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