Honest Burgers, Reading - Something New at the Reading location {restaurant review}

Honest Burgers hasn't been in Reading for very long, but it's one of the few places in town that I re-visit over and over again. The menu is basic, but I use that term in a good way not in the slang way it is used by the youth of today. Because I have found that the best places to eat are the ones that do a few things really well.

Saying that though the menu has something for everyone, vegetarians and vegans included. Every month they have a special burger that celebrates locally sourced ingredients and keeps the menu interesting.

The other thing they do that helps keep things interesting is that each Honest Burgers has one burger that you can only get at that location. Each one of those burgers usually reflects the area of the location of the restaurant. And that is why I am writing today.

Reading's signature burger has changed.

It has changed to, are you ready for this...... a Jerk Chicken Burger - free-range jerk chicken thigh, smoked bacon, double American cheese, Calypso Fusion jerk sauce, mango slaw and lettuce

Yesterday I took my girls into town to see a movie and then to dinner at Honest Burgers where I tried this Jerk Chicken Burger. I gotta say it was one of the best chicken burgers I have tried in recent times. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the spices perfectly balanced, in my opinion it had just the right amount of heat.

The burger was created by one of the team members in Reading. She worked as a prep chef and made her way up and is now an essential part of their management team. She came to to join the Reading team through a program called Working Chance; the UK's only recruitment consultancy for women leaving the criminal justice and care system.

The Jerk burger uses her family's jerk rub and sauce and a portion of the sale of every burger sold goes to the charity Working Chance as a way to say thank you to them and to help them continue the amazing work they are doing.

If this burger isn't enough for you to visit Honest Burger, I should mention their rosemary salted chips, they are the best and their cocktails are some of my favorite! But not only that as I mentioned above there is something for everyone including veggies and vegans.

In January they launched their vegan burger, which uses a Beyond Meat patty and I tried it when I took part of Veganuary and I have to say I really enjoyed it - I wrote about it in my blog post Top 5 Vegan Recipes & Products and it's still available!

It also has a kids menu that reflects kids tastes. The burgers are sliders and were the perfect size for little people. My eldest daughter loves pickles, like her mom does, and when ordering her veggie burger asked for lots of pickles. Their pickles are made there and so we were brought a bowl with some to try and we were fighting over them! Just another way that they show their dedication to great ingredients.

There are several locations check out their website to find one near you and if you are local to Reading it's located - 1-5 King St, Reading RG1 2HB 

My original review post can be found here.

* I was invited to visit Honest Burgers, I was not compensated in a monetary way for my review, all opinions are my own, please see my contact/policy page above for more information.

Franco Manca - Masterclass in Reading, Berkshire {restaurant review}

Last June/July time Franco Manca opened up a branch in Reading and I was kindly invited along to an evening of pizza and limoncello drinking! I have been back since and I will say what I said then that the pizza from Franco Manca is one of my favorites. The sourdough base is everything and because the menu changes with the seasons it's toppings are always top notch. 

So, when they asked if I'd like to come along to try out one of their masterclasses I was there! This time around I was allowed to get in the kitchen and make my own pizza! Our instructor aka Master Pizza Maker Andrea was full of knowledge and showed us how the sour dough was made before giving us our own blob to turn into our own masterpiece! 

First you have to press it down gently and firmly with your finger tips, it's sometimes referred to as knocking it back, but this is a small piece so it doesn't need as much pressure or energy if you were making a loaf of bread. 

Then gently folding it over your hand you toss it gently back and forth - this does two things. One it knocks the excess unnecessary flour off and two it stretches the dough out ready to be pizza shaped. 

Once it's, as I said, pizza shaped they have a perfectly sized ladle to pour on the tomato sauce and spread in a circle. Then the fun part. Putting whatever you want on it! I choose lots of cheese, some garlic, olives, and mushrooms. 

Very gently you move it on a paddle which then gets placed into their special wood burning oven that is kept at something ridiculous like 500 degrees - it literally takes minutes. Then using another fun tool you check to make sure the bottom is properly cooked before gently sliding it out and turning it around and putting it back in and giving it another minute to make sure it's perfect and then you place it on your plate and enjoy!! 

I couldn't recommend the pesto more, it's seasonal so varies visit to visit, it's perfect to dip crusts in. It's essential, if you like lemons and liquor, to finish your meal with a shot of their limoncello, which is sourced in Italy and brought to the UK just for them! 

If you would like to experience making your own pizza masterclasses, in Reading, are held on the second Tuesday of every month. Classes are two and half hours and cost £30 including food, wine/soft drinks. Book or find out more: reading@francomanca.co.uk or 0118 995 2086.

Classes are also held at their Chiswick, Richmond, and Bournemouth to find out more of the details for those locations check the Franco Manca website here!  

Before we left they gave us a little goody bag with a bottle of wine, some pizza toppings, and a bottle of chilli oil for if we ever get the courage to try making pizza's at home! The book below was from my first visit and if you want to read that full review with more pictures check it out here! 

*I was invited to attend, but I was not asked to write a review positive or otherwise, no other compensation was given. Please see my contacts/policy page above for more information. 

COMPTOIR LIBANAIS {restaurant review}

I have been to pretty much every restaurant on the Riverside and even ones that aren't there any more. However, there are only a few I actually go back to time and time again. Now this was my first visit to Comptoir Libanais (literally means Lebanese Counter) since it opened last year on The Oracle's Riverside - it is literally on the river and has a nice view of said river. That aside the food was good and I don't think it will be my last visit to this restaurant. 

My friend and I were in town and decided we were hungry, but we didn't know what for? It's a common thing with us never being able to agree or decide on what to eat. The only thing we did know and agree on was the fact that we hungry, but not that hungry and were looking for a reasonable meal with a reasonable price. 

Eating out is a luxury and that's why it's important to have a good experience. We were greeted when we walked in and pretty much seated right away. The waitress was informative and helped us decide on final choices. The food came so quick and it was delicious. 

As I mentioned above we were hungry, but not that hungry so we both went with a wrap. I went with the Chicken Taouk Wrap - it was stuffed with marinated chargrilled chicken, pickled cucumber, tomato & garlic sauce. My friend went with the Falafel Wrap (he is a vegetarian) which has chickpeas, broad beans, coriander, garlic, peppers, tomato, pickled turnip, parsley and a tahini sauce. 

 

By the recommendation of our lovely waitress we tried the Batata Harra or Lebanese spiced fries with red peppers, fresh coriander, garlic & chilli. They were good and we dipped them in garlic mayo and I believe a chilli mayo. 

I think on my next visit I will be trying the hot and cold Mezze (a selection of dishes). I think I would visit here again, I don't go out all that often and it's nice to know where you can go to get a good meal. 

Comptoir Libanais

The Riverside

The Oracle Shopping Centre

Bridge Street

Reading

RG2 0FB

*I was not asked to visit nor review this restaurant I just figured as it was literally the only one I hadn't visited on the riverside and I had a good experience there that I would share it with you! If you have been let me know what you like to get in the comments below! 

Honest Burgers - Reading, Berkshire {restaurant review}

In 2010 there were two guys in Brixton, London in a tent cutting their potatoes by hand, flipping burgers made with meat they delivered to themselves because the butchers wouldn't and bringing passion to their dream. It was the start of something amazing and as it's not that often I get to London I am super excited that they opened a restaurant in Reading, Berkshire.

Last week my friends and I went out for our monthly meal and were lucky enough to try out Honest Burger. First impressions are everything and as we stepped in the vibe was chilled and rustic, the definition of a cool place to hang out. The staff were welcoming, knowledgeable, and energetic. However, the real test was going to be the food.

The menu is not very long and this, to me, shows confidence and trust in what they are producing. I was excited and sad that I couldn't eat more then one burger in a night. See even though the menu isn't extensive I wanted to try everything on the menu, but as the saying goes when in Rome......

Naturally, I had to try the Reading Special - which is made, like all their burgers, of the best cuts: chuck and rib cap (the fatty bit that's skimmed off a rib eye steak) that is chopped not minced, chopping helps not only hold in the flavor, but makes it really tender. Then they topped the burger with Barkham blue cheese and a red pepper chutney both locally sourced.

The blue cheese comes from a small family business, Two Hoots Cheese in Barkham a little village that sits just between Berkshire and Hampshire. The red pepper chutney comes from the Nomad Bakery in Caversham, they get the chutney from the Caversham Jam Lady.

The burger also is topped with bacon, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and their own pickles in between the buns that are steamed, they wet the bun before placing on the grill and it just gives them a little something extra.

All of this served with the best chips ever. Let's just talk about these chips for a moment, they are fried and then covered with their rosemary salt and are addicting. Then if you are like me and like your dips you need to try the curry sauce, chipotle mayo, bacon ketchup, yes you read that right bacon ketchup, and saving the best for last bacon gravy. You just have to try it for yourself. Trust me, trust them they know what they are doing!

So, as I mentioned my friends joined me for dinner and they tried the chilli burger topped with chilli cheese, bacon and a jalapeño relish. I tried a bite it is good, but it is hot just a warning! Then my other friend tired the special the Disco Burger. The Disco is limited edition and this burger is topped with a pineapple bacon jam, cheddar, burger sauce and pink onions. I didn't get a chance to try this one on the night, but I was told it was very good! You only have until the 12th of February to try this one so get in there now!

They change their special every three weeks and as my lovely waiter suggested we, me and you, need to visit at least once every three weeks to try the new special, but ideally it should be twice every three weeks and he told me it was really a sin if I didn't. So, I thought I'd pass that message on to you. It's a sin if you don't visit at least once, because once is all it will take to make it your go to burger place.

Now that last sentence is an awesome line to end a review, but I have to just mention a few more things - my cocktail the Kentucky Tea - which is buffalo trace bourbon, honest iced tea (they make it themselves), and lemon. I highly recommend it, it was so good and I haven't had proper iced tea since I left the states. Then there were the onion rings, the batter was thick and fluffy and was seasoned with a little bit of aniseed that just gave them a special something. Also note that it's not only the burger toppings they source locally they also source local beers and lagers so check them out if you are in town! And last but not least they serve breakfast too!

Okay I think that's it. You can find them at the address below, if you aren't local visit their website (linked below) for more locations and more information about Honest Burgers!

Honest Burgers: 1-5 King St., Reading, RG1 2HB

*I was invited to visit and check out Honest Burgers as it's recently opened in Reading, I was not compensated in a monetary way for my review, all opinions are my own, please see my contact/policy page above for more information. 

8 Places to eat in Reading Berkshire England

One one of the reasons I love being a blogger is because I am occasionally given an opportunity to check out local places to eat!

Reading, like most towns, are constantly changing and growing and 2017 saw some great new places to eat open up! Also a few staples/classics had a bit of a revamp on their menu's and I was there to check them out. Saying that I thought I would round up all the places I visited in one post to hopefully help those who are looking for somewhere new to try!

I have listed them 1-8 one being my favorite - now everyone's tastes and experiences are different so I can only go on my tastes and experiences, but I hope it helps if you are from the area or are visiting!

1. Pho Restaurant - 1 - 1a King's Rd, Reading RG1 2HG

The place I crave:
This is listed as my number one place because I have been back several times and it's the place I suggest to friends and family when we are looking for somewhere to go! I crave the rice bowl and the Vietnamese coffee they serve here. So, if you're like me and love noodles, rice, and soup give this place a visit!

2. The Real Greek - The Oracle, Bridge St, Reading RG1 2AT

The 'something' different place:
Like Pho, I have visited The Real Greek a few times since I have reviewed it. The food and atmosphere are great and if are looking for something different then the typical restaurant, you know the places that rely on burgers and fries, I couldn't recommend this place more!

3. Pavlov's Dog - 21-23 St Mary's Butts, Reading RG1 2LN

The place for fun:

This was a bit of a surprise really, having walked past it a million times in the years I have lived here, but have never go in my friend and I had a great night here. The food was typical pub food, but we couldn't fault it. My favorites were the appetisers and cocktails which is exactly what you want from a pub! Also we agreed, after playing Mario Kart on a Nintendo Game Cube, that this was a fun place to go! 

4. The Botanist - 1-5 King St, Reading RG1 2HB

The cool place: 

It is so cool in here. It's like the big sibling of restaurants - you want to hang out here and just be a part of all the things that go on here! They have musical bingo and live music and hanging kebabs! Like the last three places I have been here more then once and have to say it's worth a visit! 

5. Cau - The Oracle, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2AQ

The place for meat lovers: 

Not to say there isn't anything for vegetarians, but really this place is all about the meat... beef more specifically. I had the best steak sandwich I have ever had. Cau's menu is a mix of food inspired by Italy, Spain and Argentina and is overall a big win for me!

6. Wrap it Up! - Unit 1, 10-14 Duke St, Reading RG1 4RU

The place for lunch: 

I say that it is the place for lunch, but these wraps are full meal in themselves so could satisfy one for dinner as well! I have only been twice, but both times the flavor combinations blew me away! If you work in town they deliver to offices and if I worked in town I would have one too many of these! 

7. Franco Manco - The Oracle, Bridge St, Reading RG1 2AT

The pizza place:
Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed at restaurants when I have too much to choose from and I found it really refreshing that they have a small menu and a special menu that changes occasionally. The quality of the pizza's is on point and they really pay attention to the details. If you go in the summer try the pesto, it's the best thing I have ever tried.

8. Walkabout - Wiston Terrace, Reading RG1 1DG

The place for a night out: 

The food here was good, I tried a kangaroo burger it was a bit gamey, but it's not the first place I would think of for food. However, it's been revamped and looks great inside and I believe would be a great place for a good night out. The cocktails and atmosphere were spot on! 

A few other places I visited the past year and worth mentioning are:
7Bone Burger - 60 St Mary's Butts, Reading RG1 2LG
Bluegrass BBQ - 15 Gun St, Reading RG1 2JR
Revolución De Cuba - 138-141 Friar St, Reading RG1 1EX

I can't wait to see what 2018 will bring to Reading! Do you have a favorite local place? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

* Each restaurant is linked to my review for more pictures and information!! -- I had been invited to review all of these places - I was not asked to give a positive review and all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page above for more information. If you have a local place you'd like me to review email me at unitedcakedom@gmail.com and I will get back to you!

Pavlov's Dog, Reading Berkshire {restaurant review}

It seems like it's all happening this summer. I haven't been invited to check out a new restaurant in ages and then in the last 4 months I have been to 4 new places and 2 including this place that have changed up their menu!

Stepping in Pavlov's Dog was like stepping back into my college days. It has a fresh fun vibe from the minute you walk in the door. The bar is all lit up and there is a pool table and in the 'quieter' area where we sat there was a Nintendo Gameboy with Mario Kart set up!

We ordered our drinks. I just gotta say I'm in love with these new tin can cocktails I love apple and had to start with the Canny Smith Apple. It is Ciroc Apple, Sourz Apple, lime juice all mixed in a Tango Apple can topped with fizzy apple belts. Which were very sour by the way. Alyssia, isn't a big drinker, I think I'm a bad influence as I convinced her to try a cocktail. She went with the Dr. Meister which is Jägermeister and lime mixed in a Dr Pepper can and topped with cola bottles.

While we waited for our drinks we couldn't resist having a race on Mario Kart! Alyssia of course beat me over and over as she is our gamer!

Having always loved a good plate of nachos I couldn't resist trying the Nachos Grande - topped with chilli con carne, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, and nacho cheese sauce all the best things you could ask for on top of nachos!

We also had to try the Chicken Wings which were great on their own, but even better with the variety of dipping sauces buffalo, blue cheese, mango and lime, chilli zing with sesame seeds, peanut butter, and chilli jam with sesame seeds. If you are a fan of chicken wings then you need to visit on a Wednesday.

Wednesday night are wing night from 5pm and you get them for 25p a piece. They also have a contest that if you can eat 50 wings (£12.50) as fast as you can you get your score on a board, a t-shirt that says Lord of the Wings, and a reward card topped up with rewards.

Finding myself at another pub I can't turn down a good burger! I couldn't resist the New York Bagel Burger which of course is a burger served on a bagel, with cheese, bacon, pulled cured boneless beef rib, sliced gherkins and mustard. It was so big it was really hard to eat, but was a great burger!

My partner in crime also choose a burger the All New Dirty Burger which is topped with cheese, bacon, southern-fried chicken fillet, pulled pork, BBQ sauce and gherkins; which Alyssia asked for on the side so I could have them!

We always seem to choose burgers, but there are other things to eat like ribs, chicken, fish & chips, and mac & cheese. You can even get a burger topped with macaroni and cheese... back to the burgers. They also serve breakfast and have great lunch deals!!

We had another cocktail and played another game of Mario Kart while we decided on desserts! I stuck with the tin can cocktails and went for the Pina Can-lada which is Malibu, Havana Club 3-year-old rum, and mixed in a can of Lilt topped with pineapple cubes. Alyssia stuck with a classic Sex on the Beach all these cocktails did not help us with our game. Although it didn't help that we decided to play the rainbow road!

I was stuffed and hadn't planned on eating a dessert, but Alyssia insisted on a pancake stack from the breakfast menu - pancakes stacked with Nutella, chocolate, and maple syrup. Knowing that their warm mini churros are something to try we gave them a go. They are filled with a caramel-cream and come with a chocolate dipping sauce.

Tuesday nights are churro nights and just like the wings are only 25p a churro. Unlike the wings there isn't a competition with the churros, I think that would probably be more of a disaster if people were trying to eat 50 churros as fast as they could. I wouldn't want to see that, however I may have to stop in on a Tuesday night as that's a great deal! Plus they have a Nintendo Game Cube.

Overall Alyssia and I had a great night! We have been to so many places, like I said, over the last few months and this was by far one of the more fun and tasty nights! Be sure to check them out sometime and have a look at their website for all their going ons!

The Pavlov's Dog

21-23 St. Marys Butts

Reading

RG1 2LN

Now Closed

*My friend Alyssia from AlyssiaRose {lifestyle blog} was invited to Pavlov's Dog to review it and she invited me along as her guest and it's just a bonus that I am a blogger as well! I was not asked to review and all opinions are my own for further information please visit my contact/policy page above.

Pho Restaurant - Reading Berkshire {restaurant review}

It was in a recent post I wrote about how much Reading has grown and I can't help but support that growth if it includes restaurants like Pho!

Pho is named after the Vietnamese national dish, an amazingly tasty, nutritious, filling noodle soup! I can say in all confidence, after my visit to the newly opened Pho in Reading, that the soup is all those things!

I tried the Pho dac biet which is one of the House Specials. Now before I tell you what is in that soup if you are trying a new restaurant always check out the House Specials; they are called that for a reason so I implore you try something off that part of the menu!

Back to the soup, Dac Biet in Vietnamese means "special" or "super" or "combo with everything" and Pho as we already said means noodle so Pho Dac Biet is Super Noodles combined with everything! Everything being king prawns, chicken & flash fried steak with garlic in beef broth and it was delicious and so filling I couldn't finish it! I suggest sharing if you can agree with someone on just one bowl.

Alyssia, my friend and fellow blogger, was my date and she had never tired Vietnamese food before! So, we had fun trying all sorts of dishes. I sort of jumped right into the noodle soups, but we did trying some amazing starters first!

Alyssia like the sound of the Nem nuong which is homemade pork & lemongrass meatballs with lettuce and herbs to wrap & dip with peanut sauce. The lovely and amazing wait staff informed us that it was best eaten wrapped in the green leaf. I hadn't heard that at first, but not only were the meatballs good wrapped in a leafy green but the Nem hai san was also delicious wrapped in a lettuce leaf!

As you can see the Nem hai san is a large crispy spring roll and is filled with king prawn, crab & pork with nuoc cham dipping sauce, which is a sort of sweet and sour sauce which is delicious! I couldn't recommend this enough, it was my personal favorite dish of the night.

We also tried the muc chien gion (pictured above) which we were told was a very popular dish because it's very lightly coated tender fried baby squid. I ended up using the nuoc cham dipping sauce for my fried squid as the salt, pepper, & lime dip was good, but a little too much citrus for me, but definitely try it and make your own decision!

Then we dived into our noodles, literally with spoons and forks! We had a great time figuring out the best way to eat them, the noodles are slippery! With a little advice from our amazing waiter we managed to twist the noodles with the fork in the spoons just like when eating spaghetti!

I have already talked about - Alyssia picked out the Pho ga - simple chicken breast in chicken broth and I tried a spoon full and I have to say that it's the best chicken soup ever. If I had a cold I would total get someone to deliver this to me pronto!

Which delivery service will be available at some point in the near future, so I've stored that bit of knowledge away! Also with the bonus of having a delicious broth soup with noodles and vegetables and meat when you aren't well is that these soups are packed full of good things that are good for you!

Pho doesn't just serve noodles they also serve other authentic Vietnamese dishes we couldn't resist trying a Com tam dac biet - or super broken rice combined with everything! We had ours with crispy beef, but you could also get it with chargrilled pork or chargrilled chicken thigh. We were both very impressed and happy with what is essentially a rice bowl. It was a mix of fresh crunchy vegetables, perfectly seasoned meat, and soft rice with a great sauce; be sure to mix it all together!! Top tip from our waitress!

Of course we had to try some desserts and authentic cocktails, and other drinks! Again not know where to start we had some help from the waitress on what we should try! We eventually tried the passionfruit cheesecake, chocolate truffle, and banana fritters!

Alyssia was drawn to the cheesecake, Bánh phô mai chanh dây or Passionfruit cheesecake. I am starting to see a trend in her love for cheesecake as this isn't the first time she was drawn to a cheesecake on one of our dinners out! However, I have never heard her talk about how light and creamy and refreshing a cheesecake was until this one! I snuck a bite and I couldn't agree more! 

Generally I'm not drawn to chocolate desserts after a meal, but the green tea ice cream paired with this chocolate truffle slab, had me curious! It's officially called Bánh sô-cô-la truffle and it was as light and creamy as the cheesecake and a perfect ending to a perfect dinner. 

We couldn't get away without trying the Chuối chiên or banana fritter. It's served as is or with a coconut or honey & ginger ice cream. Ours was without and I could only literally eat half of one as I was at this point throughly stuffed. However, that half of fritter was enough to allow me to say if you like bananas then this is the dessert for you as it was perfectly crispy and tasty! 

So, throughout the evening we tried the cocktails! My favorite is the one pictured in the top left corner the Ca the martini, which is basically an espresso martini made with nep phu loc a clear rice spirit, Vietnamese coffee, and condensed milk.

My second favorite cocktail of the night was the Phjoito,  their signature cocktail and it is a mojito with mint, lime, soda, and a clear rice spirit, same as above, nep pho loc Phu Loc. I love a good mojito and this one went down well!

Alyssia, not a big drinker went with the Rose Apple Bellini which like any bellini is made with prosecco and their's is made with a splash of Tao Mea rose apple liquor. It was dry and good accompaniment to dinner.

There are other things to drink besides cocktails, but as I'm not a big wine or beer drinker we stuck to the cocktails. The cocktails reflected the food and were all citrus type based cocktails. Nothing too fruity, we couldn't leave without trying the Lemon & Basil Martini made with their
homemade lemonade & muddled Thai basil. It had a very aniseed type flavor and if you like that sort of thing give this cocktail a try!

Last, but not least the coffee lover that I am couldn't leave without trying a Vietnamese coffee as according to my sister they have the best! So, I went with the iced coffee with a little condensed milk which is what they call Ca phe sua da. You can get it without the condensed milk if you don't like it. 

That pretty much wraps up our night! This place is my kind of food and it's one I will be visiting time and time again. The food was amazing and staff were super friendly and knowledgeable! Not only was the food great, but it was fun taking pictures so bright and colourful, I think this post has the most pictures I have ever put in any post ever.

Pho Restaurant

1-1a King's Walk, King Street

Reading, RG1 2HG

*I was invited to visit and check it out Pho as it's recently opened in Reading, I was not compensated in a monetary way for my review, all opinions are my own, please see my contact/policy page above for more information.