Little kitchens

At the end of my mini-break in Nottingham, we made a stop at a little diner just off one of the main streets for a quick bite before I got onto the train for London. The unassuming little place, with hand-made signs lining the windows and rows of little tables promised some good old fry-ups.

Gingham Kitchen
10 Lincoln Street
Nottingham
NG1 3DJ

In Nottingham, where bus drivers smile and give you a cheery greeting and where the people seem to be nicer and a lot less harried, one can really get used to the laid-back vibe that the city gives off. Gingham Kitchen seems to really embody that relaxed spirit - a cosy little place where everyone seems to know everyone by name.

Lasagne and chips

Cheese and tomato quiche with beans and chips

While I expected larger portions, the portions that came were deceivingly filling and I found myself surrendering to the chips at the end. I would have appreciated a more generous portion of the main dish, however. The food is nothing fancy, just simple comfort food that's good for a quick fix on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Because it's Friday, everyday

It came down to a choice between Friday's and Nando's as we made our way from the train station to the city. With neither of us having been to Friday's before (and with pork constantly topping Gary's list), it was an easy choice. We pushed open the double doors and settled ourselves comfortably by the window on that rather quiet Monday afternoon.


With the both of us having heard so much about the ribs, ordering was a no-brainer.

I picked Friday's BBQ ribs while Gary went for the more adventurous sounding Jack Daniel's Ribs. The half-rack of ribs came with chips, Cajun-battered onion rings and a tangy smokey BBQ sauce and the Jack Daniel's sauce respectively. The ribs had a fall-off-the-bone-melt-in-your-mouth sort of tenderness and the sauces were perfect complements to them.


The ribs were good enough for a return visit the next day. This time, we had the option of picking a combination from the Take 2 menu, two courses for 9.99 GBP (with a 3.49 GBP top-up to upgrade to some of the more popular main courses).

I opted not to go with the ribs and instead, picked the Cajun-Spiced Chicken Quesadilla as my main. Chargrilled chicken, Colby cheese, onions and peppers came in flour tortillas alongside Cajun-spiced rice, pico de gallo and some Southwest sour cream. I loved the tangy cheese that held the tortillas together but was not a particularly big fan of the rice which I thought was rather dry.

I don't think the thought of not having the ribs even entered Gary's mind as he immediately went for a full rack of Jack Daniel's ribs which he polished off with absolutely no difficulty at all.


"But the chocolate one sounds nicer, right?"
Chocolate was the name of the game when it came to dessert choices with the both of us abandoning the idea of getting two contrasting desserts pretty quickly.


Chocolate Fudge Fixation - rich chocolate and fudge sandwiched between three layers of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Chocolate Brownie Temptation - warm, gooey slices of brownies with hot fudge topping and vanilla ice cream.

Dessert probably couldn't have gotten any more indulgent than that - there's just something about warm hot fudge and chocolate that puts a smile on my face. After our rather huge mains, we had a bit of trouble finishing dessert and I do admit that the vanilla ice cream was quite imperative to striking the sweetness balance. Still, I couldn't think of a better way to end the meal.

One thing's for sure though, when at Friday's, go for the ribs and you'll never go wrong.

Away from the hustle and bustle

A weekend spent in Nottingham, catching up with friends, running into primary schoolmates and playing my favourite sport - yes, it was another one of those good, good weekends. The Malaysian student community descends upon Nottingham once a year for the annual Nottingham Games and for most of us, the sports bit is just a bonus. It's a picturesque place - rolling hills, calm lakes and leaves turning colour. I can't imagine a prettier setting for one of the biggest Malaysian student events.

After a day spent at the tennis courts, to say that we were hungry would be quite the understatement. We headed to the city in search of food and went into the first pub that didn't look like zombie-central (It was Halloween). The thing about pubs is that they're the cheaper option when it comes to food and one is almost always guaranteed a hearty meal.

I was told, when I first arrived in London, that fish pie (along with Sunday roasts and a variety of other pies) was one of those traditional British meals. For some reason, I'd never seen fish pie on a menu until this particular weekend. Smoked haddock, salmon and king prawns cooked in a creamy sauce and baked in a gruyere crust served with minted vegetables - it was a warm, melty, smokey comfort of a meal.

As always, the boys were immediately attracted to the barbecued ribs, and for good reason. The ribs were meaty - soft, succulent and cooked in a delicious marinade. Let's just say that the contented faces were worth more than words.

There's really nothing like capping off a long day with a good meal. No matter where you are.

Photos courtesy of Wei Juin