The Joy of Six

The Joy of Six

 aka 

The Lazy Cash-In Compilation Album

A rambling, arbitrary (hate the ubiquity of ‘random’) list of a few things I’ve enjoyed eating locally recently. Some I’ve written about at far greater length; all linger in the memory. In no particular order, and with no particular budget in mind…

El Cubano- HangFire Smokehouse, The Canadian/The Lansdowne

Look at it. Just look at it. Months on from our first encounter, it still remains the bready yardstick (as opposed to yardy breadstick) against which all other sandwiches must be judged. The HangFire gals are incapable of serving up a dull mouthful but here they excelled themselves. Smoked ham. Smoked turkey. Pulled pork. Melted cheese. Mustard mayo. Pickles. A custom-baked roll.

 The move to The Lansdowne has not, as yet, produced another sighting of this behemoth, apparently due to the challenges of assembly in limited space. However, one lives in hope.

Burgers- Got Beef Co, The Grazing Shed, Urban Tap House

You’ll already have your favourite. All three offer their own distinctive take on what makes their burger the antidote to multinational uniformity or van-at-the-match mystery.  Any attempt to try examples from all three in the same day, and thereby arrive at a ‘winner’ would be foolhardy. (Watch this space…) If I had to plump for just one, it would probably be Got Beef’s The Doublin. Created as a special for the recent rugby internationals, it’s a Guinness-mayonnaise’d double-patty spectacular. If you get the opportunity, try it in its two-six-ounce-patties incarnation. Have the Dirty Fries, too, and then try to describe them without using the word ‘slathered’.

And that’s no disrespect to Urban Tap House’s Pork, Pork & Pork burger with its cider sauce, or any of Grazing Shed’s Super Tidy range and those exemplary fries. These people believe the humble burger needn’t be so humble, and they’re not into compromise.

Regardless of where your personal preference lies, the fact there are enough top-notch burgers in town to warrant even having the discussion, is a cause for optimism. This trio have raised the bar to unprecedented heights, and as word spreads and Got Beef open their first restaurant this week, things look rather rosy.

Crevettes- El Puerto, The Old Custom House, Penarth Marina

The seafood here is served simply, because freshness is all. Huge crevettes go from serried ranks of ice to plancha to plate within minutes. A squeeze of lemon and the glistening crustaceans surrender their sweetness. Finger-lickin’ good (why has no-one ever thought of using that as a slogan...?)

Enough said. The only hard bit is deciding whether to have three as a starter, or six as a main.

Or both. Either way, this is a dig in and get your hands dirty kind of thing. Which is always a good thing. Oh and I proposed here.

Makhsoos (chicken shish)- Mowlana, Four Elms Road

By some distance, the most tender, yielding chicken I’ve met. It's the kind of place you revisit quickly, just to make sure it wasn't some delicious fluke. (Hint: it wasn't). The naan bread is a thing of blistered beauty and easily the largest I've found locally. The fact it sells for a pound is almost risible.

Mowlana is one of Cardiff’s treasures- they don’t spend hours plugging away on Twitter but the Persian community know a good thing when they eat it and the restaurant is well-frequented by those who know this style of food better than anyone. Outside those circles though it remains underknown. Undeservedly.

Sobrassada and goats’ cheese- La Cuina, King’s Road, Canton

Sobrassada (spreadable chorizo, for want of a better explanation) is not nearly well-enough known round these parts. Team it with Spanish goats’ cheese and toast, and add a contrasting sweetness with honey, and you’ve got some ridiculously good eating.

Thara Kuttanadan (duck starter)- Spiceberry, Caroline Street

The highlight of our visit to Spiceberry, a newly relaunched Keralan restaurant in Caroline Street. Meltingly tender but densely meaty, hot and fragrant with chillies and curry leaf, with ginger and garlic and onion, it's a standout dish on the menu and a clue to the quality of food on offer.

So there you have it. Six* utterly biased, personal and subjective choices that never pretended to be anything but.



*This post was to be titled 'The Magnificent Seven' but I decided to devote another, separate post to one of my trusty, never-lets-you-down favourite haunts. Bet you can't wait, eh?