Showing posts with label ice cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ice cream. Show all posts
I am not usually a fan of buffet or all you can eat restaurants but as soon as a new one opens I like to at least try it once before never returning! Cosmo Authentic World Kitchen is a Pan Asia World Banquet style buffet restaurant meaning they have food from all over the world in different sections throughout the restaurant, so there should be something for everyone. Cosmo's philosophy is to offer casual dining with a banquet of freshly prepared food in stunning restaurants (according to their website). They first launched in 2003 with their first restaurant in Eastbourne and over the years have introduced Sushi and Teppanyaki, Live Cooking and Global Cuisine after establishing their brand and opening their first branded restaurant of the chain in 2008.
The Cosmo in Nottingham has only been open a month or two and I thought what better time to try it then straight away! After finishing University and having to say goodbye to a friend who was going back home a group of us thought we would visit Cosmo as a farewell dinner and also an opportunity for me to blog and review the place!
It is tucked away through a door and up some stairs on Milton Street in the city centre, upon entering you are immediately aware of how glam they have tried to make a buffet restaurant - much better then a rushed cheap eatery that you do not feel comfortable in (I won't mention where I am thinking of). Inside the theme is bright lights with slate grey walls and floor and satin booths with diamante style buttons - very Footballers Wives I personally think. Sometimes it can all just be a bit too much!
The food is sectioned into different cuisines with live cooking in different parts for example fresh cooked pasta or Teppanyaki. There is Italian, Indian, British, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican and Greek...there could be more but there is a lot of food to put it simply. I saw rice, noodles, fried chicken, sushi, roast pork, curry and even pizza - the list is endless.
I made my way around the buffet trying a few new things and drooling at the selection of desserts. I have never been to a buffet restaurant that has "grown up" desserts as well as the usual ice cream machine for children. At Cosmo you have gelato, creme brûlée and apple crumble to name a few but there is also a kids station with the ice cream machine and sweets for toppings. Oh and the flavours of the gelato are heavenly; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, hazelnut, chocolate chip, coconut and pistachio! I had coffee and hazelnut which are amazing and full of flavour.
Unlimited soft drinks and amazing cocktails... I didn't have high expectations for my Margarita when I ordered it but was so surprised when it arrived and was probably one of then best one's I have ever had, so good in fact I had two...maybe three! Prices are also really reasonable with the evening buffet being between £13.99 and £15.99 and cocktails only around £5 it will not burn a hole in your pocket at all.
Although I am still not a converted buffet or world dining restaurant lover I wouldn't close the door on Cosmo forever as I definitely did like the food even if the decor was a bit over the top. As it is a new restaurant you can tell the staff are inexperienced and are loving their walkie talkie and ear pieces which they like to listen to more than the customers at times. If you are in Nottingham and want something along the lines of quick and buffet style I would definitely recommend this one over the others though as it seems to be the best so far. Maybe I will revisit again in the future to see if it changes at all.
Let me know if you have been yet or if you have suggestions for other buffet style restaurants I should try! x
Cosmo Nottingham, Trinity Square, 29A Milton Street NG1 3EN Tel: (0115) 9507755
Twitter: CosmoNottingham
The Adams Restaurant is located in the Adams building in the Lace Market area of Nottingham City Centre. It is housed in a stunning building that was previously a factory but is now one of the buildings which New College Nottingham operate in. The restaurant is open Monday - Friday for lunch and coffee and in the evenings on Wednesday and Thursday for dinner. Each week the menu changes according to the seasons and to fit in with any special events such as, St Patricks Day. The menu's range from 3 courses for £15.95 to a 5 course tasting menu for £19.95.
The great thing about Adams restaurant though is that it is ran by students who are currently studying at the college, whether that be doing an NVQ or helping out in-between their studies for their degree. Assisted by a supervising teacher in front of house and also in the kitchen the students aren't completely alone but have the opportunity to experience a real life restaurant whilst studying in the industry. I decided to book for their Vegetarian Themed Evening where the 5 course menu looked simple but sounded delicious.
We had already looked over the menu before we got there (otherwise it would have taken an hour to decide what we want!) and therefore had an idea of what to order. The wine list is varied and there is definitely something for everyone. We chose a lovely bottle of red and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere before our first course arrived. The restaurant wasn't busy but we had indirectly been made aware of this because of the half price offer they advertised on social media during the day! This was fine by us though as we were in the mood for a quiet evening and fast paced service.
First up was the Amuse Bouche of "Watercress and spring onion soup finished with truffle oil". This was the perfect starter and was full of flavour, accompanied with this was your choice of a white or brown homemade bread roll - again the bread was warm, soft and so tasty! Then came the starter of "Moroccan spiced vegetable kebabs, red onion salad and coriander dressing" this was pleasant but I felt like the kebab was laking in vegetables funnily enough. A really nice spice and dressing but there could have been just a little bit more.
For the third out of five dishes came the intermediate small palette cleanser - "Cucumber and mint sorbet". I can definitely see how this would have been a lovely cleanser before the main course however, there was definitely too much sugar used to make this and therefore it was more like a sweet dessert than a refreshing sorbet. Main course for me was the "Vegetable thai curry, coconut milk, pak choi, jasmine rice and shaved coconut". I was so glad I chose this as my main as the rice was full of flavour the curry was creamy but had a lovely thai spiced taste and the vegetables were cooked to perfection.
Finally, dessert - who can say no to a "Chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake, dark chocolate ice-cream and hazelnut praline"?? After 4 other courses this could have been the perfect finish but unfortunately didn't quite make it. The cheesecake mixture was just plain cheesecake on top of a hazelnut base and topped with a very hard chocolate ganache. I ended up, and from looking around the room so did others, separating each element of the cheesecake as I just couldn't get my fork through the chocolate. The ice-cream was delicious and the praline was lovely but the cheesecake could have been better.
An overall decadent and satisfying meal and I would be happy to return to try another themed taster menu! The waiter we had was obviously quite new but served us so well and was very generous and a great host for the evening. Well done to the team for the night and I would recommend everyone to go and try their lunch or dinner menu!
Adams Restaurant, The Adams Building, Stoney Street NG1 1NG - Tel: (0115) 910 4510
Twitter: @ncn_Adams
Annie's Burger Shack, 5 Broadway, NG1 1PR Reservations: bookingatannies@gmail.com
Annie's Burger Shack is a new restaurant for an already popular owner. Annie first opened the Burger Shack in 2009 as the kitchen in a city centre pub of Nottingham after moving from Rhode Island to the city in 1994. The demand then got so high and with hourly waits on food Annie needed a place of her own to serve her customers. Enter the opening of Annie's Burger Shack in the Lace Market area of town and you have a popular and usually full burger joint.
They currently do not have a booking system or telephone line so all bookings are made either in person or via email. I suppose this is because they are so busy however, it can make it a little stressful to try and book a table. After emailing but knowing it can take up to 10 days to get a response I went by to book a table in person as it was for Jensen's (the boyfriend) sisters birthday.
Arriving at 7pm for our table we were greeted by a friendly host who informed us our table was being relaid and offered us a seat at the bar whilst we wait. We reluctantly took a seat and waited for the rest of our party to get there; 35 minutes later we were still waiting for our table to be relaid, however by this point it was quite obvious this was not the reason we were waiting. It turned out the people on the table had paid their bill and they were waiting for them to leave, I was a little considerate after my own experiences being a waitress in the past but it left me slightly annoyed. Again, the staff were all very kind and offered us free sides and desserts for the whole table, once we were seated.
A few moments later we were all seated and 2 plates of onion rings arrived to occupy us whilst we looked over our menus. If you like burgers and relaxed American style bars then this is your place. With a menu of 30 burgers and adequate sides (although the portion size is more than enough to not order sides) you will be in heaven trying to choose which dish to have. The Burger Shack houses choices such as 'The Elvis' - Half pound burger with peanut butter and raspberry jam or 'The Sunday Dinner' - A burger topped with a roast chicken breast, homemade Yorkshire pudding, a stuffing ball, mini roast potatoes and mini vegetables all covered in gravy. Oh and all burgers come with skinny fries, curly fries or wedges - now do you see why sides aren't necessary?
My green looking burger above is 'The Lemmy' - a burger topped with American style cheddar, lots of Jalapeños and their own 'Jack Daniels' style mustard. As I am not a fan of huge meaty burgers (I know you're all wondering why I am at a burger restaurant if I don't like burgers) I chose the vegetarian option of a patty made from kidney beans and beetroot and a portion of curly fries.
An interesting combination of flavours that left me a little disappointed. The burger was slightly dry and the taste overpowered the other flavours of the burger meaning I felt like I was just eating the burger and jalapeños with no taste of cheese or mustard. Slightly disheartening but I enjoyed it non the less.
Taking advantage of the free desserts I chose their Apple and Pumpkin pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Very seasonal and had a lovely smell of cinnamon, I think the pumpkin was a puree and mixed with the spices turned this pie into a warming apple pie minus the taste of pumpkin. Still a very enjoyable dessert and after the huge main course I was well and truly stuffed.
After my experience I would give some benefit of the doubt to the staff being new and the restaurant still new. Thus making me believe that with more experience, a more enjoyable dining experience the customers will receive. The overall atmosphere is relaxed but somewhat lacking as by the end of the night I got the feeling we were overstaying our welcome and that the staff wanted us to leave so they could go home. I would not recommend this as an establishment for couples, more for groups of friends or colleagues or family.
I may return but possibly in a year or so to see if things have changed and to see if my perception can be altered. Understandably the staff do try their hardest to accommodate for the mishaps and hopefully they can take these into the future and help turn around any other situations that may arise. I would also be interested to see what new items will be on the menu and if I can be brave enough to try them!
Let me know if you have been to Annie's Burger Shack or if you're planning to in the future xx
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