Second Chance Salon

The Exchange Restaurant - 3 Thomas Steers Way,Liverpool, L1 8LW, 0151 708 4200

This is called second chance salon because a family meal on Christmas Day was a little disappointing but the management were very apologetic and assured me that if I was to come again things would be very different. So not wanting to dwell on bad things here is a review of a recent visit made just after a visit to the Liverpool Wheel, just before it was dismanted from its current Liverpool One site.

Despite being a restaurant in an international hotel chain that serves many business guests - any one reading the menu will be left in no doubt that the it has serious aspirations of being a top notch eaterie that really care about the sourcing of local artisan produce. The prospects looked good.

The Jewel of Irby

Cromwells - 9 Thingwall Road, Irby, Wirral - 0151 648 9898



I was looking for a place for Sunday lunch on the Wirral and being a Liverpool based resident I used Google and stumbled across the Cromwells website. A couple of things impressed me and made me want to visit and try it - the content and tone of the website seemed very positive and the sample Sunday lunch menu was very attractive and the prices were VFM @ £8.95 for 2 courses or £10,95 for 3.

As I ended up their with my friend Juliette, who was over from Manchester and we sat our designated table the waitress politely asked what camera I was carrying as the lady boss - Kay - was an enthusiastic photographer and had spotted my tell tale Crumpler shoulder bag. Suddenly I had a really good feeling about this place. I told the waitress to tell Kay I was carrying a Panasonic Lumix G1 with me and all the food shots for this blog entry were taken with that camera.

The Sunday lunch menu is written up on a chalk board and changes weekly but follows a fairly formulaic approach of three starters - soup, melon cocktail or potato wedges - mains always include roast beef and at least one other roast plus a selection of dishes from the a la carte main - puddings change weekly and the list comes on a small chalk board that is bought to your table but always feature a selection of ice creams for the most excellent Cheshire Ice Cream Farm. Like the ice cream, much of the produce used by Cromwells is sourced locally - indeed their website has a list of their suppliers.

Anyway on my first visit I had the homemade spicy potatoe wedges - simple but very effective like so many things in life where less is more


On my next visit I didn't fancy any of the startes and I asked the waitress could I have one of their most excellent homemade Yorksire Puddings with their roast gravy as a starter instead - the answer was yes - service here is very customer focused and if the request is reasonable they will try their best to oblige.


On my first visit I had the roast Lamb which does not come a Yorkshire pudding as standatd (it comes as standard with the roast Beef) but I asked if I could have one and the answer was yes.




All Sunday lunches are accompanied by a generous serving of potatoes and veg - superb roasties and boiled new potatoes seem to be staples as do mashed swede and carrot and roasted parsnips, the green veg was brocolli one week and wonderful cabbage another.




On my second visit I had the grilled fillet of Seabass with lemon juice and cracked black pepper - this was a mians from the carte but I was allowed to order it on payment of a modest supplement.


Desserts change weekly but always feature ice cream from Cheshire Ice Cream Farm - below is the homemade Lemon Tart with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream


Vanilla and Rhubarb with Ginger Ice Cream


As you can see from the pictures the quality of the food speaks for itself at Cromwells and coupled with great front of house service and a VFM policy, it is no wonder that booking is essential for Sunday lunch. FoodManChan hopes to try the main carte one evening very soon - I really fancy the Black Pudding Topper starter - raditional Black Pudding made by The Bury Black Pudding Company, topped with Locally reared Bacon from Lewis’s Butchers, Greasby & mature Cheddar and the Homemade Meatloaf Mains -Traditional Homemade Meatloaf, made with locally reared farmed Beef & Pork from Lewis’s Butchers, Greasby. Accompanied with a Port & Redcurrant sauce.

They are running a two for one promotion on their a la acrte menu at the moment.

A great asset to Irby and the surrounding area - Cromwells gets a definite two thumbs up from FoodManChan

Who's the King of the Jungle?

Mei Mei - 9-13 Berry St, Liverpool, L1 9DF - 0151 707 2888

Last night my friend Neil treated the 4 of us to a meal at the Mei Mei - somewhere we hadn't dined in there for many months, but recent feedback was that the kitchen was on form and producing some of the best Chinese food in Liverpool.

Based on what we had tonight - the current Mei Mei kitchen is well head of the Harbour City, Chung Ku, and Tai Pan. The dishes showed a lightness of touch and subtlety of taste that was refreshing in the extreme.

We kicked off with three starters to share between the four of us.......

Thai Style Boneless Chickens Feet - the dressing with fresh lemon, coriander and sweet chilli was abosolutely sublime and very refreshing!!!!




Next up that Cantonese classic of deep fried Stuffed Crab Claw which were done perfection and served with three dips - vinegar, sweet and sour and salad cream...






The Lobster dish was amazing - so refreshing and different from the usual ginger and spring onions with or without noodles. Th Lobster was steamed on a bed of egg white and flavoured with a Chinese wine sauce. - truley inspired cooking....






Mains were......

Superb stir fried King Prawns in a Chilli and Tomato Sauce






Tong Choi with fermented beancurd and chilli


The ubiquitous Soya Chicken


This was an amazing dish - the stewed duck with 8 treasures (48 hours notice required) - pity you cannot the duck under the eight treasures but the skin and flesh was done to perfection - soft and moist and full of flavour....




We accompanied everything with boiled rice and this truely wonderful Thai style seafood fried rice topped with pork floss.


We finished with Mango Pudding


One of the best Chinese meals I have had in Liverpool - ever

Wok It - another South Liverpool Gem...

Wok It 437, Smithdown Rd, Liverpool, Merseyside L15 3JL - 0151 733 2008 ]

Its been open about a month and is the latest SE Asian style eaterie to grace South Liverpool. The concept is simple but new to the the dining out scene - essentially a takeaway with an open kitchen with Wagamama/Tampopo syle bench style seating and tables which is used for communal dining. There is no table service and all main courses comes in American style Chinese Takeaway Containers, whilst the starters are all pre-packed. The drinks list contains a selection of Asian largers/beers and the superb Zenya range of bottled Green Teas which are served chilled - check out Pomegranite Green Tea -its rather good. Cutlery is either plastic or one use chopsticks

The Wok It Menu is pretty basic but with enough variety for it to be of interest to your average foodie who is looking for something new

First choose your staple - which lists a selection of noodles and rice including ramen, soba and udon whcih are served with shredded carrots, chinese cabbage and beanspruts. Match this with your choice of individually priced ingredients - the usual pork, beef, chickenn, tofu and tiger prawns but also pak choi, sugar snap peas baby corn and even an egg. Prices range from £1.70 for the tiger prawns to 30p for the egg. Choose one or as many ingredients and you would like depending of how hungry/rich you feel. There is a good selection of sauces - including more unusal ones such as Tamaribnd and Basil and Teryaki. So mix and match to your hearts content.

We started with the Spicy Vegetable Cracker and Wasabi Peanuts

Be warned - the Wasabi Nuts are very potent but addictive - the Vegable Crackers are like prawn crackers but with a midly spiced flaovour - very pleasent.

I had the Soba, Pork with Tamarind with Basil combo-

This was very good with a real slightly sour flavour provided by the tamarind and the sweetness of of the Thai basil. It was just a little bit different and all the more welcome for being so.

Graham had the Udon noodles with Pork and Tiger Prawns in the Spicy Chilli Sauce - beware this is a chilli sauce that really kicks with no compromise to the western palate - just as its should be.

Superb - especially if you enjoy a decent chilli kick

The Bill -

The headlining total may seem high for two people but closer analysis would reveal that it is really mo more expensive than a decent takeaway with the option to sit in. My Soba with Pork in a Tamarind Sauce only came to £5.20, Portion size is generous - Thoses American style takeaway cartons are deceptively large and many customers just sealed them up and hey presto instant doggy bag. I only managed 2/3's of my portion.

As declared at the bottom of the menu, there is a healthy eating policy in place with limited or no used of MSG. FoodManChan says go try for yourself.

A Tale of Two Set Lunches

New Star - 149A Duke St, Liverpool, L1 4JR Tel:0151-708 8882

Eastern Diner - 159-161 Allerton Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, L18 T: 0151 724 2021

The ubiquitous "Businessmans Lunch" was pioneered many decades ago by early westernised Chinese Chop Suey Style Restaurants were the three courses with a VFM price tag were seen by one and all to be the best thing since sliced bread. As my family were one of the pioneers in the 60's of such estbalishments I feel no gulit in saying that whilst VFM was a key ingredient, authenticty was not. The food served, whilst cheap filling and very tasty - it could never be called quality cuisine. The first course was alway soup - made from a catering packet or a glass of orange juice - main courses (of which there was a daily changing but limited list always came with fried rice or chips and included classics such as sweet and sour pork, beef curry, chicken and mushroom and if you were a vegetarian it would be curried boiled eggs or Spanish omelette which meant the omlette had tomato and peas in it. Dessert was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a few tinned lychees or if the chef was in a good mood, jam sponge and custard.

Well it is now 2009 and the culinary scene has changed quite alot since the 60's but the set lunch is still alive and kicking and where it works, a great way of making money during the day time hours. FoodManChan decided to see what was "on the menu" in 2009.

Venue one was the New Star - a city centre chinese restuarnt that as a good mixture of chinese and wastern customers, where both traditional and westernised Chinese style food of a good standard is served, They have a very good cheap and cheerful set lunch menu with limited choices but ideal for the average wage slave with only an 1 hour to spare for his mid-day repast.

Venue two was the Eastern Diner - located in a thriving suburban district of South Liverpool - it is surrounded by many of other eateries, wine bars etc - many of which don't open at lunch time. It serves a mainly westren clientel and the menu reflects this but the set lunch is a vital part of their trade.There's is a more sophistcated set lunch more suited to ladies who lunch and retired couples than the office worker in a hurry in the New Star

The New Star
£4.50 buys you a bowl of chicken and sweetcorn soup and a serving of prawn crackers - a choice of three fried dishes, three chow mein dishes or chicken beef ir pork in the sauce of your choice which is quite generous - I think I counted about 12 different types that included clasics such as sweet and sour, curry, garlic and blackbean. Also on the list were a very delicious black pepper and a fiery chilli and garlic. These came with a choice of boiled rice, plain fried rice or chips

Chicken and Sweetcorn with Prawn Crackers - an iconic classic



These were functional but nothing to write home about - don't get me wrong I enjoyed them but they lacked the wow factor

Beef in Black Pepper Sauce with Boiled Rice



This on the other hand was a real treat - the sauce was delicious, the beef tender and look at the way in which rice is presented - all good stuff.

The Eastern Diner
The price of a set lunch at the Eastern Diner is much less straight foward, though the choice of what is available is much greater. A standard main course is £4.90, with a soup it is £5.90, but you could add a starter course or opt for an executive main course or any combination the the above. To keep things fair - I opted for the soup and standard combo at £5.90 - £1.40 more than New Star and no prawn crackers.

However, there were are choice of three soups and I had the Hot and Sour Soup which was really rather good and a much bigger portion than the New Star


Mian courses always come with chips and either plain fried rice or boiled rice and a little salad. As I had Yang Chow Fried Rice, I got the same treatment, Portion size - the New Star wins easily though taste wise both were just as delcious.


On a strainght comparison I feel the New Star just pips the Eastern Diner with comparable quality but the additon of prawn crackers and being £1.40 cheaper. However when you take into account the better choice, quality and quantity of the soup and the potential to create a much more substantial meal. the Eatern Diner deserves serious consideration. Very much a case of six of one half a dozen of the other.

Bamboo Part II - is this one of South Livepool's Best Kept Secrets

Bamboo - 64 Rose Ln ,Liverpool, L18 5ED, 0151 724 4416‎

A recent visit to Bamboo revealed it had much potential and in need of a further visit. Well the chance came when I went to have lunch with my parents and their friend Linda who were curious at the low prices and the potential to get real "one plate meals" in the suburbs of Liverpool - so we had a very critical panel of diners.

We kicked off with 3 starters to share:-

Deep Fried Wonton with a Sweet and Sour Dip

Very competently executed and the filling consisted of prawns and some minced pork. At £3.20 a portion its an abosulte steal - better value than any chippy.

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

As promised the Salt and Pepper mix was very low in salt but quite high in spiceness - though the pork chops was a little on the dry side which even the waiter did admit as as we left but again a very competent excution of a Cantonese classic.

Vietnamese style Spring Rolls filled with salad flavoured with coriander and king prawns and a dip of fish sauce, chilli, vinegar and sugar

See the previous blog entry for more details about this dish, which is one of my favorites.

Then followed on with three "one plate/bowl meals" from different parts of SE Asia to share.

Teriyaki Chicken Stir fried with Udon Noodles

If you like Japanese style dishes you will love this - deep fried breaded chicken breast covered in teriyaki on top of a pile of stir fried udon - very good - gets my vote

Tom Yum Special with Vermicelli

A big bowl of vermicelli in a Thai style Tom Yum (hot and sour) broth served with sliced tender beef, chicken and king prawns - superb

Dry Fried Beef Ho Fun (Hong Kong style)

This was superb - best dish of the day - very much a two thumbs up dish

Service was spot on. This place should not remain a secet for long as the standard of service here is high, the food is spot on with a very good variety to choose from and the value for money factor unmatched by anywhere else


Bamboo Menu with Current Prices Side One

Bamboo Menu with Current Prices Side Two

Bamboo - is this one of South Livepool's Best Kept Secrets

Bamboo - 64 Rose Ln ,Liverpool, L18 5ED, 0151 724 4416‎

On late Saturday afternoon I was driving back from a wedding reception held at a ceratin hotel on the edge of Sefton Park and the reception buffet had been woefully inadequate and was feeling more than a bit peckish when I was on Rose Lane and noticed Bamboo to my right. My sister had been there and thought it OK but I had never been and so decided it was time I tried it out for myself. It has only been open for a couple of months

I had a pot of Jasmine tea and a starter of Vietnamese Style Prawn Spring Rolls - essentially rice pancakes are soaked in water and wrapped around a fresh coriander flavoured salad with half a sliced king prawn at each end served with a dip of vinegar, sugar, fresh chilli and fish sauce and not a bit of deep frying in sight....

These were so refreshing - not had them anywhere else in Liverpool before. Two Thumbs Up from FoodManChan

My main course was fried Ho Fun with sliced chicken in a spicy sauce of Garlic, Thai Sweet Basil and Chilli

Again most enjoyable and just a little bit different

As I said I was just passing and will definitely be back for a further exploration of the menu very soon - which the manager a certain Mr Lei tells me has some rather unique items such as salt and pepper dishes which are extremely low in salt and that all dishes can be cooked without Salt and MSG with a lower fat content.


Bamboo Menu Side One

Bamboo Menu Side Two

Fathers Day Lunch at the Chung Ku

Not been here for a while for a number of reasons but as Fathers Day loomed the decision was taken by father that he would like to lunch at the Chung Ku

The reason behind this was that he had craving for two things that The Chung Ku does really well - the deep fried whole Cantonese Chicken Wings and the perennial favourite of Lobster Noodles with Ginger and Sping Onions on a bed of yee mein noodles

Chciken Wings


Lobster Noodles

Look at the size of that claw - one lobster was enough as even though there was six of us for lunch we wanted to save our appetite for the other things that were to come.

My choice for this meal was a 24hr special order dish which has no direct translation of its name Gum Wah Yuk She Kai - basically it is slices of boiling fowl interleaved with slices of yunnan ham, chinese mushroom and ginger, topped with a supreme stock and garnished with stems of Kai Lan (chinese broccoli) - so nice

Look at that presentation - including the head with beak and all

Next up came my sisters favourite of Teng Jai Juk - Fishing Boat Congee - again it was of a very good standard


A selection of very fine dim sum followed

Har Gau - steamed prawn dumplings


Ngau Yuk Cheung Fun - Steamed Beef Rice Roll


Chiu Jow Fun Gwaw - steamed nut, vegetable and meat dumpling

This a personal favorite of mine

Sui Mai - Steamed pork and prawn dumplings - everyones favourite dim sum


Saang Chow Nor Mai Fan - fried sticky rice with chinese preserved meats - sublimely executed by the Chung Ku and one of my brother in laws favourite dim sum


Lor Bak Go - fried slices of turnip cake - these were absolutely superb


Jung - steamed sticky rice parcels filled with greenbean and salted egg yolk and fatty pork


Steamed Leaf Tripe - bit of an acquired taste but a favorite of my sis


Hoi Nam Wonton - dumpling filled with coarsely diced pork, prawn and chinese mushroom served with pak choi in a light chicken broth - one of my favourites


To finish we had Dan Tart - the Cantonese speciality egg tart - again these were sublime


This was a great Father's Day lunch and shows that the Chung Ku is still able to produce top notch "real" Chinese food