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.

A Month of Munching

It's been very quiet on the Western Front lately (unless you've been following me on Twitter or been keeping up with my Vinspire posts). How on earth has it got to June already?! Well, I've just returned from a wonderful week-long holiday in Scotland, but before I divulge on my indulgences up north, I thought I'd best report my latest eats and experiences. So listen up..

I should probably start with where I left off at the end of April *slaps wrists*.. A 5 year anniversary celebration with The Chap saw a surprise trip to Cheltenham's KIBOUsushi. We went for lunch a week or so after it's opening, loved it, and vowed to return to try the dinner menu; it took us way too long to do this. Cheltenham had been missing the sushi boat for ages, and in the space of a few weeks, both KIBOU and a Yo! Sushi opened up. I'm sure Yo! Sushi is great, what with it's conveyor belt of food on brightly coloured dishes, but independent is always better in my eyes. Being tucked away in a basement on Regent Street, like a secret hide away from the bustling town centre, makes the whole thing much more memorable.

We started with some pork gyozas and scallop and venison tataki nigiri, then The Chap had a prawn/pork/sesame main dish, and I had an orange-y duck breast with pumpkin korroke (a bit like croquettes); both of which were off of the specials board. Everything was delicious, and I'm already thinking about when I can go back to get my next sushi fix. If you go, make sure you get a glass of the plum wine, as well as the obligatory jasmine tea.

A week later, I found myself at Cheltenham Jazz Festival drinking way too much wine and frolicking in the bank holiday sun. Being a massive lover of all things Hobbs House (thanks to the Bread Baking Masterclass I went on in February), I booked to go to Henry Herbert's Hobbs House Pop-up Supperclub on the festival site in Montpellier Gardens.

Being one half of The Fabulous Baker Brothers, and an advocate of all things local, Henry's Supperclub was destined to be something that you wouldn't want to miss. Upon entering the tent lined with tables and benches, we were handed a cocktail (I've no idea what it contained) and then showered with various canapés whilst we got settled into our seats and chatted to our jazzy neighbours.

No veggies here, BBQ Beef was what we were treated to; juicy charcoal grilled rib eye and a smoked brisket, which practically fell apart with as much as a glance. Bowls of Boston beans, slaw and blue cheese iceberg salad were shared round, along with a never ending supply of sourdough, and everything was kept topped up until we were sufficiently full.

Dessert was a doughnut trifle. Now I'm not normally a fan of those stodgy beasts, and the thought of having them topped with additional custard and cream was a bit daunting, but actually, it totally hit the spot and was just the right size. Coffee and truffles were kicked to the kerb until Henry had done the rounds thrusting picklebacks on every table. A shot of pickle brine and a shot of Chase Smoked Vodka sat in front of us, then on the count of three we downed the vodka then chased it with the pickle. It might sound a bit rough, but trust me, it works. Line them up please!

A trip to Bath was next on the agenda; a belated Mother's Day spa session with my Mum and Sister. I'd had a few recommendations on places to have lunch, and Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen was the venue of choice. We decided to opt for the tapas-style sharing dishes, ending up ordering pretty much the whole menu because it sounded that good.

We had mixed pickles (kohlrabi, radish and carrot), hummus with bread olives and harissa, asparagus in a lemon thyme dressing, brocolli with wild garlic, polenta chips and rhubarb ketchup, chickpea fritters with an orange rosemary emulsion, local leaf salad with toasted seeds and rhubarb dressing, and red wine fig and shallot salad with candied curried pecans. The one thing I love about veggie/vegan restaurants is that they're always so innovative; even the most stubborn carnivore couldn't possibly miss meat with this bounty. The red wine fig and shallot salad stole the show, along with the asparagus and polenta chips.. Actually, all of it was great, and our bill came to just over £30, which seemed great value considering how much we ate!

Last minute panic buying in preparation for a wedding resulted in a shopping slog at Cabot Circus, Bristol. In an attempt to get just an hours break from the herd of Saturday shoppers, we went to St Nicholas Market to refuel. Spying a queue at Grillstock surely meant that they were dishing out good grub, and on a sunny day, something meaty in a bun - alongside a cold beer - is just what the doctor ordered. I had the hickory smoked pulled pork with slaw, spicy sauce and extra jalepenos. It's messy business, but who cares when its this good?

Something sweet seemed necessary, so we popped into Source Food Hall & Cafe and I was blinded by this beauty; a salted caramel and cherry brownie. I think I died and went to heaven.. Though hell's probably more fitting, being so devil-iciously dark, rich and salty..

Nothing I can say will be able to follow that, so I shall leave it there.

Keep your eyes peeled for Glasgow goings on..