Ichiban, Roath, Cardiff Japanese restaurant review

People are always drawn towards the shiny new thing.

It’s how this blogging schtick works and I’m no exception. A new restaurant opens and bloggers and influencers clamour to be the first to review it (or get a free meal). Everyone posts about it on social media. The next place opens and then the whole bandwagon moves along.

I last visited Ichiban over twelve years ago when I reviewed one of Cardiff’s oldest Japanese restaurants at its previous home on Albany Road in Roath.

Whilst we had a good meal, I always found the interior a bit dark and oppressive and the barred windows uninviting. So, despite walking past it at least a couple of times a week ever since, we never returned.

However, when we saw that they’d moved location along Albany Road to the former site of Zio Pin, I was of course drawn back towards the shiny new thing. What can I say, I’m a cliché.

The clincher was that they’ve done a beautiful job with the décor. Out is the dark wood and boxed in feeling. In is a calming palette of whites and light greys, light wood, fabric screens, and a rather cool display of daruma dolls. It's certainly one of the nicest looking Japanese restaurants in Cardiff.

Delicious ice-cold pints of Kirin lager got things underway before we were overwhelmed by Ichiban’s colossal menu. Featuring 171 dishes of sushi, tempura, teriyaki, poke bowls, yaki soba, salads, and ramen, it’s the kind of size which makes you wonder if everything can be rustled up with consistency time and time again.

Tuna and salmon sashimi (£12.90) was the first dish to arrive and it was prettily presented on a bed of crushed ice with shredded mooli and slices of cucumber. The salmon was beautifully pert and meaty and whilst the tuna slices were fresh and well-flavoured, they were marred slightly by a few bits of sinew that meant there was a bit more chew than I would have liked.

A top-drawer pile of vegetable tempura (£7.90) was the first highlight of the meal. An excellent mix of precisely cooked carrot, sweet potato, onion, pepper and aubergine were coated in a shatteringly light and grease-free batter. A bowl of hot, savoury and sweet tentsuyu sauce was a lovely dip and I must admit that I drank the leftovers.

The other standout was a pair of inari pockets, which are always one of our essential orders when we visit a Japanese restaurant. This time the sweet and soft tofu pockets were crammed with diced meaty salmon as well as the usual pile of well-seasoned rice. At £5.40, it was also the best value dish of the meal.

If you’re going to put your business’s name to a sushi roll then you’ve got to assume it’s worth an order. Ichiban special maki roll (£13) saw tender rice rolls filled with soft and fatty barbecued eel, crisp tempura prawn, and fresh cucumber that was glazed with a sticky teriyaki sauce. 

I’d completely forgotten that I’d ordered the chicken katsu don on our last visit to Ichiban and it’s a sign of the inflation that we’ve experienced over the last decade that its price has gone up from £7.50 to £15.20.

Hearty is the word that I’d definitely use to describe this dish. A whopping bowlful of savoury and sweet dressed sushi rice was topped with a crumbed chicken breast that was subsequently piled with fried egg, sweet onions, mushrooms and carrots. It was all very tasty and comforting but much like last time, the chicken’s crumb lacked crispness. Still, at least they were consistent.

We had good dinner at Ichiban and like our last visit, some of the dishes were more successful than others. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be back in less than 12 years’ time for another bite to eat and it’s that beautiful dining space that’ll draw me back in.

The Details:

Address - Ichiban, 74 Albany Road, Cardiff CF24 3RS

Web - https://ichibancardiff.co.uk/

Telephone - 02920 463 333

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