• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 1UD

Review_Mouse said
Cute and delicious!
Pompoko is a small and crowded authentic Japanese canteen. Photos and descriptions of the dishes are spread on the wall in a rather haphazard but sort of sweet fashion (we found them pretty helpful actually). We weren't sure what to expect as the prices were so cheap (change from a fiver for a main course!!!) but I'm happy to say that both myself and my company were very happy. The teriaki skewers were very tasty as was the sesame chicken with rice, but it could have done with more sauce as I ended up with a lot of plain rice and nothing to go with it. If you're expecting a romantic meal, be prepared to be sandwiched between lots of noisy students (but then what do you expect with somewhere so cheap and 5mins away from Grand Parade campus).
The Japanese girls working there were also very sweet and funny especially when some fizzy drink thing exploded behind the bar with a bang halfway through our meal and they had to be rescued by the chef....! Go here for casual dining if you want something tasty, authentic and quick. Also go here if you are a student on a budget and have run out of Wagamama's 2-4-1 vouchers!

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 1GE

Review_Mouse said
Rant!!! Pizza Slooooooow
Having had previous good experience at other Pizza Express branches, myself and a group of friends decided to try the new impressively sized Brighton branch by the Jubilee library. Unfortunately it turned out to be a very negative experience.

It was a week night and the restaurant was less than half full so there was no evident reason for the dreadful service which was about to follow. It took a long time of trying to get the waitress's attention just to order drinks and then these took 15mins to arrive. A while after ordering our food we were informed that one of the starters wasn't available, so we made do with sharing a couple of pitiful (over-priced) doughballs. Our main courses were also painfully slow coming – 40mins is not really acceptable for some simple pizzas and we had to order some olives to keep us going (these never arrived). We were all pretty starving by the time our meals finally came and it was actually almost too dark outside to even see them! Our table was so cluttered with empty beer bottles and glasses which we'd gone through whilst waiting and hadn't been taken away, that we had to put them on a nearby table to make space.

Although we all felt disappointed by the meal and service, none of us wanted to drag the evening down any further by complaining so we paid hastily and left. Afterwards I wrote to Pizza Express about our experience and they wrote an apologetic letter back blaming it upon a voucher-offer they had on at the time. However, as I said, the restaurant hadn't been anywhere near full at the time and the staff did not look rushed off their feet. All the same, if this was the reason then I would recommend the management take a good look at places like Wagamama which constantly runs promotions, is always bustling and despite having a far more varied menu than Pizza Express delivers consistently good quality food and service.

I was sent some 'goodwill' vouchers, so perhaps I will try another branch and see if they can redeem themselves. I might leave it a while though!

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Hove
• Category: Restaurants

Hove BN3 2DJ

Review_Mouse said
Excellent takeaway
1 of 2 favourite Indian restaurants in Brighton/Hove to be found on the corner of Church Road and Sackville Road. A little bit pricier than your average but in my opinion worth the extra. I have only ever ordered takeaway so cannot comment on service or the restaurant itself but the food is definitely better quality than some of the Indian food I have sampled in further into town. The dishes on offer are what you would expect from any Indian, they taste authentic and freshly cooked with big chunks of tender, moist and smoky chicken in really flavoursome curries. I generally find you get this better flavour with tandoori dishes....as their website says:
"Many of our dishes are cooked in the 'tandoor' which is a barrel-shaped, open topped clay oven fired by charcoal. Tandoori dishes are marinated in yoghurt with a mixture of herbs and spices and cooked at a high temperature in the tandoor over burning charcoal. This process seals in the goodness and the smouldering charcoal lends the food a very distinct flavour".

On first opening your takeaway curry you are inclined to think there is not a lot of chicken in the sauce, maybe 6-7 pieces, but each of these is bigger than usual and if you've ordered naan bread and rice as well you'll struggle to finish it all. We tend to go for the milder dishes - Korma, Tandoori Tikka Masala and Pathia, which in some places all just taste too similar (like they've come from the same base curry mixture or something), but at Zamdani these have always had their own distinct flavour .

A nice touch on their website : "If a dish that you like is not listed on the menu please ask as we may be able to cook it for you. Any queries, please ask the manager, Hasnath who will be happy to help".

One thing - it's pick-up only, they don't deliver.

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 2RA
01273 711518

Review_Mouse said
2.5 stars
Ok, so this little place is on West Street and has a naff name. It also looks pretty shabby with the odd bit of cheap decoration hanging from the ceiling with selotape (like the sort you find in pound shops at Christmas). But...the food is actually ok! I would have never tried this place had I not been taken there by a friend who used to work in Heist down the road and who ate there all the time. The kitchen is on the restaurant floor so you can see your food being cooked (something I always prefer) and there is also a buffet option but I've never tried this as it all looks battered. If you have any intolerances or special dietary requirements, you will probably find this place a no go. I have on several occassions asked for certain dishes not to be made too hot or too garlicy (they like their garlic here) and have found it very difficult to get them to understand, needless to say, the dishes have come the same whatever!! The black bean chicken with peppers is always good, as is the curry; however the special beef in noodle soup my boyfriend had last time was not very nice at all. It's a good place to go if you need something quick and cheap - perhaps on the way to the cinema. Not quite 3 stars.

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 2HP
01273 328028

Review_Mouse said
Go elsewhere
China China is a super cheap Chinese restaurant on Preston Street. I'm pretty sure it only takes cash.
I don't mind eating in a slightly shabby building providing the food is great quality, but I would not rate eating here unless you like to eat boiled and jelly-like pieces of chicken in congealed sauce at fast food tables in a dirty restaurant. I know the food is really cheap, but that doesn't excuse having fruit flies flying round your table and staff carrying black sacks of rubbish past you and dumping them behind your table!! The one redeeming factor was the crispy duck starter, which, although didn't look that great was pretty moist and tasty. If you are on a budget and fancy a Chinese - go to Me Old China on West Street which sounds naff with a name like that, but the food is cooked in the restaurant where you can see it and it's actually really good for the price.

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Food and Drink

Brighton BN1 1YE
01273 692 894

Review_Mouse said
A game of 3D table pit!
Wow what a venue! An old bus depot I think? Well you can barely tell its industrial past with that much colour and vegetation spanning in every direction you look.
I can't fault the food at Bills for it has always been superb – so healthy, and salads like you know you could never be bothered to make at home with about a million ingredients. The tomato salad alone comprises of fresh, sunblush and sundried tomatoes all in one salad (the sunblush are the best but sometimes they get left out and you have to ask for them). I agree it is pricey for a quiche/salad type lunch at around £10 - £15 inc. juice, but then having eaten there around 1.30 – 2pm, only a light dinner is usually necessary – even if you’re a big hungry guy! If you don’t fancy what’s on the specials board or if you have spent ages selecting something only to have it cruelly wiped off in front of you (sold out) then I can highly recommend the jacket potato with homemade hummous. It is, quite frankly, massive.

The juices and smoothies are delicious and you don’t mind shelling out the £3.50/£4 or whatever it is, in the knowledge that you will be drinking about a week’s worth of fruity goodness!

But….I’m afraid Bills loses 1 star for the sheer chaos and all the shouting. No, not by the noisy families, but by the staff! Is it truly necessary to have the equivalent waiting staff of 1 per table?! I’m sure it just adds to the mayhem when you constantly have red-shirted staff bumping into you and each other whilst hollering that “Tart 2 has sold out” and “Table for 4 over here” or “Table for 2!” – it’s like eating amongst a surreal 3D version of ‘Table Pit’!

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Brighton BN2 1TH
01273 623485

Review_Mouse said
It made me sick!
Yep that's right folks I got sick after eating at this place! I'm not saying it was food poisoning, but I was pretty ill through the night after eating at this cafe :(
I guess alarm bells should have rung when we walked into the empty cafe, read the extensive menu and saw everything from omelette and chips to sweet and sour chicken to veal (amongst other things)!! What kind of restaurant poses as an Italian restaurant and offers all that?
The food was very below par, the decor and cutlery grubby and my tummy - well, poorly.
I think perhaps we read the name quickly and as it reminded us of Cafe Rouge and Bella Pasta we assumed we were safe. However since this horrible episode it has been nicknamed Bella Omelette. It is a poor quality greasy spoon masquerading as a Mediterranean cafe! Don't be fooled!

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 4AJ

Review_Mouse said
Consistently yummy and quick!
I honestly don’t know how these guys do it. Yet another packed night, yet another 2-4-1 voucher, yet another terrific meal for peanuts! I have been to plenty of restaurants that don’t offer half as much variety on their menu as Wagamama (Pizza Express *cough*) and with even twice their number of staff and half their number of punters can’t deliver a decent meal. I still remember the first time I went there, I felt suspicious of the school canteen layout, and the fact they couldn’t cater for a food intolerance in our group left me a bit dubious. But now I realise Wagamama falls somewhere between restaurant and fast food and it does so excellently. With all the offers and vouchers you can get, you have nothing to lose really when you go back and try something new every time – even though you know your favourite is Chilli Chicken Ramen (or whatever). The thing that amazes me though, is that however packed out that place gets, it doesn’t seem to affect the food. I have never had a bad meal there and I have been there more times than I can count. It’s a great place to go with a big group of friends (although be prepared to be served at different times) or to start an evening out (but definitely remember to take chewing gum)!!!

• Added: 16th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 1AL
01273 719000

Review_Mouse said
Proper food in a cosy atmosphere
This place is always busy and booking in advance is necessary. A great place to go in Autumn/winter as it is so cosy and inviting. The food, although pricey is good, honest, flavoursome, freshly prepared and well-presented. Think pan-fried fillet of pork or rack of lamb with rosemary mash, with baby vegetables and a red wine jus. The wine menu is excellent and the staff recommendation has always been good. This is somewhere my boyfriend and I take our parents when they visit but I’d be happy to go with friends or for a romantic meal. The Coach House staff have always been really helpful when it comes to catering for food intolerances as well, which is always a bonus!

• Added: 15th of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 1AD
01273 773390

Review_Mouse said
Need to book these days!
One of 2 of my favourite Thai restaurants in Brighton (the other is Muang Thai). I have been here countless times because it is always a delight and consistently good. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but don’t be put off because inside you’ll usually find it packed to the gunnels, and with good reason.

The starters are between £5 - £7 and often come beautifully presented with roses carved from beetroot and shredded cabbage.

Our favourite dishes include:
Thai salad with papaya and carrot – every few months we’ll have a craving for this sweet, sour and seriously hot salad and have to go back because of it.
Pad Thai - so many textures and yummy flavours in one dish! Superb!
Roasted Duck in Thai Red Curry – this has succulent duck, peppers, pineapple, and my favourite – rambutan, in a creamy sauce.
The King and I sorbet – they need to sell this stuff in tubs!! Expensive but worth it for the unusual sherbety flavour and it’s enough to share.

On Saturday night the service was quite slow, with them taking 45minutes to take our order, but we were treated to some traditional dancing which helped to pass the time!
Most of the girls who work there are very sweet and attentive but a couple of them sometimes seem a bit abrupt and snappish – I’m sure it isn’t intended though (I’ve witnessed a couple of the waitresses squabbling in Thai in the restaurant before!). The place tends to get pretty packed and although the tables are big, they are pushed very close together so you feel you are almost connected to the tables on either side. Not a place for a quiet, romantic meal, on weekends at least. Oh yes, and expect to sweat on a hot evening for it is very cosy - they do have air conditioning but sometimes you have to ask them to turn it on and then it's ok!
Expect to pay between £45 - £60 for 2 people (2/3 courses including drinks).