Hadramowt, Wedal Road, Cardiff Yemeni restaurant review

City Road's excellent Hadramowt was the restaurant which first brought Yemeni cuisine and their signature lamb mandi to my attention. Combining slow cooked meat and fragrant rice with a bevy of accompaniments, it's one of the best lamb dishes I've eaten in Wales.

Having since read more about the long history of Wales' Yemeni population, it seems rather fitting that both nations' cuisines heavily feature lamb. 

Cardiff's Yemeni population is considered to be one of the oldest Arab and Muslim communities in the UK. With Yemen's port of Aden coming under British control in 1839, the city was used a strategic coal refuelling station for British ships en route to India. 

Yemenis worked as stokers and sailors on the ships, transporting resources to and from Britain, and they arrived in Cardiff as early as 1862, with many settling in Butetown to work in the docks, coal mines and on the railways. Nowadays, there are Yemeni families of five generations who have settled in Cardiff. 

I'm clearly not the only fan of Hadramowt as they expanded in the middle of 2024 by taking over the vast former Grape & Olive site on Wedal Road. 

Gleaming turquoise paint and ornate signage was swiftly erected on the building's exterior but it then appeared to sit dormant for months and I questioned whether it would ever open its doors (I've recently posted about tricky restaurant spaces in Cardiff and I've always considered this to be one of them). 

Just as I did so, Hadramowt's Wedal Road branch finally opened at the backend of 2024. 

Hadramowt’s whopping interior is divided into a number of dining spaces, some with traditional floor seating, and a massive looking function room downstairs. Despite there being a couple of other groups there when we visited on a weeknight early evening, the place felt very quiet. 

With just one starter and three desserts, the focus of Hadramowt’s concise menu is slow cooked lamb and chicken dishes. It’s clear that lamb mandi is their showcase as you can pre-order a whole lamb’s worth for £220… I really need to assemble a team to demolish one.

As soon as we sat down, we were bought steaming hot bowls of lamb broth with beads of fat glistening on its surface. Deeply meaty and earthy spiced with a nice punch of chilli, it was a soothing balm on an icy cold night. 

A glass of sweet mango juice (£2) was tasty but unfortunately served at room temperature. 

Mrs G and I were only ever going to both order the lamb mandi (£12). Whilst this makes my review rather limited, I’d probably recommend you do the same thing.

A whopping plateful was even better than the version I've had from Hadramowt's City Road restaurant. Beautifully fluffy rice fragranced with clove and cardamom was topped with a generous portion of lamb on the bone. Crusty spice edged with spoonably tender flesh and soft fat and skin - it's as good a lamb dish as you'll come across in Cardiff. Toasty caramelised fried onions and sweet sultanas completed the immense dish.

On the side, individual pots of fresh and tangy tomato, chilli and coriander sauce and minted yoghurt were brought without prompting. They were an excellent contrast to the bass notes of the lamb and rice.

There was also a thick, sweet and comfortingly spiced potato stew. 

I was stuffed and Mrs G bagged up a box of half of her food to take home for my dinner the next day.

We had a feast for two from Hadramowt for £24. It doesn't get much tastier or better value than that. If you're yet to try Yemeni cuisine in Cardiff then I can't recommend a visit to Hadramowt to try their lamb mandi highly enough. 

The Details:

Address - Hadramowt, 39 Wedal Road, Cardiff CF14 3QX
Telephone - 07367 070660

Polentina, Bow, London Italian restaurant review

It says a lot about both me and London that this my second review of a restaurant in a functioning clothes factory.

Firstly, that I’m clearly a sucker for trying something a bit different and vibey. So, when a good friend said he’d heard excellent things about Polentina in Bow, I was quick to put my hand up for lunch.

Secondly, that the financial burden of opening a hospitality business in London inevitably means that people are going to get creative when it comes to location… and that’s to led to more than one person landing on a clothes factory. 

Whilst Walthamstow’s SlowBurn takes over a denim factory by night, Polentina serves as both an Italian restaurant and a canteen for the workers at ApparelTasker, a sustainable clothing factory.

So, as you tuck into a plate of wild duck with white bean stew and gaze through a vast window into the busy sewing room, members of staff pop in for a bowl of something hearty for lunch.

Whilst you might expect an Italian restaurant on an East London industrial estate to serve a crowd-pleasing menu of panini and spag bol, Polentina’s menu is in fact remarkably uncompromising.

On offer are a mix of dishes that I’ve never heard of like Insalata di Tardivo e Borlotti and Minestra di Farro e Castagne as well as an interesting selection of natural wines.

 

It's also exemplified by both the starter that me and my mate ordered - deep fried calves’ brains on toast (£8). It tasted a lot less scary than it sounds. Pieces of soft bread and creamy, fatty brain, whose richness reminded me of sweetbreads, were coated in a light batter. It could have been a bit one note if it wasn't for the presence of pickled chanterelles and a grating of bergamot zest, which brought acidity and fragrance to the dish.

 

My main proved a long-held belief that lasagne (£21) is best rested rather than served piping hot from the oven. Firstly, because it manages to retain some structural integrity rather than slipping and slopping all over the place. And secondly because it doesn't scorch your mouth meaning you can guzzle it down with enthusiasm. Polentina's lasagne verdi was exemplary, with perfectly distinct layers of green pasta, a meaty well-seasoned ragu, a rich and creamy bechamel and a crisp crusty cheesy topping.

My mate was also impressed with his simple yet luxurious hazelnut flecked taglioni (£25) topped with shavings of fragrant Autumn truffle.

I wasn't going to get dessert as I had another three courses to eat in less than four hours. But then they had blu di capra (£12), a blue goats cheese, on the menu. Assertively salty, funky and creamy, and very much in the gorgonzola grain, two giant slabs were served alongside juicy and fragrant pieces of soft-baked persimmon.

I was super-impressed by Polentina’s uncompromising seasonal Italian cooking. In fact, the next time I come across another London restaurant that’s located in a clothes factory, I’ll be the first to book a table.

The Details:

Address - Polentina, 1 Bowood House, Empson St, London E3 3LT
Web - https://www.polentina.com/
Telephone - 07481 602750

Base Camp, Cardiff, Indian and Nepalese restaurant review

There are a few awkward Cardiff restaurant spaces that I’ve always thought were doomed to failure but have gone on to confound my expectations.

Café Rio, Il Pastificio and Da Mara couldn’t make 2 Penylan Road work before it became the successful Scaramantica.

Jerkit and Munchies (who were infamous for their fried breakfast in a jar) were unable to make a go of 22 Crwys Road before Thai restaurant Tuk Tuk became long term residents.

Arguably though, the trickiest venue of all is 29 Park Place, a whopper of a 110-cover space that has been home to a string of businesses including Bacchus, the eponymous 29 Park Place, Cardiff Arts Institute, Steam Cardiff and Club 29. I’d contend that the handsome building’s size and its neither here nor there location have both counted against it.

Base Camp, a Nepalese and Indian restaurant which opened at the start of December 2024, is 29 Park Place’s latest resident. Could this be the restaurant to finally break the venue’s curse?

There’s an experienced team in place with general manager Ram Sapotka, who originally hails from Kathmandu, a veteran former manager of Whitchurch Road’s Mint & Mustard. In the kitchen, Rahul Chauhan was head chef at Mint and Mustard and Himalayan born Soban Singh Pokhriyal is formerly of London’s Dishoom.

With a menu that draws culinary influences from the Himalayas all the way down to the tip of southern India, I was drawn most towards Base Camp’s Nepalese dishes as there’s not much of this kind of cooking in Cardiff.

Eye catching dishes include lamb jimbu, named after the Himalayan herb used in its preparation, Khumbu noodles and crispy fried Lukla Chicken. However, if Indian cooking is more your vibe, then elevated sounding options include Goan fish curry, Hyderabadi dum biryani, and okra bhel.

We both ordered alcohol free drinks, not because we’re doing dry January, but because we had a big sesh the night before. A Virgin mojito (£6.50) was a good balance of fragrant mint, zingy lime and sugar sweetness whilst a creamy and tangy mango lassi (£3.90) was cleverly spiked with cardamon.

A quintet of steamed Nepalese momo dumplings (£8.50) were well stuffed with fragrantly spiced and juicy chicken mince. They were lovely dredged through a pot of excellent thick sesame and tomato dip seasoned with smoky and palate warming Nepalese timur pepper. A minor criticism, but the dumpling cases were slightly chewy around their sealed edges.

Cubes of gorgeously soft and creamy paneer (£7.95) had a good scent of smoke from the tandoor oven as well as a delicate honey sweetness and earthy funk of truffle.

Onto mains, and lamb Pahadi (£13.50) was rammed full of super tender slow cooked pieces of meat in a thick well-spiced gravy. The cracking curry was pepped up with the addition of batons of fresh ginger and coriander leaves.

Annapurna Himali Dal (£9.95) saw lentils and beans in an earthy gravy that was lightly spiced with turmeric, cumin and garlic. I prefer a slightly thicker dal but Mrs G thought it was bang on.

On the side, bhuteko bhat (£4.95), aka Nepali style egg fried rice, saw beautifully fluffy and savoury rice seasoned with a well-spiced masala and flecked with egg, sweetcorn and spring onion. It was a delicious hybrid of Indian and Chinese influences.

A basket of strikingly dark-coloured Himalayan millet bread (£4.90) was crisp, fat rich and an ideal dipping tool for our pair of curries.

We were impressed by the refined Nepalese and Indian cooking from Base Camp and it’s clear to see the attention to detail and passion in their cooking and service. I really hope they break 29 Park Place’s curse because they bring something a little bit different to Cardiff’s restaurant scene.

The Details:

Address - Base Camp, 29 Park Place Cardiff CF10 3BA
Web - https://www.basecampkitchen.uk/

Telephone - 02921304333

Curry Hut, Cathays, Cardiff Sri Lankan restaurant review

Nothing quite hits the spot like post-booze nosh.

Having had a few too many wines at a Christmas party, getting my chops around some spicy fried stuff was very much on the cards.

However, rather than my dearest doner, I was in the mood for something a bit different and so pitched up at Curry Hut in Cathays for a table for one.

I’ve previously written about this cracking value Sri Lankan and Southern Indian restaurant a couple of times - first, on my blog in its original incarnation as Family Choice and secondly whilst working at WalesOnline when it had recently refurbished and re-branded as Curry Hut.

With a menu comprising of short eats, dosa, fries, curries, idli, and string hoppers, there’s a lot to set Curry Hut apart from the typical curry house. Its informal vibe also means it’s very much the kind of place you can pop in for a quick bite to eat.

I was visiting with a singular purpose in mind, to order a selection of my favourite comfort food dishes in Cardiff.

Crisp crumbed mutton rolls (£2.75) were filled with pieces of tender meat and soft spuds in a fiery spice mix, which I think must have included chilli, clove, cinnamon and fennel seed. A bowl of ketchup was a basic dip but the sweet and tangy sauce balanced all those spices well. 

You’ve probably heard me bang on about egg kothu roti (£6.49) many a time and here, as per usual, a big bowl of crisp and soft pieces of fried flaky bread were stir-fried with carrots, onions, omelette, and plenty of fragrant curry leaf. It was an excellent example of this comforting dish.

Devilled paneer (£8.49) hit the mark too. The sizzling hotplate of crisp slightly chewy pieces of cheese were coated in a sweet and spicy sauce with crisp peppers, fragrant curry leaf, and tiny yet ferocious green chillies.

I had an absolute feast at Curry Hut for less than 20 pounds and it was the ideal post boozing dinner. I also took about half home for lunch the next day. Bargain.

If you’re seeking well-spiced and well-priced Sri Lankan food then Curry Hut is well worth a visit any day of the week, whether sober or tipsy.

The Details:

Address - Curry Hut, 96 Salisbury Road, Cardiff CF24 4AE

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

Telephone - 029 2022 0522

The Sultan, Cardiff Bay, Turkish restaurant review

There aren’t many restaurant buildings in Cardiff with as storied a past as the Big Windsor in Cardiff Bay (except perhaps the Burger King in Cardiff city Centre).

This grand Grade 2 listed building was formerly occupied by French chef Abel Magneron, who made the Big Windsor famous after World War 2 and cooked for film stars like Richard Burton and Stanley Baker.

His renown is commemorated on a plaque outside the building, which reads:“In the difficult days following the war 1939-1945, Abel Magneron, 1890-1954, here achieved a gastronomic standard which contributed to the further glory of the Entrente Cordiale.”

After years lying empty since its most recent incarnation as the Juboraj, the Big Windsor is bustling once again.

The Sultan Turkish restaurant opened its doors in 2023 and a December trip to see Hamilton at Wales Millennium Centre presented the perfect opportunity to finally visit. Other pre-theatre diners clearly had the same idea, as the classy dining space was buzzing at 5.30pm on a Saturday evening. It’s worth noting that service was swift and friendly throughout our meal, a very important consideration when dining on a deadline.

The Sultan’s menu certainly aims to appeal to a broad audience, with mezze and classic kebabs for the traditionalists, burgers for...those who want a burger, and a selection of specials for the more adventurous. These include pistachio crusted lamb chops (£27.90) with asparagus and pomegranate molasses and a monkfish and octopus kebab (£29.90) with beetroot couscous.

Booze on offer includes cocktails and raki, but I made a beeline for the Efes Draft (£5.90). Ice cold, crisp and malty, I’m always a big fan. Mrs G knocked back a large glass of smooth and red fruit filled Chilean Merlot (£5.70).

Complimentary Turkish balloon bread lived up to its name. A gigantic, puffed flatbread deflated at the first tear. Hot, soft and crisp-edged, it was accompanied by a pot of thick and rich cream cheese.

We ordered a couple of starters to share between four of us. Mixed mezze (£19.90) would have been more accurately described as mixed dips. Martin Short’s character from Only Murders in the Building would certainly have been impressed.

Out of the five different dips on offer, smoky baba ghanoush, green herb and tangy feta cheese-packed girit, and chunky cucumber and fresh mint laden cacik, were the highlights.

Chunky hummus was pretty good, but I wasn’t particularly sold on a thick guacamole like dip that was topped with a clashingly sweet jam. With so many dips to work our way through, our balloon bread was kindly replenished swiftly.

Two hefty slabs of excellent halloumi (£7.90) had just the right ratio of golden crust to chewy cheese. They were served on a dollop of sweet and fragrant fig jam, which worked rather well to balance the cheese’s salty creaminess.

 

Onto mains, and Mrs G and I both played it safe by ordering the mixed shish kebab (£20.90). A good few quid more expensive than my usual haunts on City Road, it was well worth the extra money as this was some of the tastiest kebab meat that I’ve ever eaten in Cardiff.

Gigantic chunks of remarkably juicy chicken and medium pink lamb were both licked with smoke. They were perched on a thin piece of flatbread so there was no wasting all those delicious juices.

On the side was a simple yet very good bowl of stubby grained rice and a well-dressed mixed salad that included pomegranate seeds and\ cornichons.

Bowls of creamy garlic yoghurt and fresh chilli sauce were brought to the table without prompting.

Our friends both ordered from the specials with varying degrees of success.

The Cokertme (£23.90) comprised of tender pan-fried beef strips in a tomato sauce that was sat on a bed of smoked garlic yoghurt and covered with a mountain of crisp shoestring potatoes. Our friend loved it, but I didn’t think it was as good as the mixed shish.

Chestnut chicken (£18.90) would be best described as tasty but a bit weird. Whopping pieces of impeccably juicy chicken (they certainly know how to cook meat at the Sultan) were coated in a sweet, fragrant and zingy lemon sauce that bore more than a passing resemblance to Chinese takeaway lemon chicken. If that’s your bag, then you’ll love this dish. Added interest came in the form of a dusting of crisp fronds of kataifi pastry and soft pieces of chestnut.

We rounded off the meal with complimentary cups of sweet Turkish tea.

We had a delicious meal at The Sultan and it’s great to see one of Cardiff’s most famous restaurant buildings back in action. Whenever a good independent arrives in the chain dominated Cardiff Bay, it’s always a cause for celebration.

The Details:

Address - The Sultan, The Big Windsor, Stuart Place, Cardiff CF10 5BU

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

Telephone - 02920 497776