KIBOUsushi via Deliveroo Cheltenham

Do you remember me telling you about Deliveroo Cheltenham's expansion at the end of last year? After spreading themselves further across Cheltenham, and adding a number of new cafés and restaurants, they ran a Christmas themed competition to get people talking about them… And talk about them they did.

Hypocritically, despite writing about Deliveroo's #SpotaSanta Campaign, I'd never actually used the service before - terrible, I know. But with a new account set up (along with a little thank you credit), I took the plunge.

Having to decide what to order in one restaurant alone is bad enough for someone like me, but with the Deliveroo App you have up to 27 menus at your fingertips at any one time! Luckily The Chap and I were on the same page, and it was only ever going to be KIBOUsushi.

I was given free reign with the ordering, with the only stipulation being that Chicken Katsu Curry had to be on the list. Picking out a few faves, and impulse clicking a couple of random dishes, our order was processed, and the countdown began.

On the app, like some sort of backwards sat-nav, we watched as our Deliveroo driver left the restaurant and headed over to our house. Peering out of the window in excitement, there he was! In just over half an hour, for a small delivery fee of £2.50, we were feasting like kings.

First up, Pork Gyozas (£5.70) - a personal fave - the chewy dumplings, with a crisp base, were tightly packed with fragrant pork mince, and came with an addictive vinegary dipping sauce. Another starter, Takoyaki (£5.95), was a first for the both of us; five deep fried batter balls with octopus in the centre, dressed with a Japanese-esque mayo and ginger. I don't think I've had anything quite like it before. I imagine they might be even better straight out of the kitchen at the restaurant, but nevertheless the bitesized spongy spheres will always be a must from now on.

We thought that eating the hot food first would probably be the best option, seeing as sushi isn't going to spoil if it hangs around for a while, so next we attacked the Chicken Katsu Curry (£13.95). It's not a something that I'd choose for myself - it's all a bit beige - but I do like the salty-sweet curry sauce,... And the fact that it's essentially a giant sliced up chicken nugget with rice.

With the volume of food we ordered, sharing a main course dish was definitely the right thing to do. Crunchy breadcrumbs encased the juicy white flesh, and there was more than enough sauce (which came in its own little tub) to coat every piece of chicken. I think it's the zip of acidity that I often miss in Japanese cuisine, but by pouring our leftover gyoza dipping sauce over the rice, it really hit the spot. I should say that The Chap was perfectly happy without my adjustments though.  

A variety platter - Jo Moriawase (£14.25) - is a good way to try a few types of sushi without committing to one particular roll. Our 12 pieces comprised of 4 slices of sashimi (2 salmon and 2 tuna), 4 nigiri (squid, prawn, salmon and tuna), and 4 California rolls (I'm pretty sure the menu said eel, though my photo looks more like seabass). Pickled ginger, sachets of wasabi and soy sauce accompany all of KIBOU's take out sushi too. Apply too much wasabi at your own risk!

As an off-the-cuff-pick, we had Ikura Gunkan (£5.50); 2 pieces of oval shaped sushi, wrapped in a strip of nori and generously topped with pearls of salmon roe. The Chap wasn't too convinced, he found it a bit too salty, but I thought it was a welcome alternative to the other things we had. Not only did the rolls look luxurious, but with the delicate salmon roe bursting in your mouth, they felt pretty extravagant too.

8 pieces of Spicy Tuna Iso (£8.95) were our final sushi choice, probably because we're a little obsessed with raw tuna, though feeling a little full we grazed our way through them whilst watching crap Saturday Night TV and sipping Champagne... Fizz goes very well with sushi by the way! And speaking of drinks, I noticed that you can order beers from KIBOUsushi via Deliveroo - yay - but their amazing Plum Wine isn't available *cries*. Maybe one day... Hint hint.

Although I'd generally prefer to go out to restaurants to eat, when it's blowing a gale and pissing it down outside, or when you're feeling under the weather and are quite content in your pjs, I can see that this is where Deliveroo comes into its own. I'm betting that hangovers are quite a popular reason for people using the service too, and with that in mind, I'm already eyeing up the menus for the next time I've had a heavy night!

Cheers Deliveroo & KIBOUsushi for giving me a little slice of Japan in the comfort of my own home.