Janet's, Pontypridd, Korean and Chinese restaurant review

“Joey doesn’t share food” is one of the abiding principles I’ve followed in life when dining out in a big group.

All too often I’ve been out with a load of mates and shared dinner only to end up with a single mouthful of the particular dish I wanted to order. Also, people often end up skirting around the food out of politeness so you don’t get to eat anywhere near as much as you’d like.

In contrast, by only sharing with Mrs G, we know exactly what’s ours and we can divide it up between the two of us with no fuss.

However, I’ve clearly been doing it wrong all this time. Because last week when we visited Janet’s Korean and Chinese restaurant as a group of eight, we ordered so much food and doubled up on so many dishes that there was absolutely no risk of me being left hungry.

It’s been almost five years since we’ve visited Janet’s and in that time, they’ve been named champions at the British Street Food Awards in 2021 and transformed from a market stall into a cosy restaurant located in Pontypridd town centre.

Having grown up in the Yanbian region of China that borders North Korea, chef and owner Janet Wei’s menu primarily draws influences from both countries. But, there’s also Vietnamese noodle salad, Malaysian laksa and other South East Asian dishes that feature too.

It’s good to see local Welsh influences on the booze selection and I knocked back a couple of very good bitter-sweet Dabinett ciders (£5.50) from Gwynt y Ddraig, who are located just down the road in Llantwit Fardre.

With the menu divided into dim sum, mains and sides, we ordered around 14 small plates and 10 larger dishes between the eight of us. Despite it sounding like a heck of a lot of food, we still managed to clear the lot.

Dishes were brought out in a staggered approach as and when they were ready, so there was nice pace to the meal and we were able to pile in on the dishes when they were at their freshest.

I was most impressed by the dim sum and I’d gladly devour any of them again.

A plate of pork and kimchi gyoza (£8.90) had compellingly crisp skins that were filled with a juicy mix of minced pork with a delicate spice and funk of kimchi.

A vibrant cucumber salad (£5.90) combined crunchy pieces of cleansing cucumber bathed in a savoury and spicy gochujang and garlic-based dressing that was flecked with coriander and crunchy peanuts.

Prawn and pork sui mai (£8.90) saw a quintet of delicate steamed dumplings stuffed with a tender and slightly sweet mix of minced prawn and pork. They were accompanied by a fiery hot chilli oil dip.

A crisp edged scallion pancake (£8.90) was topped with soft omelette and a hit of allium and funk of kimchi. It was a lovely bit of moreish comfort food.

Kimbap (£8.90) was a clean and light dish that well balanced the fried stuff. The super fresh Korean rice rolls were filled with crunchy raw and pickled vegetables and omelette and drizzled with the delicate chilli kick of a gochujang dipping sauce.

Finally, soft and airy homemade steamed buns (£9.90) were filled with hot shreds of sticky hoisin duck and the crunch of peanut and spring onion.

Whilst the mains were delicious, I don’t think they quite hit the highs of the smaller plates.

Cumin lamb (£16.90) was one of the standouts. A generous portion of tender lamb pieces were bathed in an addictively earthy cumin-laden spice blend. It had more of a saucy vibe going on than the dry stir fry at Zi’s Café and I thought it made a nice change.

Beef bibimbap (£16.90) combined a big pile of rice, stir fried beef, wafer thin batons of sauteed carrot, gochujang, and a runny-yolked fried egg. It all mixed together to create a lovely combination of flavours and textures. But the stone serving bowl lacked its advertised sizzle, so the dish didn’t have the crispy caramelisation which arises from the various components sticking to its edges.

 

Tender battered pieces of Korean honey chicken thigh (£14.90) were very tasty but were slightly over-sauced so that the meat lost some of its crispness and I thought the sweet and sticky sauce could have done with a bigger kick of chilli.

 

A volcano rice bowl (£16.90) combined a big pile of fried rice topped with sweet, marinated stir fried beef and cleansing kimchi sat in a thin cheese topped omelette. Much like the bibimbap, it was another comforting rice dish.

Finally, tender pieces of pork tenderloin (£14.90) were coated in a beautifully light batter and drizzled with a sticky sweet and sour sauce. It was very tasty but perhaps lacked the excitement of some of the other dishes.

We had a great evening at Janet’s sharing a massive spread of her comforting, spicy and fresh cooking. It’s a little bit different to anything in Cardiff and handily just a 30-minute hop away on the train.

Going forward, I’ve revised my approach to dinner out in a group to, “If in doubt, over order.” I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? I’ll just have a bunch of leftovers to take home and eat the next day. However, knowing my appetite, the chances of that happening are rather slim. 

The Details:

Address - Janet's, 3 Church Street, Pontypridd CF37 2TH

Web - https://www.janetspontypridd.com/

Telephone - 07825 463685 

The Flora, Cathays, Cardiff Sunday roast review

An unassuming student pub in the middle of Cathays isn’t perhaps the first place you’d expect to find one of the best roast dinners in Cardiff.

But, it’s a lot less surprising when you consider that the kitchen is run by the former head chef of Heaney’s, one of Cardiff’s most acclaimed restaurants.

Steve Bennett has been head chef at the Flora for over a year now and we were very impressed by his internationally influenced street food menu when we finally checked it out in February.

Arguably, it’s his Sunday roast at the Flora which has generated the biggest buzz and it’s highly advisable to book a table through DM on Instagram a good week or so in advance.

 

The Flora’s booze selection is a bit less exhilarating than the food on offer. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc was the kind of thing which Mrs G drank at The Square when she was 18 years old whilst Beavertown’s Neck Oil is as exciting as the beer selection gets.

The Sunday lunch menu offers a choice of two starters, four roast dinners, and one dessert. With starters and desserts costing around a fiver and the roasts around £18, it’s very good value. Even more so when you consider the quality of the produce which is used.

To start, plump and sweet, lightly battered tempura prawns (£6) were served alongside a fiery sriracha mayo that was balanced by the light zing of pickled cucumbers and onions. It was the ideal light plate before a hefty portion of meat and carbs.

There’s no hiding when it comes to the quality of heritage tomatoes (£6). These were beautifully ripe and flavoursome and served at the correct temperature rather than fridge cold. Accompanied by a creamy as you like dollop of burrata, a vivid green and peppery rocket pesto, and the crunch of seeds, it was a great combination of flavours.

Onto the main event where the was a choice of beef, lamb, a bit of both, or a nut roast. You can probably guess what I ordered…

Mrs G had the roast rump of ex dairy cow (£18) and it was unquestionably the star of the show. Sourced from the brilliant Meat Matters and cooked to a beautiful ruby red, it was an excellent bit of meat with an intensely beefy flavour and light chew. Mrs G thought the seasoning was a touch too high, but I thought it was fine.

The accompaniments on the plate were also spot on - a beautifully sweet and fudgy carrot with a lovely spicing, wafer thin slices of curried courgette, a dollop of silky and buttery mashed potato, and crisp and fluffy roasties (which could perhaps have been even more shatteringly crunchy).

The standout side was a crisp and soft Yorkshire pudding that was stuffed with shreds of tender and glossy brisket. Serve a couple of these alongside a jug of gravy and it would be an instant street food sensation.

I had the best of both (£20) and I don’t need to bang on any more about that beef. Pretty pink slices of lamb leg were very tasty and impressively tender but they were quite delicate in flavour compared to the beef and once again the seasoning was fairly high too. The lamb was complemented incredibly well by a super fragrant fresh mint puree and a naughty crisp fritter of much stronger flavoured shredded lamb shoulder.

Alongside the roasts were generous jugs of thick and meaty gravy. I hate it when all you get is a stingy single pour.

A sharing bowl of cauliflower cheese was both slightly too al dente and watery at the bottom. And the cheese sauce lacked a big honk of cheese and kick of mustard.

We ordered two porky extras, which were totally unnecessary. But, I’m never going to say no to extra meat.

A pair of XL pigs in blanket (£3) were clearly made with very good quality sausages and streaky bacon.

A cuboid of sage fragranced stuffing (£2.50) was the pick of the two. It was a lovely slab of sausage.

Absolutely stuffed, we ordered one dessert to share.

Dainty dollops of super thick and rich chocolate mousse (£5) and a soft and toasty chocolate brownie were balanced by fragrant and juicy charred pineapple pieces. A scattering of sea salt added extra complexity. It was a dessert which looked and tasted like the kind of thing you’d expect from a fine dining restaurant, yet it only cost a fiver.

We had an excellent Sunday lunch at the Flora with just a few minor quibbles. Despite its location in Cardiff’s student heartland, in terms of bang for your buck it's up there among the best in the city.

Address - The Flora, 136 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff CF24 4HY

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

Telephone - 029 2009 0525

Kegbelly, Whitchurch, Cardiff craft beer and street food review

As a fully-fledged fried chicken fiend and a card-carrying Carhartt-clothed craft beer nerd, Whitchurch's Kegbelly is a new Cardiff opening that I’ve been very excited about.

It seems like I'm not the only one. Because by all accounts, they’ve been rushed off their feet since they opened in the middle of August. On social media, there are regular photos of the venue being standing room only with people spilling out onto the street. And soon after opening they sold out of their own Yawn house pale ale, such was the demand for the stuff.

Kegbelly is co-owned by Mr Croquewich, local street food veterans, and Flowerhorn Brewery, an Ely-based set-up with psychedelic branding. I’ve had a number of their beers since they first opened in 2019 and they’ve got better and better every time I’ve tried them.

As Kegbelly is walk-ins only and I'm always keen to avoid the crowds, we visited on a weekday lunchtime. 

Kegbelly has a very good selection of beers on draft with hoppy beers, stouts and sours from Flowerhorn as well as a permanent guest lines from Caerphilly’s Dark Element (arguably Wales’ hottest new brewery) and house lager from Munich’s Hofbräu. In the unlikely event that there isn’t something to your taste on the 13 taps then there’s a fridge full of beers from the likes of Verdant, Vault City, and 3Fonteinen.

We started off with Flowerhorn’s super crushable Yawn pale ale (£5.70 a pint) and their thicker and danker Limbzilla NEIPA (£7.50 a pint) before moving onto an excellent pale ale from Dark Element (£6.30 a pint). 

Mr Croquewich is a local street food legend and over the years I’ve enjoyed many of their grilled cheese sandwiches and fried chicken burgers. So, it’s understandable that they're the focus of Kegbelly's menu as well as chicken wings and foot long hotdogs. It’s the ideal kind of food to soak up a few beers. 

A Crocker’s club (£15) was top drawer. A golden crumbed and juicy brined chicken thigh was dusted with savoury parmesan cheese and filthed up significantly with the addition of crispy prosciuitto, funky truffle mayo, sweet and spicy chilli jam, and some token iceberg lettuce. It was all stuffed into a sturdy yet soft crumbed Pettigrew bakery croissant scrap roll and on the side was a pile of very good crisp fries.

I’m a big fan of the Cubano sandwich and I think Mr Croquewich’s version (£12) might now be the definitive one in Cardiff. Gorgeously cheese crusted toasted sourdough cosseted a big ooooze of melted smoky jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses that were layered with shreds of pulled spiced mojo pork, slices of tender ham, and a sweet and warming honey mustard sauce. Pickles and sunblushed tomatoes went an inch towards balancing the richness of the excellent toasted sandwich.

We had excellent lunch at Kegbelly. Their combination of craft beer and indulgent street food is very much my vibe and it's clear to see why the people of Whitchurch are flocking through their doors.

The Details: 

Address - Kegbelly, 12 Park Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 7BQ

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

Dusty's, Llanishen, Cardiff pizza restaurant review

I didn’t expect a Cardiff pizza place to give me a lesson in urban geography. But, prior to picking up Mrs G after a visit to Dusty’s Pizza in Llanishen last year, I had no idea that the little row of shops which they call home even existed.

Tucked away in the middle of a housing estate on Llangranog Road, it’s the kind of location where you’d most certainly have a valid claim to use the well-worn cliché “hidden gem”.

Since the heyday of the Dusty’s empire when they had outlets in street food venues like Barry Goodsheds and Founders & Co. in Swansea alongside restaurants Kindle and Nook, there’s been a scaling back in the size of the business.

However, Dusty’s are one of the OG’s of Cardiff’s artisanal pizza game for good reason and so a visit to their Llanishen restaurant was long overdue.

We visited early on a weekday evening at our preferred kiddy teatime of 5.30pm. Whilst we were the first people to arrive, their woodfired pizza oven was roaring and ready to go. 

Dusty’s have a great selection of craft beer with offerings from breweries like Polly’s, Verdant and Cloudwater. However, with a Polly’s 5% pale ale weighing in at £7.60 a can, I do wonder how accessible some of the pricing is. I plumped for an excellent can of Cloudwater Happy Easy Pale Ale (£6.10), which was super crushable with plenty of fresh hops.

Mrs G meanwhile, enjoyed a glass of soft and fruity Gran Cerdo white Rioja (£6.50 for a 175ml glass). It’s interesting to note that a pricing glitch means it’s cheaper to drink wines at Dusty’s by the glass in comparison to buying a whole bottle (£29).

Dusty’s menu includes a mixture of classic and creative pizzas, with examples including the Buffalo (£12) topped with gorgonzola, roasted red peppers and pickled celery, and the intriguingly titled Death of Rob (£14.50), which is adorned with blue cheese, goats cheese, ’nduja and chilli. 

When we visited, the menu was more compact than usual as Phill the owner was away on holiday. So, alongside the pizzas, there were a couple of snacks and sides, fries, dips and two desserts.

Whilst we waited for our pizzas to be prepared a trough of seasoned fries (£4.50) arrived as a timely starter. They were everything you’d want from a bowl of fried spuds – crisp, golden, well-salted and plentiful in quantity.

But, the kicker was a mini cast iron pan of Russian dressing (£2), which had clearly been given a lot of condiment consideration. Dressed with fragrant dill and flecked with pieces of gherkin, the creamy and tangy dip was highly reminiscent of Big Mac sauce. I could have happily dredged fries, bits of pizza crust, or any other beige carb through it all day long.

Both of our pizzas were well-topped whoppers with thin bases and light and crisp crusts that had a delicate chew. There was also no doubting the quality of the fresh and fruity San Marzano tomato sauce and creamy mozzarella either.

A Double Pepperoni (£14) more than lived up to its billing as it was crammed to the edges with crisp discs of thinly sliced fatty sausage. But there was plenty more going too – there were nubbins of fiery green chilli, a dusting of savoury parmesan, and most interestingly, the crust was glazed with sticky and spicy hot honey. Whilst it made for a messy eat, I liked that the hot honey hadn’t been drizzled over the whole pizza as it can often make everything a bit sweet.

Mrs G’s 'Nduja (£13.50) was a lot more creative than its understated title suggested. Topped with plenty of the fiery spreadable sausage, it was accompanied by a vibrant green pesto, slices of zingy pink pickled onion and nuggets of tangy goats cheese. It was a cracking combination of flavours.

We had belting dinner at Dusty’s with their delicious creatively topped pizzas, super friendly service and delicious booze. If you haven’t had a chance to visit them in their north Cardiff home then I’d highly recommend a visit.

The Details:

Address - Dusty's Pizza, 9 Llangranog Road, Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5BL

Web - https://www.dustyspizza.co.uk/

Telephone - I couldn't find a way to get hold of them via telephone so I assume it's walk-ins only