Feasting @ Bakchich

You might have noticed from my Instagram that I've been to a couple of Lebanese restaurants recently. First, Aladdin's in Withington and most recently, Bakchich just off of Oxford Road. Both serve incredible food, but the vibe in Bakchich is as sleek as it is kitch; you definitely don't go to Aladdin's for the decor, but that's nothing against their culinary skills.

Today though, I'm talking you through Bakchich, as I was invited to come down and review the menu...

So, one Friday after work, James and I ambled down from the city centre to Chester Street. From being someone who practically lived on Oxford Road as a student, I hadn't ventured down 'that' way for absolutely ages - for some reason I'd got it into my head that it was 'miles' out from town, but it's not - a fifteen minute walk from Portland Street at most. So definitely do-able as a central place to grab something to eat.

The decor reminds me of Comptior Libanais; Middle Eastern mosaics, pop art style prints on the wall and colourful chairs. I loved it. We sat in our own booth and watched the place fill up with families, couples and friends out to enjoy food on a Friday night. It was nice to see a restaurant nestled in student town still busy even with the summer holidays in full swing.

We kicked off with a ginger, orange & carrot juice and James had the panache smoothie as a recommendation from our waiter. They were both lush; zingy and fresh and a perfect palette cleanser!

We ordered a selection of hot and cold mezze dishes as well as our mains - and oh my god, there was enough food for four of us!

We had:

• Falafel
• Babaganoush
• Lebanese bread
• Fatat Hummous 
• Lebanese sausage
• Halloumi Meshwi (this had pomegranate molasses on top - a really interesting sweet sauce to have on the cheese, it worked surprisingly well!)

The hummous was so nice - it had crispy pieces of Lebanese bread in a layer at the bottom which offered such a nice texture. I also loved how the falafel and halloumi came with salad - juicy tomatoes, pomegranate and cucumber, lemon and olive oil dressing. 

For the main affair (which is brought out at as and when it's ready; a concept I am fully on board with), I went for the Shish Taouk (chicken skewers cooked in Lebanese spices), which is served with fragrant rice and more of that delicious salad.

James went for the lahma meshawi (lamb skewers) with fries. The lamb was gorgeous, and I'm not going to lie, so were the fries!

Despite being stuffed, our waiter insisted on dessert.. so there was only one thing for it: BAKLAWA! One of the first times I had Baklava was from a middle eastern deli on Gloucester Rd in Bristol, and I fell in love with the sticky pastry, and gooey mix of crushed nuts and honey.

Our waiter also brought over coconut cheesecake (also insane: creamy and perfectly whipped, with a crunchy biscuit base) and mint tea, which was the perfect way to finish off the epic feast.

Everyone was so friendly, in particular the manager and our lovely waiter, so if you want to feel really looked after and valued as a customer, Bakchich is your place.

My only 'err' moment came when I found out they didn't serve alcohol, especially as I fancied a cheeky drink on a Friday. However, with the arrival of the juices it was surprisingly easy to forget about the drink, and focus on the food. So please don't let this put you off, it's an amazing place!

I'd definitely come back, it seems like the perfect place to swing by on a week day for a feast.

Bakchich kindly took care of the bill for this review but as ever, all thoughts and opinions are my own...

Maca & Raspberry Smoothie for Valentine's Day

Hand on my heart, this smoothie is one of the nicest recipes I've posted. It's thick and creamy and so sweet it feels like you're having a dessert.

The superfood in this bad boy is Maca. Maca has so say been linked to an increased libido, which is why I picked it for Valentine's weekend, you cheeky so and so. All in all, there have been studies that suggested an enhanced libido but most of these studies have been small, and so scientists say more research is needed.

You can read more about the benefits of Maca here, here and in the Wall Street journal here. In a nutshell, it's an ancient root veg that survives way up high in the Andes. It's a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, calcium and zinc. It's a great source for energy, stamina and fertility.

...and it tastes great. It's got a malty, sweet smell and is a warm caramel colour. What's more you can whip this up in a matter of minutes for breakfast or a sweet snack.

You'll need:

• 1 tablespoon Maca powder (I use Naturya)
• 1 ripe banana, chopped
• 100ml almond milk (or more if you want it less thick)
• 100g Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 handful frozen raspberries 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth.

ENJOY! I was lucky enough for this recipe to be picked up by Furniture at Work's Elevenses in the Office eBook - you can download it for free here :)

Top 5 Foods from Thailand

In case you didn't know, I went to Thailand a month ago. Whilst I'm not sorry for the magnitude of Instagram pics, I am sorry for the fact that it's taken me so long to write about the incredible food I gorged on for ten days. In a more general sense, it was nice to get away from macros, tracking foods and all that jazz, and just relax without worrying about what was going into my body (plus 'posh' cocktails are around £2 so I think MyFitnessPal would've had a melt down...)

Thai food is up there for me in ticking all the right boxes; saucy, spicy and so flavoursome. Here are the top five foods I lived on.

1) Fresh blended fruit smoothies

See above. Oh yes. These little babies were ideal in the midday heat, perfect to know you're getting a vitamin fix and tanning at the same time.

You bought these particular smoothies from a tiny little vendor shacked up on a track running into the village from the beach. Priced at 50 baht each (about £1), I couldn't just get one...

Mango & ice was my favourite of the holiday, but dragonfruit and ice was also a winner - I don't eat it often so I was glad to be able to try it so freely!

So simple, but so lovely.

Pad Thai on Koh San Road... the dream

2) Pad Thai

So I lost count of how many pad thai's I had, let's just say a lot. I absolutely love it. I love the peanuts and the chilli and the juicy prawns and the tamarind and fish sauce on the noodles... it's just amazing.

I've been looking out for tamarind sauce in the UK for weeks and can't find it anywhere. I really want to recreate it at home - so if you know where I can find it let me know!!

3) Warm, weird little coconut ball things

I don't know what these are called, or exactly what was in them but oh my god they made breakfast heaven. I'm guessing coconut milk, potentially a bit of rice? and then fried ever so lightly. They were gooey and sweet, but light enough that you could eat a plateful to yourself and not feel guilty.

Whilst we're on the subject of breakfast, this was the view each morning:

I know. Don't.

4. Chicken Satay 

Turning my nut butter obsession Thai... Chicken Satay skewers were my go-to starter. That peanut sauce. Juicy hot chicken. Enough said.

5. Thai red curry 

I couldn't miss this off the list could I?! We ate at the Jip Shop restaurant about four times; a really amazing beach hut style place in the village. The staff were lovely and friendly, there's a really chilled atmosphere and the food was bloody delicious.

This Thai Red was spicy but not mouth-numbingly so, brimming with chicken, peppers and local veg.

Are there any other Thai delicacies I need to try and recreate at home..? I've got withdrawal symptoms!

Cucumber Cleansing Juice

This refreshing juice is ideal as a pick me up, especially the morning after a few too many drinks..! It's full of oxidising, alkaline ingredients and has a really fresh taste...

You'll need;

Half a cucumber

1 kiwi
2 handfuls spinach
2 handfuls kale
2 Romaine lettuce leaves
1 heaped teaspoon wheatgrass
2 handfuls blueberries
100ml water
Juice of half a lemon
Optional: dessicated coconut to top

Chop your cucumber and chuck it in your blender along with everything else. Blend until smooth and enjoy cool...

Comforting Winter Smoothie

I think the phrase under the weather was made for the past week. Basically everyone I know has been a victim of windy, wet October the past few days, including yours truly.

I was feeling really grim earlier so whipped this up to try and combat my cold - it tasted lush so I wanted to share it!

You'll need:

• 2 x handfuls of spinach
• 1 x banana, chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon of wheatgrass
• 1 heaped teaspoon of spirulina 
• 1/2 avocado 
• Frozen berries: raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries
• 4 x strawberries, chopped
• Coconut water 
• Unsweetened soya milk
• Dessicated coconut to top
• Chia seeds to top 

Of course you can substitute out the coconut water (I only buy it when I'm feeling flush as I think it's a little pricey!) for standard tap, and the soya for almond, it's up to you.

It's creamy, fruity, really filling and brimming with so many nutrients.

Hopefully it bullies off my sore throat before tonight, I'm out for a friend's birthday - fingers crossed!

Detox Juice: Ginger, Carrot, Apple and Orange

I never used to like ginger. It stuck in my mind as a spice used to coat gloopy Chinese foods, dominating the flavour of all the dishes.

Recently I've been addicted. Smothered on top grated, fried carrot (recipe to follow), in stir fry, juices, you name it, I'm all over it. I can't believe I've been missing out for so long!

I'm feeling a bit under the weather and have been told (i.e. Googled) that ginger is good for helping to fight cold and flu. SO I thought I'd whip up a fresh juice to keep me on top form!

You'll need a juicer, but other than that it's just four simple ingredients:

I used...

• 3 carrots 
• 2 apples
• 2 oranges
• A hunk of fresh ginger (about four inches) 

Chop your apples into chunks, leaving the skin on (most of the goodness is in the skin, remember!). Do the same for the carrots and ginger too. I hate peeling oranges so sliced mine and cut out the segments.

Then, juice. DONE.

Mix with a spoon to stop separation, pour into a long glass and drink. You'll feel instantly better for it, promise. 

Health benefits

I am by no means an expert, but rumour has it that this little juice contains or can help with the following:

Natural energy and loads of vitamin C from the oranges, anti-nausea effects from the ginger (hello hangover cure), as well as helping digestion and fighting off flu. Carrots are full of anti-oxidants and vitamin A which helps the liver get rid of toxins in your body, and the apples can help reduce cholesterol because of the soluble fibre found in them.

I'm on the lookout for more detox juices, so send any of your favourites my way...