food / drink
CORRAN RESORT AND SPA ****
East Marsh, Laugharne. 01994 427417 / www. thecorran. com Set within bucolic marshland on the fringes of picturesque Laugharne, the recently refurbished Corran Resort And Spa has been lovingly brought back to life with a beautiful contemporary refit which does nothing to take away from the building’ s original 16th century charm. Alongside its tempting offer of spa relaxation and long walks in the wilds of its surrounding countryside, The Corran’ s restaurant is bright and inviting with a vintage conservatory feel and views across their walled garden. Settling down early in time for the start of service, I chose a light and bright smoked haddock mousse combined with crab meat and chilli. A fantastic side of coriander and lemon mayonnaise really helped the dish jump off the plate and tingle with flavour. The subtle chilli kick was tempered by the tang of the mayonnaise and the smoky flavour of the fish was in no way over powering or out of place. My main course swiftly followed, and if it’ s true that we eat with our eyes, I was already finished and waiting for desert by the time I’ d reached for my fork. I opted for the pan-seared duck breast – beautifully cooked and pink through – with a pomegranate and walnut sauce( although this turned out to be less of a sauce and more like pomegranate with some walnuts) and some perfectly cooked baked new potatoes and vegetables. Packed with simple flavours, but excellently executed, I thoroughly enjoyed the duck, although for me, the unsubtle sweet tartness of the pomegranate tended to jar with the meat and walnut combination. As with every other course, it was tricky to decide what to choose for dessert, but plumping for the chocolate torte, I was treated to beautifully crumbly pastry and deep chocolate flavourwhich made for a winning dessert and a perfect end to a very enjoyable meal. GARETH LUDKIN
GUILIANO’ S ****
1 The Parade, Barry. 01446 733340 With its picturesque setting overlooking the gardens of the parade next to the old harbour in Barry, Guiliano’ s Italian restaurant is in an idyllic location. On a sunny day, you could even be sat along the Amalfi coast... well, almost. Having recently been refurbished with a sea and beach inspired decor – pale blue walls, wooden furniture, black and white prints of the bay – Guiliano’ s offers inviting surroundings. The restaurant has obviously upped the ante, and so far they are clearly benefitting. We had an early sitting on a very busy Saturday, and despite being busy, our waiter didn’ t rush us. To start we had garlic mushrooms and Parma ham with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes. For our mains we opted for sea bass with seasonal vegetables and a huge homemade lasagne which was huge. With all the food prepared fresh for every sitting, you can see the kitchen and the chefs busily cooking away at the back of the restaurant whilst the resulting smells waft through the restaurant. Guiliano’ s is a family-run, intimate and very friendly little place, and the fact that it’ s sat directly opposite a beach is another plus point. Perfect if you want to prolong that holiday feeling, the food is excellent, and the service is too. Although I found the wine a little bit pricey, Guiliano’ s is well worth returning as you can expect a friendly welcome with some fantastic food. LANCE HARRISON
KATI WOK ***
53 Crwys Road, Cardiff. 029 2037 6222 / www. katiwok. co. uk Specialising in affordable, pan-Asian street food to take away or eat in, Kati Wok is a bright, lively and friendly restaurant-diner with a plentiful menu offering kati rolls, noodles and a range of homemade Asian-inspired sides. If you live in the Cathays area of Cardiff you’ ll probably already have noticed Kati Wok simply from walking or driving past. Its lively interior design is certainly eyecatching, with its unique lime green and pink seating matching colourful collaged walls which depict a broad spectrum of Asian pop culture. Dining at Kati Wok is a relaxed affair with food simply boxed or wrapped and delivered on trays to your table. Kati rolls(£ 3.99) are at the core of the menu, and with diners simply needing to peel away a paper wrapper to reveal the filled wrap, they’ re a sociable, relaxed and fun way to dine. A staple of street food cuisine in Kolkata, the kati roll utilises an Indian flatbread to contain all manner of fillings. We opted for a Nepali paneer and spinach kati alongside an Afgan chicken kati with a side of fried dumplings and a Malaysian chicken noodle dish to share. Both kati’ s were stuffed full of flavour and filling, whilst a variety of hot, medium and mild sauces were on offer to add to our taste. The side of fried dumplings stood out as the overall winning dish of the evening; their crisp outer layer concealing a flavoursome chicken dumpling with a punchy but light flavour. The Malaysian chicken noodles we shared were by no means remarkable and offered nothing new or obviously Malaysian, however, the dish was large in size, great value(£ 4.99), and the perfect takeaway grub for a hungry appetite. GARETH LUDKIN
BUZZ 40