Saturday 14 June 2014

Restaurant Review - Oxford's Grill

Location: 21 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1HP, UK

Once in a while, a restaurant comes along that looks like nothing special, but knocks your socks off with amazing food. Port Mahon was the last place that did that to me, while Hamzah was still Chef, but that was some time ago and we may have to wait a while longer till his return at The Chester. After several restaurants that have over-promised and under-delivered of late, I was blown away once more - this time by a humble little Turkish cafe at the bottom of Cowley Road.

With its bright red, budget-looking signage and windows busily adorned with menus, frosting and stick-on text, the cafe lacks any kind of kerb appeal. My only real desire to visit was born from hearing numerous people raving about it, about the amazing food within.

Visiting on this occasion, with MrF and the littlest Foodie, I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. It was our Anniversary night and we were desperate for some time out, some peace and quite, with really good food. From the outset, it may have seemed like an odd place for an Anniversary meal, but if you're sleep deprived like we were, you just need something low key and easy. It turned out though, that we had some of the best food we'd had in a very long time.

On arrival at Oxford's Grill, we were all warmly welcomed by the Manager and directed to a table by the window, next to a large green pot plant, before being presented with menus, table water and some complimentary bread and houmous. I can't think of many places in Oxford offering complimentary bread and houmous - especially any where you would pay less than £20 a head and still get great food. The houmous was soft and silky, with the right balance of tahini, chickpea and lemon - a generous portion too - alongside a decent supply of traditional Turkish bread, pide - a flat'ish bread with a texture somewhere between ciabatta and farmhouse.

The menu contains a mixture of Mediterranean dishes like Beef Carpaccio, Lasagne and Bolognaise, alongside a larger quantity of traditional Turkish dishes like Borek (baked filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough), Imam Biyaldi (braised aubergine stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, simmered in olive oil, and served at room temperature), Shish and Kofte.

I love Beef Carpaccio (£4.95), so had to order that, while MrF chose Sucuk (£3.95), a Turkish garlic sausage. For mains, Iskender pour moi (£9.95 - grilled layers of kofte, lamb and chicken, presented on crispy bread cubes and served with yoghurt and a tomato sauce) and Pirzola with mashed potato for him (£12.95 - marinated lamb chops with crispy leeks, on  mashed potato or rice with a shallot sauce).

The starters were good, though didn't leave us wowed. The Turkish sausage, served simply cut in half, was flavoursome and slightly spicy, and unfortunately far too well flavoured to try before my carpaccio - which I did. Once the spikes of cumin, sumac and salt had left my palate, the carpaccio tasted much better, though it's difficult to judge. I wouldn't say it was the best carpaccio I'd eaten.

It was really the mains though where OG excelled. Beautifully plated up, each dish looked amazing. MrF's dish had a think and buttery looking mound of mash, topped off with dark glazed lamb chops, delicately splayed out in a circle, all drizzled with the shallot sauce and topped off with an unexpected but evidently delicious aubergine crisp, finished with a dusting of sumac around the edge of the plate. My Iskender looked slightly less pretty, but attractive nonetheless - a generous portion of marinated mixed meats and bread, beside a large dollop of thick yoghurt, all surrounded by a moat of rich, paprika-red tomato sauce.

Literally diving in, we both looked at each other with eyes wide, this was amazing food - tasty, expertly cooked, with perfectly balanced spices and seasoning. Tangy in some parts, sweet or savoury in others - each mouthful wowed. I eyed up MrF's Pirzola, and he my Iskender, so swapping ensued. Both swaps met with grunts of appreciation, and an acknowledgement that we'd each landed the perfect dish for our personal tastes.

The Iskender was delightful, with an abundance of the stunningly piquant tomato sauce, spiked but what I can only imagine was paprika. The yoghurt accompaniment a nicely cooling companion, providing a creamy contradiction to the zesty tomato sauce. The Mash underneath the lamb chops adorning MrF's plate was exceptionally tasty, thick and luxurious, though bordering on rubbery in texture (I would say due to excess mashing by a food processor rather than over-cooking). Given that I'm not a big fan of fluffy mash, this was a good thing for me. The aubergine crisp was a huge hit with MrF, who usually avoids eggplant, as were the lamb chops - the caveman-style gnawing of the bone was testament to this.

Upon reaching the end of our meal, as MiniF2 was beginning to become unsettled, we agreed we needed to return - a lot! With this quality of food, at these fabulous prices (they offer a lunch deal of £6.95 for 2 courses, or a set dinner menu of £10.95 for 2 courses and a glass of wine), the place should be full every day - which is isn't - so go there, NOW!

Overall Score: 8

If I was just reviewing the mains, then 10/10 - stunningly good food in a remarkably humble setting, with warm and hospitable service throughout at exceptional prices. Keep your eyes out on Bitten for an #OxTweatUp there. Takeaway also available (but it tastes better if you eat in).

Oxfords Grill
21 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX4 1HP
Twitter: @OxfordsGrill
Facebook: @Oxfords-Grill-Turkish-Restaurant
Website: www.oxfordsgrill.com
Phone: 01865 201120

Restaurant Review - The Mole & Chicken

Location: Long Crendon, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 9EY, UK

In recent months, the only time MrF and I have had the chance to enjoy a meal out together has been mostly for an occasion of some sort - my Birthday, our Anniversary, or simply a long overdue date night. On these special occasions, I try my utmost to hold back all temptation of photographing the food, the setting, the frontage... pretty much everything. Long suffering MrF has waited countless times to dive into his food, while I spin the plate to the best angle and snap away with my camera phone. It's bad enough that he has to wait for me, a notoriously slow eater, to finish my meal while he looks on in anguish, ordering yet another pint of ale or glass of wine.

Our recent visit to The Mole & Chicken was for my Birthday, not a milestone birthday, but a birthday nonetheless, so I knew I wanted somewhere low key but with great food. Who better to test the water for me than the future King and Queen of England, who stopped by a few months ago.

So with a venue fit for a Queen (to be) and Grandparents booked for babysitting, off we trotted to a restaurant we hadn't been to for almost two years. We'd only visited twice before, but both times had been exceptional: the first - a light lunch on the rear terrace with views of rolling green pastures and puffy green trees, the second - a visit for Father's Day a couple of years ago, with a spot of delicious Sunday Lunch inside the pub.

This time round, we were visiting for an evening meal, which we'd been looking forward to since I booked it a few days prior. Pouring over the menu, I knew exactly what I wanted - it was a celebration meal and a celebration calls for STEAK! So building a menu around my ribeye, I opted for a lighter shaved fennel salad to start. Seeing as it's now just over a month since my Birthday, and given I was a little tipsy on wine, I've since completely forgotten what else the salad contained - but I do recall enjoying it if that helps (note to self, if not taking pictures, remember to take notes!). MrF had the Flaked Confit Duck Salad with spicy thai herbs & cashew nuts to start (£8.50) which he mostly enjoyed, though felt it lacking a little in punch.

As we awaited our mains, we chatted about The Mole & Chicken's similarity in feel to that of The Mole Inn, in Toot Baldon. It so transpired that both mole-monikered pubs are in fact related - take one look at the bespectacled mole logos and you'll spot that. Both L-shaped pubs share the same Franglaise 'country kitchen chic' decor, with solid wooden furniture, dried flowers and muted colour palettes. The layout is almost identical too - you walk in to find the bar offside to the left, with the dining area further left and extending into the left wing. Both have beautiful sun-trap gardens, with traditional garden furniture, perfect for dining al fresco on a hazy sunny day.

Having enjoyed food at both establishments, I'm pleased to say the consistency of quality is also a common denominator. Time for mains - Braised Shoulder of Lamb for MrF, with creamed potatoes, spring vegetables and fresh mint (£19.95), which while delicious, was no match for my steak - served perfectly medium-rare with an outstanding peppercorn sauce, tomato, mushroom and excellent chips (£19.50).

We didn't have room for puddings at the end (we'd naughtily had some bread and sumptuously silky houmous on arrival), but I was pleased to be furnished with a cup of fresh mint tea at the end of the meal - no second-choice tea bag in sight.

Off we rolled home, bellies full and hearts warmed.

Overall score: 9

The Mole & Chicken
Easington
Nr Long Crendon
HP18 9EY
Twitter: @moleandchicken
Phone: 01844 208 387
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