Zaap

It has been so long since I posted anything on here, so as you can imagine I have a HUGE backlog of places I need to write about as I am constantly eating out and have recently been to Florida, so you can only imagine the food I ate out there. 

Having finally graduated from University, I landed myself a job in Leeds and have officially moved away from home; but this means a new city with a million new offerings of places to eat! 

I already have a list a mile long of places to go to in Leeds but one of the first places I wanted to try was Zaap, a restaurant specialising in Thai street food. As you can't book, my boyfriend and I went for an early tea in order to avoid any queue as this place can get very popular. 

Zaap is set out like a traditional Thai street market with little Tuk Tuks dotted around the place, some even converted into tables. Signs hang from the ceiling including hospital signs and their famous Chang beer, you can tell a lot of thought has been put into this place. 

With such a large menu and all items labelled in Thai it requires some studying in order to fish out the best things on there. As usual we couldn't whittle it down to two starters, so we chose 'Kanom Jeeb' - (pork and prawn steamed dumplings), 'Gai Satay' - (chicken satay skewers)  and 'Look Chin Tod' - (fried squid). 

All three tasted amazing! My personal favourite was the steamed dumplings, some find the texture weird but I love them. Would highly recommend getting a third starter in order to get a taste of something else. 

For mains we chose the Massaman Cury and Prawn Pad Thai to have half of each. The Massaman curry was so creamy and tasty and the Pad Thai was definitely the best I've ever had. With it being labelled as 'street food' we were expecting tapas style portions, so were pleasantly surprised by the servings and were stuffed by the end. 

 Three starters and two main courses came in at £30, great value for money. This is a must try if you're ever in Leeds!

Salt of the Earth

Salt of the Earth is the cutest little delicatessen in Carleton, Poulton.  This is also top of the list for lunch whenever I am home from university. I love the decor inside; it is a converted house, so you sit in different rooms named 'The Dining Room' and 'The Common Room'. With only 25 seats inside it is a small and cosy place to have some quality food and catch up with friends. They offer breakfast, brunch, lunch and a weekly Friday Night Tapas evening.

(American Club)

Their menu is so adventurous and combines so many flavours that you would never think of yourself. I love trying new things and The American Club jumped out at me. Packed full of amazing ingredients such as chicken, pastrami, swiss cheese, gherkin and mustard, my mouth waters just thinking about it! It is not the easiest thing to eat, but it is well worth the mess.

(The Club Sandwich)

(The Salt of the Earth Club)

Other gourmet sandwiches that I love are the Club Sandwich, and the Salt of The Earth Club - this is so delicious with fresh chicken, chorizo and sweet chilli sauce on a warm baked ciabatta. They also do the best sweet potato fries here and I always order some of their homemade baconnaise as a dip and the combination is heavenly! For those who haven't tried baconnaise you're missing out!

Salt of the Earth also makes my favourite cake of all time, Rainbow Cake! I bought a slice once and was obsessed, and you can imagine my delight when I found out you could buy a full cake for special occasions! I had one for my birthday last year and am looking forward to another one for my 21st this year, I have never found a Rainbow Cake as yummy as this one.

I wish it was my birthday everyday so it was acceptable to have a slice of this all the time! Also, if you can't be bothered to get ready and sit in, you can always order takeout. Sometimes I get breakfast takeout from Salt of the Earth and the one thing I get when I do is 'Porky's Revenge,' this is a sausage, pancetta and bacon sandwich smothered in baconnaise and topped with frazzle crisps! Have you ever heard of a better combination? Salt of the Earth has the most amazing menu for lunch and I hope to try their Friday Night Tapas in the near future.

American Pizza Slice

Forget Domino's and all the other pizza chains out there, you will never look back after you have experienced American Pizza Slice. This has to be the best pizza you can get in Liverpool, if only it was nationwide! They have just opened up a new place on Bold Street, and just like America you can pop in and buy it buy the slice if you're on the go, or sit in and enjoy a full pizza. And it gets better, they also deliver!!

You can order as little as one slice or as large as an 18" pizza. Their '8 Slice Special' offer allows you to pick each slice individually; this was perfect for my boyfriend and I as we each wanted to try different flavours. For my 4 slices I chose: 'The Spanish Pizza", "Meat Feast", "Wild Mushroom" and my personal favourite "BBQ Pulled Pork". Whilst 4 slices doesn't seem like enough with all the amazing flavours on offer, you will find it a challenge to finish them; I am still yet to defeat the pizza!

(18" 1/2 Meat Feast, 1/2 Pulled Pork)

(Meat Feast)

These pizza flavours are the best I have ever tasted! Everything down to the dough and tomato base is amazing, it makes you feel like a true American. Meat Feast is packed with gammon, salami, pepperoni and a unique spicy beef mix; and the bbq pulled pork is so juicy that it just falls apart in your mouth.

(8 Slice Special)

This is the taste of a proper pizza, and perfect for when you want great food but don't want to leave the house. I highly recommend against the well-known chains and you will certainly thank me when you get to try!

Notarianni Ice Cream

The wait is finally over, Notarianni Ice Cream is open again and I'm heading straight there this weekend!
Whilst they only offer one flavour, it is by far the best vanilla ice cream you can get your hands on! I'm so happy they are reopening again for the season and I just so happen to be home for the weekend! Their ice cream is made fresh daily and is served soft, which gives it an amazing texture unlike any other ice cream you will have tried. With a variety of toppings to choose from, each time you visit you can always get something different. They also offer an extensive selection of special milkshake flavours such as Ferrero Roche and Terry's Chocolate Orange; the decision on ice cream or milkshake can be tough. 

(Oreo Sundae)

You can either sit-in inside their parlour and enjoy an amazing sundae, serving up classics such as Knickerbocker Glories and Banana Splits. They also mix up their menu with special monthly sundaes, which always look amazing! My favourite has to be the Oreo Sundae, I will be consuming many of these when I am home for summer!

(Terry's Chocolate Orange Milkshake & Small Ice Cream Tub)

Their milkshakes proved to be such a hit last summer, and they constantly extend the flavour choices across the season, there are so many I want to try. It's fair to say these milkshakes are such a treat as they are so indulgent. Shakes I have tried are Nutella, Terry's Chocolate Orange and Cappuccino, all are so tasty and I can't wait to work my way through the rest of the options. 

However, you can't beat a tub which is my favourite thing to get whenever I go, from the take-out parlour. My friend makes me the best combinations for me whenever she is working, I love being creative with all the toppings they have. The best I've had has to be honeycomb, toffee sauce and Oreo pieces, it is to die for!

You will never find a vanilla ice cream as tasty as this one! It is the best treat for all ice cream lovers and they can expect my face there the majority of the season!

Mowgli

All I hear of Mowgli is great things, so when my friend and I met up for a catch up this was the first place I could think of. Located on Bold Street, Liverpool, it attracts lots of people and can get extremely busy on evenings, especially weekends. Unfortunately you cannot book a table and wait times can top an hour and a half, so it is best you are prepared for a long wait. Mowgli has also recently opened a new restaurant in Manchester after their great success in Liverpool.

The inside of this small restaurant is so pretty, with ropes and dim lighting; it completely fits in with the concept of Indian Street Food. The dishes are small which allows you to sample a variety of the vibrant, intense flavours they offer. I love that the dishes come out when they are ready, giving it a really relaxed atmosphere, just as intended. 

 I have now been three times, and am quickly working my way through the menu, ensuring I try different dishes every time. The favourites I always get are the 'Himalayan Cheese on Toast,' which is a great twist on a classic with amazing flavour; and the 'Bombay Chip Butty' which is not as simple as you may think, the potatoes are so tasty! These are my most recommended.

(Himalayan Cheese on Toast)

(House Chicken Curry & Bombay Chip Butty)

My favourite main dish is the House Chicken Curry, this is such a smooth and creamy dish as it is made with coconut and yoghurt; the flavours are heavenly! Other dishes I love are the Angry Bird, Mowgli Sticky Wings, Agra Ginger Chicken, Mother Butter Chicken and Maa's Lamb Chops. As you can see I never leave hungry after a visit!

(Maa's Lamb Chops, Agra Ginger Chicken, House Chicken Curry & Mowgli's Sticky Wings)

(Angry Bird & Treacle Ribs - no longer on menu)

For all lovers of Indian food out there, this is the place to go! It is definitely a treat for your tastebuds with all the amazing flavours. Mowgli gives you such a unique dining experience, you'll be rushing back just like me and everyone else I know!

The Old Blind School

My mother and sister came to visit me at university for lunch and a spot of Christmas shopping in December and I wanted to take them somewhere sophisticated and posh so I chose The Old Blind School. This iconic building on Hardman Street, Liverpool has been reformed into a beautiful restaurant offering great food and drink. 

As I went at Christmas time it was beautifully decorated with trees, lights and wreaths wrapping round the staircase. There was such a nice and warm atmosphere. This is the place I recommend to my friends if they have parents visiting to take them out for food.
The menu offers up great pub classics, delivered at very high standards. They also have a lunch menu with sandwiches and wraps which is great if you want a cheap and quick lunch.

(Caesar Salad)

(House Burger)

I love a good caesar salad, and this was just what I wanted for a light lunch. My mother got the 'House Burger' which looked delicious, I couldn't help but try some for myself.

They also have a 'Dirty Thursday' menu which is everything you expect from the title. This shows another side to The Old Blind School and offers up a really indulgent and guilty menu which I am hoping to try within my last few months at university. As The Old Blind School offers up breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, there is always a perfect opportunity to go!

HOST

With the workload of third year building up on me towards the end of last semester, I struggled to find the time to write any new entries for my blog. I am now faced with a huge list of places I need to write about, so I want to start with something really good!

Pan-asian is my favourite type of cuisine, so for my birthday last year I decided to go to HOST, located on Hope Street, Liverpool. As this was a special occasion I was straight on the cocktails; I chose 'Red Dragon' as the description sounded so fresh and light. It tasted so good that I was continually ordering them all night. 

I had studied the menu beforehand, and whittled it down to four starters that I couldn't choose between. Luckily my friend was equally as indecisive so we decided to share all four! This was the best idea as we got a sample of all the amazing dishes. The four we chose consisted of Calamari with a sweet chilli mayo dip, Duck Watermelon Salad, Caramelised Chicken and my all time favourite, Chicken Satay. It's fair to say these didn't last very long and all tasted amazing!!

As my friend and I had gone all out with the starters, we decided to share a main so we weren't overwhelmed with food. Pad Thai was the dish of choice and it kept up to the standards of the starters. I had a taste of my other friend's Chicken Katsu Curry and that was also yummy!! I should note that the menu changes regularly so some of the dishes I am writing about may have been changed for other appetising options.

HOST is a must if you are ever in Liverpool! This place definitely does not disappoint and is much better than the well-known chains you may opt for. Writing this post has got me dreaming of another visit, hopefully I won't be waiting too long!