Gin week

When we popped down to our local over the weekend, we could see that they were doing a Gin week promotion. They had dressed the pub with a cut out of a red post box and a telephone booth. They aimed some mini red floodlights at the props and also had a few lanterns lit up on the ceiling. Behind the bar, they had an extensive range of Gins and a large Gin menu to peruse. Most of this is wasted on us, as we don’t know much about Gin, the addition of botanicals or the providence.

Gins were poured into attractive large glasses over plenty of ice, and the cheery staff were trying their best to get into the swing of things. They had flat pricing of a £5 for a single and £7 for a double, including any Fevertree mixer.

As the weekend was quite warm and Jane tried a couple. The first one was Surrey’s own Silent Pool, which always reminds me the horror survival classic Silent Hill. The other one tried was some kind of rhubarb infused Gin with an elderflower tonic. I was not sure of the second one, as I think if you add too many flavours you lose the taste of the Gin

It was nice that the cricketers were trying out new things, and it seemed to be a popular event. Though I think they are better to do a promotion like this in summer rather than the start of Autumn, where the days and nights are starting to turn.

Return to Bokay

To celebrate my return after a week away doing a new job, we decided no cooking tonight and to have the nice Kung Pao chicken and veg option at Bokay’s.

We were both really disappointed about the food this time. We shared a rice which was perfect amount but both kung pao chilli were not hot like last time. Mine had too many water chessnuts to bulk the dish out. It just felt too rushed and not up to their excellent standard like last time. The staff are great but today’s visit was not up to our expectations. We will go back, but will probably have something else instead.

Triple cooked fries

After coming back from Hastings, I need to do an about turn and jog off back to North London to get ready for my new contract in Hatfield. We had time to get a bite to eat and headed to the Cricketeers for a burger and coke. Jane like the skinny fries but I like the big chunky ones, especially if the have cooked really well. The cricketers did not disappoint once again, though for some unknown reason it tool a very long time for our order the pub pretty dead quiet

Wimpy

I thought Wimpy had gone the way of the dodo. The last time I ever visited this burger chain was on the way back from Sunday school. I had seen the red livery of a Wimpy restaurant in Addlestone, but never thought I would have the course to go there. Well little did I know! After probably feeling hungover and a lack of sleep and also out of idea for lunch and too tired and lazy to make something imaginative for lunch, we decided we head and try out this retro place.
My memories of Wimpy are; burgers served on a plate, coke floats and big bender (Frankfurter) on a wholemeal bun, which I have never had.

The Wimpy did surprise us, as it was spotless everywhere and including the loos. The state of the toilets, floors and tables are always a good indication hygiene. Behind the counter were many awards for best Wimpy and the 5-star food standards hygiene award, which is 2 stars higher than Taj Mahal restaurant which is a few doors down.

After looking at the picture based menu, ahh some things don’t change, I went for a cheese burger and fries, and Jane went for the lemon breaded Quorn burger. The Quorn is nothing to write home about, as it is just your shop bought Quorn stuff. Although I was quite famished, I did appreciate the calories levels of each burger on the menu and adjusted my choice, as there is no way I am going to blow 900 odd on lunch, as that means nothing for the rest of the day.
As much as Wimpy was a trip down memory lane, it is just another one of those small franchise burgers and really is nothing very extraordinary.

So if you want to more retro, here is Paul Darrow ( Blake’s 7, Avon) in a Wimpy Advert!

Bokay chinese takeaway, Kung Pao Chilli

As a rare treat we decided to have a friday night takeaway today. We wanted to try out Bokay chinese takeaway in Addlestone, which has quite a few good reviews on trip advisor etc. Interestingly,  this chinese is trying to push the point of being healthy chinese food, but I am not sure the veracity of their statement.

So after popping down to Cricketers for a couple, following the return of Jane’s car from a mystery service from Halfords, we went to Bokay’s. My first impression was that how much cleaner it is than some chinese takeaway places I have been before. It also had an impressive and quite large and very clean fish tank.

I went for the sesame prawn toast, egg fried rice and kong pao chicken. Jane went for the veg spring rolls, egg fried rice and bean curd kong pao. It was a little pricier than i expected with a take away of bill over 23 quid rather than expected 20.

I made a mistake with the prawn toast, as the menu said it was “x2” , and I thought this would be 2 pieces but it was actually 2 portions. This is a pretty dumb option by the restaurant, as most ‘normal’ places I have been to always sell a single portion and not a double 😦 . I should have realised this when I ordered it at the time, as it was 5.80 for the toast, which is about the double the normal price.  Not sure how deep-fried sesame prawn toast is ever healthy!

The egg fried rice was nice and not heavy at all and it went really well with the kung pao chilli chicken. It was almost exactly how I like it from the place called Kungs in East Finchley. Except it not crisper or sticky, which I suppose is a good thing,  as it means it probably not being double cooked ( or fried again) and less chance being stacked full of calories.

Jane had the equivalent dish but of course had the veg option, as I wanted to her to experience the hot chilli taste of Kung Pao. It was pretty nice too, though the textrure is quite soft like a marshmallow!

So we both quite happy with our food choices and will be happy to go back their again, but perhaps be less piggy in the future 🙂

Eating out – Vegetarian Dhansak at the Taj Mahal – Addelstone

This evening we had already decided that we would be having an Indian Takeaway from the Taj Mahal, Addlestone, and making sure we order something different. This is to help Jane increase her Indian food palette, as she has been quite late in joining the Indian food party.

Today was always going to be a little odd, as Jane had her hair appointment in the middle of the day. So we could not plan a full day out. In the morning after a cooked vegetarian breakfast (Cauldron Lincolnshire veg sausages, mushrooms, roasted tomato, a spoonful of beans, half a thin slice bagel and some scrambled egg), Jane messed around on the Xbox playing the walking dead with me loitering with intent in the background.

After her visit to Luigi’s, we went off shopping to for some odds and sods and visited Farnborough, primarily to visit the nearest Decathlon to check out cheap hiking shoes and also look for a foldable portable chair for me.

In keeping with the walking dead theme, the Queensmead shopping centre resembled a George A Romeo film set, especially as the place is dated and we experienced what it is like to be trapped in a shopping centre after closing time (17:30). Even the big box stores outside closed earlier than expected.

 

I did, however, pick up a Jigsaw in preparation for the inevitable wet and cold days to come for when Jane and I don’t fancy a walk across Surrey. I picked up a puzzle of Taj Mahal for four quid, and it would be in keeping with the name of restaurant food that we would have later.

A quick drink at the cricketers later, Jane then went off to pick up the takeaway while I made some fresh poppadoms and Indian onion salad to go with some mango chutney and lime pickles.

In the end, we ordered the following: Vegetable Samosa, Vegetarian Dhansak which came with pilau rice and I went for the prawn puree, King Prawn Madras and rice.

We decided to eat it in a picnic style on the lounge floor and laid out some blankets ready to tuck in and watch the Doctor Who finale.

Never again! Our eyes we so much bigger than our bellies. Even though we did not stop for a proper lunch and were eating quite late, we had too much food and gorged ourselves, and had to roll ourselves to bed. At least we had leftovers for tomorrow.

We both like our food lots, and I especially like my King Prawn Madras, as I had not had something with a similar taste and texture since my Goa trip many years ago. I look forward to having food here again, but first I need to go down a belt size.

 

Chobham Common and the Cricketers Sunday lunch part II

Jane and I went back to Cricketers for Sunday lunch for our second time. We are starting to become a little regular here, which is not surprising as the other choices available nearby are not as nice by a very long shot.

We had not planned to have our lunch here, as earlier that day we had been out for a walk across Chobham Common and we thought we were going to have lunch in or around Chobham. After looking at various pub  menus, there was not an inspiring vegetarian option, everything  with the usual boring  primavera asparagus pasta, some type of beetroot tart or something with butternut squash. So we decided to go back to Cricketers, where we know they have a comfortable beer garden, good service and importantly great tasting vegetarian Sunday lunch option and as well as the typical meat option.

Jane went for the nut roast and this time I elected for the roast beef.

Chobham common is a little on the disappointing side, as the place is marred by the many stark electricity pylons running through it. The M3 splits the area in half, creating a north and south side, which means you are never far from the constant buzz of traffic. When compared to Newlands Corner, which is busier, has more people and the A25 on its doorstep, is significantly quieter, and you feel more like being outside.

I did discover on the day, that Jane has no ability to throw a pebble, let alone any chance of being able to pond skimming, as she has all the co-ordination as a patient going through rehabilitation learning how to use their dominant arm again after a tragic accident. I do give her 10/10 for effort but she her career in pond skimming is never going to take off.

 

 

 

 

“Have you ever been to a Harvester before?”

Well have you? The last time I went to a Harvester was way back when I was at  University. Have they changed? Yes, I think so.

So how do we end up at the Yeoman Harvester, West Byfleet?

Jane and I were coming back from our pet sitting long weekend in Buckinghamshire, Great Brickhill. We had spent the day in the Ashbridge Estate going for an explore and trying to remain cool under the trees. We had not stopped for lunch, unless you count some handful of tortillas and some smoked humus, which was starting to get a little too warm in the cool bag.

The journey back home was very hot in the car and it was made worse by heavy traffic on the M25. What we did not know at the time there were some idiots abandoning their cars and walking to Heathrow on the hard shoulder, as they were caught in traffic too. So this only compounded the problem.

We had decided that we were going to Cricketers, Addelstone knowing it would be too late for a Sunday Roast, but both of us decided we will  be content to get a burger ( veg one for Jane) , a sparkling cider,  sit outside and enjoy the last throes of the sun, and forego any other options on the drive back. Just as we were pulling into the car park,  we noticed a sign saying the pub is closed due to a power problem. So this left us a little stumped. A quick google later and a lack of choices we ended up at the Yeoman as it likely to have better choices for Vegetarian options.

We took our place in the beer garden, which resembled a car park rather than anything green or garden like at all. There’s shabby chic and then there is plain old shabby. This place definitely needs a good brush and scrub outside.

The menu is quite extensive and on the face of it looks like fairly good value, especially if you couple in the unlimited salad bar.

I wanted a burger, especially as I desired revenge on a bovine animals this day ( reason will be on another blog post altogether). I did not like the options presented and selected the Scampi and Chips, hoping it would be similar to the one served in The Stag, near Oxford Circus that I have sometimes have had after football. Jane went for the battered haloumi and chips, as she had positive experiences from the last time she had this at the Kingfisher by Chertsey Bridge.

We headed to the salad bar and loaded up our tiny bowls with selection of salad stuff. The options included but not limited to; iceberg lettuce, sweet corn, orange peppers, black olives, two types of ‘pasta salad’, diced beetroot, pickled onions, red onions, shredded carrot, with a large selection of dressing, croutons, bacon bits, deep fried onion bits etc and tiny bread rolls. With all the variety, there was something lacking and I can not quite put my finger on it. The closest I can get is that the whole salad bar is dull and lacks any imagination, as well as it being quite off putting seeing other people picking and prodding at the options on display. This salad feels like it has been put together by a school dinner lady in the eighties who thinks they going all continental. 

The scampi and chips was rubbish. The portion was far too small, at the very least it would need half a size again. The meal kind of reminds me of the budget meals you get a Weatherspoons, expect you can expect a meager portion and the quality is reflected in the lower price too.

Jane was fairly happy with the Haloumi as it had thick batter. I took a nibble of it and was almost thought it resembled fish! But this is partly due to the batter and that the haloumi is quite salty.

So as the sun was starting to set and grey background of beer garden became more unappealing, we decided to head off and knocking this meal off as an experience. So I feel Harvester has changed a bit, as the food has not up to the standards I remember ( rose tinted glasses) but also not changed too, as I don’t think the chain has kept up to date on food tasted or decor. Having an option of pulled sodding pork on a burger is not keeping a menu up to date.

 

Junk food shock horror, 5 Guys

After another day of Jane exploring London, I took her back the long way back to Waterloo station. We were pretty hungry and also wanted to sit down and did not want to face a tasteless supermarket sarnie and do something different. By chance ( well hardly a chance anymore, as they are popping up everywhere now) we decided to go to 5 Guys, but only if they had a suitable veg option.

Jane went for the Veg sandwich, which is pretty much; toms, mushroom, salad, fried onions, cheese slice and probably something else in their soft toasted bun. I went for the good old cheeseburger, and we both had fries and even, heavens above, soda!

We were both suitably impressed by the quality of the food and generous portion of fries and the diabetic inducing bottomless cups of fizzy pop. It is hard to say fast food is a treat, as the nutritional value is low and calories are so high, but I would say this has made a change from the norm.

I did go home and check the calories of food and it pretty much jaw-dropping ridiculous, as it pretty much your daily limit in one meal. Well not that bad for the veg option, but defo for the cheeseburger and fries.

Cricketers Sunday Roast May 28 2017

As part of the bank holiday staycation, we has already decided that we were definitely going to the Cricketers in Addelstone for Sunday Lunch. Pub Website

We were not disappointed. There were several choices of meats for sunday lunch and a nut roast. The meat roasts are cooked in meat juices for the gravy and potatoes, yet the veg roast have all the roasted vegetables cooked seperately.  This is excellent attention to detail. Both sets of gravy were great and had a thick rich and savoury taste which went well with the lunch.

The weather was pretty rubbish with on and off rain, but once the meal was over, i coerced Jane to stand in the beer garden and finish another drink under the trees and umbrella covers, as although the day was wet it not cold or unpleasant.