gluten free birmingham

Move aside Colonel, there’s a new chief of chicken in town: Bonehead

November 22, 2019November 22, 2019Posted in ReviewsTagged Birmingham independents, Birmingham restaurants, Birmingham UK, Birmingham West Midlands, Bonehead, Bonehead Birmingham, Chicken Birmingham, Chicken joint Birmingham, Chicken wings Birmingham, dairy free birmingham, Food Birmingham, gluten free birmingham, Gluten free burgers, Gluten free street food, Gluten free street food Birmingham, Independent bars Birmingham, Independent caterers, Independents Birmingham, Indie Birmingham, KFC Birmingham, Nandos Birmingham, NCASS member, Street Food, Street food Birmingham, sweet chilli wings, Tourism Birmingham, Visit Birmingham, Wing addictLeave a comment

I’d heard the rumours long before – whispers from people making the bold claim that it was the “best chicken in Brum,” “simply phenomenal” and “KFC on steroids.” Alas, in a world of fake news I simply refused to believe until I had myself, bore witness to the wings behind the words.

Me and my work colleagues rocked up to Bonehead on a Tuesday night and at 6pm, it was already heaving. Although you can’t book tables, they did a tremendous job of fitting all 12+ of us in. There’s a good selection of drinks, from craft beers through to gins and the menu offers a choice of wings, strips, burgers and combos. Although the burgers and strips were off limits to me as they contained gluten and dairy, I could have most of the wings and so I ordered the sweet chilli & garlic with spring onion and seasame seeds option.

Now, many people will testify to the fact that I’m a bit of a wing addict. Truth be told, I’ve stunned many a waiter as they’ve seen me polish off a kilo of chicken wings without so much as batting an eyelid, so I wasn’t really expecting a ‘best ever’ dish here. Let me just say this: These wings were insanely good! See how I even used an explanation mark there and put aside my grammatical pet hate of shouting at people through words? Well, Bonehead made me do it! If I could list every filthy food porn word here I would – it was quite simply, the best chicken wings I have EVER had in my 28 years of eating, and as my friends know, that’s not a claim I make lightly when they’ve seen me consume somewhere in the region of 5,000 chicken wings in the past two years.

The sauce was incredible and a perfect combination of sweet and spicy, plus the fresh kick coming from the spring onion and crunchy texture on the seasame seeds gave it a rather pleasurable texture. The chicken was coated in a melt-in-your-mouth batter, sizzling with juice and filled with the most tender pieces of chicken that I’ve ever experienced in wings. The whole dish was sensational.

I had made the error of thinking the five wings would be small and so I asked the waitress if I could double up. After realising how big and filling the wings were, I would have been quite okay with just the one portion, but hey ho, God loves a trier and so I made it my mission to finish the 10 wings spread out before me. I was filthy after polishing them off, with chicken juice all over my hands and mouth, but at the end of the day, the best food always requires you to get stuck in. Bravo Bonehead, bravo.

All I can say now is; Nandos what, Nandos who, get yourself down to Bonehead too!

From Punjab to Birmingham: The Indian Streatery

February 24, 2019Posted in ReviewsTagged Balti triangle, Bennetts Hill Birmingham, Curry houses Birmingham, dairy free birmingham, Digbeth Dining Club, gluten free birmingham, Gluten free curry Birmingham, Street food Birmingham, The Indian Streatery, Vegan Birmingham, Vegan curry Birmingham, Visit BirminghamLeave a comment

Having grown up on the outskirts of the Balti Triangle, the love of a decent curry is in my DNA. Catching up with friends on a weekend and ending the night with a curry is tradition and I always have a favourite curry house of the month. After all, when there’s so many curry houses in Birmingham, the competition is fierce and there’s no room for favouritism, for long anyway.

People had been raving about The Indian Streatery for yonks. Beginning their foodie roots at Birmingham’s very own Digbeth Dining Club under the name ‘Indian Rasoi,’ the eatery soon became a firm favourite amongst diners and eventually set up permanently at a premises on Bennett’s Hill. As with many Digbeth Dining Club regulars, the ‘family foodies’ brought with them a loyal following of locals already converted to the concept of ‘Indian tapas.’ Though relatively new to the food scene, Indian tapas takes traditional dishes and gives them a makeover, much like the Deconstructed Samosa Chaat and homestyle chicken kindly created by The Indian Streatery. The idea is to bring Punjab’s food markets to the people of Britain, using tried and tested family recipes, old memories, plus a side order of added ingredients to suit British palates – Indian Hotdog anyone?

On my visit to The Indian Streatery, I was excited to find out what all the fuss was about. I was damn sure I liked my curry in a bowl with pilau rice and poppodoms, no messing around, no food antics. It was then with great delight that I found myself enjoying a Fresh Spinach & Lamb Curry, marinated overnight with a host of spices, alongside what I can only describe as ‘bangin’ Masala Fries. Both dishes far exceeded my expectations and in fact, the lamb curry was one, if not the best curries I’ve tasted in a good 12 months. Normally I’d cringe at the thought of throwing in a portion of chips with a curry, but here, with a mix of fenugreek chaat masala and tamarind on the fries, blended in with succulent slow cooked lamb, I was on the verge of dribbling.

The menu comes with a listing of gluten free, dairy free and vegan dishes, easily identifiable and ranging in choices. The waiter was extremely helpful with my allergens and offered to accommodate any requests that I had regarding the menu. By the time I had finished my curry and fries, I was already dreaming of another portion. In fact, it’s pretty much all I talked about all week.

In an age where some are predicting the death of the Balti, I feel a sense of confidence in the future of curry houses in Britain. Rather than admitting defeat, establishments such as The Indian Streatery are building on existing foundations, adapting and recreating traditional recipes to bring them into an ever expanding modern day street food market. Whether it’s slapping a curry onto a burger, or giving an Indian twist to the classic chicken and chips, there’s no doubt that these Masala fries making, Pakora transformers are here to stay, and we love them for it!

The Theory of Everything that Makes Burgers Bostin’

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019Posted in ReviewsTagged Arcade Birmingham, Birmingham burger, Birmingham restaurants, Burger Theory, Burger Theory Birmingham, dairy free birmingham, Digbeth Dining Club, gluten free birmingham, Gluten free burgers Birmingham, Hill Street Birmingham, Krispy Kreme, Original Patty Men, Street food Birmingham, The Flying Cow Burgers, Vegan burgers Birmingham, Vegan restaurants BirminghamLeave a comment

As I’ve grown older, I’ve developed a taste for three things; Red wine, olives and burgers. Now I know that burgers have been around for millennia and the good old days of Ronald McDonald should have given me my first real taste of a juicy beef burger in a brioche bun, but as a kid, I was a chicken nugget McSnugget all the way. There was something extremely unconvincing about sticking meat between bread and dumping a gherkin inside for added sourness; it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

You’d have to be a hermit to not have noticed the burger takeover in the past few years. Whilst the classic ‘hamburger’ may have been a big hit across the pond as Yanks competed for the title of biggest and most greasiest burger possible, we as usual decided to take things slower here in the UK. It is only really in the past few years with the rise of independent street food retailers such as The Flying Cow Burgers and Original Patty Men that the demand for burgers really escalated in British cities.

Being gluten free, I often found myself pining for a dirty grab and go burger, or just carbs in general, from the pop up street vendors found at foodie digs such as Digbeth Dining Club. The first time I witnessed a Krispy Kreme being balanced on top of a double beef patty with bacon, maple syrup and onion rings, I was adamant I was either dodging food hell or missing out on a piece of art for individuals such as myself with a combined sweet and savoury tooth.

It was then with great anticipation that I found myself venturing to Birmingham’s latest burger joint, Burger Theory. Situated in Kongs Bar on Hill Street, the venue boasts retro arcade games, table tennis and a fully stocked bar filled with craft beers. Live DJs are a permanent fixture at weekends, but I was visiting on a Friday lunchtime with colleagues and the rather large venue was empty asides from the bar staff – maybe they were busy on Deliveroo but I expected it to be slightly busier.

The menu states that burgers can be ordered with a gluten free bun. As usual, my added milk intolerance made it difficult for me to order many cheese based burgers without needing to substitute half of the ingredients, so I opted for The Classic burger, consisting of a beef patty, house ketchup and plain chips, plus the Down n’ Dirty burger sauce. The burger itself was really tasty, cooked to my liking in that it was juicy and still slightly pink in the middle. Alongside the house sauce and perfectly salted chips, it was one of the best, if not THE best burger I’ve had in a good year or so.

If I had one recommendation, it would simply be a request for Burger Theory to stock dairy free cheese to go on the gluten free or vegan burgers. Just keeping in one dairy free cheese would mean that my choice of burgers could be far more extensive, but on the whole, my first experience was a good one and I think the chefs have their burgers cooked to perfection. I can never understand why so many burger restaurants are off limits to me simply because they refuse to stock gluten free buns and create a patty that is friendly to those with allergens, so it was lovely to be given that option.

They call themselves the Creative Burger People, priding themselves on sourcing local produce and making all burgers, sauces and pickles on site. I asked for tomato ketchup to dip my chips in and was provided with a little pot of fresh tomatoes, chopped finely into a delicious, smooth sauce. There’s no doubt that these guys are serious about providing high quality, good tasting food that really stands out from the usual grease found in many burger joints and I think they may have succeeded.

Pull up a seat at Cosy Club

April 10, 2018April 10, 2018Posted in ReviewsTagged Bennett hill birmingham, Birmingham, Birmingham bars, birmingham restaurant, cocktail bars Birmingham, Cosy Club, Cosy Club Birmingham, dairy free birmingham, gluten free birmingham, gluten free restaurant Birmingham, gluten free UK, vegan bar birmingham, vegetarian bar birminghamLeave a comment

What does an English Garden, Lemon Drizzle Cake and Sparkling Duchess have in common I hear you ask? Nope, I’m not giving you tips on which horses to bet on during this year’s Grand National. They are in fact a spectacular assortment of cocktails available at one of my all-time favourite bars, Cosy Club.

Situated on the site of a Grade II listed former banking hall on Bennetts Hill that was built in 1830, Cosy Club opened its doors to Brummie’s in 2015, offering “mansion splendour meets village hall eccentricity.” The quirky restaurant and bar has been a popular ‘chill-out’ hub for me and my friends ever since and we can regularly be found tucking into a juicy burger or sampling one of the delicious gin based cocktails here.

What do I love about Cosy Club? The ambience is one thing. Walk in through the big double doors and you’re welcomed by jazz music and interiors that sit somewhere between art deco mixed in with your Aunt Deidre’s curtains which haven’t been changed since the 1600’s. It does what it says on the box, delights in eccentricity. It blends British aristocratic furniture with glamorous 30’s materials and strangely, it seems to work.

Cosy Club is a ‘go-to’ place for me when I’m in need of brunch, lunch or dinner, thanks to its extensive choice of gluten and dairy free meals. Despite there being a large selection of dishes that can be altered to suit my dietary needs, I always seem to opt for the same almost every time – The Classic burger with a beef patty, lettuce, beef tomato, red onion, gherkin and burger sauce.

I’ve also tried the Pan Fried Salmon Fillet with green beans, sugar snap peas, pak choi, roasted potatoes and a green chilli, lemongrass, coriander and lime dressing which was delightful, as well as the Black Angus 80z steak with thick cut chips which was both tender and flavoursome.

Breakfast is just as good. Being gluten free means that whilst my friends gobble down a Full English with all the works, I am often left with a pitiful meal of just bacon and egg. The Cosy Club breakfast on the other hand delivers the full package, minus the sausages and hash browns, which really hits the spot. Soya milk is available, giving you the option to enjoy an after eight coffee or teapot of good old builders brew.

The lounge at the back of the restaurant offers a place to take refuge in when you want a quiet drink and a chat and the building does boast private rooms for parties, cocktail masterclasses and Murder Mystery nights – which judging by the hidden corners and Cluedo style deco would be a believable place for Professor Plum to dispose of Colonel Mustard.

There are multiple Cosy Club restaurants across the UK and each one has its own personality. The one in my old uni town of Leicester for example is not really up my street due to its casual café layout, but the Birmingham one, with its two storey restaurant and candle lit tables is the perfect place for an aperitif or post-meal martini on ice. Just sit back, relax with a drink and enjoy the friendly atmosphere that Cosy Club has to offer.

We salute you, or not? Rack ‘a Ribs at the Smoke Haus

April 6, 2018April 6, 2018Posted in ReviewsTagged Birmingham bars, Birmingham restaurants, Brindleyplace restaurants, Gas street social, gluten free birmingham, Gluten free restaurants UK, Mannys Steakshouse, Miller and Carter, Smoke Haus, steak house Birmingham, steakhouse florida, The Smoke HausLeave a comment

Some people buy clothes on payday, head out for a night on the town or for a little pamper session. Me, I head straight down to a local steakhouse and gorge on a nice piece of sirloin or BBQ ribs. It’s an expensive habit, but similar to my love of gin and all things delicious, it’s one that I just can’t give up.

Due to my love of steak and ribs, I tend to be pretty critical when I try a new place. I’ve been to America three times and eaten the best steak I’ve ever tasted at a place recommended to me called Manny’s Original Chophouse. It promises the best steak in town (what US of A steak house doesn’t?!) and it didn’t disappoint. In the UK, my favourite place for steak is Miller & Carter and my favourite for ribs is Gas Street Social.

I was pretty excited therefore to hit The Smoke Haus in Brindleyplace recently. With a slogan that says “we’re all about delivering the big flavours of authentic American barbecue,” you can be forgiven for expecting big things.

On arrival, you’re met with a very typical American steakhouse scene. You know the stuff – Harley Davidson, black and white photos of Hollywood stars, French’s classic yellow mustard on the table as a prop to convince you that you could indeed really be in America and not the middle of Birmingham.

Décor aside though, it was my birthday, I was hungry and so I decided to order the biggest and most impressive looking rack of ribs I could find on the menu that were gluten free. Introducing the Jacob’s Ladder, a full four boned slab of pure barbequed meat and a side order of sweet potato fries.

“Jeepers” I said in a polite but not completely true Scooby Do exchange to my friend, “I wish I’d not eaten lunch.” At nearly £25, the ribs presented to me could have fed a small army and his pack of dogs.

One of the reasons I love ribs is because it’s proper finger food. Unfortunately, it’s not the sort of grub you can order when you’re having a civilised meeting with someone unless you feel comfortable with them seeing you eat like a wild animal. The Jacob’s Ladder however, was not finger food, it was so big you had to slice through each layer from the top. As I got down to the middle of the ribs the marinade had completely disappeared – I was left slicing through thick and sometimes fatty chunks of meat similar to when you use a carving knife to dish up the beef for your Sunday roast. I felt then that The Smoke Haus probably focused more of its attention on quantity over quality.

Going back to my earlier statement, I’ve been to America and I know how big their portion sizes are, although some of the best ribs I’ve tasted have been big enough to satisfy your hunger pangs but small enough to leave you wanting more. The meat should literally fall off the bone and the marinade should have soaked through long enough to leave a tangy after taste once you’ve finished. My mistake, I think, was ordering the biggest thing off the menu. It became more of a competition to see how much you can eat rather than an enjoyable experience.

New Gluten Free Menu at Henry Wong

September 11, 2016January 2, 2018Posted in ReviewsTagged Birmingham restaurants, cantonese restaurant, Coeliac disease, free from, gluten free, gluten free birmingham, gluten free chinese, gluten free chinese restaurant birmingham, gluten free food, Gluten-free diet, harborne restaurants, henry wong, restaurants in harborne, Sweet and sour, tummy happy, tummy happy foodLeave a comment

It is notoriously hard to find a Cantonese restaurant that caters for a gluten free diet. The desire for chefs to coat everything in soy sauce and batter is a common occurrence and it is for this reason that I hadn’t eaten a Chinese meal in a restaurant in about nine or ten years, which is crazy considering how much I love this cuisine. You can imagine my delight when I was invited along to sample the new gluten free menu at Henry Wong in Harborne to find that I could eat a large selection of beautiful dishes.

Henry Wong specialises in both traditional and contemporary Chinese dishes and the diverse menu could satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. Thanks to the freshness of the food on offer, a large amount of the normal menu can be made gluten free and it was fantastic to be able to visit a restaurant where the staff were so knowledgeable about allergens and could prepare vibrant dishes without any fuss.

For starters, we were treated to the popular chicken and shitake mushroom yuk sung with pinenuts, as well as asparagus and soft shell crab with garlic and chilli. The dish that particularly stood out for me here was the crab, it was really succulent, coated in a delicious batter and drizzled in a garlic and chilli sauce which is always a winning combination for me. I can sometimes find that chefs overcook asparagus, but here it was cooked to perfection and complimented the crab dish perfectly.

Next on the menu was the main course of honey pepper king prawn, sweet and sour chicken, steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onion, pak choy in garlic sauce, sizzling beef fillet in black pepper sauce, accompanied with egg fried rice.

When I was younger and still eating normal Chinese food, I always opted for sweet and sour chicken and beef in black bean sauce, so I was chuffed to be able to tuck into these amazing dishes once more – the beef dish in particular was really tender and juicy and much more tasty than how I remember it from takeaways years ago. Another pleasant surprise was the sea bass; other than prawns I wouldn’t usually opt for seafood at a Chinese restaurant but combined with the ginger and spring onion – two of my favourite ingredients for oriental food, I was really impressed by the dish and would definitely order again.

For dessert, a beautifully presented fruit platter came out bursting with a variety of berries and melon, as well as strawberry cheesecake and fudge cake, topping off what was a fantastic night of amazing food – the cocktails and mocktails on offer were amazing too by the way!

Overall, I can’t praise the gluten free menu enough at Henry Wong. The staff have obviously put a lot of effort into learning about Coeliac disease and how to cater for special diets, whilst maintaining the same standards of exceptional cooking that goes into the normal dishes. The great thing was that they are so keyed up on how to prepare gluten free food that you don’t feel different when eating there, you are made to feel like a regular diner. I can say for certain that I will be visiting again in the next few weeks and I can’t wait to be sat around the table with my chopsticks, tucking into another beautiful selection of gluten free dishes. If you’re ever in the Birmingham area, you must take a trip down to Henry Wong, it’ll be a firm favourite with both gluten free and normal eaters.