Almost Famous Great Northern, Manchester

Our first ever blog post was on the original Northern Quarter Almost Famous.  Infact it even provided the inspiration for the blog title as I watched Mrs Nom destroying her Triple Nom burger. Since the original site burnt down the franchise has expanded into Liverpool and are back with a much larger site in the Great Northern by All Star Lanes and Lucha Libre.

With queues the norm at the old smaller site, we didn't have to wait at the new larger restaurant. However first impressions were that the cult vibe had been somewhat diluted with the glitzy neon lights, large posters and just general modern chicness completely the opposite of its more humble beginnings. However we would let the food make up our minds.

After an lengthy wait of around half an hour our food arrived. We opted for burgers we had never seen before, the butter blood and bleu burger - a double Cheeseburger, rare flatiron steak, chorizo, chillies, peppercorn sauce, mustard mayo and bleu cheese sauce and a 

Baddaboom - a double cheeseburger, garlic butter brioche, bacon, chorizo, onions, marinara, famous sauce, parmesan and chilli. Both certainly looked the part, downright messy burgers, an Almost Famous trademark.

The burgers hit the spot and if anything the flat iron meat pieces were too chewy to bite through when trying to eat the butter blood & bleu burger. We ordered the classic bacon bacon fries and the new pig n waffle fries as sides. The waffle fries were interesting and topped with pulled pork different to the usual fries.

To help wash down the filling food we had the boozy milkshake which was the Ron Burgundy for that week, filled to the brim with scotch and a bitch juice cocktail. With a large bar area it is a good place for after work drinks and a quick feed. A welcome return to the Manchester dining scene.

All Star Lanes, Manchester

When it comes to bowling alleys, this brings back memories of fun and arcade machines with monochrome blue pac man style graphics from the television screens displaying the scores. Balls and pins would regularly get stuck requiring someone to retrieve errant balls and lodged pins.  Food and drink were simple affairs yet satisfying to the young like slush puppies and hot dogs and fries.  

How things have changes since the good old days.  Technology has moved on and punters expectations have risen exponentially.  Despite only being in my twenties I still found the razzmatazz of the Manchester branch of All Star Lanes took some getting used to for this 80s child.  Flat screens with cartoon animations now replace the big chunky blue screens of the past with Catchphrase type graphics of turkeys following a series of strikes.  One thing that hasn’t changed though is that I’m still awful at bowling, starting off with three gutters and with only one strike all game.

Growing out of hush puppies one of the good points of All Star Lanes is its drinks menu with a variety of cocktails, beers, shakes and other non-alcoholic beverages on offer.  Recent Halloween cocktails such as midnight margaritas and Dracula jars were on offer at £5 a pop so didn’t break the bank either.  After a few drinks we moved on the shakes/non-alcoholic menu with a bacon Elvis and banana colada.

After working up an appetite the restaurant offers up an American menu.   For starters we ordered buffalo wings and popcorn squid.  The chicken wings were some of the smallest we have seen, and plumper ones would be much more satisfying, not too hot either.  The popcorn squid is served in a small oriental takeaway type box with some unnecessary chopsticks.  It’s a shame that they were dripping oil otherwise they would have fared quite favourably.

Moving on to mains which were much better, the full rack of BBQ baby back ribs looked like it came from a dinosaur, it was humongous   I was glad I refused to order a side of chips when I saw how big it was, anyhow it come with a small dollop of obligatory veg in the form of coleslaw on the side.  I struggled to finish the whole rack but the meat was tender and moist coming off the bone with ease. Blackened salmon was also a generous portion of two fillets with nice crispy skin, served with crush Cajun sweet potato which was different and welcome.  

We were glad we chose to bowl before eating as we weren’t able to move after, not helped by washing down our food with shakes. Whilst the prices are reasonable for drinks, coupled with food and bowling the cost soon mounts up, it is easy to rack up a bill of nearly £50 each for a game of bowling, a couple of drinks and a two course meal.  Good for a night out for a group but expensive to kill a couple of hours for two.

Camp & Furnace - Food Slam Fridays, Liverpool

Camp & Furnace are undoubtedly one of the current pioneers of the Liverpool food and drink scene. Making best use of the large warehouse premises they hold numerous events catering for all sorts of diner. We have previously posted about one of its Social nights, where small plates and sharing are the order of the day.  One of the mainstays introduced in the summer was Food Slam Fridays, a chilled out Friday evening event offering casual food and drink coupled with entertainment.  It has proved to be roaring success evidenced by the fact by the crowds it attracts and that it is still going strong now as we head into Winter.

The main attraction to us is the constant change and innovation in the food offerings; no two weeks are the same.  Sometimes dishes for forthcoming Social nights and supper clubs are tested at the Food Slams.  There is a constant stream of guest stalls, most notably Bakchich before they opened up shop in Bold Street. Over the last few months we have been at numerous Food Slam Fridays, below are a sample of some of the dishes.

A no knives and forks stand served suckling pig with buttered pork gravy and chunky apple chutney (£5), the pork was melt in the mouth and as good as it looked. Apparently the whole suckling pig with head and all sparked some controversy but where do these people think meat comes from! We also chomped away on a cheese fondue (£4) with carrot sticks, gherkins and brioche.

The chippy tea stand served up beer battered sausage hotdogs with chip shop curry sauce (£5). This was rather heavy and salty leaving me feeling uncomfortable and full for hours afterwards!

We first sampled Bakchich at a Food Slam event. We ordered the Chicken shawarma and falafel platter (£6). It was a great platter with an explosion of wonderful flavours.

Sticky chicken with thyme potatoes (£4), a great snack with a pint or two!

At one of the larger Food Slams, I guess they differ in size due to weather and how close it to payday and other commitments etc, the Grand Garden menu was one of our favourite Food Slams.  Some of the dishes were a test run for one of the Social nights.  The highlight being a Sirloin Wellington with mild mushrooms (£7). Displayed as a gorgeous gigantic slab of sirloin encased a golden pasty we were worried the Wellington would be a little dry; but past the first few slices the meat was wonderfully moist and pink and well matched with the wild mushrooms.

Red Mullet with olives, tomatoes and basil (£6), this was a light summer dish, flaky fish with a range of tomatoes; it was a shame the skin was slightly burnt. Always wanting to try green tomatoes it was a bonus to see them presented with the mullet.

A ham hock terrine with pineapple relish and a crispy egg caught our eye, the dish was atractively presented. We particularly enjoyed the pineapple relish and the crispy egg which was lightly fried with a runny yolk. It was a very moreish dish, something worth reordering when it reappears!

Having a break from the food we went on to sample the cocktails at Slam Wars, a competition between Camp & Furnace and Berry and Rye. Mr Nom picked a Clover Club - Bombay Gin shaken with Noilly Prat, fresh lemon juice and raspberry jam. I chose the Aromatic Cherry Aviation -Tanqueray gin shaken with Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and spiced black cherry syrup. The cocktails were beautiful and the added extras of the chocolate coffee beans were lovely little nibbles.  I’m sorry but I think Berry and Rye just edged the cocktail wars this time. 

We had been eyeing up the Wood Fire pizzas from Maltidas from the beginning. We settled upon the courgette, spinach and goats cheese pizza (£6), the toppings were different to our usual choices. We added a touch of garlic oil to the pizza which definitely lifted the flavours. The pizza was lovely, not heavy on the stomach with just the right dough depth and the toppings were fresh. Mr Nom loved the goat’s cheese and I guess I rather like it too! Normally I don’t like to eat the crust on pizzas but I had no problem with devouring them.

As we still felt peckish, we headed back to Grand Garden for Serano ham, honey and feta (£4) which was a good snack, and the lovely addition of mint leaves adding another flavour to the plate. We ended the evening with a white chocolate and pecan tart (£3). The tart was loaded with pecans, a fabulous dessert and the white chocolate was mellow and not too sweet, perfect!

Our favourite Food Slam to date which was epic given the choice and variety on offer.  We also met Steven Burgess, the food director for the first time and watched him in action as he prepared the most of the dishes.

Another Food Slam saw a Peruvian theme with flamed salmon, fresh lime, chopped tomatoes and passion fruit. It was the first time for me pairing fish with passion fruit; I found it created fresh and interesting flavours. The salmon was just cooked ever so slightly using a blow torch and very zesty lime juice was squeezed onto the fish. 

Chicken wings, spiced salt, tamarind and pomegranate salsa. The pomegranate salsa was great, one I might actually try to make at home.

Salt cold, pickled red onions and toast, it was lovely and not too salty. I have had salt cod before but this was balanced perfectly. I like the addition of pickled onions the acidity to cut through the dish.

A recent trip to the supermarket was side tracked due to a quick excursion to Food Slam. We stopped at the Chippy Tea stand where they were serving scallop & scallop, accompanied with malt vinegar, pea puree and pea shoots. The dish was even presented in one of the polystyrene plates reminiscent of chip shops. The potato scallop would of been better if it deep fried a little more and the scallop was just about seared on both sides. Mr Nom liked the malt vinegar gel as it was set and didn’t run all over the other parts of the dish.

We look forward to seeing what new dishes will be unveiled at future Food Slam Fridays. There is always a good range of dishes which cater for all including vegetarians. So if you’re looking for somewhere to chill after a long week then look no further to Camp & Furnace on a Friday night.

Yauatcha, London

A long anticipated visit to 1 Michelin starred Yauatcha in Soho London was finally fulfilled last month. We were all looking forward to sample the dim sum dishes, desserts and drinks that we had seen plenty of pictures online. As a party of 3 that evening, we ordered a selection of cocktails and mocktails.

Hakka cocktail is one of Yauatcha’s signature cocktails containing sake and vodka, it was strong but still fruity with the addition of lychee, lime, coconut and passion fruit.

Nara iced tea, refreshing lovely with a dose of cinnamon.

Strawberry and vanilla iced tea, there were strawberry bits and aromatic vanilla flavouring, what's not to like!

The venison puffs were first to arrive and were probably Mr Nom’s favourite dim sum. The meat was flavoursome, I reckon we could have all eaten a full portion to ourselves. A dish you don’t want to share with others and we highly recommend them!

Roasted duck pumpkin puff was a pretty looking dish. Pumpkin shaped puffs and pumpkin was incorporated in the dough as well. Additionally, inside there were cubes of pumpkin and shredded duck along with coriander for added flavour.

Lobster dumpling with tobiko caviar, quite a mild flavour, was not as special as we imagined it to taste.

The truffle and mushroom spring rolls were simple and nothing special.

Chicken shiu mai, presented in a mini sized steamer and garnished with a mushroom. Lovely bite sized pieces.

Striploin beef with enoki mushroom cheung fun, this was a tasty dish, the beef was delicious and the use of onions was fragrant alongside my favourite enoki mushroom which has some bite to it.

Jasmine tea smoked ribs was delicious, slightly smoked with a hint of jasmine. They were a winner on the table too.

Classic sweet and sour pork, the sweet and sour sauce was more tangy than sweet. I have tasted better sweet and sour sauce but nevertheless I would of liked a bit more sauce to mix with the rice.

We ordered a side of egg white fried rice with dried scallops and asparagus to accompany our mains; we were surprised how small the portion was. The rice was not oily which you might sometimes find with egg fried rice but this lacked some seasoning.

As you guys should know by now, I am a huge fan of desserts; I couldn’t possibly leave Yauatcha without ordering something. Mr Nom settled for the raspberry delice and I chose the apricot mille feuille. They were presented beautifully. The raspberry delice looked like it was almost inedible; I did not even want to stab my fork into it and the ice cream was lovely.

The apricot mille feuille looked amazing. I expected the layers of puff pastry to be crisp but in fact it was a little soggy. The flavours were subtle but it was a great contrast to the raspberry delice which was on the sweeter side. The apricot sorbet was really zingy, a refreshing accompaniment to the mille feuille.

Yauatcha also have freshly baked cakes available to take away, along with macaroons and chocolates. Looking at the display was enough as the desserts were so filling, when I’m next back in London I want to sample them all!