The best food – at a great price
Newcastle’s Restaurant Week starts today:
IT’S the time of year that North East foodies have been waiting for – a chance to dine out in style at some of Newcastle’s finest restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost. And what better way to celebrate the start of a brand new year?
The hugely popular NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week returns today, bringing an invitation – and challenge – to diners to indulge in a truly global treat. They can Dine Around The World, without leaving the city.
With more eateries than ever all set to throw open their doors to customers, the range of cut-price menus on offer will span cuisine from every continent; making this year’s treat the best one yet.
And bearing in mind that the twiceyearly Restaurant Week – which also enjoys a run in August – caters for around 45,000 hungry diners, that means huge savings are set to be made.
This month’s event, which runs from today until January 21, is the 15th to date and and will see the 100-plus city centre based restaurants serve up special deals at just £10 or £15 per person. Today we highlight a handful of restaurants taking part.
TAPAS REVOLUTION
Top chef and TV regular Omar Allibhoy is busy planning to impress Newcastle customers with an authentic taste of his native Spain served up at his city centre restaurant.
The star of the kitchen, who has shown off his cooking skills on such shows as Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch, The One Show and This Morning, has signed up Tapas Revolution to NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Wee k.
And he is planning a special menu there of traditional favourites - several of them from his own cookbook - plus five different sangrias which his Restaurant Week diners can enjoy from today.
Omar, who also owns Tapas Revolution restaurants in other major cities including London, said: “I’m excited to take part in Newcastle Restaurant Week.
“It a great way to explore Newcastle’s food scene and we’re really looking forward to giving a traditional Spanish welcome to our guests.”
Diners who book up during the week are in for a treat at the Spanish restaurant which recently also opened an adjacent Lounge and Sangria Bar.
MR PETIT
One of Newcastle’s newest hotspots Mr Petit is out to make a big impression during NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week.
The theme of the event is Dine Around The World and Mr Petit, for its part, is covering a huge slice of world cuisine all by itself.
The intimate basement restaurant, which opened last year in Old Eldon Square, a stone’s throw from the Monument, is well suited to the Dine Around The World challenge as its tapas-style menu features small plates from across the globe with classic dishes from every continent.
This will be its second Restaurant Week and John Heron, managing director at St Camillus Leisure, the company behind it, said Mr Petit is out to make its mark as a city leader. And its staff are working flat-out to impress.
He said: “We wanted to offer Newcastle diners something they haven’t tried before and have created an innovative menu featuring exciting meals from all over the world.”
SACHINS
An X Factor-style food competition is being launched at Sachins in Newcastle which will see customers decide the fate of a signature dish.
Amid a worldwide range of menus on offer from the 100-plus restaurants which are taking part in the week of special deals, Sachins wanted to do something a little different.
So, besides flying the flag for Asia and inviting diners to enjoy an authentic taste of India, it is also inviting them to have a say in its menu.
The restaurant in Forth Banks, which has proved a favourite with foodies now for more than 35 years, is to host a customer poll – placing one of its most famous dishes at stake.
Head chef and owner Bob Arora says that those who order the makhani chicken dish during Restaurant Week can help to determine its future.
The traditional murgh makhani is barbecued chicken cooked in the tandoor oven, marinated in Punjabi spices and tossed in butter and cream. It also includes tomatoes, yoghurt and cashew nuts.
But the restaurant now offers a new version too: similarly cooked, in a tomato and onion-based sauce which, besides a touch of cream and butter, also has honey and fresh chilli which add a new flavour.
Diners who pick the makhani dish during Restaurant Week will be served both the traditional and new version to try and will be then asked to cast a vote as to which they think should stay and which should go.
The dish with the most votes in the poll will be the one to remain on the menu.
FAT HIPPO
Diners certainly won’t go hungry at Fat Hippo Underground in Newcastle where staff are gearing up to create up to 2,500 whopping burgers.
The burger restaurant opposite Theatre Royal will be taking its American menu to a whole new level for NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week . Customers will be able to feast on true US-size portions, with the star of the show set to be its signature burger stacks which can stand more then four inches tall – at least.
They are expecting to make 2,000-2,500 burgers over the sevenday run and, with each burger containing at least 8oz of beef, that means Geordies will get through a whole a lot of meat. What’s more, their top burgers – the signature one and its Texas – reach four inches or more in height when stacked with a range of toppings and additions so they promise to satisfy even the biggest appetites.