FEELING HUNGRY? YOU SOON WILL BE.
SHANGHAI MOON, Leicester - Restaurant Review
WHAT WE ATE:
Sui Mei (Pork and Prawn Dumplings)
Roast Duck and Roast Pork
Steamed Butterfly King Prawns
Chinese Broccoli
Pei Pa Tofu (Mixed Seafood Tofu)
Boiled Rice
OUR REVIEW:
This unassuming 100 seater restaurant was packed with people on a Monday night.
My fellow reviewer, (born in Hong Kong), tells me the food here is as good as in mainland China. The chefs, we soon learn, hail from Hong Kong and are a briefed to create delectable authentic dishes with the best ingredients..
The prawns are from South America. “Why?” I ask. “Because that’s where you find the finest prawns.” But of course.
We see the same attention to detail in everything else we try.
The Roast Pork starter, which is marinated overnight, is sweet and succulent. Served at room temperature, it contains star anise, giving a superb depth of flavour.
The Roast Duck which we eat alongside the Pork is sweet, salty, rich and moist.
For main course, the generous Pei Pa Tofu (Mixed Seafood Tofu) astounds.
Served in a large double handled metal bowl, the Tofu dish manages to be both light and luxurious.
The soft Tofu (which contains fresh coriander stalks), sliced Chinese leaves and diced Chinese Mushrooms provides a pleasing freshness to the dish. Chopped prawns, soft squid, succulent scallop pieces and a magnificent seafood broth provide the luxury. Eat this when your soul is low and need of lifting.
We also try the delicious Steamed Butterfly King Prawns, served on a bed of perfectly crisp Vermicelli noodles. And as you’d expect, the tastiest prawns are wonderfully garlicky, sweet and juicy and the noodles perfectly seasoned with just a little warming kick.
Whether or not you are from Leicester, you should book your place now.
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SANTO’S HIGHAM FARM HOTEL Higham, Derbyshire - Restaurant Review
WHAT WE ATE:
Soup of the day – French Onion
Crispy Parmesan Risotto Balls
Duck Leg Confit Rilette
Ravioli filled with artichoke and white truffle
Pan Fried Cod Fillet
Slow Braised Lamb
Blackberry and Vanilla Cheesecake.
THE REVIEW:
Tucked away in the historic Derbyshire village of Higham, Santo’s Higham Farm Hotel is built around a 15th century farmhouse. As you walk into reception, you notice Italian granite table tops, beautifully worn stone floors and an ancient sunken well.
It’s Friday night and the award winning hotel is full. Around me, the happy burble of contended patrons. The staff and their manager, Santo, are attentive and eager to please.
There are 4 dining rooms, ranging from formal to informal. The menu is refreshingly simple; a 2 page affair that changes seasonally. As we take our seats, we’re met with a choice of warm, freshly baked roles (wholemeal or cheese and paprika) - a promising start to a fantastic meal.
The chef’s fine dining pedigree is obvious. Each plate is considered, balanced and carefully constructed.
The first dish is the elegant Crispy Parmesan Risotto Balls (mini Arancini). Sat on a bed of creamy celeriac and truffle puree, and served with cubes of salt baked kohlrabi, and crisp baby endive.
In Sicily, arancini are robust and rustic.
But here, they are elevated to an elegant, well balanced starter. The gentle heat of the Kohlrabi and subtle bitterness of baby endive works superbly with creamy, cheesy crunch of the small arancini.
The Confit Duck Leg Rilette is equally sophisticated. The rilette has a rich and complex flavour, with a hint of star anise, balanced beautifully with a treacly spiced pear puree, a velvety celeriac remoulade and stunning duck breast, delicately smoked, in-house.
For Main Course, we try the light and visually striking pan fried, Fillet of Cod. Served with golden saffron and garlic turned potatoes, buttered kale, fresh samphire, tiny scooped out vegetables and a heady seafood sauce.
We follow this with, slow braised Shoulder of Lamb. Cooked low and slow for 12 hours. The locally sourced meat is moist and packed with flavour. Teamed with and sweet, sharp and spicy red cabbage, comforting mash and the crunchiest of green beans, this dish should be eaten frequently.
We finish with an opulent Cheesecake, made with a generous vanilla filling and crunchy biscuit. Paired perfectly with a soft set full bodied blackberry sorbet and luxurious white chocolate crisp.
Book here and eat well. A definite hidden gem of a restaurant in the hills of Derbyshire.
SHANGHAI MOON, Leicester - Restaurant Review
WHAT WE ATE:
Sui Mei (Pork and Prawn Dumplings)
Roast Duck and Roast Pork
Steamed Butterfly King Prawns
Chinese Broccoli
Pei Pa Tofu (Mixed Seafood Tofu)
Boiled Rice
OUR REVIEW:
This unassuming 100 seater restaurant was packed with people on a Monday night.
My fellow reviewer, (born in Hong Kong), tells me the food here is as good as in mainland China. The chefs, we soon learn, hail from Hong Kong and are a briefed to create delectable authentic dishes with the best ingredients..
The prawns are from South America. “Why?” I ask. “Because that’s where you find the finest prawns.” But of course.
We see the same attention to detail in everything else we try.
The Roast Pork starter, which is marinated overnight, is sweet and succulent. Served at room temperature, it contains star anise, giving a superb depth of flavour.
The Roast Duck which we eat alongside the Pork is sweet, salty, rich and moist.
For main course, the generous Pei Pa Tofu (Mixed Seafood Tofu) astounds.
Served in a large double handled metal bowl, the Tofu dish manages to be both light and luxurious.
The soft Tofu (which contains fresh coriander stalks), sliced Chinese leaves and diced Chinese Mushrooms provides a pleasing freshness to the dish. Chopped prawns, soft squid, succulent scallop pieces and a magnificent seafood broth provide the luxury. Eat this when your soul is low and need of lifting.
We also try the delicious Steamed Butterfly King Prawns, served on a bed of perfectly crisp Vermicelli noodles. And as you’d expect, the tastiest prawns are wonderfully garlicky, sweet and juicy and the noodles perfectly seasoned with just a little warming kick.
Whether or not you are from Leicester, you should book your place now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SANTO’S HIGHAM FARM HOTEL Higham, Derbyshire - Restaurant Review
WHAT WE ATE:
Soup of the day – French Onion
Crispy Parmesan Risotto Balls
Duck Leg Confit Rilette
Ravioli filled with artichoke and white truffle
Pan Fried Cod Fillet
Slow Braised Lamb
Blackberry and Vanilla Cheesecake.
THE REVIEW:
Tucked away in the historic Derbyshire village of Higham, Santo’s Higham Farm Hotel is built around a 15th century farmhouse. As you walk into reception, you notice Italian granite table tops, beautifully worn stone floors and an ancient sunken well.
It’s Friday night and the award winning hotel is full. Around me, the happy burble of contended patrons. The staff and their manager, Santo, are attentive and eager to please.
There are 4 dining rooms, ranging from formal to informal. The menu is refreshingly simple; a 2 page affair that changes seasonally. As we take our seats, we’re met with a choice of warm, freshly baked roles (wholemeal or cheese and paprika) - a promising start to a fantastic meal.
The chef’s fine dining pedigree is obvious. Each plate is considered, balanced and carefully constructed.
The first dish is the elegant Crispy Parmesan Risotto Balls (mini Arancini). Sat on a bed of creamy celeriac and truffle puree, and served with cubes of salt baked kohlrabi, and crisp baby endive.
In Sicily, arancini are robust and rustic.
But here, they are elevated to an elegant, well balanced starter. The gentle heat of the Kohlrabi and subtle bitterness of baby endive works superbly with creamy, cheesy crunch of the small arancini.
The Confit Duck Leg Rilette is equally sophisticated. The rilette has a rich and complex flavour, with a hint of star anise, balanced beautifully with a treacly spiced pear puree, a velvety celeriac remoulade and stunning duck breast, delicately smoked, in-house.
For Main Course, we try the light and visually striking pan fried, Fillet of Cod. Served with golden saffron and garlic turned potatoes, buttered kale, fresh samphire, tiny scooped out vegetables and a heady seafood sauce.
We follow this with, slow braised Shoulder of Lamb. Cooked low and slow for 12 hours. The locally sourced meat is moist and packed with flavour. Teamed with and sweet, sharp and spicy red cabbage, comforting mash and the crunchiest of green beans, this dish should be eaten frequently.
We finish with an opulent Cheesecake, made with a generous vanilla filling and crunchy biscuit. Paired perfectly with a soft set full bodied blackberry sorbet and luxurious white chocolate crisp.
Book here and eat well. A definite hidden gem of a restaurant in the hills of Derbyshire.