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Category: Norwich

Norwich – Kimchi

This is my first visit to Kimchi on Brigg Street, which was formerly the Three Ways Lebanese restaurant. It came recommended by a few people and I went today with James since he had already been and he was also smitten by the place.

Their specialism is KFC, or Korean Fried Chicken, although the menu has numerous other options including a tapas selection.

There weren’t a large number of beers to choose from, although the soft drinks range is relatively broad for the small size of the restaurant. I was surprised that although they had opened shortly before that they were nearly full when we arrived for our 18:00 reservation. Reservations are also pretty much essential here, although the process is easy enough as it involves just completing a quick on-line booking rather than having to be stressed by phoning them.

I went for a Tiger Beer, the Chilli KFC, the pork Man-Doo, Kimchi and a rice to share, with James going for the same other than he had the vegetarian Man-Doo. The food was brought out after nine minutes and the whole arrangement seemed efficient. As it would be expected for me to say, I would have preferred a Korean beer to Tiger which is a little generic, but I begrudgingly admit that it wasn’t out of place. And that food looked appetising when it arrived, very Instagrammable.

This is the regular sized Chilli KFC which is larger than I had anticipated when I saw it on the menu. The chicken is generously coated in sauce but it retained its crispiness and the meat was tender and moist. It’s all boneless which makes matters easier, although I did stain my fingers with the dark sauce because I decided against eating in a sensible way by using a knife and fork. There was some heat to it in terms of spice, but it wasn’t excessive and it was complemented well with the pineapple mayo that it’s served with.

They were generous again with the steam dumplings which retained some texture as they have been part cooked in the pan. The pork wasn’t obvious by taste, but the overall flavour was slightly complex and the soy sauce went well with them, although I could have done with more of that. There was a compulsive edge to these where I could have eaten far more than the eight provided, they were light and rich which suits my greedy appetite.

The kimchi is provided free of charge and it added an acidic edge to proceedings.

I didn’t get a photo of the interior as it’s a small space and the restaurant was full, so it didn’t feel entirely appropriate. The service was timely and personable, with the environment feeling welcoming. I wasn’t quite sure about the large mirror that we were seated next too, so I positioned myself so that I didn’t have to look into my own eyes, suitable treat as that might have been. I’m not sure that they offer desserts here, they weren’t listed on the menu and we weren’t offered any, although I’m not sure what Korean after meal treats there are to offer.

As I’m not very well trained it did take me some time to wash off my stained hands, but eating in this manner makes it feel more authentic, or that’s my excuse anyway. I was impressed with the portion sizes and the prices were very reasonable given the quality and quantity of food served. It’s comfort food which is always a treat for a rainy Tuesday night and I must say that it’s better than the other KFC that is available in Norwich.

March 28, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 8 and Taste of Shanghai

This is the eighth week of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year.

This is the menu at Taste of Shanghai with some tempting options there on the menu board and the prices looked reasonable so my initial impressions were positive.

The server was friendly and helpful, always good to be welcomed with a smile and eye contact, and she took the order in an interested manner. Nathan ‘social butterfly’ Hensley of course sort of knew the man preparing the food, so that all added to the engagement. There is absolutely nothing on either menu board that I wouldn’t have been pleased to try, this is a menu that to me seemed exciting and very much my type of thing.

I ordered the black pepper chicken with rice which was £7 and it was a delight to see that everything was freshly made. There’s a five to ten minute wait for food, but I’d far wait for that short period of time and have something fresh. I also liked that they didn’t take payment, with cards being welcomed, until after the food was served, I thought that was a nice little touch. The extras were also keenly priced, including drinks for £1 each which is towards the lower end of the scale for the market.

Nathan approved of his sweet and sour chicken, which was £6 for what was a generous portion. I liked how his sweet and sour chicken friend asked him if he would like chilli with the meal, a little bit of personalisation there.

Enough about Nathan and back to me. My black pepper chicken was well presented with crispy onions on top and a free spring roll, which was a handy little starter. The portion size was generous, there was plenty of chicken which was tender and moist, the rice was fluffy, the crispy onions added texture and there was some salad element to complete the mix. The sauce was rich and peppery and it coated all of the chicken with everything served at the appropriate temperature. There’s also no MSG used in the preparation of the food which suggests to me a more authentic experience.

I’m very much sold on this venue, the service was personable and immediate with the food being well presented and having a depth of taste and flavour. This is Norwich market at its best, that kind of interaction between the chef and customer, providing excellent quality for a reasonable price. Seeing food being made fresh is a bonus and I think it adds to the anticipation and excitement of the whole arrangement. The food was filling and although there is no seating or leaning area at this stall, there are always places to stand around the market out of the way of other people.

The reviews for this venue are nearly entirely positive, indeed there are just two negative reviews amongst the many five star ones and I can imagine how disappointed the owner is with them judging by their response. Not wishing to overly dwell on them, but one is:

“Rachel Irons : Really disappointing! The wait was very long, and then the result was verging on disgusting, we didn’t eat any, neither me nor my friend liked it. We ordered chicken katsu and it was so sweet almost like a desert ! The rice was over cooked and mushy and the sauce really ruined it. Nice people, cheap but not nice.”

The reply:

“Hi, Rachel

We are sorry for your unpleasant experience. As you can see we cook for our customers with one to one service. It might take time to wait during the busy time. Sometimes even bit longer. We use the high quality chicken. Also the sauce is our standard. It is our very popular trademark. We fully understand we can’t satisfied everyone but majority. And as the result you are not happy with the way of our taste. We will be happy to give you full refund. You can come to our stall at anytime with no prove. Your interest is always our priority. Thanks!

15/01/2023

Hi, Rachel

Happy New Year.

Had a review of the ratings for our services. You are the only customer we haven’t heard any reply from you. As we promised that your refund is always available. And we really don’t want to let anyone down. Maybe one day you will find your favourite food in our stall when you come again. All the best to you. Many thanks:)”

I feel their pain, but each to their own as individuals can of course leave their feedback in whatever form they like, but this tells me how much the owners seem to care about the customer experience that they tried so hard to respond, albeit to no avail. But, not dwelling on the negative, this feels a much more typical review and is one that I agree with:

“The boss has a good service attitude and is very enthusiastic. The food is good and cheap is a rare snack that makes my eyes shine. Compared with some flashy restaurants, this small shop gave me many more surprises and surprises.”

Overall, I’d definitely say that this is one of my favourite stalls of our expedition so far, I can imagine that I’ll be back again to start working through some of their other options. I was surprised and delighted, a very impressive little stall and I look forwards to returning.

March 28, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 7 and Churros for the People

This is the seventh week of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year.

We arrived at the stall just as they were setting up, so we hung back to analyse the menu. I was delighted to see just how extensive this menu was, as I had initially thought it might just be limited to the churros which are mentioned in the stall’s name. This menu consists some of the standard main items as well as some of the specials, with some very tempting options such as the surf ‘n’ turf option which had chorizo and king prawns flash fried in lemon and chilli, served in a ciabatta roll.

The drinks menu.

The tapas menu.

Some drinks specials and we were both tempted by that honey beer.

Nathan excitedly surveying the surroundings. This is one of the stalls at the market which has its own seating area, something which is very useful and makes it feel a bit more of a premium experience as opposed to being attacked by a pigeon in the outer undefended areas of the market. The surfaces in the stall were all clean and dry with nothing feeling sticky.

Orders in and the food was freshly prepared in front of us.

Revolution and rebellion!

Nathan’s scrambled eggs and chorizo served with a couple of slices of bread. He liked it although commented that for £5.50 it could have perhaps been a little more generous in portion size, particularly with the bread. I have some sympathy with that, the marginal cost of giving a little more would have been smaller, but beneficial to the meal. But remaining with the positives, he liked the chorizo and the taste of the meal, so was mostly content. Although he did go and get an apple turnover afterwards from M&S, which is a reminder of how middle class he is.

And here’s mine, a soft toasted ciabatta with spicy Brindisa chorizo, rocket, manchego cheese and piquillo peppers. I was very pleased with the soft bun, I don’t like eating through rock hard bread. Every component part of the ingredients inside the ciabatta had a depth of taste, this was a delightful mixtures of tastes. The chorizo was rich, juicy and packed with flavour, the rocket added a little texture, the peppers added sweetness and the cheese added an extra bit of refinement. It’s a generously sized lump of a lunch, I was very pleased with this and didn’t feel the need to go and buy an apple turnover.

The exterior of the ciabatta roll along with the La Socarrada beer that we each ordered. I’ll pinch Nathan’s Untappd comment about this:

“Lots of honey and spicy goodness in this, and the addition of rosemary gives this a warming earthiness too”.

I didn’t even taste the rosemary. He’s getting like Roger Protz with his tasting ability.

Although we were the first customers at the stall, a variety of locals and visitors were seated during our time there. With the best will in the world, very few stalls in Norwich market really get near to transporting me to another place. The Chinese a few weeks ago from China Wok didn’t make me think of Shanghai or Beijing, but I have to say that this stall did feel like a little slice of a Spanish market. There was an extensive range of authentic food and drinks which were more than I would have expected from a stall of this size and it had an inviting and homely atmosphere.

The prices were moderate given the quality that was being offered, with the service being polite and timely. We were never hurried along and the server was doing well coping with different orders and engaging with customers. The server was content to split out bills so that we paid separately and we were able to pay by card. I’m glad that we’ve set out on this expedition of various market stalls as I would have missed this one out which would have been my loss. All very lovely and full credit for making this feel like an authentic Spanish experience, it’s somewhere that I’d like to visit again and I think Nathan was in agreement with that (as in him coming again, not just me).

March 21, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 6 and Ruby’s

This is the sixth week of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year.

Once again, I was unsure what to expect in terms of the quality of this venue but the menu looked suitably enticing. They sell burgers, BLTs, toasties, pastries and hot rolls, with the pricing being towards the lower end of the scale. The service was friendly and welcoming with the stall being busy when we were there, although the wait time was minimal. I was pleased to note that they took cards and I went for the burger at £3.50 and the sausage roll at £1.30.

Nathan went for the BLT and this looked very decent (the BLT, not Nathan). I’m reluctant to orders BLTs as I’m fussy with bacon and it’s not worth the hassle opening it up to remove the fat, but it wouldn’t have been a problem here as they were using proper bacon and serving it crispy just as I like it. For £3 this was good value for money and it exceeded Nathan’s expectations which is always a bonus.

My burger, which I had gone for without cheese. This was much better than my expectations, it was served in a large bun, it was a meaty and juicy burger with salad adding texture and onions adding extra flavour. I was suitably impressed, they could have taken short cuts with the BLT and burger, but they didn’t and they were clearly keen to ensure that the food actually had a depth of flavour and taste.

The sausage roll was warmed up for me and it tasted OK, nothing exceptional, but for the price it seemed perfectly reasonable.

This is one of the stalls that I would come back to, I liked the friendly staff, the efficient service, the freshness of the food and most importantly of all, it tasted decent and was keenly priced. For a cafe set-up, I can see why this stall has clearly attracted itself some regular customers, I was suitably surprised and delighted. There’s some background to why the stall has the name it does at https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/obituaries/20994618.tributes-ruby-butcher-founded-popular-rubys-tea-stall-norwich-market/.

March 14, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Feast (Permanently Closed)

This was part of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year, but unfortunately the unit closed in January 2023. It sold burgers, hot dogs, dirty fries and the like, with the photos making the food look quite impressive. The Norwich market web-site is out-of-date and is showing it as still open and it’s not to be confused (as we momentarily were) with Indian Feast which is next door to where it was located.

March 14, 2023
Norwich – Bell Hotel

I haven’t written much about this JD Wetherspoon pub in Norwich, but since it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide I had better do so for completeness. It feels a long time ago now, but the above photo is from when the Bell Hotel was closed during lockdown, days I’m very much glad are in the past. This has been a hospitality venue in some form since 1485 and has been an important coaching inn over the centuries, but despite its name it hasn’t been a hotel for decades. JD Wetherspoon acquired the property in the 1990s and it was one of their first acquisitions outside of London, likely saving it from demolition. A few years ago there was a major expansion to the pub (and here are some photos of that, since I got to get a free meal and drink as part of their soft opening) which brought a former part of the hotel back into usage that had recently been used as offices by a bank.

And a little bit of history from the front of the pub. There’s a photo taken in 1938 by George Plunkett of the pub which is one of my favourites that he took, it’s a very different city today but the Bell is relatively untouched. As an aside, that balcony type structure has been removed from the front of the pub now, but in a photo from 1954 a bit is still remaining. I’m not sure if some of it fell off or something, but I’m quite intrigued by it.

This photo from 1936 interests me, I hadn’t realised that the hotel was previously in two bits. What is now the entrance to the lower bar was the entrance to the garages, along with its petrol pump, with that gap having now been filled in.

These are the only two old photos I’ve seen of inside of the Bell, with this old advert being on the JD Wetherspoon web-site.

This photo is from Norwich Heritage (I can’t link directly as it’s an image in a gallery) and shows The Bell before the tramways required the building to the left to be demolished.

I’ve many photos of the food here, but here’s once from 2017 when they still sold the pastrami bagel, which I think is one of the best things that they’ve sold.

The mushy peas are slightly splodged on, but I’m sure it tasted delicious.

And a breakfast from when they used to be more affordable, as there have been a series of price increases over recent months making everything more expensive.

Back to the beer and away from the food, there are usually seven or eight real ales available on a regularly changing basis. I’ve never had any issues with the beer here, it’s always well kept and at the appropriate temperature. At the time of writing they’ve got eight real ales on, with three of those being their staples of Greene King Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Greene King Abbot Ale. They’ve currently also got Adnams Ghost Ship, Beartown Bearskinful, Brains Rev James Original, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and Woodford’s Phoenix IPA.

This was one of my favourites that they had on a few weeks ago, the Red Herring from Green Jack Brewing in Lowestoft and it’s a Rauchbier.

The pub is relatively well reviewed and I think it’s the busiest of the JD Wetherspoon outlets in the city. Looking through the reviews:

“This used to be my favourite Wetherspoon restaurant in the city until yesterday when I came in with my family for a meal and I was welcomed by a living SNAIL on my bbq chicken pizza”.

That sounds exciting to be fair, I’ve never been served a snail in any JD Wetherspoon pub.

“After 22 years of not eating any animals, I was served chicken nuggets today at The Bell Hotel instead of quorn nuggets. I’ve never had quorn nuggets in Weatherspoon before and I have not eaten chicken for 22 years, so I have not realised what happened until the mistake was discovered after I have eaten some of the meal.”

That is far from ideal, although I have often been served the wrong meal in this chain, so I’m not entirely surprised. The mistakes that they make with my order don’t have the same impact as this customer.

“No wonder the owner wants European staff, they don’t understand the negative comments”.

Oh good, a bit of hatred and piffle thrown into the mix.

“I asked for a double jack and coke with no ice the guy put ice ion not a big issue but instead of making another one Jim I think he was called just put his hand in the drink picked the ice out and then gave it back to me what the hell and during a pandemic”

I’d like to think that this isn’t true.

“Ok if you are a non-smoker. 13 tables to choose from, 4 if you smoke. WOKE PUB”

Of all the pubs that is ‘woke’, it’s not ones operated by Tim Martin. Unfortunately, the chain decided to scrap their social media presence a few years ago, so none of these reviews are ever replied to.

Anyway, I digress. It’s a perfectly well managed pub from my experiences and there’s a choice of bars with a smaller one downstairs and the main one upstairs. There’s plenty of real ale and also craft beer, I suspect it’ll be remaining in the Good Beer Guide for some time to come.

March 9, 2023
Norwich – Coach and Horses (Bethel Street)

Working on my list of Good Beer Guide pubs that I’ve visited, I have been to the Coach and Horses in Bethel Street (not to be confused with the one on Thorpe Road which is also in the Good Beer Guide) many times before but for the purposes of this post I thought I’d visit again. It’s important to be professional with these things…. As a pre-warning, it is a Greene King pub, but as a spoiler, I’d say that it’s as good as a Greene King pub is going to be.

Seven real ales available, which is impressive by any measure and there was a wide choice of different beer styles.

The selection of real ales required two photos and as evidenced here, there was a real cider available as well. One problem with many Greene King pubs is that they sell one or two beers from their own brewery, including Greene King IPA, which don’t exactly surprise and delight. However, here there is an effort to source beers from local breweries with only two Greene King beers.

Given the pouring rain outside at the time, I went for a darker option which was half a pint of the Winter Porter from the Panther Brewery from Reepham. It was well-kept, at the appropriate chilled temperature and it had some chocolate notes which I approved of.

The service was personable and engaging, this felt a well-run pub with an inviting and warm atmosphere. It was surprisingly busy for a rainy afternoon, with perhaps six or so of the tables being occupied. They offer a tapas menu, which I’ve eaten from before and has been of a decent quality in the past and the prices for food and drink are moderate. It’s a very busy pub for pre-theatre drinks as the Theatre Royal is just around the corner, with plenty of lunchtime customers as well. The reviews on-line for the pub are excellent with few negativity from visitors.

I’ve sometimes seen Greene King pubs listed in the Good Beer Guide and I’ve struggled a little to wonder why. The situation at this pub is different given the wide range of ales and I also trust the CAMRA members in Norwich not to let any venues into the book which aren’t of a decent standard. There are some other little highlights in this pub as well, not least the bar billiards table which is always a positive in any venue. For those who need them there is also wi-fi and there are plenty of plug sockets to ensure devices can be kept fully charged. I can happily comment that this seems a well deserved entry into the Good Beer Guide.

March 9, 2023
Norwich – Brick Pizza

Brick Pizza was established in 2015 and this is a handy off-shoot of my planning to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year, as it’s not on the market itself but it overlooks it. To take the photo above I was standing in between two stalls, so this restaurant can get an honorary mention on my market post. Anyway, this is a long-standing pizza outlet that I’ve never managed to get around to going to before, with Richard fortunately not needing much persuasion to come along. The photo doesn’t really show that it was starting to snow relatively hard when we left the restaurant and the temperature was dipping somewhat.

Brick offers takeaway pizzas or there’s space for about 20 people inside, but it’s quite compact with four main tables and some higher seats overlooking the market. There was a fair turnover of customers during our visit to the restaurant even on a cold and snowy Wednesday evening. This part of the city is much busier during the day when the market and shops are open, with Brick being open from 12.00 until 22.00 on Tuesdays to Saturdays.

The pizza menu and orders are taken at the counter. The server was conversational and personable, the atmosphere inviting and informal. There was no loud music blaring out damaging the ambience and I liked how the welcome was always warm and immediate.

The drinks and sides menu.

I went for the Dynamite pizza which had salami, nduja sausage and chillies. I like the leopard spots and the toppings were generous, although for a pizza with the name that it has I did think that it could give a bit more heat. But still agreeable and prepared quickly in the wood-fired oven, it did have a depth of taste to it. The beer is Bitburger Premium Pils that they have on draft which was mediocre, but it’s only a small venue so it’s probably a reasonable choice as installing Funky Fluid and their exotic sours might seem a little out of place.

Richard wanted a decadent treat and went for the Emiliano which has toppings of Gorgonzola, mushrooms, rosemary and Norfolk ham. He seemed to be entirely satisfied with his choice, although he did say it wasn’t quite as rich in Gorgonzola as some previous similar pizzas he’s had. I was quite pleased at that, I’m not hugely keen on the small of Gorgonzola.

I liked it here, decent food, a friendly welcome, a clean environment and that sort of laid-back vibe that I like. For those who don’t want to visit in person, they do delivery and also sell frozen pizzas which are available at a number of food stockists across Norfolk and Suffolk. All very lovely.

March 8, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 5 and Henry’s Hog Roast

This is the fifth week of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year.

WEEK 5 : Henry’s Hog Roast

If I’m being honest, I did have some doubts about whether I’d enjoy the food here as I’m quite picky with pork in terms of fatty bits, although Nathan was much more excited about the whole arrangement. We had a bit of a wait in the queue as the customer in front ordered four pork rolls, but the owner was efficient at preparing them and it gave us some time to look at the food. Nathan listened in, as he’s like that, to the conversation the owner was having with them in front and his plans for the future. The welcome given to us was friendly and informal, it felt an inviting place with an owner who didn’t want to take life too seriously.

I think at busier times there might be a wider choice of meats, but it was best to try the food that the stall is known for. That food is pork served in a choice of roll with apple sauce, crackling and stuffing. The signage probably isn’t going to win any design awards, but it’s a market and it’s clear what they’re selling. Everything was clear and organised, with Nathan being right in saying that the owner has some decent knife skills.

There was a generous amount of pork and I was delighted, given how bloody picky I am, that the owner was careful to remove any fatty pieces before serving. I was relieved at this policy, the pork was tender and tasty and I didn’t have to pick any bits of fat out. I don’t like crackling, but Nathan excitedly had my bit which was included in the roll. It would be easy to fill this roll up with fatty and skinny bits, but the owner didn’t do that and so I was suitably impressed. Nathan took much longer to eat his roll than me, but I can add that he enjoyed it and was reminded of the many times that he’s visited in the past.

The roll costs £5 and I think that’s reasonable given the quality and quantity of the pork, as it can’t be cheap to buy these joints of meat in. It must also be a little difficult trying to ascertain how much meat to have prepared, although I assume that challenge becomes easier with experience. The stall accepts cash and cards, with the owner having a laid-back approach which came across to me as personable and welcoming. Nathan, who is a social butterfly, was busy socialising with him which was handy as it saved me doing it. All told, I would visit here again, it surpassed my expectations and that does explain why there was quite a queue forming behind us. Another recommended stall to eat at and I’m pleased to have tried it. For anyone who fancies a pork and crackling roll when they’re in Norwich, they could do far worse than come here.

March 7, 2023
Food from Every Stall on Norwich Market – Week 4 and A Taste of Punjab

This is the fourth week of our plan to eat at every food stall at Norwich market this year.

WEEK 4 : A Taste of Punjab

This is the menu for today’s dining at Norwich market, a range of meat and vegan dishes all clearly displayed and priced. This is one of those stalls where it’s easy to see what they’ve got available, which is much appreciated for me when I’m working out what to have. I did think that it was quite a wide selection given the small size of the unit that they have to work with.

There was only a brief wait for service at the counter and the server was polite and helpful. When I asked she mentioned that they did accept card payments, but they preferred cash so given that I decided to use my emergency cash supply if that’s what they preferred. At least there was a choice, although I must admit that I prefer to pay by card.

I went for the tarka dall which the menu stated came with a choice of rice or chapati, although I wasn’t offered that choice and was automatically given rice. This is much thinner than I’ve ever had tarka dall before and for my personal taste I think it needed some texture to it rather than being mostly liquid. I was offered coriander and chillies, both of which I accepted and the latter added some slight texture and spice to the whole arrangement. There probably could have been a greater depth of flavour as well and although I’m sure it was freshly made it didn’t have the richness of spice I would have ideally liked. The rice was cooked well, so that didn’t disappoint, with the portion size of the meal being reasonable and everything was at the appropriate hot temperature. I did consider adding on a chicken samosa, but they seem to only sell them in threes and I didn’t want that many.

And there’s Nathan’s vegetable biryani, which looked agreeable to me and he mentioned that it tasted very acceptable. The food was served promptly, near enough immediately for mine and Nathan’s was ready within around ninety seconds. There’s also a handy ledge, which was clean, to stand and eat at if required which proved useful for me to get started.

My food cost £6 which wasn’t unreasonable for a hot lunchtime snack, but I would have ideally liked something with more texture and a deeper level of flavours. I did like the taste of the meal and it was filling, so that’s all to the good. I wouldn’t be averse to visiting again though, perhaps next time going for the chicken biryani.

March 2, 2023