Thai Legend

After a particularly long and unsuccessful shopping trip in Leicester, I couldn’t bring myself to cook dinner. I contemplated some takeaway stodge but instead found myself craving something ‘healthy’ and something…. out of town. So after a quick conflab, my friend and I jumped in the car and headed out to Quorn in search of something…Asian.

 Along the high street we came across Thai Legend. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to eat there at first. The outside looked a bit scruffy and I couldn’t really see inside the restaurant to suss it out properly. However, while my brain was busy trying to sort out this most challenging of foodie dilemmas, my legs (probably under the influence of my stomach) took control of the situation and guided me into the restaurant and towards my table.

Once inside, I felt reassured ‘my legs’ had made a good choice. The restaurant was busy and the red and white décor was clean and modern. At our table I was delighted to find a basket of Chinese and Thai prawn crackers already there waiting for us (free food always a good way to start a meal). The menu was vast and included a wide range of starters, soups, salads, curries, stir fry’s, rice and noodle dishes as well as ‘Chef Recommends’ dishes.

It took some time to decide on what we wanted to eat, two baskets of prawn crackers in fact. However we eventually agreed on a Som Tam, Knao Niew and Pla Nung Si-Ew (which is salad, sticky rice and fish to you and I).

The waitress was particularly helpful when it came to ordering our food. With Thai food, choosing the right combination of dishes is important so I was eager to run our selection past her first. She was very accommodating, agreeing with our choice of dishes (and giving reasons why) and suggesting some starters which would go with the main course (on our request). Having already consumed a significant amount of prawn crackers we stuck with ordering main courses only but with the option of ordering extra (if we felt we didn’t have enough) once our food arrived.

There was no need to order extra. Despite my uncontrollable urge to eat everything on the menu, the food that was served was more than adequate in size. It was more than adequate in just about everything actually. The dishes were colourful, vibrant, fragrant and inviting. The flavours were fresh, exotic, new and interesting.  The Sea Bass (served in a delicate oyster sauce, with slices of pepper, mushroom, chilli and ginger) was tasty, light, and perfectly cooked. The salad of shredded vegetables, tomatoes, garlic (lots of), crunchy nuts and chilli (which punched you in the face with every spoonful but in the nicest possible way) was dressed in a perfectly balanced hot, sweet and sour vinegarette. Divine.

Not only was the food and the service exceptional, the meal was also excellent value. Our dinner, including two bottles of ice cold Thai lager cost less than £15 per person. Not bad for an authentic Thai meal, made to order, using fresh and exotic ingredients, servicd by friendly, informative, attentive staff and all enjoyed in a sophisticated and yet soothing environment.

Definitely one to recommend.

Restaurant                           4/5

Food                                      5/5
Service                                  5/5
Value for money                 5/5

Total                                      19/20

The Gate Bistro

The sunny spell we experienced in May had distracted me (ever so slightly) from my eating out duties. However, as the clouds began to gather on a Wednesday evening I made it my mission to get back out onto the streets of Leicester and sample its restaurant wares. So last week I visited ‘The Gate Bistro’ on Braunstone Gate, Leicester.

To be honest, I was a little sceptical about going to ‘The Gate Bistro’ at first. It is a relatively new restaurant so I had no prior knowledge of what it might be like. When I have peered through the window in the past, the modern interior (to me) is cold and uninviting and there never seemed to be anyone eating there. However, armed with a 10% discount voucher I thought I would give it a try.

When I entered the restaurant my first impressions were mixed. There was no-one to meet us at the door, despite the large reception area.  This meant we were left to wander in, a little lost, hoping we would stumble across a member of staff who could assist us. We found one at the bar and was eventually led to a table.  Inevitably, the table we selected was the ‘wobbly’ table which consequently had a folded up flyer wedged underneath it. It was also dirty with a layer of dust resting on the surface so not an ideal start. However, despite dining relatively early (7.30 p.m) and it being a Wednesday night, there were already a number of people eating in the restaurant, creating a better ambience than I had expected.

My enjoyment of ‘The Gate Bistro’ experience began to gain momentum as I perused the menu. I love the idea of sharing food so the Grazing Boards appealed instantly. The main menu was typically bistro with a mix of British classics like steak and ‘posh’ fish and chips combined with some more Mediterranean inspired dished such as Pumpkin, Spinach and Goat’s cheese lasagne. There was also a Specials Board which featured some tempting seasonal fish dishes. My kind of menu, so I was spoilt for choice which is always a nice position to be in.

We opted for the Seafood Grazing Board to start, the Handmade burger and 28-day Hereford rump steak as mains. The jury is still out on the Seafood Grazing Board. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice. Four different types of fish (including smoked salmon, curried squid, filo wrapped prawns and mango and chilli dressed crayfish) cooked and presented very differently and all very pleasing on the palate. But I still can’t work out if it represented good value for money. If they had perhaps added a few more salad leaves or a some slices of bread to accompany the dish I think I would’ve been more satisfied but as it was, the four small piles of seafood was a bit underwhelming and possibly a tad over priced at £9.25?

The same however, can’t be said for the main meals. This is where ‘The Gate Bistro’ came into its own. The toasted ciabatta and onion and chilli jam propelled the handmade burger to something rather special and was well worth the £8.95 paid. My 28-day Hereford rump steak was absolutely delicious. A beautiful piece of meat, with no bones or fat and so tender and moist that it simply melted in your mouth. The garlic butter served with the meat was an ideal accompaniment, adding another flavour to the dish but without detracting from the meat itself. The roasted tomato and field mushroom were perfect and both dishes were served with a bowl of proper hand cut, rustic chips. Excellent value for money at £13.50 (even better on a Wednesday night as it 20% off all steaks).

Overall, I would recommend ‘The Gate Bistro’ as a place to eat in Leicester. There is a lack of detail (at times) when it came to the level of service received and the restaurant itself but the food and main courses in particular were extremely good and excellent value for money. Honestly, the steak was one of the best steaks I’ve tasted for a long time.  So for that reason, along with the fish dishes I’ve yet to try, I have no doubt I will be returning to ‘The Gate Bistro’ sometime soon.

Restaurant 3.5/5

Food 4/5
Service 3.5/5
Value for money 4/5

Total 15/20

http://www.thegatebistro.co.uk/index.html