Tag: Norwich Market Food

This week’s visit to a food stall at Norwich market was Falafel and Friends, not one that I would have likely gone to outside of this project. My first impressions were positive, the signage was very clear on where to order and there was more clarity on this here than on any other stall I’ve visited at the market. This is a busy stall (I know this as I’ve sat eating chips opposite it for years) selling vegan food and they have burgers, hot dogs, wraps and the like.

The service was immediate and friendly, with the team member smiling and it all felt inviting. I thought that I’d go for the Kimchi Dog, but unfortunately they’d run out of that one. The team member suggested that I try the Buffalo Vegetarian Chicken Burger or the Sweet Potato Tempura Burger and in absence of knowing what else to order, I went for the latter. It cost £7.50 and the stall accepts cards and cash.

Customers are given a number which is then called out and I didn’t have long to wait (well, I did for James who was on some posh executive job) for the food. Customers were served in order and it all seemed organised and well managed.

My burger looked appetising and colourful with the bun being lightly toasted. The salad element added texture, particularly the cabbage, with the sweet chilli sauce providing plenty of flavour. The tempura batter also added texture and this was essential as the burger itself was soft, it was an interesting contrast. The cajun potatoes were salty and really quite sapid, I was suitably impressed and it did feel like comfort food.

In case anyone thinks that this photography is a step up for me, this is the photo that James took of his wrap. James went to the counter confused, as he often does, and the team member pretty much told him what he was going to order which worked well for all concerned. He was also pleased with the food, although we had to hide from the staff at the neighbouring Lucy’s Chips who must feel that we’ve completely abandoned them over recent months.

But, back to the beginning and when I mentioned this isn’t likely where I’d think to visit, but it was all better than I had anticipated. There was a depth of flavour to the food, it was well presented and the service was friendly and engaging. Definitely one of the better stalls that we’ve visited and there are some other tempting items that I might come back to try. I’m pleased to have been here and I’m reminded why I’m an advocate of forcing myself to try somewhere new.

I’m getting towards the end of my attempt to eat at every food stall at Norwich Market and this week it was the Italian Street Food outlet. They sell quite a range of different food given the size of the stall, including pizzas, burgers and calzones (or calzoni, I’m never sure). I wasn’t sure how hungry I’d be as it was Nathan’s big 30th birthday party the night before, but as soon as I arrived at the stall I was confident that I could manage a pizza.

The stall was busy when we arrived and although the team members were occupied with preparing food, the service was prompt and efficient. James and I both went for the pepperoni pizza which I thought was reasonably priced at £9. We were pro-actively told that there was a delay on food service of around fifteen minutes because it was busy, but that didn’t seem excessive and I was grateful to be told in advance. The stall accepts cards and cash, with the ordering process all feeling well managed. It also was evidently a popular stall judging by the number of customers, they’ve built up something of a reputation over the last couple of years.

They kept us informed about the order’s progress and we then meandered over to Castle Gardens as there’s no seating at the stall. This was a very good pizza, leopard spotting as I like and it looked authentic. The tomato sauce was rich and the pepperoni was suitably tasty. There were no real negatives, although as a matter of personal taste the cheese wasn’t quite as I’d like as it seemed just slightly rubbery, but it was still of a good quality and the pizza was enjoyable. The base of the pizza was thin, as I like it, and it tasted authentically Italian.

James added to the whole excitement by getting pizza stuck in his throat, just a week after he managed to nearly choke on bubble tea. I appreciate the risks to his personal safety to ensure that this market visit process can be concluded. I’d add that James was also satisfied with the pizza and speaking positively about the whole arrangement. He did mention black pepper would have been a useful addition and I agreed with him, remembering that I had a little sachet in my bag and that met my needs. It didn’t meet his as I only had one sachet, but he should come prepared.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this visit and I’ll likely be back to try the other options, not least the chicken burger which I saw someone else have and it looked tempting and appetising. The team members were friendly, the service was efficient, the prices were reasonable and the pizza was of a good quality.

It’s week 23 of my eating at every food stall at Norwich Market, this expedition was to Thai Bubble Tea. They specialise in, it’s no surprise to note, bubble tea which first became rather on-trend in the UK during 2021 and 2022, with many shops popping up.

The menu board which seems clear, although I must admit that these drinks are somewhat alien to me. However, nothing ventured and nothing gained with there being plenty of choice. Indeed, one of the advantages with this arrangement is the variety that can be offered in a single drink, something which might encourage customers to return. As I understand, the drink has a tea base which is then mixed with milk and a little ice, with the popping balls then added.

The stall isn’t entirely logically laid out as food service is from the other side only despite menu boards being located on all sides. I didn’t realise this, although then another customer told me as she said she’d found out the hard way. James went around to order for us whilst I reserved the seating, but better signage might prevent the confusion. I’m not sure that James knew what he was doing either, but the team member was helpful and patient, guiding him through the ordering process.

I’m sure that there was almost some alchemy going on here, with so many ingredients around the place.

Not really knowing what I was doing, I ordered the banana milk tea, but I was asked what popping balls I wanted in it and so I went for blueberry without realising I had a choice.

James went for a waffle and the bit I tried seemed to taste fine, although I think he had hoped for something slightly more decadent and rich in flavour. What was evident at this stage was the long delays in service, with the sole team member having taken 19 minutes to serve this.

29 minutes after ordering, my drink arrived. I felt sorry for the sole team member as she seemed to be managing things efficiently and remembering who had ordered what. I wasn’t in any great hurry, but I think some sort of warning of service times might have been useful as this is by far the longest we’ve waited at any market stall.

But, onto the drink. It’s an odd experience as I’ve never had bubble tea before, but the little bubbles (which are more precisely known as tapioca balls) at the bottom go shooting up the straw and they then burst. In terms of adding texture and innovation to a drink I found them rather appealing and the rest of the drink was just a tasty banana milkshake. The drink cost £4.50 and they accepted card purchases.

James was worried about choking on the popping balls and then promptly nearly did as we walked back, adding to everyone’s amusement, or perhaps it would be better to say bemusement. I will say that as soon as there’s no liquid left, they do become more of a challenge to deal with. It’s fair to say that these drinks should be consumed carefully by children or irresponsible adults, preferably under the supervision of a responsible adult.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience but thought that that the service time was excessive for a market stall where no warning was given of the potential wait. I liked the engagement of the team member and she was working hard, although ideally there would have been someone to help here. The stall was clean throughout and everything seemed organised, with the atmosphere feeling inviting and warm. It’s not necessarily something that I’d rush to again, but I enjoyed the experience and it’s worth trying at least once.

When Nathan and I started our challenge of eating at every food stall at Norwich market, James questioned what the point was as we should just declare Lucy’s chips the winner straight away. Nathan, quite correctly and soberly, thought it was probably better to visit all of the food stalls before making that judgement. Rolling on, it’s James that I’m now completing these visits with and it’s the first time that one of the two Lucy’s stalls has come up. I had high hopes, James and I have been visiting Lucy’s for some considerable time, albeit the other stall that they operate on the market.

The food items, which give the option of pies, mushy pies and sausages to the core food group that is chips. I hadn’t realised that they had partly branded this as a mushy peas stall and I was tempted to go for that, but then I saw the butcher’s sausage and remember how much I like that. So many choices….

I saw the Steak & Guinness pie that comes with gravy and chips for £5.50. I had to go with that, as gravy is the best thing to go with chips and the pie sounded suitably decadent. The service was friendly, even when I got muddled up with the ordering and tried to order a Steak & Kidney pie, which isn’t something they do. They accept cash and cards, with the whole process being efficient and timely even though I confused it somewhat along the way.

As for the food, this was on point and just what I consider market cuisine should be like. The pie is locally sourced, it had generous amounts of tender steak in and the sauce had a richness of taste to it. The gravy complemented the chips beautifully and this was a filling and suitably decadent lunch. For the money they’re charging, this is very competitive.

James went for the chips with curry sauce, he’s a bit more modern in his tastes than I am, I’ve decided I might make a move permanently to gravy with chips (I’ll have to break that gently to James, we’ve been doing curry sauce for decades and the change might shock him). James was surprised and delighted with his meal. Well, not necessarily surprised as he’s had their chips around 500 times, but definitely delighted.

It’s not a great photo unfortunately, but there are some doughnuts for dessert as well, but I felt I had eaten enough already at this point. We were able to eat at the stall as they had a ledge to lean on, with everything clean and organised. The standards were as we hoped for and this is definitely a contender in being the best stall at Norwich Market. All really rather lovely and it’ll come as no surprise that I recommend this delightful food stall.

It’s week 21 of my visiting every food stall on Norwich market and today’s expedition was to Tasty House (the more formal name is Tasty House South East Asian Street Food Emporium) which specialises in Asian street food including Thai and Chinese.

The menu is relatively extensive with some daily changing specials. There are some traditional dishes, vegan & vegetarian options and sides such as spring rolls. The menu and the pricing should be visible by zooming into the above image on Flickr.

I know it’s not something that I mention often as I don’t like to moan or complain, but it’s too hot in Norwich at the moment. So given that, I went for a Dr. Pepper as a refreshing cool drink. Oh, and the food, I went for the Chicken Green Curry with sticky rice. The regular size which I went for was £7, although there was a large for £8.50, with options also of Jasmine rice or noodles.

The kitchen area and the food was served promptly, but I had a minute or two to wait as James was allowing other people to be served before him in the queue. He’s very much a gentleman…. The stall usually takes card payments, but their machine wasn’t working today and so it was fortunate that we both had cash available.

I started to eat whilst standing at the counter, but a helpful team member mentioned there was a seating area at the end of the stall they run opposite. That stall specialises in serving Asian ingredients, with the back of some of the shelves visible in the above photo.

But, back to the food, which I thought was a sufficiently generous portion for the money. I liked the food, with the chicken being tender and moist whilst also still full of flavour. The sauce had a depth of taste with some heat to it, which I thought was appropriate for a green curry. The rice was sticky as expected, with everything being at the appropriate hot temperature. I felt full at the end of this meal, which isn’t always the case by any means, with the standard of the food being higher than I had expected. There was a small salad included, which wasn’t offensive (well, not more than a salad usually is) but it wilted rather quickly on the warm rice. Also, although the curry sauce was a little thin, that meant that it soaked up the rice well giving extra flavour to the whole arrangement.

James went for the crispy chicken which is deep fried in batter with a spicy sauce. Perhaps not ideally moist, James likes the crispiness to the chicken and the flavour of the spicy sauce. It likely wasn’t as spicy as he wanted, since he could do the One Chip Challenge about eight times over, but he was content and sufficiently surprised and delighted.

Back to the service, this was pro-active, friendly and confident. I stood in the wrong place to order, but that was because I’m an idiot rather than because it wasn’t clear. The team members were helpful and they mentioned the seating area, also noticing that we needed to throw the litter away at the end and they came to James’s aid. I felt welcome throughout and the surroundings were clean and comfortable. The food was excellent, they had cold Dr. Pepper and this is a stall that I’d merrily visit again and recommend because it felt reassuringly competent.

This week’s expedition on my quest to visit every food stall on Norwich Market was Coral Bay which offers Caribbean food. It’s not a cuisine that I know particularly well, other than some visits to the national Turtle Bay chain and a few pub meals over the years, but it’s always appealed.

The menu and we went for two Jerk Chicken meals for £13 as part of the lunch deal. The service was efficient, prompt and warm with no waiting time when we ordered. The stall accepts card and cash with everything looked clean and organised.

The patties in the warmer. The signage at the stall notes that this is a family operated business and they also have a restaurant in Gorleston.

There are sauces to add to the food which we took advantage of to further spice up proceedings.

The jerk chicken was served with salad, coleslaw and rice. The chicken was tender, moist and just fell off the bone which was all rather delightful. I was also pleased that the chicken skin was crispy, just as I like it. The coleslaw was creamy, the salad added texture and the rice handily absorbed all the BBQ and hot sauce I poured on it. There are a couple of seats at the end of the stall for customers so we sat there to eat the food, since I’m paranoid about the seagulls swooping down as soon as I leave the safe confines of the market.

This was one of my favourite meals at the market as it was reasonably priced, the menu looked interesting and the quality was high. James also viewed the meal positively and he appreciated the availability of hot sauce, since that’s something that he drinks throughout the day in the way that others drink water. Other customers were offered a loyalty card which we weren’t, but there was an inviting feel to the whole arrangement so I’d happily recommend it to others.

As an aside, we’ve only got seven venues left to try now, including both of the chips stalls operated by Lucy’s, which is where James and I have been eating for what seems like a decade. Will our traditional favourite win through, or have we been so surprised and delighted by the other stalls that we’ll be looking for pastures new? The anticipation is building…. (well, it isn’t as no-one is likely to care about this, but I like a little bit of drama).

Week 19 and my plan to eat at every Norwich Market food stall saw us visiting Reggies, which has been going for more than 60 years and is something of a staple of the market.

The stall’s clear and well presented menu, but they have a set-up which means it’s not entirely clear where you’re supposed to stand to order. On the plus side there are numerous ledges to lean on so there’s no need to leave the area and risk seagull attack to eat the food. The set-up meant it took them a while to notice me but the service was polite and I went for a BLT sandwich. It cost £3.50 and they accept cards and cash, with everything feeling clean and ordered.

James did think about getting that Reggie’s Belly Buster, but he went for a less decadent bacon and sausage sandwich instead. My BLT roll was served promptly, but I’m afraid that I may have been rather spoiled by Deb’s a couple of weeks before. The set-up there meant I could ask if they could cook the bacon a little longer as I like it crispy and they pro-actively offered to remove the fat which was marvellous but not something I’d ever ask to be done for me unless asked. This roll had two pieces of bacon, of which one was slightly grey, and it was just a little overly fatty for my own tastes (which are quite specialist I confess) and I can’t say it had much depth of taste. The tomato was quite soft and it did have some flavour, but the lettuce was only just present. There was nothing specifically wrong with the whole arrangement, but it wasn’t for me.

Although the whole set-up wasn’t for me, I will have to caveat this by noting the market stall is popular and given they’ve been going for decades they clearly know what they’re doing. But these market tours are something of a voyage of discovery and each stall will cater for the needs of particular customers and I think Deb’s is the venue serving this type of food that has surprised and delighted me the most. However, I’m sure there are some wonderful breakfast items at Reggie’s and a visit here is still recommended so that everyone else can find the market stall much suited to them.

And next up in my series of eating at every food stall at Norwich market which is ‘And Eat It’ who specialise in homemade cookies, cakes and brownies.

I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth (although I can eat eight chicken bakes from Greggs, such is my savoury tooth) and so a lunch of a cake isn’t what I would usually opt for, but this market food investigation has to be rigorous and thorough with those filled cookies being particularly tempting. I narrowed my choice down to between the Lemon Meringue and the Milky Way options, with the latter proving to be the one which sounded the most decadent to me.

The welcome was immediate and friendly, although I was a little surprised that when James asked for a recommendation they didn’t explain what was available meaning he only discovered too late that there was an option he would have rather gone for. I was intrigued at just how wide the range was, there’s no shortage of choice here. It was an inviting and informal stand, I can imagine children must be surprised and delighted when they walk by here. I was overcharged, but the team members resolved it quickly and they accept cards and cash. Everything looked spotlessly clean and organised, with the cakes all being well presented.

The Rocky Road options, which is what James would have opted for if he had seen them. He likes bricks of chocolate, whereas I have a more delicate requirement. The slices of cookie pies are visible on the bottom shelf and they looked decadent for those who like big heaps of sugary treats. I did think that some of those product names might get Julian another Facebook ban if he posted about them.

My Milky Bar option with the cookie element seeming fresh and it had the rich taste that I had expected. I hadn’t expected the centre of the cookie itself to also replicate the Milky Bar, meaning it had a deeper depth of taste than I had anticipated. Although I inevitably felt the sugar rush, it didn’t taste too sickly or sweet, I thought that the overall flavour worked well. This cost £3 and I felt that was entirely reasonable given the quality of the food, so no complaints here on that.

James went for the Toblerone and Daim cookie, which he was complimentary about and I felt that it was the option that Alan Partridge would have gone for as well.

Overall, this stall has a strong reputation and they have been going for several years. The quality of the food was high with plenty of options. For anyone wanting to buy a present for someone, this is an ideal choice and I can imagine most children and chocolate lovers would be suitably and delighted by the gift. Gifting food treats is never easy, it wouldn’t feel appropriate to dump some chips on someone, but this kind of decadent treat is far more acceptable. Anyway, I digress. It’s not quite what I’d order for lunch under normal circumstances, but it was an enjoyable treat which highlights the range of food that is available at Norwich Market.

The latest in our expedition around Norwich market stalls was Deb’s which specialises in burgers, breakfast rolls and the like, perhaps the sort of location that many people would associate with the market. First impressions were positive, it looked clean and organised, with the team member coming straight over to welcome us.

I ordered a bacon roll which is always slightly risky for me in culinary terms as I don’t like how places such as Greggs serve the bacon, which is effectively near raw in my eyes and attached to a heap of fat. I don’t want any Ed Miliband moments with bacon rolls. I accept I’m just being very picky, but I thought I’d ask here if they’d cook the bacon a little longer for me. To my surprise and delight, they pro-actively offered to remove the fat without me mentioning that, as well as checking how crispy I wanted the bacon. I’ve never had such a cooked to order bacon roll before, this was a delightful piece of customer engagement as far as I was concerned and the server mentioned she likes bacon cooked the same way. And she’s absolutely right with that.

That bacon is served perfectly and I merrily put lots of ketchup on. This is a proper market roll from a proper market stall. They accepted cards and it came to £3.80, which I felt was entirely reasonable as there was plenty of bacon in the roll. This was like Americans serve their bacon, which is crispy and firm, no limpness here. The bun was light and fresh, it might not be exotic but this was a simple pleasure I can say.

James went for a bacon, sausage and egg roll, which he spoke highly of although in a perfect world he would have preferred a runnier egg. However, for next time, I’m sure that they’d cook everything just as he wanted it, this felt like that sort of place. James seemed to feel the need to pay immediately when they didn’t seem hurried, whereas I was already halfway through eating my bacon roll and conscious I’d pay when they asked. No point in delaying eating, especially when the bacon looked so delicious.

The server was conversational, engaging and pro-active, this was a laid-back and inviting stall. There are ledges around the outside of the stall for people to eat at and the food was served on proper little plates. It’s a small element of luxury in what is a traditional market stall that I’m looking forwards to returning to. Definitely one of my favourite stalls so far in this experiment. All very lovely.

Next in our series of visiting every food stall at Norwich Market was Bun Box, which occupies four stalls and aims to offer traditional Japanese food. It expanded from its smaller outlet at the market and has attracted somewhat of a loyal following from what I’ve heard, so my expectations were high.

The clearly laid out menu, which consists of primarily of buns and rice bowls. The service was fast and efficient, with the stall accepting cards and cash. Everything looked clean and organised, but the stall doesn’t have anywhere to stand or lean on to eat the food. They did have some folding ledges, but they weren’t in use when we visited. As an aside, the number of seagulls seems to have increased at the market recently, so I still don’t dare leave the confines of the stalls with food.

I went for the chicken katsu bun which cost £4.50 and although it’s a little difficult to judge from the photo, it is relatively small so they needed to deliver on quality if not quantity. The bun had the appropriate light texture, with the chicken being cooked well and crispy on the exterior. The sauce wasn’t particularly punchy and I couldn’t taste any pickled ginger, so there wasn’t much depth of taste to the whole arrangement. Using the comparison of other stalls on the market, the prices were also towards the higher end of the scale, although not entirely unreasonable.

Trying to be as positive as I can, but I can’t say that my high expectations were met here. JD Wetherspoon, who aren’t necessarily a bastion of food quality, sell bao buns now at half the price charged here and their quality I have to regretfully note as better with a wider range of flavours and tastes. James ordered the same as me so I can’t comment separately, although I wondered if perhaps the pork bun might have worked a little better for me as that seemed to have some stronger tasting ingredients.

However, the stall was busy and they’re clearly surprising and delighting customers on a regular basis. I can’t say that I was ever particularly bowled over with bao buns when I was in China, but I did have higher expectations from this stall. At some stage we’ll revisit all of the stalls and I think that I’ll opt for something like the chicken katsu curry which might have a greater depth of flavour. Hopefully I’ll get to visit them again soon, as I’m always ready to find a different menu item which I might fall in love with.