I have returned-ed!
Recently, I heard that a little-known coffee shop and restaurant called the Milkmaid served the best fish and chips in the Exeter area. As fish and chips is one of my favourite meals, I could hardly resist the temptation to see if it could beat the current record holder: the unnamed Polsloe Bridge chip shop. But an even greater oppurtunity was in Exeter at the same time.
The Exeter Food and Drink Festival was in town, at the Northernhay Park near the public library, and even though the Milkmaid was supposed to be amazing, the Food and Drink Festival would only be here for 3 days. However, I eventually decided to go to the Milkmaid instead. The price of the ticket to go to the festival was £7.50, which does not seem too much, but taking into account the fact that you would want to buy food in there as well, I thought I would be better off at the Milkmaid. And I am glad I went.
The place is just by Cathedral Green, just next to Cafe Rouge (a considerably less interesting establishment, and no mistake). The restaurant is situated above the coffee shop, and the atmosphere in two different sections is noticeable, and in a way that favours the restaurant. The setting was immaculate, and most of the tables were taken up when I arrived. Service was swift and efficient, but it was a little unnerving being waited by people my age who I was sure I had seen before and had probably been clumsily insulted by.
But enough about that. The "Catch of the Day" was haddock, and when it arrived alongside a good sized portion of chips and a blissfully non-mushy pile of peas, it certainly looked more appealing than the hastily hashed together orders at the Polsloe take-away. After squeezing on some ice cold lemon juice and adding some more condiments, I tucked into the fish, and was veeeery glad I chose to go to the Milkmaid. The batter was not too fatty, but instead crispy and crunchy, and the haddock simply could not have been fried better. It flaked off in the way all fish should, and the lemon juice added a sharp zing to it that really deepened the flavour. The chips were a little underfried, but I myself like my chips as I like my steak; well seasoned, rarely done and abundant on the plate. Instead of lemon juice, the main taste augment was the tomato ketchup, that always tastes better on rare chips. Finally, the peas were not buttered or mushed, thankfully, and their moistness off-setted the dry fish and chips nicely.
Overall, I think the praisers are right; the Milkmaid really does make the best fish and chips in the Exeter area. No dispute. Ever. And anyone who disagrees is a heretic.
A footnote: I am in the process of making a series of reviews called A Taste of Wales, chronicling the restaurants that I had the pleasure of eating at during a family holiday to Snowdonia. For now, ciao!
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Monday, 25 March 2013
The Thirsty Farmer, Whimple
Sorry I haven't posted in a long time, as I have had nowhere to review for quite some time, but as I am going to Wales over Easter, I will have lots of things to say about the food there. But enough about that.
The Thirsty Farmer is a quaint little pub that can be seen as you enter the village of Whimple. It is a friendly place, with an atmosphere that can only come with years of good service. The staff are patient and friendly, and the chairs are comfortable, which is an often overlooked thing I value anywhere, especially somewhere like a pub. The lunch menu was extremely limited, but what was on there looked reasonably priced and rather inviting. I chose to have a personal favourite of mine, ham, egg and chips. The service was commendable, much faster than a lot of places I have visited. When it arrived, the portion was of a kind of size that can be expected from a typical pub: not huge, but not pipsqueak either, just enough to fill you up. And fill me up it did.
The 2 fried eggs were better than at most places, seeing as they were hot, sufficiently solid and able to have chips dunked in the yolk, which are essentially my criteria for a good fried egg. Speaking of which, the chips were crunchy and thick, like you would expect them to be in a village pub. The texture of the chips along with the delightful taste made me savour every bite, and the ham did not disappoint either. It was tender, perfectly cooked and there was plenty of it, and often I would get a mixture of the three and enjoy the contrast of the tender meat, the crunchy potato and the excellently fried egg.
I must say, the Thirsty Farmer is one of a dying breed; a village pub that is doing well for itself. What with taxes and things ruining the old pubs of yore, it is good to see these establishments alive and kicking. And what a shining example it is.
The Thirsty Farmer is a quaint little pub that can be seen as you enter the village of Whimple. It is a friendly place, with an atmosphere that can only come with years of good service. The staff are patient and friendly, and the chairs are comfortable, which is an often overlooked thing I value anywhere, especially somewhere like a pub. The lunch menu was extremely limited, but what was on there looked reasonably priced and rather inviting. I chose to have a personal favourite of mine, ham, egg and chips. The service was commendable, much faster than a lot of places I have visited. When it arrived, the portion was of a kind of size that can be expected from a typical pub: not huge, but not pipsqueak either, just enough to fill you up. And fill me up it did.
The 2 fried eggs were better than at most places, seeing as they were hot, sufficiently solid and able to have chips dunked in the yolk, which are essentially my criteria for a good fried egg. Speaking of which, the chips were crunchy and thick, like you would expect them to be in a village pub. The texture of the chips along with the delightful taste made me savour every bite, and the ham did not disappoint either. It was tender, perfectly cooked and there was plenty of it, and often I would get a mixture of the three and enjoy the contrast of the tender meat, the crunchy potato and the excellently fried egg.
I must say, the Thirsty Farmer is one of a dying breed; a village pub that is doing well for itself. What with taxes and things ruining the old pubs of yore, it is good to see these establishments alive and kicking. And what a shining example it is.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
The Hungry Horse Exmouth
This picturesque seaside pub is perfectly placed facing towards the sea, and like Wetherspoon's, it is one of the chain pubs I have a habit of reviewing. Rather than the rather stingy portions you get at some places, the Hungry Horse has a habit of filling you plate in such a way that a mere mortal cannot eat it all. But I have an enourmous appetite, so I gave it a go.
I was met by an absolute monster of a portion. My typical order is a mixed grill, but I saw someone else order it ad it looked more calorific than my sister, so I ordered the beer battered fish and chips: appropriate for a seaside pub. I ended up with a fish so massive I was worried that I would cut into it and find Jonah, with a mountain of chunky chips and a large puddle of buttered peas. I had survived the gigantic portions at Harry Ramsden's (to be reviewed soonish), but this was something very different.
The cod was excellently cooked, with a thin and crispy layer of batter covering the massive portion. The batter was without fat build up inside, and the fish was delightfully flaky. The chips were slightly overcooked, but nonetheless well-fried, and the peas were firm and sweet. The only shame was the fact that I could not eat it all.
Overall, the Hungry Horse is a fantastic place to eat, albeit a tad pricey. Service was fast and polite, and the food was prime. But there is too much of it. Far too much.
I was met by an absolute monster of a portion. My typical order is a mixed grill, but I saw someone else order it ad it looked more calorific than my sister, so I ordered the beer battered fish and chips: appropriate for a seaside pub. I ended up with a fish so massive I was worried that I would cut into it and find Jonah, with a mountain of chunky chips and a large puddle of buttered peas. I had survived the gigantic portions at Harry Ramsden's (to be reviewed soonish), but this was something very different.
The cod was excellently cooked, with a thin and crispy layer of batter covering the massive portion. The batter was without fat build up inside, and the fish was delightfully flaky. The chips were slightly overcooked, but nonetheless well-fried, and the peas were firm and sweet. The only shame was the fact that I could not eat it all.
Overall, the Hungry Horse is a fantastic place to eat, albeit a tad pricey. Service was fast and polite, and the food was prime. But there is too much of it. Far too much.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
The Malt House Exeter
So, hello there, all 15 of you who can be bothered to look at this. My first review. My first grilling. And ironically, it is a grill.
The Malt House Grill in Exeter is part of the Harvester chain of pubs. As my sister put it, it is the B&Q of the pub world. Like Wetherspoon's it can be normally be relied upon to make excellent pub grub. One of the slightly sad things about holidays in Britain is that no matter where you go, you always seem to end up in either a Harvester, Wetherspoon's or Beefeater, depending on how classy you are. The Malt House is no exception normally.
With its expensive, but reasonably large portions, you look at the food and think it is absolutely top-notch. For £12 I got a full-size mixed grill, an absolutely delicious pot of BBQ dip, a good-sized portion of chips, and the house's signature bottomless salad. All great on paper, but I was not so sure when I tasted it.
The grilled half-tomato was almost raw, and the chips were half-cooked, although when drenched in the succulent BBQ sauce, they tasted alright. The fried egg was unremarkable, so, like all fried eggs that are neither amazing nor HARIBO, it went down like a chunk of rubber. The single sausage was great, albeit blackened, and the bacon was really something too, especially when I drowned it in BBQ sauce. The other meats (chicken and beefsteak) were nothing special, but I tolerated them. And the salad. Let's just say, it varies.
If my meal was the rule, rather than the exception, it just might be tolerable, but my mixed grill was the best meal out of the four that my family ordered. My grandparents both ordered medium-rare sirloin steaks, but my grandma got a well-done fillet steak, and my grandpa ended up with a charred steak of which the kind was unidentifiable. My sister's children's meal was the worst, with only six chips, a cold black sausage, and congealed baked beans to speak of.
I think it depends on what you have (if you must, I recommend the mixed grill) at the Malt House, but its quality is not of the standard one would expect in a chain pub. In the area, there are many eateries (the Prospect Inn is a good start), but I would say that The Malt House is not one of the better ones.
Till next time!
Me.
The Malt House Grill in Exeter is part of the Harvester chain of pubs. As my sister put it, it is the B&Q of the pub world. Like Wetherspoon's it can be normally be relied upon to make excellent pub grub. One of the slightly sad things about holidays in Britain is that no matter where you go, you always seem to end up in either a Harvester, Wetherspoon's or Beefeater, depending on how classy you are. The Malt House is no exception normally.
With its expensive, but reasonably large portions, you look at the food and think it is absolutely top-notch. For £12 I got a full-size mixed grill, an absolutely delicious pot of BBQ dip, a good-sized portion of chips, and the house's signature bottomless salad. All great on paper, but I was not so sure when I tasted it.
The grilled half-tomato was almost raw, and the chips were half-cooked, although when drenched in the succulent BBQ sauce, they tasted alright. The fried egg was unremarkable, so, like all fried eggs that are neither amazing nor HARIBO, it went down like a chunk of rubber. The single sausage was great, albeit blackened, and the bacon was really something too, especially when I drowned it in BBQ sauce. The other meats (chicken and beefsteak) were nothing special, but I tolerated them. And the salad. Let's just say, it varies.
If my meal was the rule, rather than the exception, it just might be tolerable, but my mixed grill was the best meal out of the four that my family ordered. My grandparents both ordered medium-rare sirloin steaks, but my grandma got a well-done fillet steak, and my grandpa ended up with a charred steak of which the kind was unidentifiable. My sister's children's meal was the worst, with only six chips, a cold black sausage, and congealed baked beans to speak of.
I think it depends on what you have (if you must, I recommend the mixed grill) at the Malt House, but its quality is not of the standard one would expect in a chain pub. In the area, there are many eateries (the Prospect Inn is a good start), but I would say that The Malt House is not one of the better ones.
Till next time!
Me.
Friday, 4 January 2013
Greetings from Me.
I intend to, on this fine site, post 2 different things:
1) Criticism of various restaurants.
2) Recipes, which either me or my dad use to great effect.
If anyone has any particular things they want me to have a look at, I will do so.
If not, I will just review everything I see fit.
Ha-hey! See you later!
Me.
I intend to, on this fine site, post 2 different things:
1) Criticism of various restaurants.
2) Recipes, which either me or my dad use to great effect.
If anyone has any particular things they want me to have a look at, I will do so.
If not, I will just review everything I see fit.
Ha-hey! See you later!
Me.
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