Heaney's, Pontcanna, Cardiff restaurant review 2024

It only feels like yesterday since we last visited Heaney’s for dinner during our post-pandemic reunion tour of Cardiff’s best restaurants in 2021.

Sure, we’ve been for a fabulous Sunday roast since, but it was high time we checked out their tasting menu to see what the kitchen is capable of when it’s at full throttle.

I’m pleased to say that the cooking at Heaney’s is better than ever and its certainly at the level of many Michelin-starred restaurants we’ve been to.

Their technically precise food was pitch perfect across the board with a strong emphasis on fish, smoky barbecue notes and Asian ingredients.

Whilst there’s a very good value set lunch on offer at Heaney’s (seven courses for £35), we went for the full-blown 8 course tasting menu (10 courses for £80).

On the day we visited it was the Ellis Barrie guest chef night later on, so we were slightly apprehensive that the kitchen would be more focused on prepping for dinner service than lunch. We really shouldn’t have worried at all.

Snacks set the tempo. As neither Mrs G or I eat raw oysters, we requested a cooked alternative (£4 supplement) on the fly, and it was an absolute corker. Panko crumbed with a dollop of comforting katsu curry sauce and crispy seaweed, it had all the comfort of the Waga’s classic with an extra level of refinement. Apparently, they’re a mainstay of the menu at Uisce so we’ll be heading there for a plateful sharpish.

An aged comté cheese and onion tart saw the most delicate of pastry cases filled with sweet-caramelised onions, a light cheese foam and flurry of aged comté cheese.

Dainty mushroom macarons were sandwiched with decadent chicken liver parfait and the sweet sharpness sanbaizu jelly.

Heaney’s sourdough with Marmite butter needed no introduction. The soft crumbed bread with its toasty caramelised crust and the creamy umami rich dairy are pretty much a dream combination.

Our first proper dish was my pick of the meal. If Tommy ever opens a sushi bar then I’ll be first in the queue. Sushi rice topped with cubes of oily chalk stream trout sashimi was elevated by soy, citrusy yuzu, crunchy puffed rice and a clever dash of coil oil, which imbued the whole dish with a barbecued smokiness.

Another delicate tart was filled with barbecued green and white asparagus. Accompanied by creamy smoked ricotta, a vivid wild garlic sauce and crispy chicken crumb, it was another cracking combination of flavours and textures.

Lightly cooked scallop slices, twanged with meaty beef fat in which they were cooked, were sat on blobs of intense smoked cod roe that were contrasted by tangy rhubarb and a light yet flavour-packed scallop and ginger dashi.

Another standout of the meal was a fillet of Cornish bass with the crispest of skin, accompanied by Jersey Royals and sweet-savoury teriyaki shitake mushrooms. What really made the dish sing was an iberico pork velouté – I mean what’s not to love about a porky and creamy sauce.

BBQ Welsh lamb was the only meat dish of the meal but what a dish it was – a big hunk of blushing pink smoky loin was joined by a fat rich slab of crispy belly. Purple sprouting broccoli, compressed pear, a sweet and sharp pear and wine vinegar puree, and the glossiest of sauces all complemented the meat beautifully.

A riff on rhubarb and custard was a belter of a palate cleanser. To be fair, you can put rhubarb on pretty much any dish and I’ll be very happy indeed. I think there was a light yoghurty custard, tart cubes of poached rhubarb, a fruity Sauternes ice cream, and a fragrant blood orange granita.

For dessert, a bar of silky dark chocolate delice had a good level of bitterness. Sweet banana puree with the savoury twang of miso, earthy Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with crisp artichoke skin crisps, coffee cream, and a crunchy biscuit disc all provided pops of contrast and complexity.

Post meal treats were an ice cream filled riff on a Ferrero Rocher and a thick salted caramel filled chocolate.

We had a brilliant meal at Heaney’s and it’s somewhere I’d always be happy to recommend without hesitation. At the top end of the market, Cardiff has never had such strong options, but it’s great to see the team at Heaney’s constantly pushing on.

The Details:

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

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

Telephone - 029 2034 1264

Cosy Corner Lounge, Porthcawl restaurant review

Porthcawl’s Cosy Corner Lounge is an independent restaurant and bar that sounds like it should be part of the 250 strong Loungers chain, with its name an uncanny cross between the Cosy Club and Juno/Ocho/Fino Lounge (delete as appropriate). 

In fact, during our Saturday lunchtime visit to Cosy Corner, a couple of groups who were clearly expecting something more run of the mill like the above establishments, came in, sat down, looked at the menu, got up and left. 

It was very much a case of their loss as Cosy Corner is far better than any chain restaurant or bar that we’ve ever visited.

With its combination of wooden beams and industrial metal fittings, Cosy Corner has a warm and relaxed nautical vibe. In keeping with the maritime feel, their star attraction is the sea view, which we admired on a characteristically grey 2024 day in Wales. On a sunny day, I bet it would be lush to sit outside on their terrace and watch the world go by. 

Cosy Corner Lounge’s lunch and dinner menu consists of Asian influenced small plates, which are thankfully more like medium plates in portion size. Influences range from across China and Japan to Korea and Cambodia, with dishes including tempura soft shell crab with Japanese pepper sauce (£10), satay chicken curry with jasmine rice (£14.50), and Chinese lettuce wraps (£9.50). Traditionalists will be happy to see that the menu pivots towards roast dinners on Sundays.

An equal amount of thought has also clearly gone into Cosy Corner’s cocktail menu, which features creative concoctions like a Yuzu 75, Coconut & Szechuan Mai Tai, and Thai Spiced Pineapple Daiquiri.

As we were about to set off for a decent hike after lunch, neither of us wanted to get on the booze. However, both alcohol-free cocktails we tried were excellent. A Yuzu Shandy (£5) delivered on its promise of crisp alcohol-free lager twanged with a fragrant hit of citrus whilst an Elderflower Mule (£5) combined the warmth of ginger beer with fruity apple and fragrant elderflower.

With its seaside location, it’s great to see that fish cookery is a real strength at Cosy Corner.

We were advised to order the Portchawl caught seabass (£14.50), which had been brought ashore just over the road, and it was a fine recommendation. The thick fillet of fish was beautifully flaky yet hyper-crisp of skin and accompanied by a rich and silky chilli and tomato sauce and crisp and cleansing kimchi with the most delicate of funks.

A meaty octopus tentacle (£13) with a crisp, lightly charred exterior was coated in a well-spiced marinade. Chilli ponzu dipping sauce, served in a pot on the side, delivered a big savoury note of soy and fragrant citrus.

Cosy Corner’s meat dishes were very good too. A trio of boulder-like beef croquetas (£9.50) were stuffed with cubes of tender slow-cooked beef that were held together with a meaty gravy cum bechamel. They were dotted with blobs of gochujang alioli which added a lick of spice.

Mammoth nuggets of Korean crispy chicken (£11.50) were exceptionally juicy and coated in a light crisp batter which was drenched in a sweet, savoury, sour and spicy, and sesame-twanged gochujang-based sauce.

A bowl of golden triple-cooked chips (£4), which were all rugged gnarly edges and fluffy interiors, were accompanied by a flavour-packed alioli which had been spiked with Cosy Corner’s homemade Indonesian sambal. The chips also came in very handy for mopping up all the delicious sauces on our other dishes.

Rather stuffed by this point, we ordered a single dessert to share. A knickerbocker glory glass of the creamiest yuzu posset (£8.50) was cut with just the right amount of sharp citrus whilst a frisbee of crumbly and buttery shortbread was the ideal pairing.

If Cosy Corner was on our corner we'd certainly be regulars. We're both big fans of their huge-flavoured small plates, creative cocktails and friendly service, and it's definitely worth a trip down the coast to Porthcawl to check it out. 

The Details:

Address - Cosy Corner Lounge, 33 Esplanade, Porthcawl CF36 3YR

Web - http://cosycornerlounge.co.uk/

Telephone - 01656 503245

Hench Burger, Cardiff city centre review

Whilst its architectural appeal might be questionable, it’s great to see the rejuvenation of the area around Churchill Way, which now forms Cardiff’s Canal Quarter.

Wouldn’t it be lovely see food and drink businesses lining the waterside, packed with diners and drinkers enjoying some al fresco hospitality? That is if it ever stops raining.

One hospitality business leading the charge is Hench Burger and Café Hench.

Hench Burger first briefly popped up at the Royal Oak on Newport Road in 2023 and made a name for themselves with their deliciously crusty and caramelised smash burgers. Sadly, the pop-up was short-lived and Hench have since done stints at Canton’s Corporation Yard and Kongs in the city centre.

At the beginning of March 2024, they opened their first bricks and mortar venue on the former site of The Sandwich Bar on Churchill Way. It’s a functional venue with just a few seats inside, but their outside bench seating will be a dream when the sun finally appears for more than ten minutes.

Hench’s menu, which is served at lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, focuses on smash burgers, buttermilk chicken burgers and loaded fries. Whilst we ordered some of their more straightforward flavour combinations, if you’re looking for something a bit different then their Kiwi burger comes topped with charred pineapple, beetroot and tomato chutney, and the Beirut Badboy is loaded with hummus and crispy chickpeas. For non-meat eaters, Hench offers vegan Symplicity patties with any of their burgers.

Hench also serves a café menu which is available at lunch times. But during our visit I didn't spot it as only their burger menus were prominently displayed on the wall. 

A New Yorker (£10.50) was a big messy beast of a burger. A sturdy yet light Alex Gooch challah bun cradled a pair of well-crusted, nicely beefy and seriously juicy 4oz smashed patties. Warming American mustard mayo, thick salty bacon, a gargantuan ooze of American cheese, lettuce, sweet soft onions, and dill pickles completed the excellent burger.

A Straight Up (£9) was a more no-nonsense affair, and both Mrs G and I decided it was the pick of the two. Another pair of those gnarly edged smashed beef patties and melted American cheese were supplemented with a big dollop of Bovril mayonnaise, which added a good beefy and umami intensity. On the side, sweet and sharp red cabbage slaw and crisp iceberg added light relief to both the rich burgers.

 

Katsu curry loaded fries (£8) saw exceedingly crisp skin on fries topped with comfortingly spiced curry mayonnaise, crispy onions, sprunions, and melted cheese. Nuggets of tender battered chicken perched on top were very enjoyable, but I’d probably prefer a more rugged crumb instead of batter. Most impressively, the chips remained crisp for the duration of our meal rather than gradually becoming a soggy mush.

We had a delicious lunch at Hench and their burgers and loaded fries are some of the best Cardiff has to offer. I hope they become part of the furniture in the city’s rejuvenated Canal Quarter.

Whilst you’re visiting the area, I’d highly recommend pairing it with a visit to the Flute and Tankard, which is just a few minutes’ walk away on Windsor Place. They serve an excellent range of craft beer, which includes brews from Arbor, The Kernel, and North, in a pleasingly unhipsterish setting. However, it’s worth bearing in behind they open at 3pm daily, as we found out when we were planning a post lunch pint.

The Details:

Hench Burger

Address - 7 Churchill Way, Cardiff CF10 2HD

Web - https://henchburger.co.uk/

Telephone - 
 

Flute and Tankard

Address - 4 Windsor Place, Cardiff CF10 3BX

Web - https://thefluteandtankard.com/

Telephone - 029 2039 8315

Erst, Manchester restaurant review

On our increasingly regular trips to see my family up north, we’ve grown accustomed to breaking up the journey with a pitstop in Manchester.

There’s no question that it’s one of my favourite cities in the UK with its peerless craft beer scene, top notch restaurants, and effortlessly cool vibe.

This time, there was one restaurant which was erst on my list of places to visit. (Sorry, not sorry).

Located in Ancoats, Erst serves natural wine and seasonal small plates.

If that sounds like your idea of hell, then you may as well stop reading now.

Whilst it might be an increasingly well-worn hipster cliché, if handled well, then I don’t see what’s not to love about interesting wines by the glass and clever small dishes that allow you to try more of a menu.

With its vast windows and moody lighting, sitting at Erst’s bar on a dreary night with a drink in hand is the height of cosiness.

I started with a can of Track Sonoma (£6), an easy drinking pale ale with buckets of hops. Mrs G went more off piste with an excellent glass of sparkling red Lambrusco Salamino (£8) with plenty of fresh red berries. We then moved onto a corker of a skin-contact Georgian orange wine (£11.50), a smashable gamay / pinot noir blend (£6.50), and to accompany dessert, a beautifully layered and sweet Riesling Auslese (£8.50).

Whilst the wine was great, the cooking was even better. There’s clearly bags of technique which goes into Erst’s understated dishes.

A soft and pillowy flatbread (£6) was topped with umami rich beef fat which melted into the bread alongside finely diced white onion and the warmth of urfa chilli. The bread, beef and onion combo was highly reminiscent of a hamburger and I’m fully on board with elevated dishes which taste like refined junk food.

A beetroot dish (£12) is one of Erst's menu mainstays and I can see why. Fudgy, earthy and sweet long-cooked beetroot sat in a pool of creamy ajo blanco that was punctuated with vibrant green chilli. A well-judged note of acidity, which arrived with every mouthful, ensured the dish was perfectly balanced.

Deeply savoury, charred and caramelised onion petals (£12) were sat on a bed of creamy stracciatella cheese. It’s basically the same as the innards of a burrata without any of the Instagrammability of having to slice it open. The crunch of breadcrumbs and a drizzle of good quality oil completed the excellent dish.

A seasonal special of white asparagus (£18) was the only bum note of the meal. Two tips were pleasingly tender but the pair of bottoms were disappointingly woody and stringy, so much so that one remained uneaten and the other stuck between my teeth for the rest of the meal. 

Whilst the main component was a big disappointment, a creamy mussel sauce had excellent shellfish intensity and plump pickled mussels provided clarity. But at £18 for two asparagus stalks, I can't help but think it still would have represented poor value, even if it was flawless.

Things got back on track in a big way with a gloriously meaty and tender piece of skate (£21), which nudged away from its cartilage with ease and was drenched in a glossy and rich lemony butter sauce that was seasoned with the savouriness of scallop roe. Tender pink fir potatoes and saline monks beard all enhanced the lovely piece of fish.

Finally, a lamb belly skewer (£15) looked low key but turned out to be the most decadent dish of the night. The compellingly crisp-fatted, smoky and tender meat was intense on its own, but accompanied by soft and sweet mashed dates, it was a juggernaut of flavour intensity. Raw onion and flat leaf parsley played a vital role in balancing its richness.

For dessert, I lasered in on the Monbazar booze-soaked prunes. Their accompaniment was lush too, a mirrorlike panna cotta (£7) which eschewed vanilla in favour of pure creaminess.

I can see why people rave about Erst so much. With its huge flavoured small plates, cosy atmosphere and excellent wine, it’s a cracker of a restaurant.

The Details:

Address - Erst, 9 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6HS

Web - https://www.erst-mcr.co.uk/

Telephone - 0161 547 3683

Barrafina Adelaide Street, London Spanish restaurant review

With five branches located across central London, Barrafina is one of the capital’s most highly regarded Spanish restaurant groups. Until this year, their original branch in Soho’s Dean Street held a Michelin star.

Barrafina has been on our London to do list for yonks, but with Spanish restaurants of the calibre of Bar 44, Asador 44 and Curado Bar in Cardiff, there's never been a great sense of urgency.

However, our appetites finally got the better of us when we walked past the Adelaide Street branch in Covent Garden on a Saturday lunchtime. We’d eaten brunch a good few hours earlier and had plenty of time to kill before dinner at Kolae. So, we thought it would be rude if we didn’t stop off for a few plates.

With a sweeping marble counter surrounded by striking red leather stools, Barrafina has a classy yet laid back setting. Their menu is divided into snacks, tortillas, seafood, meat and vegetables, whilst a compact blackboard features the day’s specials, which on our visit included bream, brill and mackerel.

We glugged glasses ice cold Estrella Galicia (£6) and Llopart Cava (£10) whilst watching the action in the open kitchen.

Pan con tomate (£7.80) was one of the best versions of the dish we've ever had. Toasted bread was topped with a thick layer of the most vibrant tomato pulp and the grassiest of olive oils.

Mushroom croquetas (£8.50) were beautifully golden and filled with thick bechamel which absolutely honked of fungi. Garlic twanged golden alioli added even more decadence.

Excellent padron peppers (£9.80) were well-blistered, soft-textured, delicately sweet and scattered with a fistful of salt.

A top-drawer mini tortilla (£13.80) with layers of soft spud had a perfect golden ooze. It was elevated further by pieces of smoky txistorra and more of the excellent alioli.

A special of sardines (£18) had good crisp skin, but their flesh had disappointingly become a little mushy. The star of the dish was a sweet and fiery mojo rojo, which I mopped up with my fingers. However, serving such a saucy dish on a wooden plank was rather impractical #WeWantPlates.

We had a delicious if a little spicy priced lunch at Barrafina. I'm just grateful for the calibre and value of the Spanish restaurants we have in Cardiff.

The Details:

Address - Barrafina, 10 Adelaide St, London WC2N 4DH

Web - https://www.barrafina.co.uk/