Tip Top of the Kid-friendly Restaurant Chains, Pizza Express Is a Firm Family Favourite

Pizza Express is a firm favourite of our's to visit on the weekend. When our family comprised of three we would often be found chowing down of a Saturday afternoon in their Lisburn Road branch restaurant. 

You won't need your iPad- colour & puzzle while you wait

Bedford St refurb

Since November 2014 it's just been myself & Smix, and we find ourselves more often in Yo Sushi! these days, but  Pizza Express Bedford Street invited us both along to investigate their swanky refurb, and try out their seasonal menu, and we weren't about to turn down an offer like that!

Quiet when we arrived at 445pm

- bustling by the time we left

The city centre located branch now seats 185 and can be used for groups and parties. I tend to think of this restaurant as less full-on family packed than the Lisburn Road one, but you'll still find the full kids' menu, high chairs available and of course fun colouring in menu and stickers for every mini guest. Smix was particularly impressed that they supply Crayola twisty crayons- apparently they are big news in school right now, and very much vital to my report to you guys!

Open kitchen with chefs bustling away

Smix always gets the same thing each visit. Dough Balls to start, with butter dip and veg. Pepperoni pizza as a main course, with tonnes of parmesan cheese on top. Chocolate brownie for dessert with bambinoccino (looks like an espresso, really is frothed milk, a very cool novelty to sip just like mum or dad).

The three courses are £6.45 altogether, but note this doesn't include a drink, but like most places tap water is free anyway. There are also pasta dishes if your children aren't in the mood for pizza. 

Its also worth bookmarking  Pizza Express's offers page and checking once in a while to see if there is an offer that suits your party size.

Kids' starter, the famous dough balls

Another handy hint is to  have a nosy at the Pizza Express online menu. If you haven't eaten at one of their restaurants before, then unlike the physical menu you get there, the online version has photos of each dish, so you've a better idea of what you are ordering. Great if you're really fussy about meals, and even better for family's with food allergy considerations, as every item is explained.

Pizza Express make traditional, Italian style pizzas. They are fresh, light & topped to perfection. I love this style of pizza, and I now can't remember the last time I even ate D*m*nos Pizza. Their heavy, doughy, thick based pizzas are hard on my stomach. Not to mention a waste as I can only eat two slices max. 

But back to the pizzas in question, or more specifically my starter.  

I had my eye on the Mac & Cheese, but then I noticed the calamari starter is back, so I had to get that. I had it years ago, but it went off the menu for a while. I'm glad it's back. The calamari is great quality, no chewy, elastic squid here. The batter is light and crunchy with no heavy greasiness. The Pizza Express House Sauce compliments this starter beautifully. If you haven't experienced Pizza Express's house sauce, then ask for a little pot even for dipping your pizza crusts. It's so tasty, and you can buy bottles of it from Tesco etc to give salads at home a bit of a kick.

If you want the full Pizza Express Experience however, then make sure at least one person in your party gets a starter of their famous dough balls. Again you can buy these in supermarkets to bake at home, but nothing beats the real thing. 

On to the main course. As well as their delicious thin based pizzas, there are calzone, salad and pasta options.

My usual main course choice was the Nicoise salad. Egg, anchovies, tuna, lots of fresh salad greens and tomatoes.

However with us being invited along to try something new, I thought it would be more apt to order a pizza.  

I chose the pollo leggera pizza. Leggera pizzas are a little bit of genius. It's a regular sized pizza, but they remove the centre and instead load it with lots of fresh salad. This means nutritionally each Leggera pizza comes in at under 525 calories. This makes Pizza Express even more family friendly- not only do you have kids' options, but you have just-as-delicious main course options for those dieting. It means even if you are on a diet, Pizza Express is somewhere you can chose to eat out at, without sabotaging your calorie counting.

Personally I'm not dieting as such at the moment, but Leggera pizzas fulfil a different angle for me.  

You see I just can't eat three courses of food in one go. I want a starter because otherwise I would be sitting wanting to steal Smix's dough balls, and I want a dessert, but if I've eaten an entire pizza then I won't have room.

With the Leggera option I can have a starter, the Leggera, and a dessert without feeling so full that I want to crawl under the table and nap afterwards. 

It also means I have a built in salad with my main, so I don't have to order a green salad as a side. 

In the spirit of trying something new, I did however order their house coleslaw, a crunchy creamy delight with red cabbage and horseradish, which makes a perfect partner for the thin based pizza. 

Smix was happy with his pepperoni main course pizza too. Gooey, yummy, stringy mozzarella with his own addition of Parmesan sprinkled on top. 

On to dessert! I liked the look of the  bombolini, but in the end I went for the seasonal treacle tart. 

When I do get a dessert at Pizza Express I always pick the mascarpone with it rather than fresh cream or icecream. It's a little Italian twist, and would be delicious with the classic British treacle tart. Sadly the restaurant didn't have any for my dessert last night, but it was lovely with fresh cream all the same.

Smix chose the chocolate brownie, which comes with a steamed milk drink to match mum and dad's coffee.

Another stroke of genius from Pizza Express is their selection of mini desserts with companion coffee. If you don't have room for a large dessert but you still want something sweet, you can pick one of them. And why not give your coffee a little Irish kick with a splash of Baileys or whisky?

So thank you for having us, Pizza Express. A great Mother's Day lunch plan for this weekend, and a menu with something for everyone. 

Say 'Aloha!' to Belfast's Freshest New Eating Experience & Try Something Different from the Kua 'Aina Lava Grill

Situationed on 2nd floor of Victoria Sq Belfast beside Nando's

I'll make you a wager: you'll have never tasted tuna any finer than the Lava Grilled tuna steaks on offer at Victoria Square's newest eaterie  Kua 'Aina. Belfast is usually the last place that restaurant chains open up in, but thanks to Kua 'Aina being owned by two homegrown Northern Irish folks, we are privileged to be only the third branch to open, with the other two being London based.

We went along for a meal and met Harry for a chat. He usually runs the Carnaby Street branch, and he also mans the Kua 'Aina festival van (more on that later).

Harry explained that Kua 'Aina is actually the only restaurant in the complex who cook completely from fresh. The Hawaiian menu is a fabulous breath of fresh air indeed. I had peeked at the menu online before our visit, and initially had pictured it as another burger bar, and whilst they do a great burger, that's only part of the picture.

The menu offers traditional burgers, fish, veggie and chicken & turkey options. Then you choose whether you want it served as a burger, or hot sandwich, or bunless with salad. There are also very tempting 'Super Salads' , and the tuna & avocado caught my eye immediately. Sometimes when you are trying to diet especially at this time of year pre-summer, the salad option on the menu can feel like the booby prize. Your lettuce arrives and you longingly stare at everyone else's meal and decide you'll just buy a sarong for over that bikini and get something tasty next time. BUT- look at that salad!

Its an enviable rainbow of fresh, crunchy goodies. The ginger and soy dressing with the tuna and greens is to die for. The tuna fillet tastes like no tuna I've had before. I've had tuna at restaurants before which literally tasted of nothing, but the Kua 'Aina fillet it meaty, smoky and delicious.

Tuna & Avocado Super Salad includes a whole avocado! Hooray! 

All the 'proteins' in the meals are cooked on the special lava grill. I asked Harry what this actually meant. He explained it's a Hawaiian way of low fat, healthy cooking, and it's what the George Foreman grill is based on.

Mahi Mahi fish sandwich. 

Huli Huli chicken burger

The other food we went for was a Mahi Mahi & Monterey Jack sandwich, Spicy Huli Huli Chicken as a burger and a kid's meal of chicken strips and sweetcorn. If I did have a negative point about Kua 'Aina, it would be the kids' choices I'm afraid. The options aren't plentiful and the meal like a bit anemic beside our colourful offerings. I would love to see more Hawaiian options too, as kids are just as open as us to trying new things. I did totally love the glass Smix's apple juice came in however (top pic in this post) I want one myself!

When Kua 'Aina asked us along, they said I simply had to try the milkshake, so we had one each. Coconut and strawberry, in cute pint bottles. They are just as good as they tipped us off to, and they source the ice cream from Morellis locally. You can even make it dirty with spirits, and check the Kua 'Aina website for their signature cocktails and 2 for 1 offers on those. 

Sweet potato fries (portion is bigger than it appears here!)

We also picked a couple of sides, although saying that, the main meals were plenty. We had sweet potato fries which rivalled the kings of the sweet potato next door (N**dos!), very crispy and delicious. The onion rings are comically large and made for sharing. 

Onion rings

Chilli fries side would do as a main course £5.50

I couldn't resist the chilli fries, but a word of warning. They are HUGE. The portion could be a meal for one in itself. Fries with mince and cheese and jalapeños. I couldn't manage even a 1/4 but kindly they wrapped it up for me to take home. Incidentally you can order Kua 'Aina for delivery thanks to the Deliveroo service arriving in Belfast. Also while I mention it, the Kua 'Aina staff, I think we dealt with three local staff during our visit, are all really upbeat and friendly, which makes me think they must be nice to work for as well as eat in.

We adults were too full for dessert, but Smix used his special, child's 'dessert stomach' to fit in this freshly made, thick and fluffy American style pancake with maple syrup (icecream optional) .

So we had a lovely visit and most certainly shall be back. Sadly if you aren't in London or Belfast, it may be some time before you get a Kua 'Aina of your own. Why not petition them on their Facebook Page for a restaurant in your area?

As I mentioned earlier, they have a food truck that visits festivals. Not sure if this is last year's or this season coming's food truck calendar, but keep an eye out this summer!

I wonder what the secret is? 

Mother's Day 2016 This is Your One Week Warning! What's in Store at M&S?

Mother's Day this year is Sunday 6th March, which means you have a week to find a lovely present. Here's what's in store at M&S, Homeware and Food Hall gift ideas. 

The Mother's Day Food Hall gifts are all themed with this beautiful, Spring, floral design.  

There are various chocolate box selections, but if you fancy something sweet but different, why not buy your Mum this pistachio, hazelnut, honey & sour cherry nougat. 

Thank you chocs £9 : Handmade nougat £5

These are the chocolates in the Thank You box. A beautiful selection of dark, white and milk chocolates.

Biscuits £3 : Sweet treats £8

If your family all get together for Mother's Day, then this triple chocolate brownie cake would be a welcome sight. I'm a huge fan of M&S flavoured creams, they really top off a delicious dessert. 

brownie cake £5 : vanilla cream £1.50

And how about this amazing Mother's Day cake? And if you buy one thing I recommend from M&S, make it this pink champagne cream, it's unreal. 

cake £12

Cream £2

Finally, here are some of the cool cards on offer and you can check out more gift ideas on the M&S website.

Are You Season 8 Ready, Hunty? RuPaul Artwork For The People.

Sharon Needles

I've been rewatching Ru Paul's Drag Race on Netflix, with season 8 approaching next month. I've even delved into 'the lost season', series one, the one filmed with Vaseline smeared camera lenses & questionable wigs.

Alaska 5000

I've watched mostly in reverse, so I'm on season 2 now. The episode I've reached is one where the mini-challenge is to makeover a RuPaul doll into a lady of the night. Which sent me immediately to eBay to see if I could afford a Ru Paul doll. Sadly they start at £55, but I found something Drag Race fans can have for their home without busting your budget. 

Bianca Del Rio- one of my favourites

Phi Phi O'Hara

ebay seller 88to92 is who you need to search for. They make these cool, queen-quote artworks. I would love a whole set framed going up my stairs at home. They start at £5 so pick your favourite queen and have her home in time for series 8 beginning. 

I didn't like Dela, but she did look like Michelle Visage! 

If anyone wants to chat Drag Race on Twitter I'm @rudedoodle. I posted some behind the scenes secrets and stills from 'the lost season' this morning.​

I love you, Ru! 

Love It Local, Try Some Belfast-Blended Suki Tea at Your Nearest Ground Espresso Bar.

 Ground Espresso bars are scattered far and wide through out Northern Ireland, with new branches opening all the time. We visited the new Bangor branch again, it's located on the ring road beside Pure Gym. There will also be a second Bangor Ground concession inside the new Next that's being built at Bloomfield Shopping Centre.

The easiest way to see if there is a Ground branch coming to your town is to  join their Facebook page.

Last month we visited the new Bangor store and tried their special coffee brew bar experience. This time around I chose from their selection of Suki loose leaf teas, picking Apple Loves Mint.

Suki Tea is blended in Belfast and Ground are proud to source local products when available. If you are unsure which loose leaf tea to go for, ask a barista can you smell the different aromas on offer.  

Your tea will be served in a classic Suki Tea Pot, which are also available to buy in store, or on their website. 

£30

£22.50

The food choice at Ground are also sourced locally, and hand finished in store. 

Today my choice was a big, soft, lemon & blueberry muffin. Smix had his favourite, Nutella Cake.

So why not support a local coffee shop and visit a Ground Espresso Bar this weekend? 

Dare You Wear Ouija Jewels? Or Be a Mega-Ru-Fan with Drag Race themed Jewellery.

Sugar and Vice and all things sparkly. Check out their Ru Paul's Drag Race necklace. Please make more! Not today, Satan! Not today!

Would you have the nerve to wear a planchette? 

Next on to their fruit and veg jewellery, and the most important food group- sweets! 

Annoyingly the piece I fall in love with, is one of the most expensive on the whole website!  Look at those colours.

This isn't novelty shaped, but I love how the colours go together. A bit like a 1970s' living room. 

Speaking of 70s' tones, I'm loving The Shining necklace. 

Sugar & Vice designs are often themed by retro sci-fi shapes and objects. 

27 Retro Pussycats Purring For You This Valentine's Day

Starting with this brilliantly laboured pun... 

And finishing with total creep of a cat! 

The Complete Menu of Options for the M&S Valentines' Dine In Special 2016. What Will You Choose?

It's my favourite Marks & Spencer Dine In long weekend of the whole year, the £20 Valentines' selection. The courses are always sprinkled with total show stopping choices, like this year's silver pearls of smoked salmon as a starter.

So without further ado, here are the options for each course.

So, what did I choose? The Mexican lime non-alcoholic option for our drinks. Starter just HAD to be those silver salmon pearls. The main is steak, side is garlic mushrooms. For dessert I chose the twin hearts for us, and the meal also includes a little box of chocolates.

I also picked up this gorgeous white chocolate mini-cake, which wasn't in store when I did the Valentines' gifts post last week's. It hasn't lasted until Valentines' day however, Smix and I ate it this afternoon. 

The M&S Valentines' Dine In 2016 runs until 15th February, and is in store now.