aberdeenfoodie

ABERDEEN RESTAURANT WEEK AT NAMASTE DELHI

| Lipstick and late nights

Ah Restaurant week. I don’t think that it’s an exaggeration to say that bar maybe Christmas and Halloween, it’s the best time of the year. When else can go out and indulge in some unadulterated gorging almost every night for a fortnight because it’s just too good an opportunity not to?! Let’s not forget that we have some serious making up to do in terms of eating out locally after the last couple of years. Restaurant Week, along with the rest of the world, inevitably had to put many of their plans on hold, so entering in to my my third year as an ARW ambassador, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m diving in to this one head first, and coming out several pounds heavier on the other side.

In the extremely unlikely event that you’re fresh off a rocket from the moon and have never heard of ARW, let’s get you up to speed.

Bianually, the wonderful people over at Aberdeen Inspired work their socks off to round up some of our most loved restaurants and cafes, along with a host of brand new ones and some hidden gems too, to bring you the same amazing offers for a joyous two weeks of eating until you pop. In the past the united deal on offer has always been two lunch courses for £10, and three dinner courses for £20. Pretty amazing, right?! As if that wasn’t quite incredible enough, you can now also find deals on various offers such as tasting menus, afternoon teas, cocktail classes, and lots more!

After what has been a testing couple of years to say the least for our local hospitality industry, with many of our favourite eateries even having been forced to close their doors, it’s more important now than ever that we get out there and ensure that the Aberdeen food scene continues to thrive. For a couple of weeks (and hopefully long beyond), let’s get off the sofa, ditch the takeaways and make your way to one of the incredible participating venues and show them some love.

Deliverwho? Nah, it’s Aberdeen Restaurant Week pals.

Namaste delhi…

Pictured: Poppadums with chutneys, Love from Delhi, Disaronno Fizz, and Sour Diplomacy cocktails

As per all of the previous years that I have been involved, I’m here not only to bring you the scoop on where to find the best deals, but also to bring you a full and honest review of one of the restaurants taking part. This year I was delighted to have been assigned to Namaste Delhi, one of Aberdeen’s most well known Indian restaurants. Serving up traditional Indian cuisine in the unique form of either tapas style, or à la carte dishes, they boast a menu that is guaranteed to please no matter what your taste may be.

The offers available here are either the £20 menu, which includes two courses plus a rice or naan, or Cocktail classes (£50 for 2) and Cookery classes (£75 for 2). While the other options sound fabulous and would make wonderful group activities for a really different and special night out, it was always going to be the sit-down menu for me.

Arriving at the modernly decorated and atmospheric venue, we were warmly greeted by our fabulous server Tom, who it became immediately apparent was super passionate about this business. The menu was explained to us, with details such as the fact that dishes are labelled ‘dry’, ‘semi-dry’ and ‘curry’ to give a clear expectation of the sauciness of your chosen dish. In the resounding words of Tom when speaking of his travels and experience with Indian cuisine, “If you can’t eat it with a naan, it’s not a curry!”.

The cocktail menu was also pointed out, and given that one of the offers available at Namaste this ARW is a cocktail making class, we felt that it was our public duty to try a couple out and report back…

The verdict was very quickly in by the way – they were absolutely fantastic! Expertly prepared and full of flavour, it was refreshing to see a more gourmet selection of drinks on offer rather than the usual beers/wines etc. I highly recommend the ‘Love from Delhi’, made with Plymouth gin, chambord and a ‘dash of love’.

Soon we were met with some poppadums accompanied by a selection of zingy and taste-bud tantalising chutneys to nibble on while we deliberated our menu choices. I was so impressed by these alone that I could tell we were in for a real treat with the rest of our meal.

The starters…

Pictured: Delhi Chilli Paneer (dry) & Amritsari Fish Pakora (dry)

Delhi Chilli Paneer (dry) (V) (mild)

To say that we were spoiled for choice would be an understatement. Often during Restaurant Week you’ll find that an understandably more limited set menu will be on offer, but Namaste are really pushing the boat out with the extensive range still on offer – I thought I’d be there choosing all day! With a heavy focus of vegetarian and vegan dishes (but with plenty for the meat eaters too), this menu was right up my street.

Just about anything featuring paneer is good in my books, so the Dehli Chilli Paneer was a must for me, and what an excellent choice it turned out to be! When the super-sized portion arrived looking glorious with it’s gorgeous garnish, my mouth instantly began to water. Packed with flavour and bringing a beautifully warming chilli heat, the chunks of marinated paneer adorned with lots of sticky and sweet onions and peppers seriously hit the spot. I’m already planning my next trip just to order this dish again, it was THAT good.

Amritsari Fish Pakora (dry) (spicy)

For the fish lovers out there, this starter is a must try. These crisp white fish filled morsels were just deep fried chunks of heaven. Coated in a delectably spiced batter and fried to perfection, I defy anyone to eat the whole plate and still be left wanting more out of sheer gluttony alone. Served with a slice of lemon and crisp lettuce, the it was light and refreshing despite the spice. The only thing that could have improved the dish just ever so slightly for me is if it was served with a yogurt or something for dipping, but then again I’m an absolute sucker for a bit of food lube with just about anything, so maybe that’s just me! Luckily we had kepy hold of those tasty chutneys that came with the poppadums which did the job very nicely.

The mains…

Pictured: Mutter Pulao, Paneer Butter Masala (semi dry), Peshwari naan, Masala Chips, Prawn Moilee (curry)

Paneer Butter Masala (semi-dry) (V) (mild)

Paneer again? You betcha! Because if you ask me you can never have too much of a good thing. It’s been about seven years since I last ate meat, but we all have that one thing that you occasionally reminisce about, and for me it’s a really delicious butter chicken, so to see an alternative ‘butter’ style option on the menu had me jumping for joy. I may be missing something in the ‘semi-dry’ description of this one, because the juicy chunks of paneer were enveloped in lashings of rich, creamy sauce that brought the satisfying sweetness of butter; for me this was comfort food at it’s best. Three words: Yum, yum and YUM.

Prawn Moilee (curry) (mild)

As what you would technically class as pescatarians, we usually like to sample a prawn option when it comes to Asian cuisine, and consider the measure of a well executed meal to be a perfectly cooked prawn. Namaste absolutely nailed this one, with large succulent prawns swimming in an exquisite coconut milk, garlic and turmeric based curry sauce, that left the mouth watering and the belly feeling warm and satisfied. This is definitely the crowd pleaser of the menu, with it’s sweet and mild yet luscious flavour.

Our chosen accompaniments were Mutter Pulao, a spiced basmati rice garnished with peas and onions (which I would have happily eaten as a dish on it’s own!) and Peshwari naan, which was had a freshly baked crisp deliciousness, and was stuffed with sweet desiccated coconut, just divine.

Because we are absolute gluttons, and had made the mistake of spotting the ‘Masala Chips‘ while perusing the regular menu, we were unable to resist ordering these as an extra side, and boy am I glad we did. Perfectly crunchy chips coated in a fierey masala seasoning, these were just fabulous, and perfect for dipping in to your curry sauce.

Eyes bigger than our bellies? 100%. Any regrets? Absolutely none.

After this veritable feast and with bellies full of some of the finest Indian food I have come across in Aberdeen, we rolled home having experienced the most enjoyable night thanks to the epic hospitality and immaculate service at Namaste. Chatting all the way about how we couldn’t wait to return and and already discussing all of the friends and family that we would be urging to return with us, it’s safe to say that I highly recommend that you get yourself along there to try it out as soon as possible too.

To check out the full ARW menu on offer from Namaste Delhi, head to their page on the Aberdeen Inspired Website HERE.

Don’t forget to hit up the full list of participating restaurants HERE, and get booking NOW to avoid missing out, because this is guaranteed to be a busy one!

Aberdeen Restaurant Week runs from the 1st to the 14th November. Hope over to Instagram and check out out the hashtag #ARW2021 to see all of the latest goings on, and remember to always #SUPPORTLOCAL.

Until next time, happy eating!

B x

New menu at The New Greentrees [Ad]

| Lipstick and late nights

Over the last few years The GreenTrees pub has become something of a regular haunt, mainly due to the fact that the BF worked there for many years, and so we often pop back so that he can catch up with friends and regulars.

A favourite of many Dyce inhabitants, the Greentrees is one of those good old fashioned locals, with a bar, lounge, restaurant and function room all in one. While it’s always an enjoyable visit, sinking a pint or five over a few games of pool, I’d be lying if I said that it was the food menu that kept us coming back time after time when in the mood for a bit of gastronomy; it’s always been good hearty pub-grub. For many years now, the menu has been exactly what you’d expect from a traditional bar such as this, with classic crowd-pleasers such as fish and chips, steak and ale pie and lasagne, and the ever popular carvery on a Sunday, so when I was invited along to try out the newly revamped menu, I wasn’t expecting major transformation, but boy was I wrong!

Vegetarian food at The New Greentrees Aberdeen

With the promise of an expansive new vegan and vegetarian menu, I was more than a little intrigued to see what was in store for us. For me the test of any good eatery is always the merit of their, usually solitary and often bland as hell, veggie option, but thankfully it looked like we were going to be spoiled for choice here.

The new menu comes courtesy of Argentinian head chef Javier who has taken charge and dreamed up a more exotic and varied menu featuring dishes that wouldn’t be out of place in a high end restaurant, mixing British ghastro pub classics with dishes from around the continent. You can tell instantly that this is a man who is truly passionate about food, and has travelled the world to learn his trade. Having lived on a vegan diet himself for some time, I’m delighted to say that the vegans/veggies out there have been well and truly taken care of.

Javier has also made it a top priority of his to source as many ingredients as possible locally, tracking down top quality beef from Aberdeenshire, and veg from local suppliers. He understands the importance of supporting local businesses, but also the incredible quality of foods home grown in Scotland.

Even the bar snacks menu is seriously impressive, with a selection of baskets on offer, featuring the likes of ‘Battered scallops with chips and garlic mayo’ (drool!) and ‘pate with pickles and bread and butter’. They have seriously elevated the standard greasy and usually beige bar snack!

The food…

It’s safe to say that we were thoroughly spoiled with our trip to the Greentrees, getting to sample not just a couple, but SIX different dishes to allow us to fully explore the menu – and yes, I had to be rolled home afterwards…

Of course we we went entirely veggie; it was an absolute treat to have so many genuinely enticing meat-free options on offer, but the rest of the menu sounds equally delicious, with dishes likes of ‘Chicken Shnitzel with wild mushroom sauce’ and ‘Scottish lamb cutlets with mustard and rosemary mash’ on offer.

Here’s what we thought about each and every fabulous bite.

Vegan & Vegetarian food at The New Greentrees Aberdeen

To get our bellies warmed up for the main event, we began with the soup of the day, a delicious and aromatic sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup.

Subtly spiced and silky smooth, this was the perfect introduction to the feast that lay ahead of us.

We could hardly believe our eyes when shortly afterwards, three stunning plates of food arrived in front of us – this was going to be a challenge alright, but one that I was going to do my bloody best to rise to! Straight away I was struck by the artistic presentation, these were some seriously gorgeous plates of food that sang of careful consideration and pride of plating.

Vegetable Grill Stack

This artfully arranged stack of gorgeous grilled aubergine, courgette and baby potatoes layered with oozy melted brie and drizzled with a tangy tomato compote really hit the spot. Bursting with flavour thanks to the herb oil and balsamic glaze garnish, this dish wouldn’t have been out of place in a high end restaurant. It was almost too pretty to eat…but not quite, and boy was I glad I ate it! With dishes as flavoursome as this, it’s easy to forget that meat was ever on the menu.

Grilled Goats Cheese Salad

Though simplistic in nature, this salad was possibly my favourite dish of the night. The generous round of freshly baked goats cheese was perfectly offset by the sweet delicious pear and tart raspberry dressing, with none of that more-ish goats cheese going to waste thanks to the soft brown bread served alongside it. This really is a dish that I could eat over and over again.

Wild Mushroom and Pea Risotto

I’d like to take a moment here to just say YUM.

All to often risotto’s are the easy way out when it comes to imagining a veggie option, but this one arrived here with a purpose. With the fully present earthy woody flavours of wild mushrooms and the sumptuous texture of a lovingly prepared risotto all pulled together with spot-on seasoning, this dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Elevated comfort food at it’s finest. Can I eat this all over again please?

Greentrees Halloumi Burger with Chilli Sauce

No sooner than we had just about managed to polish off the first four dishes (diet absolutely starts Monday…) Javier appeared once again brandishing a lethal looking halloumi burger, insisting that we just HAD to try it. Well, it would have been rude not to, right?

With a more than generous hunk of halloumi grilled to perfection between a sweet brioche, it was crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy in the middle, just the way it should be. The chilli sauce was sticky and sweet, with a decent kick, and offset the salty savoury halloumi perfectly. Complete with the classic burger serve of homemade slaw, fries and salad, this was a triumph of a burger offering, and one I’ll be ordering time and time again when we next visit.

For all of the non veggies out there, the beef burger is sure to satisfy, hailing from Inverness and 28 days hung it’s bound to be super tasty, and offers a variety of awesome toppings to choose from.

Churros.

Need I say any more? I mean just Churros – if you’re not a fan then we need to have serious words.

Actually I do need to say more, because not only was this sweet, doughy, crisp Argentinian classic fried to perfection and drizzled with delicious chocolate sauce, there was also chocolate INSIDE the churros. I don’t know what kind of voodoo this is, but I’m 100% here for it.

The New Greentrees have seriously outdone themselves with this new menu thanks to Javier’s inspired input, so for all us city dwellers looking for somewhere different to dine out now and then, the short trip to Dyce to check out ‘The Trees’ as it’s usually referred to by locals is well and truly worth it. Family friendly and with something for everyone, there really is no excuse not to pay a visit and try out the incredible new menu.

Head to the facebook page to check out the full menu for yourself by clicking HERE or give them a call on 01224 799990 to book a table.

Serious thanks once again to The GreenTrees for inviting us to try out their fabulous new fare, we’ll be back again soon for sure!

Until next time,

B x

*** EDIT – this meal was gifted pre-lockdown, so menus and menu items may now be different to those shown in the review, check out the facebook page or get in touch with The Green Trees directly for any queries! As always, all views are my own.

Aberdeen Restaurant Week is back! [Ad]

| Lipstick and late nights

Yes folks, once again it’s the time of year that every self-proclaimed foodie has been waiting for – Aberdeen Restaurant week is back, and it begins next week!

This means two things…

1. That I’m back as an ARW ambassador bringing you all of the latest recommendations and info that you need to eat your way through the week in the most efficient and indulgent way possible.

2. My so-called ‘health kick’ is about to go out the window so fast that my postie had better be on the look out for my will power as it soars past his head first thing on Monday morning. Diet starts March…?!

What’s it all about?

Just in case you’ve been hibernating for the last couple of years (and I wouldn’t blame you in this bloody weather), here’s a quick overview of what it’s all about.

Biannually, Aberdeen Inspired unite the food loving locals of Aberdeen by bringing us a week long celebration of dining out at a plethora of our finest indigenous establishments. During the 5th instalment of this wonderful belly-busting week, you can expect to see some familiar offers, two lunch courses for £10 or three dinner courses for £20 at no less than FORTY-SIX of our finest venues – wow!

The aim is to support local businesses by giving the people of Aberdeen a chance to try some truly outstanding menus at an even more incredible price. Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of frequenting the same old reliable places time and time again, so what better an opportunity to discover a new favourite than during ARW.

What’s on offer?

As well as the return of the awesome £10 and £20 menus, several venues are once again offering Tasting menus and afternoon teas. As always you can check out the full line-up and find out who’s offering what by heading to www.aberdeenrestaurantweek.com to find out.

As if all of these amazing offers weren’t enough to have us full to the gunnels already, Aberdeen Inspired are mixing it up this year with a few new tricks up their sleeves…

What’s new?

Adding an interactive and fun element to the lineup, you can now sign up for cookery classes at selected venues, such as whipping up an Italian storm at PASTA, located within Aberdeen market, or mastering the art of curry making at Namaste Dehli. How exciting!

The one that has really got people talking this time around is the newly introduced FOOD TOURS.

Partnering with Grampian Escapes and Tours, ARW is bringing you a unique street food experience where you”ll take a two hour tour around the gastronomic world, sampling delicious dishes from four separate eateries along the way.

We were lucky enough to be treated to a first glimpse of the food tour, so here’s how it looks!

Starting at The Pigs wings for some deli delights, you’ll venture on to The Latin Way for some tasty tacos, followed by a warming caribbean curry at Tango Turtle, all wrapped up by some incredible ice cream at Mackie’s 19.2. How’s that for a great night out?!

The great thing about these tours is that you’ll be led by a lovely tour guide who’ll take you on a historical trip through Aberdeen’s most noted food facts, whilst introducing you to the faces behind the businesses so that you can hear the inspiration for all that they do straight from the horses mouth.

Tickets for these excursions are already selling fast, so be sure to snap yours up HERE before it’s too late!

This really is shaping up to be the best Restaurant week yet and and I can’t wait to spend the week sharing my experiences and top tips with you all week long. Keep up with me on Instagram for all of the drool-worthy food pics you can handle, along with my top recommendations for the hottest spots to dine out.

As always there are a host of other wonderful bloggers covering the event which you can check out here, so give everyone a follow to keep up with their foodie journeys too.

I’ll be officially reviewing Siberia Bar and Hotel this time around, so tune back in soon to see get the full scoop.

*Spoiler alert…it was fabulous!

Until next time (when I’ll probably be about a stone heavier..),

B x

[This blog post is in paid partnership with Aberdeen Inspired, but as always all views are honest and my own.]