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! 

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

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.

Food Review: Marco's New York Italian Kenilworth - Afternoon Tea

Following a lovely meal at Marcos Kenilworth with the blogging gals, I was given the opportunity to come back to this gorgeous town and instead try out the afternoon tea menu.

Launched at the beginning of July, the afternoon tea is a recent addition to the lunch and dinner service offered at Marco's New York Italian Kenilworth. 

Sam, the Restaurant Manager, greeted us and made us welcome in the restaurant and offered us a cup of tea to start with. Impressively, we were offered a tea menu with no less than nine teas to choose from. From black teas to herbal teas and green tea, we sniffed out teas from around the world before coming to our decision. I opted for English Breakfast, being the traditionalist that I am, although I would have liked to have tried the Champagne Sencha and Vanilla Roobis; alas I needed the caffeine! The Champagne Sencha smelt exactly like Champagne despite being alcohol free and the Vanilla Roobis had a lovely rich, sweet scent. All of the teas are sourced from a local supplier in Wootten Wawen and were picked out by the team at Marco's Kenilworth which adds an authenticity to the offer.

Without further ado, we were presented with a three tiered stand full to the brim with cakes, scones and sandwiches. Of course, my selection was slightly different to everyone else's as it was Gluten Free, so here goes. The three types of sandwiches were cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese and ham and dijon mustard. I had two half sandwiches of each which makes a mammoth three sandwiches in total. The smoked salmon was my favourite as the salmon quality was so good and there was a good thick layer of cream cheese with it too. This was served on white bread.

Onto the next layer, the scone layer. This was my favourite layer of all! Sandwiches are lovely, and I actually don't eat sandwiches too often as I find them a bit much for everyday and try to eat rice and salad at lunch. Desserts are always fun but at the end of the day, there are so few places to get a really lovely Gluten Free scones.

Afternoon Tea

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea

My scones was fruity and served with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam. The best part of the scone was not just the taste but the texture too. At one bite I could tell these scones were different. The secret? The scones are finished off in a pizza oven which makes them so crispy on the outside! Helen had a plain scone whilst mine was a sultana scone.

Finally, the dessert layer. We were both treated to a mini version of a dessert from the A La Carte menu, the Vanilla Panna Cotta. With a sweet vanilla cream and tart fruity raspberry top, this was a delightful, not too sweet dessert. I was also treated to something else from the A La Carte menu, the Melting Chocolate Truffle Cake. If you read my previous post on Marco's New York Italian Kenilworth, you will have seen that I raved about this dessert. Gluten free desserts shouldn't have to be a compromise and here, they haven't sacrificed a thing to create this mountain of soft truffled chocolate. 

The Afternoon Tea menu is available to view here and starts at a very reasonable £15.95. You could always add prosecco or champagne for a special occasion for £20 and £25 respectively. Booking is advised but not required and I would definitely recommend booking if you are Gluten Free.

Thank you to the team at Marco's Kenilworth for looking after us!

There is also an extra bonus to this post, an outfit photo courtesy of Helen from Positive Fridays. I finally jumped on the sleevless jacket bandwagon, what do you think!? Shall I get a few more?

I was invited to dine at Marco's New York Italian Kenilworth as a guest of the restaurant in exchange for an honest review.

 

OOTD: Denim shirt and leather skirt ft NOWSEEN Jewellery

Hello and apologies for going AWOL guys! I've been away on holiday and not stopped since I came back but I have managed to squeeze in a OOTD and jewellery review of the Black Onyx Boxed Ring from Nowseen. 

Denim shirt - Primark // Faux Leather Skirt - Select // Leather Loafers - Bertie

Browsing through my wardrobe lately, besides noticing that all my clothes are black, I also noticed that there are two fabrics that I wear constantly. The first is denim; whether it's a denim shirt, jacket, skirt or pair of jeans, I have a lot of denim. The second is leather. Granted, I should really refer to it as pleather as it is leather look or vegetarian leather as some would call it, leather looks good whether it's a jacket, skirt, pair of trousers or of course shoes or bag.

Here is a timeless outfit that works well regardless of the weather. In winter, just add tights and black boots. In summer, swap the denim shirt for a grey t shirt and wear the denim shirt as a jacket or around your waist.

I've also been reviewing the Black Onyx Boxed Ring from Nowseen and have decided to do the big reveal on here! Nowseen has a great selection of affordable jewellery pieces made from pricious metals and precious/semi precious stones. I picked out this beautiful boxed ring because it is a stunning statement piece that is unlike anything I've seen before. Made of gold plated sterling silver, this ring is bold without being chunky, comfortable to wear and the black stone means it's a versatile piece. I have been browsing the rest of the site and I adore lots of the jewellery on there such as the Diamond Trophy Ring so it's definitely worth taking a look. Although it's more expensive than some pieces of costumer jewellery the prices are great considering the quality of the materials used.