REVIEW: 7Heaven, Norwich

A couple of weeks ago a colleague sent me the menu for a new burger and waffle restaurant in Norwich. I'd heard a few good things about it so we decided we'd have to go the next day! Unfortunately, I'm now wishing we hadn't...

First Impressions

I liked the decor of the place, with the industrial charm of OSB board on the walls and metal light fittings sitting well with the retro wall hangings and other decor. A good start!

However, when I looked a bit closer I was really surprised and a little disgusted by just how dirty and run-down the place appeared to be beyond all the OSB.

Just take a look at that plug socket and telephone point in the pic to the left. Aside from the fact I'm not really sure why they are there (a mid-meal hair straightening point or in case you carry a retro phone to plug in?!) they are completely filthy. I mean, really, how long does it take to rub a socket with a damp cloth and make sure it looks clean? It's not even as if this is accumulated dirt as it has only been open a matter of weeks; it definitely was not given a good clean before opening.

Unfortuntely, the same standards had been applied to the toilets and I wasn't actually sure if I should have washed my hands as the taps were so dirty I may just end up with more germs... (I did wash, btw, and used tissue to turn the taps!) 2/10

Service

The service offered by the staff was very slow. At the end of the meal, I waited 25 mins for someone to take the plates away and allow me to ask for the bill and they were not particularly busy.

However, when the staff were in attendance they were polite and friendly, if a little clueless when explaining the menu to other customers. 4/10

The Food

Probably the worst part of the whole experience was the food.

I had the Wild7 Waffle which was two waffles topped with cheese sauce and wild mushrooms. I added a slice of bacon and ordered a side of fries.

My colleague had the Hell7 Burger which was a beef burger in a brioche bun with beef chilli and cheese. He also ordered the fries.

My waffles were sweet (ick!) and cold. The cheese sauce plopped on them was lumpy and only vaguely warm and the mushrooms, whilst a good selection, didn't look like they'd even seen a pan. Raw, cold mushrooms are not my thing.

The burger was not much better. A standard beef '7patty' was smeared with around 1tsp of beef chilli and a tiny slice of cheese that had all but disappeared. He said it tasted like a fairly standard burger; hardly any heat to it and certainly not 'Hell'!

Probably even worse than both of these were the fries. These were soggy, undercooked and again only warm. Everything a good chip shouldn't be.

Sorry 7Heaven, but your food gets a 2/10

Value For Money

The waffle I had was £5.95 and I added bacon for an extra £1. If the food was good, this would be a reasonable price for what I got but as it is I think the value was poor.

The burger was £7.95, so quite a bit more expensive. For burgers in this price bracket I'd expect something a little special; perhaps a double burger or for the chilli to be spilling out the sides when you bite into it. Again, I don't think this was good value for what we got.

In addition to this, the dishes come with no sides at all. The burger had no salad either in or beside it which I think is a standard garnish. Would it kill them to put a couple of onion rings on the side too? The (soggy, undercooked) chips cost £1.95 for a very small portion.

The soft drink we had was £2 each. We had to have Coke as apparently they had no Diet Coke.

To top it off, a 10% service charge was added to the bill without asking or any warnings being given. Had we been a big party, I could understand; but there was only 2 of us! Cheeky. 2/10

Overall

I was extremely disappointed with the food and standards of cleanliness at 7Heaven. It's possible that the former was just an unfortunate day in the restaurant and another time would be much better. However, I'm afraid that I would not eat there again unless something major had happened in terms of standards to persuade me to give them another chance.

All things considered, I'm being generous by giving 7Heaven an overall score of 3/10.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to review this restaurant and they were not aware I would be blogging about my visit. My experience, therefore, represents one of an average customer paying full retail prices. Views expressed are my own personal opinions.

Home-Cured and Home-Smoked Bacon

I'm the kinda person that believes there are few dishes that can't be improved by introducing bacon somewhere. It's perfect with pasta, lovely with lettuce and beautiful with beans. Of course, best of all is grilled to a crisp and sandwiched between 2 slices of bread.

I wouldn't like to think of myself as a 'bacon snob' but at the same time, I am appalled at some of the bacon you get in the supermarkets. Pumped full of salty water, with all kinds of chemicals and preservatives and topped with a chemical-derived 'liquid smoke'. Bleurgh! No thanks.

But making bacon at home is such a faff, it makes loads of mess and you need lots of special 'stuff' for it, don't you? WRONG! I was sent the 'Bacon Cure and Smoke Pack' from the lovely people over at Hot Smoked to give it a go for myself and I am blown away by how simple it was to make bacon that is tastier than any I've ever bought from a supermarket.

The kit consists of all the ingredients, herbs and spices you need to cure your own bacon plus a cold smoker and a couple of different types of wood dust to get you going. All in all, the pack is enough to cure many kgs of bacon. All you need to add is a plastic tub, pork, sugar and a vessel to smoke the meat in (such as a large BBQ or even a large cardboard box!)

The whole process takes around 6 to 8 days but the time needed 'hands on' is very minimal. I've taken pics of the process to show you just how easy it is and what the pork looks like at each stage. I used pork belly as we prefer streaky bacon, but you could just as easily use pork loin if you'd like back bacon instead.

Makin Bacon...

First, I gave the pork a good rub with my cure and set it in it's container to rest for 24 hours. The recipe provided is not very specific in terms of measurements, calling for "a few juniper berries and some bay leaves" so I just went with the flow. Turns out it was delicious anyway, so I don't think exact recipes are needed for the spices though it is very important to use the right amount of cure!

For the next few days, I added more cure and poured off the liquid drawn from the meat by the cure. During this process, you'll see the meat gets noticeably darker.

After 4 days of curing, the meat is washed and soaked for 30 mins to remove any excess cure. It's then left to stand and dry out in the fridge for a day before being smoked for at least 10 hours. At the end of this process, the pork is now bacon and it is darker and firmer than before but it is still raw.

At this point I was DYING to try some bacon but it had to stand for another day or so in a sealed container to 'settle' and allow the smoke flavour to penetrate the whole of the meat. Finally, after this process the bacon was ready to slice and cook!

I found the slicing to be the most difficult and time-consuming part of the process. I have a meat slicer which I bought cheaply from a local catalogue store but it just wasn't sharp enough to handle the outer skin and soft flesh of the bacon; it was squashing the meat rather than slicing it! In an attempt to make this more manageable, I tried cooling the meat right down in the freezer and this worked wonderfully. 1-1.5 hours in the freezer and it was firm enough to slice perfectly but wasn't frozen. I ended up with lots of slices and the ends I diced into lardons to be used in all kinds of dishes. Yum!

This morning I had my first taste of home-cured and home-smoked bacon and I must say it was incredible! It had so much FLAVOUR to it and a real smokiness completely different from the plasticky chemical smoke. When I fried it, it crisped up perfectly and there was none of that yukky white watery stuff you sometimes get with commercial bacon either.

Just look at that! Perfect, crispy bacon still sizzling in the pan is a thing of beauty and the breakfast of kings!

Now that I've seen how easy it is to smoke my own bacon, I'll be doing it on a regular basis. I've not worked it out yet, but I think it probably works out cheaper too. Next on the list to try is pancetta, and the kit also contains everything for that as well as instructions on how to tweak the basic bacon process to fit pancetta.

All things considered, I think the kit is excellent. If I'd received it as a gift or bought it myself as my first foray into curing meat I would be absolutely delighted! I've just seen the last day to order for Xmas delivery is Mon 22nd December so there is still time to order this for a loved one for Christmas; I'm sure they will be delighted.

If you buy this kit, please do let me know and send pics of your bacon. I love to see what you are all making!

Hot Smoked stock a range of Hot and Cold smoking equipment and supplies. I've not experimented with Hot Smoking just yet but it's now firmly on my list of things to try.

Disclosure: Hot Smoked kindly sent me a bacon cure and smoke pack for free to experiment with for this post. I was not paid for the post and any opinions expressed are my own.

Buffet Pickles

After the success of my Pickled Onions post, Sarson's kindly sent me some more vinegar and a jar to make some more pickled delights, and these light, sweet and salty buffet pickles are the result.

My buffet pickles are great served with cold meats, cheeses and other 'buffet' type foods. They are an essential addition to Christmas Day evening buffets and those long, slow buffets on Boxing Day too.

I love using Sarson's pickling vinegar for these kinds of pickles as it is already spiced, making it super super easy! These pickles are not the kind you can keep in the cupboard for years to preserve; they are a lighter pickle that will need to be kept in the fridge but will last a good couple of months at least.

Any crunchy veg you like to eat raw will be great for this. I've used green and yellow pepper, onion, cucumber, cauliflower and broccoli as that's what was in my fridge. Experiment and see what happens! Be careful of red veg though, it'll turn the whole jar pink; not necesserily a bad thing but definitely worth knowing.

I have deliberately tried to chop the veg differently too; some is fine and some thick, some large chunks and others are much smaller. This adds interest in terms of texture and also flavour as the vinegar will penetrate more/less. You'll see I've used a nifty crinkle-cut knife to cut the cucumbers too. I love that little knife and mine is from Andrew James.

print recipe

Buffet Pickles

by Kevin Chambers-Paston December-19-2014

Simple and quick pickled veg, delicious with cold meats and buffet foods.

Ingredients

• 1l Kilner jar (or similar), sterilised
• 300ml boiling water
• 600ml Sarson's pickling vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• Assorted crunchy vegetables

Instructions

1. Sterilise your jar using your preferred method and leave to cool. 2. Pour the boiling water into a jug and add the salt and sugar. Once dissolved, add the vinegar.3. Add the chopped vegetables to the jar, pushing down to fill all the gaps as much as possible.4. Cover the veg with vinegar to the neck of the jar and seal. Can be eaten right away or will mellow with time. Store in the fridge and use within 2 months.

Details

Total time: 15 mins, plus time for sterilising the jar. Yield: 1 large jar of pickles.

Disclosure: Sarson's kindly sent me a jar and some pickling vinegar to experiment with for this post. I was not paid for the post and any opinions expressed are my own. I paid full retail price for the Andrew James knife and, again, opinions expressed are my own.

Simple Garlic Root Mash

I am so over mashed potato.

In times gone by, I'd have had it with just about every meal. I loved the stuff! But now I'm a little older, I need something a bit less bland than potatoes with some butter and milk.

So, I started experimenting with mashing other root veg in with it and I think I've settled on a great recipe for root veg mash!

Of course, you can't just have mash on its own! I've paired with with the old classic of sausages, peas and gravy... If you're vegetarian then just imagine this with some good veggie sausages.

This is so simple to make, it is almost not a recipe! The important thing is to get the proportions correct. I have tried loads of combinations and the one I like best is half potato and half other root veg. Carrot, swede, parsnip etc. all work really well, depending on what you like. So, if you have 500g of potato, you could add 250g carrot and 250g swede as I have in the pics above. My secret weapon that holds it all together and adds a delicious flavour is garlic! Just peel some cloves and add in to boil with the veg; you'll need around 2-3 cloves for every 1kg of veg.

The veg is just peeled and chopped (harder veg need to be smaller than potatoes to ensure they cook in the same amount of time) then boiled with the whole, peeled garlic cloves for around 20-25 minutes or until they are all tender. Drain and boil then mash with a knob of butter and a little milk if you like.

So simple and yet so tasty and a perfect accompaniment to those warming winter meals around Christmas time.

For more mashed veg recipes, check out:

• Rumbledethumps from Tinned Tomatoes
• Cauliflower Mash from Lavender & Lovage
• Cauliflower, Squash and Potato Mash from Belleau Kitchen
• Pumpkin and Goats' Cheese Mash from Maison Cupcake

Whisky and Ginger Bundtlettes

Well, last week the lovely Deb the Bread from Wright's Baking sent me a couple of packs of their bestselling ginger cake mix along with a challenge to see what unusual bake I could create with it.

I was wracking my brains, trying to think of something to impress her (some might say she is hard to impress, she can bake a mean cake herself!) whilst pouring myself a nice whisky and ginger ale. After another couple of glasses, it hit me. (no, not the floor!) I needed to make some whisky and ginger cakes; and what better shape for these little cakes than the heritage bundtlettes from Nordic Ware?!

This one's less of a recipe and more of an 'assembly job' really, so let me talk you through my thought process...

Not knowing how strong tasting this ginger cake is, I was worried that the strong taste of whisky could overpower it. So, in order to boost the gingeryness of it, I finely chopped and added 2 bulbs of stem ginger to the mix. I then added the oil as per the directions on the pack but rather than 200ml of water, I used 75ml whisky and the rest water. I was testing and trying as I went along and for my pallette this was the perfect ratio.

As I was filling my prepared tin with the mixture, I felt like there may have been a little too much for just these 6 bundtlettes. When you look at how much they rose, you'll see I was right! I could have probably gotten 8 out of the one pack, but unfortunately I only have the 1 bundtlette tin. I hope the other half is reading this and gets the hint!

Once cooled and turned out of the tin, I decorated the cakes with a little glacé icing made from 1tbsp each of whisky and syrup from the jar of stem ginger, mixed with enough icing sugar to make a thick but still just pourable paste. I drizzled this over the cakes and for a final flourish, topped with smashed ginger nut biscuits and a sprinkle of chopped stem ginger.

As it happens, I need not have worried about the strength of the ginger; the mix is really gingery and with the added stem ginger and whisky it really packs a punch which I LOVE!

You can find a list here of all the places you can buy this fab mix. I really don't like using cake mixes usually and stay away from the ones in slim boxes in the supermarkets. However, these Wright's mixes are excellent; they are made with the highest quality ingredients without any nasties and that REALLY comes out in the flavour and reliability of the end product. So, if you are a 'cake mix' sceptic like I was, give these mixes a go and you won't look back!

As always, if you make these cakes please do send me a picture on Facebook or Twitter, I really would love to see them.

For more great bundts, check out my Pinterest board:

Follow Kevin Chambers-Paston's board Does my #Bundt look big in this?! on Pinterest.

Disclosure: I was sent the ginger cake mixes by Wright's Baking for free to try. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own. I have also never been paid by Kitchens Cookshop to promote them but I do because they are a FAB place to buy your bundt tins!

REVIEW: The Harbercue Smokehouse @ The Mash Tun, Norwich

It's getting close to that time of year again when we are asked to go out and about with friends in the name of 'Christmas'. Rather selfishly, I've made a big effort this year to direct friends to places I've never been so I get to do a review for my readers at the same time!

The Harbercue Smokehouse was previously inside The Ten Bells in Norwich. It's a rather nice pub but the dining area was really limited and I can imagine the kitchen was tiny too! So, when I heard that Harbercue had moved to The Mash Tun I knew I had to try it again in a larger venue.

First Impressions

The Mash Tun is a great pub. It has the kind of quirky decor that really appeals to me and also has a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere that I really enjoyed.

It's owned by the Redwell Brewery so you can be sure of some excellent ales to go with your food. They also have some kind of infusing tap which they load extra ingredients into in order to flavour the ale. On this occasion it was apple and blackberries and this was all I wanted to drink whilst I was there as it was delicious! 9/10

Service

The service from the bar was really friendly and efficient; the barman was chatty with regards to the infused beer and showed he really enjoyed making it.

In the restaurant, the service was good too. The server seemed friendly with the diners and eager to help. Unfortunately, it appears the servers from Harbercue are not able to get drinks from the bar, resulting in diners having to leave their tables to get more drinks. Not a problem if it's quiet, but could result in some cold meals or thirsty diners at busy times! 7.5/10

The Food

The theme of the menu is, as you've probably guessed, american smokehouse. There are a variety of smoked meats on offer with various sides as well as burgers, chicken wings and more.

Without a doubt the highlight of the whole meal for me was these little battered jalapenos. They packed quite the kick which was complimented perfectly by a little blue cheese dip served alongside. We also ordered the battered pickles (gherkins) which were nice too, but a bit bland and oily for my taste.

For my main course, I ordered the beef brisket with sides of double cooked fries and macaroni cheese.

The fries were good, as I would expect and had just the right amount of crunch.

The smoked brisket had a wonderful flavour. Lovely and smokey with a slight amount of spice. If I was being picky, I'd say it could have been cooked a bit longer as it was a little tough.

I was really looking forward to the macaroni but sadly I was a tad disappointed. The pasta itself was slightly mushy, as if overcooked and the cheese was very bland and tasted of nothing. It's not exactly a complicated dish to cook either; a little less cooking of the pasta and a stronger cheese and it would have been a lovely dish!

A friend ordered the 'Harbercue Burger' which was essentially a beef burger topped with pulled pork. He echoed my thoughts that the food was tasty but lacked the 'wow factor' we had been expecting.

One other highlight of the meal was the selection of sauces. The hot sauces are prepared from scratch and they had a lot of flavour, as well as varying levels of heat!

Overall, food was good but could be excellent. 6.5/10

Value For Money

My main course was £8.50 which included the sides; I found this to be good value for money.

The burgers are around £8-9 with an additional £1.50 for 1 side. I found this to be a little more expensive but again not horrendous.

The battered jalapenos and pickles were £3.00 and that included the lovely dip too. Excellent value.

All things considered, a good score for value: 8/10

Overall

We visited at the beginning of an evening of drinking with work colleagues and Harbercue was perfect for that. It's not somewhere I would want to bring a loved one for an intimate meal, nor would I advise it as a good venue for couples with children.

Would I go again? For the same kind of situation, definitely! Overall score of 7/10

I really hope you enjoyed reading this review, and if you go to Harbercue let me know what you think of it!

As an aside, one other of the (many!) places we visited on Friday night was Gonzo's Tea Rooms. A great and quirky venue for a few drinks; in particular, this Hot Spiced Vanilla Cider was excellent and worth a trip to try this, even if you drink nothing else!