Siam Garden, Smithdown Rd, Liverpool

Back in my student days, a must-eat business lunch for me was the Siam Garden. In between my busy schedule of Kimos, Caesar’s Palace and the now defunct Kebab House, I always squeezed in a visit to the Siam on days when I didn’t have lectures as it was near my house. Their three-course and a drink special offers were an open secret amongst us South Liverpudlians; its moody, purple exterior giving people the impression it was a select, pricey venue. Sadly, it started to rest on its laurels, its bad reviews on TripAdvisor and embarrassingly low scores on the food hygiene database Scores on the Doors being testament to its decline. After much Googling, it seemed that it has had a major shake up and I decided to sample its offerings all in the name of research!

Siam Garden offers a business lunch for £6.95- starter, main and dessert plus a soft drink or glass of wine. The addition of a free drink definitely gives it a head start above its local competitors, Fung Lok and Eastern Diner. The restaurant has had a bright, modern refurbishment without appearing too stark and Pizza Express-like, still maintaining the cosy ambience from before. Thai ornaments garnish the windowsill and an eyecatching fishtank complete with Nemo clownfish give the white restaurant a welcome touch of colour.

To start, I opted for the Tempura Vegetables- fluffy, battered carrots, peppers and onions served with a chilli dip. The portion size was extremely generous for a cut-price business lunch, a welcome change from a frozen spring roll oozing oil. My colleague had a chicken and sweetcorn soup but this old favourite came with a zingy twist as it contained spring onion and a hint of lemongrass. The perfect pick-me-up for these Baltic times.

For the main course, I chose the interestingly-named vegetarian Pad Ped, a mix of aubergines, minicorn, mushrooms and an abundance of greens in a sweet-hot sauce served with jasmine rice while my colleague opted for a vegetarian noodle dish which was heightened with coconut milk. Both mains were faultless and a much needed cocktail of vitamins after all the Christmas stodge.

Dessert was a choice between Banana Fritter and coconut ice cream, so we ordered both. The ice cream made a welcome change from Asda smartprice vanilla and was a generous portion, unlike its neighbouring rivals who serve their ice cream in those nasty metal dishes reminiscent of school dinners. There’s not much you can say about banana fritters, they don’t tend to differ but it was a great warmer before we braced the biting January frost.

Siam Garden, good to have you back on top form. May you continue to bring a touch of the exotic to damp, dull Smithdown.

Saravanaa Bhavan, Mississauga, Canada

I found this interesting alternative to bog-standard curry houses tucked away in suburban Ontario. A far cry from the beer, poppadoms, chintz carpet and rowdy vindaloo-eating contests, this eaterie is a tranquil retreat. Although this place is strict vegetarian, its gentle spices and combinations of exotic veg and home made dips can fill the belly of the most dedicated carnivore. I ordered the Special Meal (above) at approx $10- needless to say, it never got finished as there was so much of it! Even my carnivorous colleague didn't complain- the first time I've ever seen a meat eater say they were full after a herbivorous feast. The meal came as a traditional Thali setup,complete with rice, popadom and two puffed naan-style breads. If you're expecting familiar names like Madras and Chicken Tikka Biryani, you'd best either look elsewhere or embrace this alternative Indian experience with an open mind. To be honest, I didn't know what some of the dishes were on the menu, hence my decision to go for a mixed platter. I recognised some familiar faces like Dhal and Aloo Gobi, plus there were some familiar tastes with a different but nonetheless appetising appearance like lime pickle and raita. The lime pickle was out of this world, the zesty lime harmonising with a potent chili that was well off the Scoville Scale. Definitely a more culturally enriching experience than the nearby Pizza Hut and co.

New India Sweets, Britannia Rd, Mississauga, Canada

Check out this bountiful thali I picked up in Mississauga, Canada! At a bargainous $6, it included 3 veggie curries, pickle, naan, rice and salad. New India sweets is more of a cafe than a fancy restaurant, but they do not scrimp on quality. Despite its name, they are not just experts in sweets but put on a great show when it comes to savoury treats. At approx 50 cents for homemade samosas, who can resist? Popular with expats and locals, this is the perfect stop for homesick Brits too thanks to its convenient location next to the Yorkshire Arms pub. Recreate a slice of home with a curry here and a pint or several after!

Downtown (formerly Top Chef) Berry St, Liverpool

April 2012

I'm currently having a break from Dubai desert life and am holidaying in my home town of Liverpool, a city famous for the Beatles, football and more importantly, home to numerous foodie hidden gems! Since I have left the city, old favourites have fallen victim of the recession, such as Buca di Bacco, some have hiked their prices and reduced their food quality like Zorba's but on a positive note, some delightful new eateries have opened, offering competitive prices, huge portions and eclectic menus. Step forward Top Chef.

Now, I've always been dubious about restaurants that have a self-important name like Number One and Best Kebab, but Top Chef is more than deserving of the title. Suffering from Dubai withdrawal symptoms, I ventured into Top Chef as its menu was packed to the brim with Arabic favourites like falafel and halloumi. Normally, I default to Kimos when craving Levantine cuisine, but after a recent disappointing visit (not to mention overpriced), I am currently 'on a break' with them to quote a line from Friends. Top Chef has a practically identical menu to Kimos, albeit cheaper with bigger portions and the added bonus of beer on the drinks menu. 'Kimos with booze', one of my Twitter pals affectionately called it. Despite its Mediterranean offerings, Top Chef is located on the fringes of Chinatown at the Bold St corner of Berry St, the crossroads of Liverpool foodie heaven in my humble opinion.

I ordered the falafel pitta (above) which was approx £4- sme price as Kimos but as you can see, this came with chips and a well dressed salad garnish. The falafels were amazing, as good as, if not better than any I have tried in Dubai. These fist sized balls of chickpea pleasure were fried but not greasy and served with a choice of houmous or tahini. Arabic fast food heaven. The Carnivore had a chicken kebab, another popular Dubai staple and this scored highly too. The chicken was fresh and not that nasty processed variety you encounter in the likes of Chicken Bazooka, served with a shovel-load of chips, salad, rice and pitta. Who needs Dubai when you have Top Chef? The meals were washed down with a couple of deliciously potent coffees at £1.30.

If Arabic grub isn't your thing, fear not as they also have a selection of pizzas, fry ups and paninis to fill your belly. Step aside Kimos, make way for Top Chef, Liverpool's new king of kebab.

December 2012

UPDATE- Top Chef has now been renamed Downtown and have changed their focus to have more chippy-style dishes. The Arabic food is still there and is just as good, my only complaint is that in the toilets, the soap dispenser is filled with washing up liquid. Classy.

Cafe de Pearl, Bold St, Liverpool

Finally, Bubble Tea has made it to the streets of Liverpool! After making a slow-burning impression on to the Manchester foodie scene, it was high time it tested the waters of the Mersey. Cafe de Pearl has replaced the modern Chinese eaterie Tea House (maybe it's the same owners? Who knows.) with the premise that it is a bubble tea joint. However, after visiting twice before I decided to blog about it, it left a sour taste in my mouth. Literally.

Cafe de Pearl reminds me a bit of Ryanair, ie lots of hidden costs. Although it advertises itself as a cafe, it sees itself as a restaurant, the staff shoving food menus in your face and asking about 3 times whether you want any food. And here's silly me thinking it's just a cafe. To be fair, the food looked lovely, but don't advertise yourself as Cafe de Pearl if you don't want people coming in just for a drink.

I ordered a bubble slush at a jaw-dropping £2.80 and I noticed no bubbles were actually in it. I was told it would be an extra 50p for bubbles. Ridiculous. It's like charging for sugar with a coffee. The slush was nothing special, it tasted like a poor quality version of a Blackpool seafront Slush Puppie. The staff here should really work for a budget airline. On my second visit some months later, I tried a mango bubble tea in the regions of £3. The mango taste wasn't evident and it tasted like one of those cold cappuccinos packed with Coffee Mate that you get on Easyjet. The tapioca balls were bland and didn't have the consistency of previous bubbles I have experienced around the world. This was disappointing as I was looking forward to trying this eaterie with so much potential, hopeful that Bubble Tea would catch on in my home city. This fun, quirky drink has won the hearts of many faddy foodies around the world, I definitely thought it would be a good gamble in Liverpool.

I am expecting some sort of catty, defensive commentary about this review, probably from someone called 'John Smith of Liverpool', saying I am a 'jealous rival'. I'm just speaking the truth. I've had bubble tea in Manchester, Toronto and Dubai so believe me, I know my way around a mouthful of tapioca balls.

Villa Madina, 5955 Latimer Drive, Mississauga, Canada

Eagle-eyed followers of Vindaloo Queen on Twitter and my Facebook friends will have noticed that I am visiting Canada! I'm just outside Toronto in a city called Mississauga- it may not be on the tourist trail, but they have some fabulous multicultural treats readily available here including the rare (in the UK) Bubble Tea. This time last year, I was braving the intense heat and desert sandstorms of Dubai and was feeling strangely nostalgic. What better way to indulge nostalgia than eating food that stirs up memories? Thankfully, I was pleased to discover that Middle Eastern food is popular in this neck of the woods; time to track down tabouleh and feast on falafel!

Villa Madina is a chain not dissimilar to Dubai's Karam Beirut- a food-court based setup offering meal deals, platters and an extensive choice in salads. They serve familiar Lebanese staples like Shish Taouk, Falafel and Tabbouleh that are ubiquitous in Dubai so it was a format I was used to. I opted for their vegetarian platter at approx $7 which included either falafel or vine leaves plus as much delicious salad and dip you could cram on! I chose Tabouleh, hummus, spicy potatoes, Greek salad, olives, okra stew (bamia)and that beautiful illuminous pink turnip that brightens up every Middle Eastern feast. My only bugbear was that bread was charged extra, something that all Middle Eastern countries offer for free with the meal.

The potatoes were as good as, if not better, to some of the similar ones I experienced in Dubai- roasted without being greasy, a hint of spice similar to Spanish Patatas Bravas. The Tabbouleh and the other salads came in generous portions and I had no complaints, other than the price/portion ratio was not as bargainous as Dubai. The Carnivore ate Shish Taouk with a similar verdict to me- tasty by all means, but a tad pricey for the food court setting.

Gulshan, 50 Wicker, Sheffield

So far, my South Yorkshire curry adventures have been a bit oily and distinctly average. In a part of the country that is saturated with chippies and pub grub, I found myself here again desperately seeking spice. Wanting to give Sahib another chance after a heartburn-enhanced incident a few years ago, I discovered it had now become a Kebabish- bad move. Kebabish is synonymous with bad service for me, after being greeted with hostility in both their Manchester and Edinburgh branches. Spice Lounge wasn't going to be given a second chance either as my local mole tells me that despite its glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, seasoned curryholics have reported several Imodium Moments after consuming their greasy bhunas.

After circumnavigating the region on a discovery of spice, I finally found a street known simply as Wicker which seemed to be the nearest thing Sheffield has to Manchester's Curry Mile. Bright lights, a smell of spice in the air and rotating kebabs- hopefully I'd be on to a winner here. Enter Gulshan, the curry house whose USP is simply affordable curries.

Gulshan is not posh, nor kebab-shop style plastic tables, but a small yet modern curry house suitable for sole diners, stags or couples, depending what time of night you go. Its blue lighting gave it a great moody feel not too stark on the eyes, plus you could peek in the kitchen. It's a BYO with no corkage charge, plus they do soft drinks at only £1.50, not to mention mango lassi. The service was friendly without being intrusive and overbearing- a pet hate of mine when I'm in an empty restaurant and the staff are earwigging on my conversation!

Due to the absence of Vindaloo and Madras on the menu, I ordered this chili-hot Veggie Rezala:

At only £4.80 , it was a bargain, probably the cheapest restaurant curry I've had in the UK for years. Packed to the gills with potatoes, chickpeas and the vital ingredient chillies, this was a more than sufficient substitute for vindaloo. The Carnivore, set in his ways, ordered Chicken Dhansak, also £4.80 which was met with much 'mmmms' and 'yums'. We ate our curries with brown pilau and peshwari naan, £2 and £2.20 respectively. The peshwari was infused with sesame seeds, a take on Pesh I'd never seen before but was ever so moreish.

My only two minus points about Gulshan were the absence of Kulfi on the dessert menu (a staple requirement for me!) and the toilet facilities. There is only one toilet and it's a bit cramped and smelly, plus it's a bit of a Krypton Factor challenge to get to. It's bang next to the bar and kitchen but the hand-dryer and an additional sink are outside the toilet cubicle right by where the staff are passing by. However, our bill only came to around £16 for the two of us, so I shan't be complaining too much!

Mughli, Wilmslow Rd, Manchester

I've not had a very positive view of the Curry Mile lately. Once the place what a Vindaloo Queen's dreams were made of, it's become infested with cockroaches and even worse, rip-off merchants. The recession seems to have brought make or break to the Mile, with restaurants either going bust, putting their prices up and skimping on quality or opening new, smaller, non-curry eateries. After being treated rudely in Kebabish, being ripped off in Shahenshah and my old favourite Lal Haweli now a Turkish eaterie, I jumped at the chance to visit Mughli when my workmate who lives near the Mile invited me for curry one evening. I had previously been apprehensive about trying Mughli as it is strikingly modern, somewhat trendy, a characteristic I don't normally associate with a traditional curry house, but a change is as good as a rest.

Early evening, Mughli was heaving while most of the Mile stood empty, Shahenshah's staff desperately touting for business outside with empty promises of free drinks. Mughli didn't need any gimmicks. We managed to get a table, albeit a rubbish one next to the cooking area which was boiling hot and noisy. Serves us right for not booking, I suppose. Despite being uncomfortably hot, it was a great view of the cooking area and the smells were out of this world! The USP of the restaurant is its clay pit, where all the carnivorous treats are rustled up. The restaurant is decorated in orange tones, making you feel like you are literally in a clay pit. No twangy music, no booths and not a chintzy carpet in sight, you could almost be in a trendy nightclub.

The staff were like 4 of the seven dwarves- happy, grumpy, dopey and bashful- but to be fair, they were rushed off their feet. There was no personal touch to the service, making it a bit Pizza Express-esque; I like to have a chat to the staff about my food but it felt a bit difficult in here.

The prices are a bit dearer than average for Indian food in the area, but the quality was amazing. There was no need for starters, the popadoms were plentiful with a bountiful chutney tray, presentation immaculate.

I went for a vegetable Madras, garlic Naan and pilau rice, no change there. The Naan was presented in an unusual, eyecatching way, quartered and skewered on a stand- a brilliant way of sharing when you're a bit funny about where other people's hands have been that you're dining with! As you can see from the pic, the rice was served in a cute little bucket as well- top marks for presentation and usage of interesting tableware. The curry was amazing- a punchy, spicy fusion of chillies and vegetables, the veg fresh and not out of a frozen bag like its Curry Mile neighbours. Portion size was generous as well- there was no room for dessert!

For a modern Indian, Mughli has really impressed me. Plus points include the food quality, efficient service and great atmosphere. Minus points nothing serious, just that the A/C needed to be turned up and the staff need to personalise their service a bit more. Worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

Cafe Latino, Bold St, Liverpool

Liverpool's eateries seem to have got a bit pricey in recent years and bargain cuisine, especially Italian, seems few and far between. Since the demise of my beloved Buca di Bacco's and the increase of chains in the likes of Liverpool 1, I've been yearning for a cosy, caffeine fuelled, garlic infused, traditional Italian treat. Enter Cafe Latino, Bold St's hidden gem.

Tucked away on the first floor, Cafe Latino is an unassuming doorway that you could easily miss. It relies more on word of mouth and has no web presence, giving it true hidden gem status. For those not as eagle-eyed as me, here's a helping hand:

This doesn't look like an Italian to me, I thought as I went up the unassuming staircase. Am I in the wrong place? Then a wonderful smell hit me; a combo of garlic, rosemary and freshly brewed coffee. Definitely on the right track. As the name suggests, Cafe Latino has an informal cafe style setting as opposed to a restaurant, making it the kind of place you could go on your own with a good book to linger over a slice of carrot cake. However, today was all about chowing down on Italian cuisine, not a coffee crawl. I was greeted warmly by the staff- excellent first impression. As I scoured the menu, I was delighted to see all the main courses were just £4.99 and from what I could see from the other diners, the portions were pretty generous. I ordered a penne rustica, the Carnivore ordered penne Polpette, we shared garlic bread and had a mineral water each. The mineral waters are only £1.50 and come in 600ml bottles- one would have definitely have been enough for two of us.

The garlic bread was £3 for 4 slices and it was delicious- big hunky crusty chunks, the garlic not too overpowering. Here is my Rustica- a combo of a rich goats cheese, tomatoes and rocket. A party for the tastebuds indeed, and a more generous portion than some of these pretentious Italian eateries that seem to have popped up all over Liverpool.

The Carnivore was more than happy with her Polpette, an Arrabiata-like sauce combined with a generous helping of meatballs. Her verdict? 'Far superior to Casa Italia. It used to be good in Casa's back in 2002 but it's rapidly gone downhill, and expensive. I'll be coming back to Latino!'

In typical Vindaloo Queen style, I left no room for dessert, but I managed to grab a look at the table of the caffeine-fuelled pensioners next to me. A veritable feast of fudge cake, carrot cake, Danishes... something for everyone. My only negative point of Cafe Latino is that it closes at 17:00, so if you want an after-work Italian treat, it's over to the city's rip-off merchants.

Uncle Sam's, Bold St, Liverpool

Back in 1999, the days before those monstrosities Nando's and Frankie and Benny's polluted our tastebuds, bargain hunting Scousers liked cheap grub in Renshaw Street's Uncle Sam's and Caesar's Palace. Conveniently located across the road from then shopping Mecca Lewis's and a stone's throw from nightlife in Hardman St and Bold St, these were THE places to eat. Even the most fussy eater could find something here- from greasy grub like burgers and pizza to the more exotic like enchiladas and tapas plates, not forgetting the huge ice creams and potent coffee, there was something for everyone in Caesar's and Uncle's as they were known. And ladies- how could you forget the international hunks who worked there? Talk about dish of the day. I would have a crush on a different Middle Eastern staff member every week.

Fast forward to 2012 and Liverpool city centre has shifted away from Renshaw St and co; Lewis's has gone bust, the Adelphi has a horrendous reputation and even the nightlife has relocated. While Caesar's has chosen to remain in Renshaw St (future blog post!), Uncle Sam's has moved to a smaller location in Bold St. Will it evoke memories of me partying like it's 1999? Or has it too been swept away with Liverpool's newly pretentious image? Only one way to find out... blog!

I was delighted to see that the menu had remained unchanged and the prices were still budget conscious. Taking a wander down memory lane, the dishes leapt out like reminders of the past, a bit like listening to a Now 2000 album and hearing THAT S Club 7 song. The Chuckwagon burger, the Baked Potato Engine...all these quirky names served as reminders of my past! The staff seemed to be all male (yippee!) and did I detect some cute foreign accents? This place would be hilarious on a hen night, think of all the flirtatious banter and photo-ready staff. The only thing missing is the fact the new premises don't have a fish pond. Might be something to do with those Health and Safety jobsworths- back in 1999 a drunk 'lady' actually fell in it.

I ordered a veggie burger and a potent cup of coffee- after the previous night's exploits in the UNI (Veg vindaloo, peshwari naan followed by a massive mango kulfi), my belly couldn't possibly accommodate one of Uncle Sam's famous ice cream sundaes.

What you see is what you get in Uncle's- not gourmet cuisine, nothing fancy, nothing memorable, just normal grub. A bit like a greasy spoon/diner/McDonald's food. There's only so much you can write about burger and chips- it is what it is, which makes Uncle's a great place to go if the budget's tight, your dining companions are fussy eaters or you just want a simple filling meal before a night out. However, its selling point is its huge ice creams which come in a variety of flavours, adorned with cocktail brollies and a sparkler if it's your birthday! Uncle Sam's, it's great to have you back.