick of sobrasada.

They were both excellent pizzas and their crusts didn’t go to waste as they were delicious dipped in a pot of garlicky and fragrantly green herby mayonnaise (£1.50).

With baked goods being West’s other speciality, it would have been rude not to order one for pud. A crisp and chewy cookie (£2) was just the rice balance of sweetness, the bitterness of dark chocolate and saltiness.

I’m really glad we finally paid a visit to West in their new Canton home and as far as I’m concerned, they serve one of the best pizzas in Cardiff. If they were any closer to where we lived, then I’m sure I’d be popping in for a slice on a weekly basis.

As a bonus, we had a couple of leftover slices to take home and enjoy cold the next day. Like a nana, I even brought my own foil to wrap them up in…

The Details:

Address - West Pizza, 60 Glynne St, Canton, Cardiff CF11 9NS

Web - https://www.west.pizza/

Biryani Kings, Roath, Cardiff restaurant review

Burger King. Don of Doner. Meatball Monarch. Chicken Chairperson.

It’s common for hospitality businesses to anoint themselves the ruler of a foodstuff.

Whilst you could say that a name like Tortilla Titan smacks of bravado. You could also argue that if you’re not trying to be the best at a particular cuisine, you may as well not bother.

Even I quite fancy opening a Belgian-style chip shop called Fry King just so I can use the strapline “So Fry King good” (I’ll get my coat).

All this preamble brings me to City Road’s newly opened Biryani Kings, who opened just a week ago and are the self-crowned rulers of this hugely popular South Asian rice dish.

With a very basic yet bright and modern décor, Biryani Kings is the kind of place for a quick bite to eat rather than a romantic date night. Ordering happens at the counter whilst other diners noisily chat to family and friends on their video phones.

Biryani Kings specialise in Hyderabadi style biryani (according to my old friend Wikipedia it’s the most famous style around) and offer seven different types of the stuff. Three are billed as being cooked “dum” style, where all the ingredients are combined together and slow-cooked over a low heat.

But, there’s a lot more to Biryani Kings’ menu than just rice. Also on offer are tandoori grilled meats and a selection of curries, many of which are on display in a counter by the till.

It's also worth mentioning that Biryani Kings doesn't yet have their Scores on the Doors as they've only just opened... I'll be very interested to see what they get. 

On my first visit, I ordered the lamb dum biryani (£6.99) and it arrived just a few minutes after I sat down.

 

A generously heaped bowl was laden with fluffy, buttery, and fragrant rice that was layered with a pretty decent amount of tender and well-flavoured lamb on the bone coated in a big-flavoured spice paste with cardamom and a decent whack of chilli.

At £6.99 it was a delicious, hearty and cracking value lunch. But, I spent an extra £4 on upgrading to a combo meal, which also bought me a portion of chicken 65 and a soft drink (a lassi wasn’t part of the deal). With hindsight I’m not sure if it was the best deal.

A rather dinky plastic dish of chicken 65 saw tender morsels of boneless meat coated in a sticky, spicy and sweet sauce. However, other versions of this dish I’ve eaten have been deep-fried and crisp, and this wasn’t the case here. Also, it wasn’t piping hot.

On a second visit, I avoided the combo meal and had a better deal. A big bowlful of chicken dum biryani was spooned from a vast metal cauldron and even tastier than the lamb version. 

Every grain of fluffy and buttery rice was beautifully perfumed and there was a decent thrum of chilli too. Nestled in its depths was a drumstick and thigh, which both nudged off the bone with ease as a result of their long and slow cook. At £3.99 it was a bargain.

On the side, a pot of tangy yoghurt sauce dotted with carrot and coriander provided some balance to the biryani’s richness.

I also gave a curry a whirl and whilst it was good, it didn’t hit the same level as the biryani. Palak paneer (£4.99) combined cottage cheese cubes and a thick spinach sauce with earthy notes of cinnamon and cardamom and a medium chilli kick.

An exemplary naan was pillowy and crisp in all the right places and once again cracking value for a quid.

As I was leaving, a friendly member of staff asked me if I’d enjoyed my meal. I said I had, and he asked me if I’d put a review on Google. I said I would, so here it is.

Biryani Kings’ delicious bargain biryani is definitely worth checking out. Do they hold the crown for the best biryani in Cardiff? I'm not sure, but it’s certainly the best value that I’ve come across.

The Details:

Address - Biryani Kings, 130 City Rd, Cardiff CF24 3DR
Web - https://biriyanikings.co.uk/
Telephone - 029 2297 0695

Small Canteen, Sandyford, Newcastle restaurant review

As a Geordie I’m probably slightly biased, but Newcastle is a bloody cool city.

It’s not just its beautiful setting on the banks of the Tyne, the stunning Georgian architecture, the 50,000 seater stadium located in the heart of the city, and the thriving cultural scene. It’s the food and drink scene that I’m primarily talking about. And I don't just mean the number of branches of Greggs.

Newcastle is a city where it’s possible to stumble between pub after pub serving excellent craft beer. It’s something that I always find strangely lacking in Cardiff, except for a few notable exceptions (and probably explained by the dominance of Brains pubs).

And it’s a city where there's always a huge list of restaurants that I want to visit, from street food to something swanky.

This time around it was the turn of Small Canteen, in the Sandyford area of the city, which we made our way to after a mini pub crawl that culminated in a half of Northern Helles at the excellent Donzoko Brewery.

Small Canteen is a restaurant that more than lives up to its name.

With just fourteen covers and the feel of a tiny café where chef-owner Sam Betts quietly cooks singlehandedly behind the counter, it’s undoubtedly one of the smallest restaurants that I’ve visited in the UK.

Understandably, Small Canteen’s menu is compact too – there are just three starters, mains and desserts. But, they all sound like compelling eating and the prices are impressively small as well - starters are £8, mains £18 and desserts around £8.

Whilst the dining room and prices might be small, the generosity of hospitality is huge.

There was excellent service all evening from the sole member of front of house. And when we arrived, our table was already set with baskets of crusty bread and kaleidoscopic dips - a punchy garlic allioli, sweet peppery romesco, and a vibrant salsa verde.

No sooner had we polished them off than we were brought a complimentary plate of golden salt cod croquettes, loaded with flakes of fish and light mash. They were delicious dunked in herb flecked mayo.

All the while, we got going on carafes of gluggable house wine, a fragrant viognier and berry packed Provencal red, which cost a mere £10.50 per half litre.

To start, a trio of mushroom arancini (£8), continued the deep-fried golden ball theme. Well-fragranced with fungi and light in texture with a molten mozzarella core, their richness was balanced by a good dollop of herb yoghurt.

 

Potted sweet white crab (£8) was capped with a slab of butter. Its accompaniments, a trio of super short cheesy biscuits and cleansing dill cucumber slices, made the dish really sing.

Onto mains, and a hunk of gorgeously crisp confit duck (£18) was joined by iron rich Swiss chard, sweet and sharp berries, roast shallot, and a fruity berry jus. It was a lovely bit of hearty cooking. 

So too was a fennel and gruyere gratin (£18), the soft anise-twanged vegetable a lovely pairing for a thick, cheesy sauce. Whilst it was already a hefty portion, an excellent potato and pine nut salad added even more ballast.

Lighter but equally comforting was a slow-braise of gorgeously tender octopus (£18) dotted with soft spuds and sweet slow-cooked onions.

The generosity didn’t let up with dessert.

A slab of soft and sticky honey and polenta cake (£8) was topped with fragrant pear and served with an excellent scoop of crunchy nut flecked pistachio ice cream.

Cheese and fruit cake is an epic combination and a salty and funky brick of Colston Bassett stilton (£10) paired with a light, spiced fruit loaf was no exception. On the side, a shot of Courvoisier was included in the £10 price – I'm sure my palate isn’t refined enough but it always just tastes like fire water to me.

We had an excellent meal at Small Canteen and I’m all in favour of the killer combination of small dining spaces, menus and prices combined with big hospitality and flavours. Small Canteen adds further weight to my argument that Newcastle is a damn cool place. If you haven't yet visited then I can't recommend it highly enough. 

The Details:

Address - 17 Starbeck Ave, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1RH

Web - https://www.instagram.com/smallcanteen/

Telephone - 07816 524826