Sunday 30 August 2015

Food Review: Umami Harborne

What's Umami? Umami is the fifth taste after sweet, sour, bitter and salt. It is also the name if the newest Indian restaurant to open in upmarket Birmingham suburb, Harborne.


With a name that's just a bit different, Umami opened up at the end of May promising classic Indian dishes with a modern twist. Leading the kitchen is former itihaas chef Mandeep Bajwa who even came out after our meal for a chat, but more on that later.


Entering via the petite frontage on Lordswood Road, you're immediately inside an open space that resembles a lounge. This is exactly the idea and diners are invited to sit and relax pre-dinner with a drink in the lovely sunlit lounge. 


That's exactly what manager Abdul invited us to do when I arrived with my dining companion and we happily sat in the lounge and had a mocktail each. Once we were suitably relaxed, we were taken into the main dining room past the cocktail bar, which opens out to reveal a 70 cover restaurant. 

Always keen to try out a few dishes, we opted for the Regal Pre Fix Menu (£24.95 per person for three courses) with some adaptations for my Gluten Free diet! The staff were very helpful and were happy to change a few dishes from the starter section around to accommodate; result! Thankfully, the mains were all gluten free with the exception of the naan breads but do check before you dine. 

Poppodums and chutneys are obligatory when dining at an Indian restaurant and ours did not disappoint, arriving with mango chutney made with roasted garlic for depth of flavour, raita made from greek yoghurt that is hung and strained and tomato chutney. All of these chutneys are made in house adding to the freshness of the flavours.


Next up our adapted mixed starter of chilli paneer wah wah, murgh tikka and aloo tikki channa chaat. I adore paneer, and these cubes of pan fried paneer come marinated in indo-chinese spices for an extra kick. The murgh tikka was big hunks of chicken in a mild spicy dry marinade and the aloo tikki potato bites (one of my favourites) came unusually smothered in channa chaat, chickpeas in a rich tomato sauce and the potato bites were thick and soft. Again, we were told that the paneer is homemade.



Onto our mains, the set menu included butter chicken, harra bharra gosht, sabzee milloni handi, dal makhani and sides of zafrani pilau rice, naan and a green salad.







The chicken sauce was creamy and smooth, the dal was exceptionally rich and also creamy, and the lentil dish was an unusual mix of black lentils, cream, kidney beans and yoghurt. The mixed veg made a great accompaniment that held its own as a main and included carrot, cauliflower, paneer, tomato, mushroom, peas, potato and a ginger garnish. 

All of these dishes were flavoursome and well balanced as well as being very generous!



We even managed to find time for dessert and we opted for the unusual Gajar Halwa Samosa which came beautifully presented with a brandy snap basket filled with Cookies and Cream ice cream - yum! 


Mandeep very kindly came out to check on us and talked us through his experience on cruise ships and in some of the best hotels in India. He explained that the spices are ground on site, the pickles are made on site, the paneer is made on site and that they don't use any artificial colours or flavourings in the food; very reassuring. He also explained that the menu is 80% north Indian Punjabi food and 20% local specialties.

The service at Umami was impeccable and we didn't have to wait for anything at all, with enough waiters around to ensure we were well tended to. The food arrived swiftly and hot and the portions were, as previously mentioned, very generous. The quality of the food was also very high, and it was great to hear a chef with such passion talking about the work that goes into making the ingredients on site.

Overall, Umami boasts high quality and thoughtful food in the suburbs. We were impressible with the value of the meal, the portion sizes also, and most of all the impeccable friendly service which was attentive and unobtrusive. 

*I dined at Umami as a guest of the restaurant. With thanks to the team! 

Thursday 27 August 2015

Event: The High Field Summer BBQ

Edgbaston is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment. No longer a residential only area, it is now a place to eat, drink and socialise thanks to the arrival of venues such as The High Field.


This swanky gastro pub supplies locals with food and drinks in the rustic restaurant and bar, but for summer they've also made use of the lovely outdoor gardens.

Hidden away behind the white frontage of 22 High Field Road is the city's only gastro pub garden, where chef Dean Jeffer is serving up his favourite seasonal dishes as well as grub from the BBQ; you can even hire out the space for your own party complete with free marquee hire.

I headed over to the garden with a group of friendly Birmingham bloggers to experience a summer BBQ, High Field style; it even came complete with seasonal rain!

Ting from The Ting Thing and I decided to go all out for the BBQ and went to Harris & Gibbs in the Jewellery Quarter for a blow dry first (Ting had a trim too!).



Here's a picture of my hair pre pampering:


Onto The High Field we hopped into a cab to protect our blow dries and were greeted by this fun sign!


First off, we were welcomed with Prosecco Sangria laced with fresh fruit. The food was already prepared for us, just in time and here a picture of the spread.


We were treated to prawn and monkfish skewers, steak skewers, chicken wings, Dandy Ribs, corn on the cob, jacket potatoes, tomato salad, green salad and coleslaw. The Dandy Ribs were marinated in a homemade BBQ rub of paprika and cumin, and the BBQ and Bourbon sauces were all homemade too.

King of the Grill

Corn on the Cob

Prawn and Monkfish Skewers

Steak Skewers

Dandy Ribs

Green Salad

Coleslaw

Tomato and Onion Salad

Dinner is served

That wasn't all. We finished off the evening with desserts too including Eton Mess, Mini Caramel and Toffee Cheesecakes and my favourite, the dip your own Strawberries.




I also took a few outfit pictures too to show you my gorgeous bouncy blowdry, thank you Ting for taking these!






The BBQ is open on Friday evening as well as every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon till 8pm when the temperature hits 20 degrees C.

*With thanks to the High Field for the invitation and fabulous food (and drink) and to Harris and Gibbs for the blow dry

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Event: Harris & Gibbs New Salon Launch

Harris and Gibbs Hair Salon in the Jewellery Quarter is known as an independent salon that does things a little differently. Quirky and creative, the salon is owned and run by Alex Gibbs and Chris Harris.
Photo by Garazi Gardner

Moving closer to St Paul's Square, the new salon on Caroline Street opened on 28th July and I was lucky enough to be on the guest list.

Photo by Garazi Gardner

The VIP launch was a chance to see the new premises, enjoy tasty treats from Lasan, blueberry Mojitos, watch hair demos and received a custom made hair mask.



The interior is very urban industrial chic, with exposed brickwork, pipes and a fabulous wallpapered bathroom. My favourite part is the glass cube where clients can sit down for a shampoo and head massage whilst all the while enjoying the massage chairs. There are even silver beaded curtains in between each basin to give guests a little privacy and help them relax even more in the chair.


Guests were given the choice of Blueberry Mojito Cocktail or Mocktails and Candy Corn shots to enjoy.




There was also a fabulous selection of Indian treats from Lasan on offer that went down a treat!




We were able to watch the lovely Selina model the Veronica Lake waves trend and also see a fishtail plait demonstration.

The girls also mixed up a custom hair mask for me and I can testify it left my hair super smooth and shiny!




I love the relaxed and urban feel of the new salon space and can't wait to come back for some Harris and Gibbs magic!

*With thanks to Harris and Gibbs for the invitation.