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Vegan food is really on the up in Birmingham and I’ve been invited to sample the cuisine of a few vegan establishments in recent months.  I’m finding within my circle of friends that more people are adopting the vegan diet or simply incorporating more vegan food into their lifestyle these days.  After all as my dining companion, my 10-year-old son, said ‘vegan food is just food’ and it is that simple.  There’s every reason to try to include some vegan options in our diets whether it’s for health reasons, animal welfare concerns, thinking of the environment or just fancying a bit of a change.

Fressh has recently set up in City Arcade (right at the Union Street end near W H Smiths, Sainsburys and Poundland).  It’s really centrally located so it’s perfect if you want a bite to eat while you are out shopping or you pop out of work for some lunch. Sit by the window if you fancy doing a little people watching while you eat, but you can take away your food if you prefer. The decor is really ‘fresh’ too with lots of white and clean lines.  In fact, we got a really fun, fresh vibe from the cafe.

The menu is simple and pared down.  Until 11am there’s a breakfast menu available which looked interesting, but we were there for lunch. We liked the names of the burgers: I had a What the Guac and my son had a Son of a Bun. We paired up our burgers (which can be gluten-free on request) with some Baked Skin On Fries, but there are also Baked Kale Fries available.  Our burgers were packed full of flavour and they made a good hearty lunch, which we needed as we had been doing plenty of walking that morning. We certainly didn’t miss the meat or the dairy products.

To wash our food down I had the Organic Coconut Water which I find very hydrating without making me feel I have water sloshing around inside. My guest for the day had Homemade Lemonade, a traditional lemonade with lots of lemony flavour which is just the way he likes it.

The staff are friendly, helpful and eager to please.  From what I overheard when I was eating they seemed knowledgeable about the food and able to answer any questions.

Filled fresh pasta is a bit of a family staple in this house and it makes a quick and easy meal, when we are short on time.  I love the fact that they are cooked almost instantly and usually they don’t need a lot of sauce because of the filling.

Dell’ Ugo send me some samples to try and we tried them out for a family meal.  I think though that they are a bit of a grown up sort of taste experience and would be better served to adults. There are some strong tastes and flavours in the range and they might not suit children.

My pick of the bunch was the Asparagus and Mozzarella with Lemon Butter.  These ingredients are basically some of my favourite foods and it’s a great combination of flavours. The pack came with the filled fresh pasta and a little pack of flavoured butter.  After you have drained the pasta, you melt the butter in the pan and return the pasta to the pan to coat the parcels with the sauce. Then serve with parmesan and/or black pepper to your personal taste. I really enjoyed this bowl, although there was slightly too much butter for me and I didn’t feel I needed any parmesan.

Next up was the Goat’s Cheese and Beetroot with Mint Butter variety. This was less successful for me. There was too much butter by quite a long way so it was very greasy and with parmesan as well it was over done.  I wish I’d left the parmesan off as you don’t really need it with the goat’s cheese.

There are 5 fresh pasta meals in the Dell’Ugo range, so there will be one to suit most people.  I liked the fact that you don’t need to buy a separate sauce. It all comes included.

I was invited along to try the cuisine at Tamatanga on Navigation Street in Birmingham.  Obviously here in Birmingham we are well endowed with Indian restaurants, so I was keen to see if Tamatanga could add something new to the mix of Indian dining establishments.

The decor is the first thing that strikes you as you go into Tamatanga.  As you can see it’s quite striking and not what you expect from a traditional curry house and that’s because it’s not, so don’t expect to find any flock wallpaper here. It’s a very modern vibe and generally very comfortable, although the seating in our section was either a little too big for the area, or maybe it needed one less table as it was a little difficult for the waiting staff to get past as the restaurant filled up. I really liked the colourful look and I think it made it clear that the food here was going to be a little bit different and certainly have a modern twist.

We started the evening sampling the cocktail menu.  I do find that cocktails go nicely with Asian cuisine and generally pick something long and refreshing to drink like this Berry Bombay cocktail made from vodka and pink lemonade with plenty of berries.  There’s plenty of choice on the drinks menu including a range of craft beers including Tailgate Peanut Butter Milk Stout which I wish I’d spotted earlier as I’d have liked to give it a go.

For my main course I picked out the Tamatanga Salmon and I wasn’t disappointed.  It was wonderfully moist and aromatic. It’s a salmon fillet that’s cooked with a light and fresh blend of tamatanga’s spices and served with their in-house tamatanga chutney.

As ever lots of goodies in this month’s Degustabox.  I’d never thought of making my own egg custard, but Green’s Egg Custard Mix makes that easy.  Another thing that makes cooking easy is this Knorr Concentrated Stock which is perfect for adding to stews or bolognese sauce to add extra meaty flavour.  Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna Steaks are ranked number one in the US by Greenpeace for sustainability which is good to know.  I try to make sure all my fish comes from sustainable sources.

Latin American Kitchen by Santa Maria is the perfect thing for those evenings when you need to prepare your food fast.  There are five different flavours of rice and five different flavours of sauce to choose from, so there’s plenty of variety.

I’d never really thought about beer having gluten in it, but this San Miguel beer is gluten-free, which is great for those who enjoy a beer and have problems with gluten. Cheerios Oat Crisp makes a crunchy start to the day and it contains beta-glucan from oat fibre which is good for the heart as it helps reduce cholesterol.  It’s good that there is such a range of dairy free alternatives to milk now.  In this Degustabox we get to try Dream Ancient Grains made from a blend of oat, spelt, buckwheat and linseed.  I have a full value voucher to try out Seriously Spreadable Squares which are great for picnics or lunch boxes and they are made from tangy Scottish cheddar. Virtue Energy Water is a naturally sugar-free energy drink with the same amount of natural caffeine as a cup of coffee. Some lovely treats too in this month’s box like the Mentos Mint Mix Sharing Pouch and the Green & Black’s Velvet Edition (I’m not prepared to share that one).

We decided to try out a balti house in the famous Birmingham Balti Triangle. For those not in the know, the word ‘balti’ actually refers to the bowl that the dish is served and is thought to originate from the Urdu word balty, meaning ‘bucket’. There are balti houses all over the Greater Birmingham area, but there is a real concentration in the Balti Triangle, also there’s a very Asian atmosphere with lots of shops selling Asian produce or clothing too. We picked out the Diwan Balti because it was on the nearest edge of the triangle to us and looked very promising.  It turns out that we weren’t the only ones who thought so as there were quite a few people in there for early on a Friday evening and it turns out that David Cameron had been there in the past. Apparently David Cameron and his wife Samantha celebrated David’s 46th birthday at the restaurant and you can even order the same complete meal as him as it features in a special section on the menu.

We started the meal with some popadoms whilst we mulled over our choices from the menu. The service was quick and attentive.  We asked for some starters to be served with the main course and others as starters and all was accomplished as we asked.  We sampled a seekh kebab, made from minced lamb mixed with onion, herbs and spices, cooked in a charcoal oven on skewers.  Also on our wishlist was the chicken tikka and the tandoori chicken (young spring chicken marinated in yoghurt with herbs and spices, barbecued in a tandoor) and both of these had the delicate spicy taste that I’ve come to expect.

For our main course, we had to have a balti of course.  It’s traditional to eat your balti without using a knife and fork and to just tear off pieces of your naan bread to scoop the food onto.  It works very well, but I must admit I prefer to have my balti with a portion of rice mixed in and then share a naan bread with a friend.  This is just what we did.  Having had a chicken starter, I thought a lamb balti would be just the thing for my main course. It’s a medium strength curry, but you can ask the restaurant to tone it down or spice it up to suit your taste buds. I find baltis have quite a light sauce which doesn’t sit too heavily, which is just as well as the portions were generous and the naan was pretty large given it was meant for one.  That said it was quickly snaffled up and in fact, I hadn’t anticipated that my son would eat quite so much of it, or I would have ordered two.

Travelodge kindly sent us along to try out a restaurant in the Balti Triangle and if you are staying in Birmingham and like Asian cuisine, a trip to the Balti Triangle is a must.

Disclosure: This post is in association with Travelodge.

Miss Saigon is one of those big West End musicals that everyone should take the opportunity to see at least once. I was invited the the Birmingham Hippodrome to see the famous show and sample their special menu themed around the musical’s Eastern setting.  I’d really recommend this approach because it makes for a very special evening and a complete experience.

We started off the evening with some canapes and a lovely fruity Miss Saigon cocktail.

We got to try all 4 of the starters on the special menu which was a real treat.  There was White Bean Soup with Basil Pesto which was silky smooth.  I think my pick of the bunch was the Vietnamese Prawn Summer Rolls with Sweet Chilli Sauce as for me these were light, but packed with flavour and everything was cooked just right which takes a bit of doing when you are dealing with such a mix of ingredients.  My second best (and it was quite a close call) was the Salt Beef Croquette with Salad of Mooli, Shallots and Capers.  I loved how the capers cut through and provided a zest and freshness to this dish. I also enjoyed the Goat’s Cheese Mousse with Marinated Tomatoes and Walnut Toast, but I didn’t feel it sat quite so well with the evening’s theme.

I loved getting the opportunity to try out the mini mains.  It was quite difficult to pick out a favourite.  I enjoyed the Pan-Seared Fillet of Coley with Rice Noodle, Samphire, Ginger and Spring Onion Broth, but I think my top choice would be the Honey-brushed Confit of Duck Leg with Celeriac Puree, Bok Choy and Star Anise Jus as it was packed full of deep duck flavours with the celeriac  providing a good foil.

Another favourite was the Chilli & Coriander Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Soy & Sesame Braised Savoy Cabbage, which combined tried and tested British flavour combinations with Asian spices.  The Yellow Curry Lentil Scotch Egg with Asparagus and New Potato Salad was a bit of a revelation as I would never have picked a scotch egg to order off the menu, but I did enjoy it.

Off to see the musical where we spent the first half enjoying the developing love story of Kim and Chris against the backdrop of the Vietnam war.

At the interval we had our desserts.  I’m afraid the Matcha Green Tea Panna Cotta with Kalamansi and Sesame Tuille, but I’m not very keen on matcha tea and I think that flavour didn’t help make it a winner for me.  I enjoyed the Poached Peach and Pistachio Cake, but for me the stand out was the Bitter Chocolate Tart with Lychee, Strawberry & Mint Compote.  The chocolate tart got the perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness, plus you could clearly taste the quality of the chocolate that had been used to make it.

Back to the musical for a dramatic, if very sad, second half where I learnt a lot of about the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the children left behind.  An evening to remember.

I look forward to my monthly Degustabox delivery: there’s something about being surprised and there’s always something new to try.  This month’s went down very well.  In fact, I barely saw the Orangina before it was whisked away as refreshment for a trip to the park.  My son really enjoyed it.  He did leave behind the Twisted Halo for me to enjoy. This flavour was Coconut Water, Ginger & Vodka and all the flavourings are natural and there’s no added sugar or sweeteners.  It’s very refreshing and best served chilled.  My niece and nephew loved the JellySqueeze and are keen to have it again.  It’s a great lunchbox treat.  The Bahlsen PICK UP! Black ‘N White are a delicious update to a favourite snack: a white chocolate bar sandwiched between two crisp chocolate flavour biscuits.

As you might expect from a household with a child in it, the Refreshers Softies were greeted with enthusiasm: my son is a big Refreshers fan.  We both loved the Cadbury Curlywurly Squirlies in a handy shareable bag.  The Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste Toffee Whole Nut was all mine though and very moreish. Light Bites Popped Chips are great for snacking without piling on the calories as they are under 100 calories a pack.  They’re also gluten-free and there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise is a really useful store cupboard ingredient, but I must admit I prefer the jars to these bottles.  Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce is the mildest variety in the Tabasco range, so this is a bit of heat without blowing your head off.

I do like a crinkle cut crisp and Seabrook Crisps are very tasty.  A selection pack is always useful because not everyone likes the same varieties.  Maggi Fusian Noodles are a great way of getting a quick and tasty noodles: they are ready to eat in just 4 minutes.