Mr Croquewich bistro home delivery, Cardiff review

When restaurant-trained chefs turn their hand to street food you’re normally in for a treat. All that technique is channeled into eking a maximum amount of flavour from what can often be fairly humble ingredients.

Take for example Mr Croquewich, aka Darren Lewis, who’s worked as a head chef in bistros and brasseries and developed a passion for all things cheesy whilst spending five years cooking in the French alps.

It’s resulted in a street food menu of high end grilled cheese sandwiches and Parmesan chicken burgers which he serves at markets, pop-ups and festivals around Wales. He’ll also be taking a unit in Barry’s new Goods Shed development which is set to open later this year.

But, in the current climate, he’s transformed into a bistro home delivery service. With a menu of hearty French classics and a handful of grilled cheese sandwiches, he’s delivering around Cardiff and beyond on Wednesdays and Fridays. Delivery is free on minimum orders over £10 and dishes arrive cooked and simply need to be reheated in the oven. 

To start, we shared a portion of Glamorgan bonbons (£4). A quintet of golden crumbed orbs were filled with a cheesy ooze of leek-flecked deliciousness. 

Unmistakably Glamorgan sausage inspired, I could have eaten a dozen to myself without them even touching the sides. A pot of sweet and fiery chilli sauce was a tasty accompaniment. 

A generous cassoulet (£7) combined herby sausages, tender boneless chicken thigh and white beans in a thick and rich tomato, bacon and thyme sauce. It was accompanied by golden, tender and garlicky Lyonnaise potatoes and garlic butter drenched green beans. 

Red wine chicken saw a pair chicken thighs (£7) bathed in a huge flavoured red wine sauce laced with pancetta and mushrooms. It was accompanied by more of those lovely Lyonnaise potatoes and a mix of roast vegetables in garlic butter. 

On another day we shared a tartiflette (£7) with a pair of steaks.

This bubbling cauldron was a delicious mix of cheese, cream, bacon, herbs, onions and potatoes topped with a melted slice of reblochon cheese for good measure. It reminded me of the kind of steakhouse sides you get in America with a ridiculous quantity of cheese and bacon.

Desserts were both very good but not quite the same level as our starters and mains.

The first jar (£3) was loaded with fudgy brownie pieces, light creamy and tangy cheesecake topping, rich chocolate sauce and a tart cherry studded sauce.

A lemon and lime cheesecake jar (£3) was layered with smooth citrus fragranced posset, delicately warming ginger crumb and a light, creamy cheesecake topping with a good tang of lime. 

 
We had a properly delicious dinner from Mr Croquewich. His flavour-packed, rich and generous cooking is just the kind of comfort food I’m craving at the moment. With his French cookery background, he certainly doesn’t hold back on the butter and seasoning.

The Details:

Web - https://twitter.com/Mr_Croquewich

Email - info@mrcroquewich.co.uk

Telephone - 00759147210

Keralan Karavan, Cardiff delivery review

Lockdown guzzling is a constant tightrope walk.

On the one hand my already sedentary lifestyle is more lethargic than ever and I don’t want to emerge from quarantine in a few months with cholesterol levels higher than the Hamburglar.

On the other hand I want to support Cardiff’s independents as much as possible. It’s impressive to see how they’ve adapted their business models to support self-isolators and meet social distancing restrictions.

We’ve had belting beer and wine deliveries from The Bottle Shop and Pop ’n’ Hops.

Even more booze and charcuterie has been supplied by Curado Bar.

Pettigrew Bakery’s daily delivery round has brought us first rate sourdough, a Ty Caws cheese selection and the gooiest of brownies. 

Hard Lines’ delicious coffee was cycled over from their Canton HQ. 

And we’ve had cracking pan-Asian meals delivered by Da Ling Kitchen (highlights include the sambal king prawns and wasabi squid) and KatiWok. 

Other businesses in my sights include Leyli Joon, Mr Croquewich, Da Mara, Hoof, Dusty Knuckle, Moo Moo Thai and Saray.

On a balmy Easter Saturday, the Indian-inspired street food of Keralan Karavan was top of my list as they’d just started delivering around Cardiff via Uber Eats from Thursday to Saturday (as well as slightly further afield via preorder email).

Krish’s spice-packed cooking at Nomad Kitchen is one of my go to City Centre independents and many of his headline dishes have transferred over to his delivery menu.

Kaleidoscopic poppadom tubes (£1.50) were dusted with addictive vinegar powder. 

Stuffed to the brim samosas (£1.50) were golden, crisp and totally grease-free. Mint-fragranced, pea-studded lamb keema and a soft textured pea and potato filling were both excellent.

They were lovely accompanied by pots of tangy yoghurt and mango and coriander chutneys. 

I wasn’t sure how well a Bolly Sholly burger (£8) would travel but it held up on its journey admirably.

This Indian-American fusion is one hell of a burger; the juicy JT Morgan beef patty stuffed into a squidgy brioche bun with a golden onion bhaji and a sweet, spicy, fragrant and tangy mix of mango, mint and coriander chutneys. 

A Keralan nadan chicken curry (£7) was the star of the two curries we ate. Medium-spiced with a huge depth of flavour from a blend of 6 Keralan spices, it was loaded with tender pieces of dark meat. 

A coconut-based chickpea curry (£7) was big on chilli heat and slightly less complex in flavour than the chicken. Both were lovely with sunshine yellow, fluffy turmeric fragranced pilaf rice (£3). 

We had a delicious dinner from Keralan Karavan. Whether you’re craving a belting burger and fries or a cracking curry, these guys have got you sorted.

The Details:

Email - keralankaravan@gmail.com
Web - https://www.ubereats.com/gb/cardiff/food-delivery/keralan-karavan/WkYigWXoSxqUOC79YTkuCA
Telephone - 07774820289