Food

February’s Degustabox had a bit of an indulgent theme going on for me, although there were some healthy treats too.  I love a good muesli in the morning, so I was really pleased to see a Primrose’s Kitchen muesli.  I’ve found Primrose’s Kitchen to be a quality brand in the past and their Raw Beetroot & Ginger Muesli lives up to their reputation.  Whilst we are in healthy mode it’s worth talking about Emily Crisps which are fruity (or vegetably – is that a word?) and great for a snack. I liked the Crunchy Red Apple flavour that we were sent. Another way to stave off hunger between meals is The Protein Ball Co.’s Cherry and Almond flavour balls.  They are great if you are a fan of cherry bakewells.

Slightly more indulgently pretzel fans will like these Indie Bay Snacks Pretzel Bites.  They are very moreish. If you like American candy, these Tootsie Roll Midgees will be a great treat – they are a good retro choice too as they have been around since 1896. KitKat’s Chunky New York Cheesecake is a welcome variation on the KitKat theme.

I was intrigued to try this True Nepal Cactus Water.  It has a crisp, refreshing taste and would be great in your breakfast smoothie. HARIBO Fruitilicious are a new and existing addition to the range.  They have loads of fruity flavour, but contain 30% less sugar than regular fruit gum sweets. Great with houmous are these Dr.Karg’s Organic Emmental Cheese & Pumpkin Seed Crispbreads.

I’ve returned to Cafe Reem in Harborne many times over the last couple of years and it really is one of my favourite places to eat at lunchtime.  It’s also a great choice for a coffee and a cake, but for me if I’m popping in to meet up with a friend I usually opt for one of their magnificent Mint Teas rather than coffee.  There’s so much emphasis on coffee in cafes these days that tea often gets forgotten or alternatively some good quality teabags are used, but a premium price (similar to the more pampered coffee) requested for the privilege. Cafe Reem is different because tea there is fresh and really an art form in its own right. Not only that but you get plenty of hot water provided, so your tea lasts for the duration of your catch up, which is just the way it should be.

Cafe Reem isn’t just about the tea though.  There’s a lot more to sample and enjoy. With its focus on Middle Eastern cuisine it’s perhaps no surprise that falafel is a speciality and well worth sampling.  It’s prepared with care with a well judged combination of spices to create aromatic and flavoursome falafel.  My personal favourite is the Falafel Burger which is good size for a filling lunch.  It comes with a centre of goat cheese, sumac, and caramelized onions plus it’s served with hummus, imhamara and salad. There are a range of sandwich options available with falafel fillings and they are just as good, but a little smaller on the portion side if you want a lighter lunch.

For my next visit I’m eyeing up the brunch menu which looks perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast when you don’t have any particular plans for the day.  There are a number of dishes with eggs that have caught my eye including O’jah, a Palestinian omelette, and Shakshuka, a one pot egg dish made with peppers.

For some time now Bearwood (a suburb about 4 miles from the centre of Birmingham) has been a bit of a hot spot for local restaurants that have something different to offer.  Like anywhere else within the West Midlands, it has its fair share of curry houses with a few Chineses, pizza takeaways and chip shops thrown in, but there are plenty more including a few decent Italians, an Austrian restaurant (currently closed sadly), a Persian and an Eastern European grill. In recent months a number of cafes have opened up mostly on the main high street (Bearwood Road) offering a range of offerings and it’s pleasing that these have been mostly independent outlets.

The other day I tried out the latest cafe opening called Why Not Coffee with a friend. Inside there’s a soft industrial decor with wooden tables, metal vintage milk churns and some leather armchairs.  We wanted to sit somewhere comfortable and luckily there was a suitable spot for us  There are also some big tables with high stools which would be great for a meeting or for home workers. They do provide free Wifi and every seating area has a power socket and USB charger, but I didn’t try these out on my visit. I’d have preferred a little more softness to the decor, as I find that works well in a cafe as it helps absorb some of the noise, but Why Not Coffee has a very clean look and a pleasant atmosphere.  There is a spacious, clean and well equipped toilet at the back, but you do need to go up a few steps to get to it. Within the main cafe, I noticed a thoughtful box of things for children, including drawing materials and books.

Now neither of us are coffee drinkers, but we didn’t let the cafe name put us off.  The tea was nicely presented with the milk in miniature metal milk churns.  Like many cafes, there seems to be a desire to charge a similar price for tea to coffee, often without the justification in terms of quality or range.  The tea was perfectly pleasant, but fairly ordinary, so it felt a bit pricey. We were provided with some extra hot water though when we asked, so that did help ease things along.

In the interests of research I tried out one the cakes.  It was a difficult choice because there were quite a few tempting options available.  My carrot cake was delicious and very moist.  I thought the cakes were reasonably priced too.  There are some lunch options available and the bread on display did look nice, so maybe I’ll try some on another visit.