Food Review: Rola Wala, Selfridges Birmingham

Rola Wala is a small but perfectly formed collection of four restaurants across the UK. Offering Twisted Indian food, the Birmingham outpost opened a few months back in Selfridges, Bullring.

Started up by Mark Wright after a life changing trip to India, Rola Wala was set up with a mission to ignite spaces everywhere with incredible Indian flavours.

Taking my seat at the table with Ting and Tasha, both of whom are vegan, we were given a full run through of the menu, with detailed explanations of every ingredient and flavour in each dish, along with some bonus facts around the suppliers they use.

With a focus on serving up Indian dishes with a twist, the menu is simple and easy to use. Every dish is available as either a bowl or wrap, and can be served on its own or with two sides.

Since both my dining companions opted for the Saag Wala bowl, I went for the Paneer bowl as the naan wrap option is not suitable for Gluten Free diners. Marinated in masala mix for 12 hours, I expected to be served something full of flavour; I was not disappointed.

Saag Bowl and Wrap 

Every dish can be served as either a bowl or wrap, with two sides or without, with a choice of heat from mild (Pear and Tamarind, Mango Lime and Ginger and Mint Lime and Pineapple) to spicy Tomato and Naga Chilli, The Scorpion.

I picked the Chargrilled Paneer, Mango Lime and Ginger and we shared a selection of sides including the Avo Chaat Salad, Rola's String Fries, Kashmiri Cauliflower Popcorn, Red Channa Dal and the Sourdough Naan (I didn't eat the naan). The dish alone as a bowl or wrap is £6.95 or £10.95 with two sides. For the size of the portion, variety and freshness of the dish, this is a steal.

All of the dishes were gluten free when I visited when served as a bowl, as well as the sides apart from the naan bread, but please do check if you have any dietary requirements.

We were also able to try some of the drinks including the Mango and Turmeric Soda, which was actually lovely. The turmeric is not overpowering and the slightly sparkling finish made for a very refreshing choice.

Back to my bowl. The food arrived extremely quickly and looked like a visual feast. The bowl was full of different colours, tastes and textures, which means that not only does the food look great, but it tastes great too. With every bite, there was something different to uncover, whether that was the fresh coriander or smooth yoghurt.

The bowl itself contains not just chunky cubes of paneer, but also red rice (extra health points!), coriander, yoghurt, mango, lime and ginger dressing, pink pickled onion, carrot ribbons and crispy strings of chaat on top made with chickpea flour.

The portion was generous and very filling, meaning that you can go without sides if you're trying to be good and still leave the table satisfied.

I also love the fact that every dish is under 500 calories, great for anyone who's watching their weight but still wants to go out and try different dishes.

For anyone expecting a traditional curry, look away now because my bowl had very little in common with a traditional Indian meal. The flavours were so much fresher and cleaner, without any heavy frying or creams to add calories and weight to the dish.

I tried all the sides besides the naan, and my favourite was the Cauliflower Popcorn. Little bites of flavoursome cauliflower, I don't think I've ever eaten this vegetable in such a delicious guise. The chips were of course, tasty, whilst the two surprises for me were the Red Channa Dal and Avo Chaat Salad. The Red Channa Dal was creamy and smooth, but also sweet thanks to the unusual inclusion of sultanas. The Avo Chaat however was the opposite; light and fresh.

We were also able to try all the sauces, and as well as enjoying all the milder options, I did notice that the Tomato and Naga Chilli was spicy, but not overpoweringly so.

Would I come back again? Absolutely yes. The service was fantastic, very attentive but also down to earth, friendly and full of energy. As for the food, I really enjoyed the lighter Indian flavours. Fresh and spicy as you like, the food was still filling without being heavy.

Next time, I'll be going back for the Saag Bowl with fries and Popcorn Cauliflower. When it's this healthy, you can afford to be a little naughty.

*With thanks to Rola Wala for the complimentary meal

Food Review: Brunch Menu Launch at Mughli, Selfridges Birmingham

Happy New Year! Welcome to my first post of 2017. First up is a peek at the brand new Brunch menu launching at Mughli Market in Selfridges, Birmingham.

What does an Indian style brunch entail, you may ask? At Mughli market, the new weekend brunch menu includes classics such as French Toast and Omelettes with an Indian twist, alongside more traditional Indian dishes such as Keema Pau and Mango Lassi.

Serving up mughlai cuisine from the northern regions of India and Pakistan, the brunch menu covers the expected (tea, coffee and capuccino), the luxurious (mimosa) and even the unexpected (thums up indian cola).

Food wise, there's plenty to choose from. Feeling virtuous? There's lashing of thick, creamy yoghurt served with fresh fruit fingers and a passionfruit coulis on the menu. Delicious and healthy, this is a great choice if you're starting off the year on a healthy high.

Hungry for something with a kick? Try the Keema Pau, a hot hit of lamb keema served with or without a fried egg on a fresh bun. Filled to the brim, this is a great options for the hungry diner, and the egg is a great, cooling addition.

The French Toast is served sprinkled with icing sugar alongside a delicious serving of apricot jam, whilst the Chilli Cheese Toast is spicy but sweet thanks to the hidden layer of chilli jam hidden beneath the melted cheese.

Another option for anyone with an appetite is the Keralan Roll. Chunks of light and crispy fried chicken drizzled with raita on a toasted bun, served with or without a fried egg, make this an acceptable fried chicken brunch choice.

Whilst you're there, there's no excuse not to treat yourself to a Mimosa or Mango Lassi to complete the experience.

If you're heading into the city with friends, I'd suggest ordering a few dishes and sharing to make it a real experience.

Brunch in Birmingham with a twist? Mughli has it covered.

Event: Meeting Roland Mouret at Selfridges Birmingham

Ever heard of the Galaxy dress? If you haven't heard of it, you'll know it to look at it. A sexy, fitted and yet flattering pencil style, Roland Mouret is the man behind the dress. Internationally acclaimed for his attention to detail, expert tailoring and love of the female form.

Eleven years on, Roland Mouret is back, designing clothes that celebrate women's bodies. Sexy, chic, understated and sexy, his garments are real-women-ready.

To celebrate the launch of his Autumn Winter 2016 collection, the man himself, Mr Roland Mouret, made a special journey to Selfridges Birmingham.

Hosted in The Balcony, guests were treated to Champagne and chocolate truffles before taking a seat beside the catwalk to watch a host of glamorous models show off his designs.

Seated front row with Ting, Emma and Olivia, we didn't stop snapping the gorgeous garments as they made their way down the catwalk.

Met with a huge round of applause, the man himself took a turn too and this was our cue to meet him, post show.

This handsome Frenchman stole our hearts, and had nothing but praises to sing of the beauty of the female form.

Next, it was time to try on a few creations with Ting. Despite the fact that we are completely different body types, I think we both looked pretty good in Roland Mouret dresses.

If you'd like to see his delicious designs for yourself, then head to Selfridges Birmingham to get hold of a piece of Roland Mouret.

Birchbox X Selfridges Birmingham

I'm sure you're all familiar with monthly beauty boxes, where for a fee you can receive a selection of edited products delivered to your door.

Now imagine a beauty box where you can pick your own products. Sounds good right? No duds, all killer and no filler.

Selfridges has partnered with Birchbox to bring you the chance to choose your own products and create a bespoke beauty box. 

Running until Saturday 11th June, you can head to Selfridges Birmingham to pick your own beauty box from a selection.

Located on the stunning Beauty Hall, the Birchbox stand is a giant, pick your own paradise for any beauty lover. For just £15 you can pick six products, pop them in a pouch as you shop, and pack it all away in an exclusive box when you're ready, making it a perfect gift for any beauty lover.

That's exactly what I did when I went along last week to build my very own Birchbox.

Firstly, we were given a guided tour of the products on offer, with some background on the concept and information on the products themselves. We then did a loop around the stand and pondered our options.

We were able to pick two make up items, one skincare product, one from bodycare, one from haircare and one beauty treat.

The beauty selection included a Laura Mercier Lip Glace, Blink Eyebrow Pencil, Laqa & Co Cheeky Lip Tint, Lord and Berry Couture Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil, Mirenesse Glossy Kiss, ModelCo Powerlash Mascara, Pop Beauty Eyeshadow trio and TheBalm Cosmetics Stainiac. 

Onto the skincare selection, this included a Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, Eve Lom Kiss Mix, Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloth and Pure and Light Organic Essential Face Cream.

The bodycare selection included Puriskin Resurfacing Cream, Rituals T'ai Chi Foaming Shower Gel, Skin & Co Sicilian Body Gel and Whish Three Wishes Blueberry Body Butter.

The haircare selection included John  Masters Organic Citrus Neroli Detangler, Living Proof Full Thickening Cream, Number 4 Super Comb Prep and Protect and Philip B Light Weight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse.

Last but not least was the beauty bonus section, where you can try This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray or Sleep Plus Spray, When Glamour Base Sheet Mask or Birchbox Hair Ties. 

Quite the selection right? And it all comes in an exclusive, gorgeous, geometric print box. Here's what I chose.

As you can see, the sizes make these little treats perfect for travelling and trying out.

Birchbox at Selfridges Birmingham is here until Saturday 11th June. See you there!

Dermalogica Facial at Selfridges Birmingham

A few weeks ago I was invited to an evening with Dermalogica at Selfridges Birmingham to meet with an expert dermatologist and try out a Microzone treatment.

In case you're not familiar with Dermalogica, the brand is best known for its Face Mapping technique, whereby the face is divided into 14 zones. Each zone is assessed for redness, dehydration, breakout activity, congestion and redness, and treatments and products are then tailored to your specific skin concerns.

I arrived for my appointment and filled in a questionnaire to discover more about my skin concerns and skin type.

My therapist, Dal, then tailored my facial based on these results. 

After laying down on the couch, Dal got to work on clearing up my skin and applied a Pre Cleanse followed by Ultracalming Cleanser. Dal also used the Daily Microfoliant, (one of my favourite Dermalogica products) Ultracalming Mist, Skin Smoothing Cream, Ultracalming Serum Concentrate and also the Overnight Clearning Gel to help clear my blemishes. 

As a result of my redness and congestion concerns, my treatment also included the use of the galvanic machine in order to help cleanse the pores. I've never had a galvanic facial before and was a little hesitant as I was told to hold onto a metal bar before a special pre-treatment gel was applied over my face that has a negative charge. 

The device was run over my face and thankfully, I couldn't feel the low voltage current on my skin! 

At the end of my treatment, I sat down with Dal and she went through the recommended products for my skin and I was also able to take away sample of some of these to try at home.

After my facial, my skin was smooth and not as red as skin can be. One thing I also noticed was how much firmer my skin was around my cheeks especially. The reason why? Galvanic facials are also used to smooth and tighten skin. Result! Will I be back again? Yes, if I can get an appointment as they are so in demand.

*Thank you to Dermalogica Selfridges Birmingham for my complimentary treatment