CoCo Restaurant - A Review

We were out yesterday for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner, as E was away for work last weekend, and thought that CoCo’s “Date Night on a School Night” special would be a good way to celebrate the occasion.  

Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by its décor – classy at the entrance, kitschy at the near wall, cosy towards the back with tea lights and rose stalks on the tables, and pop-arty on the other walls. It was a bit of a hodgepodge, but I loved it. I thought for a moment that we were the only customers in this large restaurant, until I spotted the couple in the curved seats against the wall – a good sign.


The dinner deal comprised 3 courses each and a bottle of wine for just £50 per couple. As there were so many menus on their website, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that we could choose anything at all from the ala-carte menu. Orders placed, we sipped the wine that had been served. It was a Spanish Grenache rosé, with a label that read “I ♥ Rosé”. E joked that with such a label the wine couldn’t be anything fancy, but it was nonetheless deliciously smooth and fruity, with no hint of a bite. 

The scallops were my favourite dish for the night.

I hadn’t had scallops (rp £8.50) in a while, and couldn’t wait to tuck into their plump flesh when my starters arrived. The scallops were done just right – seared and lightly caramelised on the outside, and firm and sweet when biting into their gorgeous flesh. The carrot puree enhanced the sweetness of the scallops, although the black pudding seemed a bit overpowering against the scallops’ subtle flavours.  

I would have slurped up more cream if it wouldn't have looked so unbecoming

I couldn’t take my eyes off E’s prawn linguine (rp £7.25) either. I felt that there was slightly too much dill in the dish, but still happily slurped down the fresh prawns and delicious cream. It was a sizable portion, and as much as I’d have liked some bread to soak up the cream, that might have proven too much for a starter.


I actually liked the simple salad with blue cheese dressing a lot.
 

I was in the mood for meat, and the choice was clear when I discovered that there was no top-up for the Hereford Sirloin (rp £22.50). It was my first time having steak served this way: topped with chopped chives and onion in a blue cheese sauce. Although I’m not a big fan of onions or chives, I found the toppings surprisingly juicy and flavourful, if just a little pungent.  

The fan-shaped arrangement of the baby carrots is adorable. Would've sampled more of the pigeon and venison if my main weren't much bigger

E meanwhile had gone for the Co. Wicklow wood pigeon and venison (rp £19.95), which was beautifully presented with potato fondants, baby carrots, Jerusalem artichokes and blackberry halves. The pigeon was succulent and not in the least gamey, distinguishing it from what we’d tried at Shu. The venison was just as divine - well seasoned with the right amount of saltiness. Comparing it with what I’d thought at that time was good venison just 3 weeks ago at La Bastille, it seems like venison could benefit from a heavier hand with the spices.  

My favourite part of the mains, however, was the home-made, double-cooked French fries that we didn’t manage to snap a picture of. They were crisp on the outside, soft without being soggy, and had the most addictive batter. I was quite full by then, but we polished off the entire bowl of the best fries – double-cooked or otherwise – I’ve ever had.  

Looks are deceiving: the parfait was delicious and the heap of orange peel marmalade was quite substantial too.

E is a big fan of the chocolate-orange combination, and it was no surprise that he went for the blood orange chocolate parfait (rp £5.50). The parfait was rich and creamy with just a hint of bitter chocolate, while the blood orange marmalade was tart and the peel lent a lovely texture.  

Doesn't this remind you of summer?

E had some of the marmalade left, and I actually liked how it went with my coconut pannacotta (rp £5.50), which was light, smooth and creamy. The pannacotta had a sweet and tangy accompaniment of chopped mango, passion fruit and kiwi; its tropical flavours making it all the more enjoyable being savoured in the middle of winter.  

This is about half of the section we were in; there was another section to the right.

CoCo’s service was leisurely and friendly throughout dinner – perfect for a date night. Our half of the restaurant eventually got a bit fuller with 5 couples in total, and there couldn’t have been more than another table or two on the other side of the walls. It was wonderful, and a far cry from last year’s experience of being wedged between two couples in Zen on Valentine’s night itself.  

The food at CoCo was absolutely delightful. The flavours and textures were great and I loved every dish. The “Date Night on a School Night” deal itself is a bargain – just the courses would have cost us £69 ala-carte, and the wine would have brought it to at least £80. CoCo comes highly recommended for anyone looking for a wonderful date night.

CoCo Restaurant

7-11 Linenhall St,
Belfast, BT2 8AA
028 9031 1150

A Year in Belfast

So, today marks the end of my first year in Belfast!

I'd thought I would have more thoughts on reaching this milestone - if I can even call it that - but my head and heart are surprisingly empty. I feel like I've been here for longer, and seem quite settled into life here, at least for the moment.

An example of some of the gorgeous weather we've been having - this from Feb 2013

Whenever people discover that I'm a (relatively) newcomer to Belfast and ask how I'm finding it, the answer always involves a moment's reflection, followed by a slightly surprised "It's better than I'd thought actually". E had set the expectations quite low, and we've been blessed with pretty warm weather for Belfast the entire time I've been here. I'm not at all missing the crowds back home, and although there's the occasional complaint that the few shops there are here aren't open for long enough to sell the limited range of items that they have, I quite like living without the the constant bombardment of materialism and consumerism I'd get at home.

On cold, rainy days I might think about how nice it'd be to feel warm again, warm all the way through, but I know that the moment I step out of the plane at Changi Airport I'll be roasting and disliking the humidity of Singapore, even when I'm indoors with air-conditioning. Indeed, I do get hit by sudden and strong cravings of all the local goodness of dishes such as laksa, char kway teow and nasi lemak, yet at the same time I'm quite happily eating my way around Belfast, exploring restaurants in a way that I couldn't really do back home for a multitude of reasons.

One of my first nice meals in Belfast - Valentine's Day dinner last year at Zen.

The main thing that gets to me about life here is the lack of a career - what little that I had back home has all but disappeared. Belfast, unfortunately, has no need for the few skills that I have, and the job market is incredibly difficult. It seems unreal, thinking about the amount I was earning versus wages over here, and it makes me appreciate the immense opportunities that fresh grads in Singapore have, as well as the willingness of our government to hire people with the capabilities but not necessarily the experience. This, undoubtedly, is the one thing I'd like to change the most about moving here, and I need to be more motivated and disciplined about using my time well and finding new opportunities.

Apart from that, things do seem quite good. I'm learning how to drive, and although that's taking about a third longer than I'd expected, I'm inching closer to acquiring a practical skill and greater freedom of movement here. I'm starting swimming lessons tomorrow; hopefully I'll keep it up and attain yet another useful skill and an exercise alternative to jogging, which I hate. I've kept up with the ballet, which is going nowhere but had never been going anywhere - nor had I ever the intention for it to develop into something more than a hobby to stay toned and flexible. I've also been introduced to a hot yoga place near work( only 30deg but it means I can wear just a leotard and leggings and not feel cold at all), which I plan to go to more frequently during the breaks in ballet between terms.

More free time means the opportunity to explore things like sand dunes on the beach of Newcastle, Co. Down

I definitely have much more free time here then I ever did back home. I'm not sure if the amount of time I have is on the right side of the balance - already, I feel myself being less able to multi-task or focus on a task at hand and push it through to completion; I'm also less efficient and don't deal with stress as well. I do feel that stress in small amounts is good; humans require some stress to push them to do things better and quicker - that my best results at university were in the semesters I was most busy is a case in point, as is the fact that I could do ballet twice a week (same as now) and maintain all those social commitments while in a job that had a 48hr work week back home. 

This means, however, that I'm reading more and enjoying life a little more. I have the time to cook most of my meals - which, combined with the additional exercise I've been getting from walking to work in my previous and present job, has resulted in me being slimmer than I've ever been since I left jc. I probably am slightly fitter as well, in that I can walk longer distances at a certain pace without tiring as easily as before. Also, I think my tastebuds are becoming a little more sensitive to salt, which can only be a good thing in the long run. My house isn't as clean or as tidy as I'd like it to be, but I've learnt to do the things that really matter to me, and to let the rest go 'cos they don't matter anyway.  

Did I also mention that yours truly, who killed many plants (including cacti) in Japan, has successfully kept a plant alive for a full year?

I think this can, overall, be considered a good year. Financially and professionally it's rubbish; on the bright side I'm employed and in better employment than the first job I had here, and am slowly (and hopefully surely) climbing up into the black following this move. Here's to hoping that the second year will bring opportunities for me to progress professionally, grow financially, develop personally and perhaps even give us the chance to move somewhere that will benefit us both! :)

No regrets

This is something for everyone to bear in mind. It might not necessarily be what exactly what you'd wanted, but it may have been the best decision you could have made at that point in time. That said, there may still be a few regrets here and there, but bearing this in mind will keep the regrets to a minimum.

Patisserie Mimi

Everything about Patisserie Mimi is stylish and elegant, from its store display right down to its logo. It has beautiful packaging too - macarons lovingly cupped in red scallop-edged paper adorned with a ribbon bearing "PATISSERIE MIMI" in its signature font.

Don't you just love the look of this?

Patisserie Mimi opened in November last year and is a welcome addition to the scene. Despite its proximity to France, there is a dearth of places selling French-style cakes and pastries in Belfast, with most bakeries favouring a more homely taste to their treats. In fact, Patisserie Mimi is self-described as the city's "first continental-style patisserie", and its beautifully designed store and website display all the sophistication associated with Paris and its pastries.

 

I tried my first macaron 7 years ago from La Duree - the best of the best when it comes to macarons, no matter what anyone might say about Pierre Herme - and have been hooked ever since. The moment I learnt that Patisserie Mimi sold macarons, I knew that I had to try some. At £2 each (or £10 for 6), they are undeniably pricey but deliciously chewy as a good macaron should be.  

 

Thanks to my colleague, I'd previously tried the passion, rhubarb and strawberry macaron, which was devoured so quickly that the only impression I have of it is an "Mmmmmmm". The peach and honey macaron was less remarkable with an overly sweet and almost cloying icing filling. It also had a blob of jam in the middle, which was not only superfluous (as if it wasn't sweet enough) but also incongruous - like the contents of a £1 packet of jam 'n' cream biscuits in a fancy French pastry.

 

Skip that, I'd say, and head straight for the ivory chocolate and Tonka bean macaron. There was nary a hint of chocolate - but who needs chocolate when there's the fresh, delicious aroma of the Tonka bean that fills every bite and wafts down your throat? I couldn't get enough of this and will definitely be returning for more.

 

Clockwise from top: Pear and Yuzu Tarte Bordeleau, Peach and Honey macaron, and Ivory Chocolate and Tonka Bean macaron.

 

My main reason for dropping by Patisserie Mimi was actually to order a large cake for a birthday. I couldn't wait till then to try one of its delectable looking sweets though, and was curious about the Pear and Yuzu Tarte Bordeleau (£4.50).

 

There was no tinge of yuzu, which might have been for the best as I'm not sure if its slight tartness would have gone with the refreshing sweetness of the pear. I didn't quite like the taste of the nuts either, but fully recognise its aesthetic value which my photos just don't do justice to! The juicy pear slices were the definite winner here and perfectly complemented the moreish pastry - I'd suggest to serve it slightly chilled to enhance the fragrance of the pear.

 

In addition, Patisserie Mimi has excellent customer service. An email query regarding opening hours resulted in a swift response - after working hours no less - and an amendment on its website. It also led to the discovery that Patisserie Mimi is actually owned by The Merchant Hotel, as is its neighbour The National. Patisserie Mimi also stocks a whole range of breads at very affordable prices, starting from £1.25 for a baguette.

 

With all that in mind, what are you waiting for? I'm already looking forward to collecting the cake and picking up more sweet treats at the same time. :)

 

Patisserie Mimi

56 High Street
Belfast
BT1 2BE
028 9043 4773

Wagamama - Victoria Square, Belfast

Wagamama was established in1992 and has branches in 17 countries across the world, so they must be doing something right with their food. Let this post, therefore, be mainly about what not to order at Wagamama.

We visited the Victoria Square branch last November as part of a group. The service was fast, although the staff got our order of Wagamama Ramen wrong and served us the Chicken Ramen instead.

Wagamama has the dubious honour of having the worst ramen I've ever eaten. The broth was thin and bland, as were the pieces of chicken breast accompanying it - some effort in marinating the chicken would certainly have helped. The serving size was also significantly smaller than the teppanyaki dishes that some of our group had ordered, a fact accentuated by the enormous bowl it was served in. The large bowl meant that there was a generous portion of soup, but was in this case an unfortunate turn-off with all of that tasteless liquid staring back at us.

Chicken karaage is another dish on my must-order list. While it's basically fried chicken and easy to make (theoretically at least; I've yet to try it myself), it's seldom found on menus outside of Asia. Hence, we jumped at the chance when we spotted it at Wagamama.

Sadly, the chef's hand must have slipped when preparing the chicken, as there was so much rosemary (which doesn't belong in karaage) that it overpowered all other flavours and had me spitting out bits of the dried herb. Wagamama also used breast meat instead of thigh meat, which was a tad dry after frying. Thankfully, our chicken gyoza was much better with a well seasoned filling, and the ebi katsu another of us had ordered was as crispy and as light as you'd get.

The dessert I had was delicious and the highlight of my meal - but unfortunately is no longer on Wagamama's website. It was a scrumptious tart with a tropical custard (mango or pineapple or both; I can't quite recall!) and raspberries, with dried coconut shavings that complemented the flavour.

The dessert E ordered is also no longer on the menu - and thankfully so. It was a taster trio of desserts, and a case of how less can be more. For example, wasabi does not add to the taste of chocolate fudge cake, ginger does not belong in a white chocolate cheesecake, and pistachio mousse doesn't really go with raspberry jam.

The dessert trio reminded me of Wagamama's sauce accompaniment to their gyoza. In place of the traditional vinegar + soy sauce combination, Wagamama had a chilli garlic sesame soy sauce version instead. So many ingredients, yet none of the 'extras' were really necessary and also did little to bring out the flavour of the chives. There is a reason why certain combinations exist in food, and being innovative or modern does not necessarily mean mixing up many different things.

I might still be persuaded to return to Wagamama though, as their teppanyaki noodle dishes looked tasty enough and seemed to be the more popular items too. I'll just stay well clear from the ramen!

Shu

Shu, located on Lisburn Road, is among the first few restaurants in Belfast that were recommended to me. I've also heard a lot about how good it is since then, so we thought to splurge a little and head there for our anniversary.

The thing about celebrating special occasions in December is that restaurants tend to thrust their Christmas menu upon customers. Shu was no different, and instead of their usual set menu, we were only given the choice between their ala carte and Christmas menus. This would have been fine if the latter were half decent, but quick calculations revealed that the same items from the ala carte menu would actually cost more if we were to choose from the Christmas menu - well, sod that.

The restaurant was packed at its first sitting of the evening, and it took quite a while before we could get any attention from its staff. Being tucked right in a corner between a wall and a lively 8-person Christmas dinner group probably didn't help either. However, it wasn't too long after placing our orders that our starters were served.

I'm a sucker for crab on the menu, hence was dismayed by the size of the crab linguine with chilli, lemon and parsley (£9). It was tiny enough to be devoured in a few mouthfuls, but it was delicious and I forced myself to eat slowly and stretch out every moment that the flavourful broth was in my mouth. E's crispy duck confit with spiced red cabbage puree (£8.50) was a much more sizable portion. However, it was a bit dry and would have benefitted more from a sauce accompaniment instead of the puree.

(I left the picture uncropped to provide some context for size comparison with the mug of sugar in the background)

Our mains were served fairly quickly too. E was feeling adventurous and had ordered the wild pigeon with blackberry puree, potato fondant, purple carrots and chocolate malt (£18). It was served rare (as pigeon is apparently meant to be), and E thought it was "alright". I'm not sure if pigeon is a meat I'd enjoy though, as it had a gamey taste and I would probably have needed more sauce to mask the flavour.

On my side of the table was caramelised pork belly with cauliflower puree, potato gratin and cider-soaked raisins (£15.50). The sweet-salty pork was tasty, though a tad dry on the inside as well. The dish soon got rather heavy too, and I desperately needed the raisins and what little sauce there was on the plate to offset the saltiness*. The dish could definitely have done with a citrusy addition somewhere. We were happy with the size of our mains though - despite reviews that have said otherwise - and certainly did not need to order the sides of mixed salad and baby potatoes that went largely untouched.

 

We were stuffed but decided to complete our meal with dessert. It turned out to be an excellent choice, as the Valrhona chocolate and hazelnut brownie with warm Earl Grey infused chocolate and vanilla ice cream (£5.75) was utterly delectable. The Earl Grey lent a slight bitterness to the dessert, making it a light finish to dinner and was polished off in no time at all. Our glass of dessert wine, a La fleur d'Or Sauternes AC 2009 (£6), was also a very refreshing digestif with its notes of candied pineapple, lemon and crème caramel.

Our experience at Shu was undoubtedly saved by its dessert and wine. With all its awards and accolades, we were expecting more polish in its dishes but were wowed by none of the appetisers or main courses**. Nonetheless, Shu's prices are extremely reasonable (except for the crab linguine) for a restaurant of its reputation - and perhaps rightly so given its quality.

Shu
253 Lisburn Road
Belfast BT9 7EN
02890 381655

 *: Heavy-handed usage of salt is unfortunately quite common among restaurants in Belfast, with Birdcage on Stranmillis and Il Pirata on Upper Newtownards Road among the worst offenders.
**: The crab linguine came close but ultimately made me go 'wow' for the wrong reason.  

 

The Ginger Tree

We celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago with dinner at The Ginger Tree, a Japanese restaurant on Donegall Pass.

It looked promising enough upon entry, with Japanese sake, whiskey and beer bottles lining the shelves behind the cashier - just as in actual Japanese restaurants and an easy way to display the range of alcohol served. As we weren't very hungry but wanted to try a variety of their dishes, we ordered the Osaka Set Menu, sashimi moriawase and a side of croquettes to share.

The Osaka Menu boasts little in relation to Osaka and its regional specialties, and was probably named because it's the largest set on the menu and the hometown of the head chef and owner. It started with a tsukidashi appetiser - crunchy French beans topped with a dollop of sweet miso sauce.

The appetiser was followed quickly by the side of croquettes. Croquettes are among my many 'must-order' items on a Japanese menu, and these were fragrant and crisp on the outside. The potato and minced meat filling had a light curry flavour, which is probably more suitable for the palette of Ginger Tree's Belfast customers than the spicier curry I prefer. Unfortunately, the perfectly mashed filling was spoiled by bits of pork fat that accompanied every mouthful - while I love to chow down fat that accompanies bacon, steak and pork chops, I was neither expecting to find nor enjoyed the chewy fat in my croquettes.

The second of 3 appetisers from the Osaka Menu was next - the tonkatsu. I was probably too greedy in anticipating a full breaded pork cutlet and was slightly disappointed by the two strips of cutlet on skewers that arrived instead. The strips of pork were perfectly crisp on the outside but slightly dry on the inside, and lacked the thin layer of fat that a good piece of tonkatsu has, which serves to keep the meat moist and juicy. The pork was accompanied by the slightly sweet kushikatsu sauce and not the salty tonkatsu sauce - which seemed wrong until I was reminded that our tonkatsu, by virtue of being skewered slices of pork, was actually kushikatsu and should have probably been named as such instead.

When our next order arrived, I was surprised to see the sushi moriawase instead of our assorted sashimi. Sashimi was the one thing I was looking forward to the most, hence had to regretfully send back the sushi and insist on our actual order. This probably the reason for the sashimi, when it arrived, being unceremoniously dumped on the table similar to how wooden blocks are deposited during shuttle runs - I was not at all impressed. Thankfully the salmon, tuna and ika sashimi were fresh, delicious and all that I'd been waiting for, despite being oddly sliced and of uneven thickness. The pieces of cooked prawn and cooked octopus added further variety.

The final appetiser from the set menu was a generous portion of tempura, consisting of two king prawns and a slice each of courgette, aubergine, red pepper and carrot and onion strips. It was a treat to have tempura again, although the honest opinion would be that the tempura was merely passable. The batter was slightly soggy and lacked the lightness that tempura should have, while the items were a tad overcooked.

It is here that a few words on The Ginger Tree's service are in order. While the restaurant was at full capacity that night, the crowd did not justify the long wait we had between courses as the place gradually filled up. Our entire dinner - that comprised neither alcohol nor dessert - took about 1.5 hours and we must have waited at least 15 min for the main (and final) course to arrive. Such a long wait was unacceptable, especially since we'd ordered a set menu that should have taken less time to prepare than a range of ala carte items.

When our Nabeyaki Udon finally arrived, we dug right in, savouring the warm, delicious broth. We were pleasantly surprised to find a slice of sweet beancurd in the bowl - something we've missed from udon in Japan - until we realised that the udon did not come with unagi as described on the menu and website. Again, the udon and tempura were overcooked too, but the broth tasted so much like what you'd get in Japan that we were willing to overlook the other aspects.

Ultimately, The Ginger Tree is a place I'd visit again, purely for their sashimi and perhaps to also try their sushi and some other items. If the craving is too strong to deny, I'd also order their tempura and udon - just not the nabeyaki unless they can guarantee unagi in it. The Ginger Tree would also be a far more pleasant dining experience if they can improve on their speed and delivery of service, as well as turn the lights up a little so that diners can actually take some photos!


The Ginger Tree

23 Donegall Pass

Belfast, UK

028 9032 7151