Rasa, 2-3 Little East Street, Brighton

JACK PUDDING REVIEW:
I have eaten here a few times before and really like Rasa's no frills approach. Simple food, served simply. No weirdly shaped plates or pieces of wood used as plates. Rasa has a homely feel. 


For Starters I had Konju Varuthathu which are king prawns marinated in a batter, deep fried and served with salad. The batter is very light and a slight hint of chillie and the prawns taste fresh. The dip that accompanies the plate works perfectly. A great way to start a meal.

For Mains I had Nadan Kozhy Curry aka Chicken Curry, the Coconut Rice and the Channa Masala (Chickpeas cooked in a thick tomato sauce flavoured with onions, chillies and fresh coriander leaves). The curry is wonderful and flavoursome. I was slightly disappointed by the Channa Masala as the chick peas were slightly hard for my taste. I have had them here a number of time before and they are usually soft and moorish. It could just be my teeth are getting weaker though.

I washed the whole meal down with a Mango Lassi which works a treat with the good food.

Overall, Rasa's simple and good food combined with friendly service and relatively cheap prices definitely mean it is a place to check. If you like Pink and currys it potentially is heaven. 

7 out of 10 Puddings.

ALAN CARTE REVIEW:

RASA = (Rich Authentic Spicy And...Pink!)
Ever had some friends come to visit you and challenge you to take them to the pinkest Indian restaurant Brighton has to offer? If so, you’re friends are probably a bit weird. But at least you can shut them up by taking them to Rasa, Little East Street, Brighton (where Momma Cheri’s Big House used to be, not connected to the Martin Lawrence film Big Momma’s House, although it seems unfair that one of those projects went bankrupt while the other somehow grossed over $100million, apparently!).

If you can get over the pink exterior, the pink interior and the overwhelming perfumy smell of burning incense, then there is some very tasty food to be sampled at Rasa. Like a few other reviews of the place I’ve seen, it was pretty empty when Jack and I went (6ish on a Thursday evening), so there were a lot of staff hanging about while we chatted and ate. They were very polite, though, friendly, courteous and attentive without bugging us.

I don’t know anything about southern Indian food, so just took a punt on one of the starters, a Masala Dosa (a paper-thin pancake made of rice and black gram, rolled with a filling of spicy potatoes cooked with onions and ginger and served with sambar (lentil and vegetable sauce) and coconut chutney). I’m not sure if Jack has been able to put a photo of this up as it was as long as my arm! I would have liked some guidance on how to eat it as it seemed to me that there was only filling in the middle of it, leaving a lot of thin crispy pancake that I just left on the plate. The spicy potato in the centre was good, though. Colourful, soft and with a nice, mildly spicy taste.

For the main, I chose the most common chicken curry made in Kerala (according to the menu) - cubes of boneless chicken cooked in a pepper masala made from garlic, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger, which I had with some plain, boiled rice. This was really nice. The chicken was sooooooo soft, I thought it must have been cooked for days on end (but it only took about an hour, according to the waiter). It had a real zing to it, a strong spicy kick that lasted a long while. Overall the dish was pretty basic, just chicken and rice, really, but that seemed to add to a home-cooked, authentic style and I did enjoy it. I think I just would have liked a couple of other ingredients, maybe some salad or something to go with it.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. It was tasty, different, and good value (about a fiver for the tasty chicken curry and rice). I wasn’t overly impressed, though. Maybe a second visit will help me decide. I’m quite fussy. (I didn’t like the toilet being almost in the restaurant, and having a Dyson hand-dryer which is as loud as a jet-plane. I thought everyone would be staring at me when I came back in!) I can never remember if Jack wants me to rate these places out of five puddings or ten (we didn’t have pudding, by the way. I’m not big on banana-based desserts or semolina) but I’d give my first visit to Rasa 3 out of 5 puddings, or 6 out of 10. The soft, spicy chicken was the clear upside, but I needed that to get the taste of incense out of my mouth and to distract me from the decor. Give it a go...you got to try that chicken, seriously...

The photo above is not Jack or Alan.


http://www.rasarestaurants.com

Street Thai, Brighton Square, Brighton

JACK PUDDINGS REVIEW:

There are a number of good places to have Thai food in Brighton and Street Thai is a new addition. The restaurant is situated in Brighton Square, next to the excellent Rounder Records in Central Brighton and has a crisp and modern décor. I have eaten here a number of times and you are always greeted with a very friendly welcome. The staff all seem like they are from Thailand (I may be incorrect about this) so you immediately get an authentic feeling that this is not a themed chain.

For starters I had Por Phia Ped  which is a duck spring roll with plum sauce and is very tasty. A decent portion and a great way to start the meal.

For the main course I had Guai Teaw Tom Yum Gai which is a spicy noodle soup served with grilled chicken. I have eaten here around 10 times and this is the dish I have always ordered apart from once.  This is one of the best soups I have ever tasted in my life. It has depths of flavour as you drink the soup, lovely chicken, some crispy flat croutons and some fresh herbs. This time the soup was a lot hotter than it normally is but no complaints from me. It is nice to have that home-cooked feeling when eating out. I like that the dish is not exactly the same every time I have ordered it here, sometimes it has a boiled egg in it, sometimes it does not.  It makes me feel that the food is not made by robots but by real chefs.

I have never ordered desert from here but as my tongue was burning after finishing the soup I felt I needed some ice-cream. I ordered the Banana Fritter Lover which is accompanied by vanilla ice cream. This was OK, the fritter was covered by coconut flakes and sesame seeds. Tasty, but maybe missing the wow factor of the starters and mains.

Overall I will give Street Thai 8 out of 10 puddings (with the soup getting 10 out of 10). Highly recommended.

ALAN CARTES REVIEW:

“Street Thai - It’s The Only Thai I Know...”

Ok, it’s not the only one I know, but every time I go to Street Thai,

I can’t help singing that!

In the words of Ice Cube, today had been a good (food) day. Breakfast wasn’t amazing (ryvita & marmite at my desk at work), but thursday lunchtime means Jerk Chicken at the recently opened Lazy Bones on George Street (off St James’ St in Brighton). Really good, spicy jerk sauce or marinade, and although it’s not that cheap at £3.70, and not that big a portion, it smells and tastes amazing. If you work in an office, I highly recommend getting it and taking it back to your desk to listen to everyone’s reaction when they smell it!

It’s got a great, instant kick, but the kick disappears a few seconds after finishing.

If you choose a spicy dish at Street Thai, though, it really is the ‘party in the mouth’ that Moe gets when he tries a Flaming Homer! The starter I chose was the number 3, the Moo Ping (Thai style BBQ pork on skewers with sweet chilli dip). The thin slices of pork were mouthwateringly good, I’m drooling now just thinking about them, and the dip was exactly as described, sweet and chilli! The skewers weren’t the most convenient way of eating thin meat slices, but I used my manual dexterity to move the meat from skewer to fork.

For the Flaming Homer experience, the main course I went for was number 29, the Pad Kra-Prao Gai Krob (Stir fry crispy Thai holy basil leaves with chicken, green beans, pepper, chillies & garlic). It was my own fault. I knew it was at the top of the ‘hot’ list, but I love the hit from spicy food. Takes me back to my smoking days. This dish was hot. The Chang beer couldn’t cool me down. The soup that comes with it was meant to calm my palate, but it wasn’t until the chocolate ice cream dessert (freshly made from a local ice-cream maker in Brighton) that my mouth finally cooled down.

I can’t comment on the actual taste of the food because I was going for hot and spicy, and that’s what I got. Really overpowering, but I absolutely loved it. You don’t have to pick a spicy dish. There are spices and sauces on each table so you can pick something mild and add whatever you like to fit your own taste.

Every dish that came out looked impeccable. All around us, I heard other customers talking about how good the food was, and telling the staff. All the food was modern-looking, colourful and came out quick. Piping hot, fresh and with no implication of microwave involvement. 

A couple of my friends have been to Street Thai and said they didn’t rate it. I can’t remember why, but I don’t get it. I’ve never had a disappointing visit. I love the place. It’s a really chilled place to go. Great atmosphere, great layout (2 floors, plus a new roof terrace), really nice, friendly staff, and a simple, uncluttered menu.

Not sure what else to say. The ice cream wasn’t amazing. Bit crystally and the Ice Magic wasn’t the bonus it is when you’re six years old. But other than that, I do rate the place. If it’s out of 5 puddings, I give it 4.5. If it’s out of ten puddings, then it’s 9.

Please try it. It’s a world apart from the Cactus Canteen that used to be there!

http://www.streetthai.co.uk

BBQ Shack, World's End, Brighton

JACK PUDDINGS REVIEW:
I saw someone tweet on Twitter about how they were getting excited about visiting Brighton and eating at the BBQ Shack and they linked to the review below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/24/jay-rayner-restaurants-bbq-shack

As a Brighton local, the review of the food seemed tempting but the location was a bit surprising. The World's End is definitely not one of the "trendy" bars or pubs or the knowingly old school pub. It is an old school pub. I have been there a few times and to be honest have never felt the most comfortable in there. Being on London Road it has elements of the real Brighton that the style press and blogs ignore.

When we arrived the place was relatively quiet and apart from one woman it was full of men. Some on their own, some in small groups but no one eating.

The woman working behind the bar were very friendly and took our order. We had the Texas Style Oak Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich

and the Rib & Chicken Combo

The ribs are very good. I have eaten ribs in Texas and these may not be from Texas but they are tasty. Very meaty and a great flavour and the BBQ sauce pot has a lovely unique flavour. Having read the review in The Guardian, I was really looking forward to the chicken. I was slightly disappointed, as the skin was not that crispy but overall it was OK. The disappointment may be because I was expecting the chicken heaven (a world where Colonel Sanders did not exist).

As we began to finish, a few more groups of people were coming in to eat. It definitely looks like word is spreading. The menu describes the food as "Awesome".

For me personally, I was not that into the World's End as a place to eat. It will definitely appeal to some people, but it is not for me. The big TV screen got on my nerves. It does have some nice touches that people would like, such as a pool table and I liked Space Invaders table between the two sofas.

Overall, I will definitely be trying a few other dishes on the menu but will not be eating in the World's End. I would recommend trying the food here, whether eat in or takeaway though.

8 out of 10 Puddings for the ribs.

ALAN CARTES REVIEW:
Me and my mate Jack Pudding love going out for food. But we do have issues. We like our routines and much as we want to try new places, we  tend to meet up, debate where we're gonna go, then go to Gar's, eat the Imperial Choice set menu, go to Carluccio's for dessert and coffee, and call it a night. But the buzz about The BBQ Shack hadspread quicker than the rumours about the riots affecting London Road (thanks to the way Google Searches and the word 'London' combined to have an effect on the sort of people that think the Meerkats and OperaSingers are the world's funniest advertisers), so we had to try it.Now, I love re-enacting Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours (and in Another 48 Hours) as much as the next bloke, but going to The World's End, I was really worried that my fake police ID wasn't up to it. I swear that if Mr P had ordered a Black Russian, we'd never have made it to the beef brisket. It felt like the slightest thing could have kicked off a bar brawl. I thought an old woman was bogging me out for a solid ten minutes. But it turned out she was bogging at Sky News which I didn't realise was broadcasting off a massive tellybox above my head.

I'm glad we did go, though. The menu describes how everything is pretty much slow cooked for 18 hours which explains why they were laminated, as if that doesn't make you drool, then you shouldn't be reviewing food.

The brisket was good. As my Rabbi would testify, it doesn't beat a Bagelman hot salt beef bagel (from Bagelman on Church Road), but it was good. Soft meat, nice bun and the hot Chiptotle sauce did the business.

I was definitely tempted by the other dishes on the menu. I tried someof the ribs from Jack's plate and again the meat was as soft as you could imagine and the sauce was great. The fries were ok, the coleslaw was above average, although a bit unnecessary. If I was after ahealthy snack, I probably wouldn't be having brisket, fries and Guinness.

Unfortunately, though, you can't escape the surroundings and to be honest we ate like convicts. I felt like Grossberger in Stir Crazy, hunched over my meal, shovelling it into my mouth as quick as possible so we could go somewhere else for a relaxing drink (Circus Circus). Mr P said he was trying to think of a good riposte if someone came up and asked if they could take his food off him. Even sitting outside at Circus Circus, where you're chilling in the middle of three dual carriageways was 100% more relaxing than being at The World's End. How that didn't feature prominently in Jay Rayner's review, I don't know. He described it as "a local boozer, which is exactly as it should be". Yeah right. If any of you go there and start campaigning to your localboozer that it should be more like The Word's End, then I'll eat my brisket at The World's End again! To be fair, he did also say that "In its natural habitat the best barbecue is found at roadside shacks off the arse end of nowhere." Maybe I'm middle class, but I've always thought the best bbq is found in someone's garden where you don't feell ike you're one wrong look away from a fight.

All in all, though, I'd agree with Mr P. I'd definitely like to try the rest of the menu. And I'd go back. I'm not scared. I'd probably get a better fake police ID first, though. 2 and a half, or maybe 3 out of 5 puddings (probably more for takeaway).

http://www.bbqshack.co.uk/index.html

The Simple Kitchen, New York

http://www.simplekitchencafe.com/

Beryl (my good wife) and myself popped in here for some coffee and desert. Beryl is partial to a Chocolate Brownie (which they serve in small squares for a $1 each). No picture as I forgot to take one.

I had a slice of Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Cake. I am not a particular fan of cranberry's  but like chocolate and cheesecake.

A very generous slice. I'd started eating it before I remembered I should take a picture. It really is like something Willy Wonka would make....you get different tastes bursting through as you eat the cake. One of the best cakes I have ever eaten.

Pudding Rating for Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Cake is 10 out of 10.

POP Burger New York

The majority of reviews here will be about places in Brighton, UK but I happen to be on holiday at the moment. I'm a big fan of burgers and anyone who says that you should try and avoid food like this is plainly mad.

POP Burger is a simple diner style place. The back room only opens after 5pm so I had to get a take-away as it was very busy at lunch time. My wife Beryl had gone to meet some friends and I planned to stay there and eat and people watch, but as the place was busy I got a take-away. The place is populated by hipsters, teenagers, college kids, tourists and office workers. Which I hoped would indicate that POP must be doing something write.

I ordered The POP Burger (2) with cheese and Fries.

Basically you get two small burgers. I was hoping that I would get two of the large burgers I saw people eating. I can't really blame POP for that presumption, as that was probably a bit greedy on my part.  As Sting so eloquently put it  'I'm An Englishman In New York' (for the record I'm not an illegal alien as I got my ESTA USA travel visa.

The burgers are filling and although my initial reaction was "they're a bit small" I found them to be very satisfying. The fries are amazing, very crispy and soft in the middle and they are served in a paper cup.

Pudding Rating: 7 for the burgers and 10 for the fries.