Brunch at Frank's Bar

When we got back from our wonderful holiday to Croatia, WOTVM had the bright idea of going out for brunch the following morning to try and combat our holiday blues.  We strolled into the city on a gloomy Friday morning and after passing a packed Number 33, which had been on our list of possibilities, we narrowed our choice down to Frank's Bar or Pandora's Kitchen.  As we'd been to Pandora's Kitchen recently, we decided to give Frank's a go.

Frank's Bar (picture courtesy of their website) has a special place in our hearts as it was where we went on our first date.  It was a quiet Wednesday night and we managed to wile away four of five hours in the blink of an eye, although we did also knock back quite a few gin and tonics and rum and gingers.  We like to go back to Frank's pretty regularly although usually only for drinks; Frank's has built up a tasty-looking menu and really developed its food options over the years but aside from some bread and hummus, we've not previously sampled their foody wares.

The breakfast/brunch menu has some interesting options and after ordering drinks - coffee, orange juice and herbal tea - and spending several minutes agonising over our choices we realised that we'd both narrowed it down to the same two dishes.  We decided that sharing was the way forward and so ordered avocado, cherry tomatoes and poached eggs on sourdough toast and sabih, a traditional Israeli dish of aubergine, boiled egg and a tahini dressing served on a toasted pitta with a mango pickle.

Our brunch arrived quickly and looked amazing, with a nice little dressed salad garnish on the side of both dishes.  After taking a quick snap, we set about ruining the aesthetics of our dishes by carving them in two and swapping them about.  We tucked in hungrily - it was around 11.30 and we hadn't eaten since the night before - and we were very happy with our choices.

The sabih was very flavoursome, it had a background sweetness from the mango pickle which complimented the rich sesame flavour of the tahini and the deep, smoky taste of aubergine.  The pitta bread was slightly crispy on the outside and was an excellent vehicle for the Middle Eastern flavours on top of it.  The boiled egg worked well with the other elements of the dish and added some hearty chunks of protein.

The avocado on toast was very nice indeed.  The avocado itself was perfectly ripe and the poached egg was cooked to perfection, with the yolk oozing out over the rest of the dish.  The sourdough toast had a good tangy crust and absorbed the juices from the tomatoes, avocado and egg nicely.  Our only small complaint is that we could have done with a few more tomatoes, the ones we had were sweet and juicy but we only had one or two each and could have done with a couple more.  The dressed salad with both of the dishes was a nice accompaniment.

Our bill, including drinks, was just over £20 which we felt was reasonable.  The portion sizes were just right (other than the missing toms) and we felt nicely full but not stuffed at the end of our brunch. 

We'll definitely give the food offerings at Frank's another go when we inevitably make another visit.  The service here is always friendly and today was no exception; we love the table service that comes as standard at Frank's, such a simple but great concept for a bar/café.  It's a great little place and quite rightly a Norwich institution, if you've never been before you should definitely go.  The décor is shabby shic and suitably hip and cool, it's the kind of place you can just as easily come for a coffee as a beer, a slice of cake as some tasty mezze plates.  You can visit their website here and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Any questions or comments please comment below or send us an email.

Sausage and lentil casserole

This is our second recipe using an ingredient bought from the recent Norwich Food & Drink Festival.  We loved the Jubberwacky wholegrain mustard we sampled at the festival so we treated ourselves to a jar and we've now tried it out in one of Mr Vegan Man's favourite recipes.  WOTVM isn't that keen on lentils so is less enthusiastic about the dish, but Mr Vegan Man loves those little pulses and so really loves this one.

It is a relatively quick and easy dish to cook midweek and is packed full of flavour.  Despite its comforting and hearty flavours it is actually fairly light to eat and so is a good dinner all year round.  To the recipe below you could add mushrooms for an extra bit of earthiness and substance.  We used fresh sage and thyme as we've been getting into our gardening this year and have lots of fresh herbs growing in pots at the moment, but you can use dried as a substitute as per the recipe below. 

If you love your meat then substitute pork sausages for the veggie ones we've used.  For this recipe we've used Linda McCartney sausages and they are our favourites for this particular recipe, but you could use another brand if you wish.  If using Linda McCartney sausage, this dish is vegan.

Ingredients (serves two):

4 veggie sausages
100g green lentils
100g savoy cabbage
 Half a medium onion
1 stick of celery
1 clove of garlic
400ml medium cider
200ml vegetable stock
Two sprigs of fresh thyme (or 0.5 tsp dried thyme)
8-10 fresh sage leaves (or 0.5 tsp dried sage)
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
Handful chopped parsley to garnish

Preparation and cooking time 45 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C then rinse your lentils in cold water before adding them to a pan of boiling water.  Boil vigorously on a medium to high heat for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat and leave them to simmer for a further 10 minutes.  This will leave them a touch undercooked but they will continue to cook in the oven with the rest of the dish so will end up well cooked through.

Whilst your lentils are cooking, brown off the sausages in a frying pan and then place in a small roasting tin.  Chop the onion, celery, garlic and cabbage and make up the vegetable stock in preparation for making the casserole.

Fry off the onion, celery and garlic in a saucepan over a medium heat until they are beginning to soften.  You don't want too much colour on them so stir regularly and allow them to naturally soften.

Add the 400ml of cider to the pan and bring the heat up slightly so that the cider reduces down, you want it to reduce to around half of its original volume.  This will intensify the flavour and cook off the harsh alcohol.

Once the cider has reduced, this will take around 6-8 minutes, add the vegetable stock, cabbage, sage and thyme to the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Allow the mixture to come up to the boil and leave for 4-5 minutes then add the lentils, which by now should have finished cooking, and transfer the mixture to the roasting tin with your sausages and place in the pre-heated oven.

Remove from the oven after 15-20 minutes and finish the dish by stirring through 2 teaspoons of Jabberwucky wholegrain mustard.  If you really can't get Jubberwacky then use a different wholegrain mustard, although we must say this is a particularly good wholegrain mustard.  Garnish with a handful of chopped parsley.

The dish can be served with mashed potato, a nice bread or with soft polenta.  WOTVM had some lovely wholemeal sourdough whilst Mr Vegan Man went for polenta (WOTVM isn't keen on polenta).

Give the dish a go, it's very tasty!  Let us know how you get on by leaving a comment below or you can contact us via email.

Bulgur salad with halloumi, baba ganoush, dressed courgettes & spiced carrot chutney

This is the first of our recipes using an ingredient bought at this past weekend's Norwich Food & Drink Festival.  We loved the spiced carrot chutney made by Candi's Chutney so much that we couldn't wait to include it in one of our dishes and so on Sunday evening, Mr Vegan Man took to the kitchen to put together this dish.

The recipe makes use of a bulgur wheat salad recipe, inspired by classic tabbouleh, that Mr Vegan Man makes regularly for lunches or for a tasty, healthy dinner.  It is great on its own or with just some griddled halloumi, but when Mr Vegan Man has a bit of time to spend in the kitchen he likes to treat WOTVM to something a bit more fancy and this recipe adds a few extra flourishes that really elevate it.

We think that this is one of the tastiest dishes we've cooked in a long while; it's inspired by some traditional mezze dishes but done in our own way and put together as a single cohesive plate of food.  The flavours all worked really well together with freshness and zing coming from the chutney and courgettes, complimenting the rich smokiness of the baba ganoush and the crisp, salty halloumi.  The bulgur wheat salad is packed with lots of fresh, punchy flavours and worked well with the other elements of the dish.

The recipe below will serve four people, with some bulgur wheat salad to spare for lunch the next day too!  Preparation and cooking time is 1-1.5 hours although you may need to allow a little longer for some elements to cool.

Ingredients:

For the bulgur wheat salad:

250g Bulgur wheat
2 sweet pointed red peppers
1 large clove of garlic
40g of cocktail gherkins/cornichons
75g of green olives
1 red chilli (or Scotch bonnet if feeling adventurous)
Small packet of fresh flat leaf parsley (approx. 30-40g)
Small packet of fresh mint (approx. 30-40g)
2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. granulated or caster sugar
Juice of 3 lemons

For the baba ganoush:

1 aubergine
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tahini paste
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of a lemon
0.5 tsp smoked paprika

For the courgette salad:

2 large courgettes
2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
Juice of a lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

To finish:

225g block of halloumi
1.5 tbsp. Candi's Chutney spiced carrot chutney

To begin, cut the aubergine in half length ways and make four small incisions in the flesh of the aubergine.  Cut the cloves of garlic in half, also lengthways, and stuff them in the cuts you've made as picture.  Drizzle over a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper before placing in an oven pre-heated to 180°C for 30-40 minutes.

Once the aubergine is cooked - it will be golden brown on top and slightly squidgy to the touch - remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.  Scrape the aubergine flesh and garlic cloves into a bowl and add the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and smoked paprika.  Use a hand blender to blitz the ingredients to a smooth, creamy texture.  You could use a food processor if you don't have a hand blender.

Set aside the baba ganoush until it is time to serve.  Leave the oven at 180°C and chop up the sweet pointed peppers into chunks about 2cm by 2cm.  Place the peppers with a little olive oil on a baking tray or small roasting tin and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Whilst the peppers are cooking you can begin making the rest of the bulgur wheat salad.

Take a large saucepan and add the bulgur wheat after first rinsing it.  Boil a kettle full of water and once this comes to the boil, cover the bulgur wheat with the boiling water so that the water is just under 1cm above the level of the bulgur wheat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and stir.  Cover the pan and place on a very low heat and leave for 8 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave for a further 15-20 minutes.  This method should ensure that your bulgur wheat is cooked through, retaining a bit of bite, with the grains light and fluffy and not at all stodgy.

Move the bulgur wheat into a large bowl and leave to cool whilst preparing the rest of your ingredients and by this time your peppers will have finished roasting so can be removed from the oven.  Crush the clove of garlic and finely chop the chilli, cocktail gherkins and green olives.  Add  these to the cooling bulgur wheat, along with the peppers, and stir.

Make the dressing for the salad by combining the olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.  Add this to the bowl and mix thoroughly so that the dry ingredients are all well-coated in dressing.  Finely chop the mint and parsley and finish the bulgur wheat salad by stirring the herbs through.  Set aside for serving.

Cut up the courgettes into thin strips, about 2-3mm is ideal if possible.  Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and coat the surface of the pan with a little oil.  Once the pan is nice and hot, add your courgettes in batches and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  This will be enough time for them to take on colour and flavour and to cook through fully.  In a bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar along with the sesame and nigella seeds.  Add the courgettes and mix, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for serving.

Chop the halloumi into slices about 0.5cm thick - a block this size should give you eight slices, enough for two per person.  Re-heat the griddle pan over a high heat and place the halloumi in the pan, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side or until they have taken on a nice char.  To get a crisscross effect, turn the halloumi ninety degrees during cooking.

Once the halloumi is cooked the dish is ready to plate up.  Add some small dollops of the spiced carrot chutney around the halloumi as the two work really well together.  Whilst we'd wholeheartedly recommend buying the chutney as it is so very tasty, if this is not possible then as an alternative grate 1 large carrot and mix with 0.5 tbsp of cider vinegar, 0.5 tsp of olive oil, 0.5 tsp of chilli flakes and a pinch of sugar and leave to sit for a few hours in a covered bowl, remixing occasionally.  This will make a good substitute but remember to make well in advance so the flavours can infuse properly.  A chilli jam or relish could also work with the dish.

WOTVM was really delighted with the dish - we both love Middle Eastern inspired food - it was packed with flavour and each mouthful was different and really got the taste-buds going.  Please give it a try and let us know how you get on by leaving a comment below or by emailing us.

Norwich Food & Drink Festival - 19th of June 2016

Today, we paid a visit to the Norwich Food & Drink Festival, organised by Norfolk Food & Drink and held in and around The Forum in Norwich city centre.  The festival brings together local producers from Norwich and Norfolk, all offering their wares on a range of stalls selling everything from gin to popcorn, from hog roast to dairy- and gluten-free baked goods.

We arrived at about 12.30, by which time there was already an impressive crowd of people and the festival had a nice buzz about it from the off.  We started off inside The Forum where top chef and local lad Rich Bainbridge was about to give a demonstration.  Although we didn't have time to follow the demonstration through, we did hear him talking passionately about his journey over the past 18 months, from leaving Morston Hall - where he had been head chef for a number of years - to establishing his own restaurant, Benedict's, as one of the very best places to eat in Norfolk. 

Rich speaks with such passion and enthusiasm about his work and he has such humility too; whilst we are lucky to have him in Norwich, he makes it clear that the feeling is mutual and he feels blessed to be here in his home city, establishing a loyal following of diners who are attracted to his modern, seasonal locally-sourced food.  He is open about how much he risked in opening his own venue in the city with a limited budget, which effectively meant no real publicity, and he has had to work hard - with support from his family and his Benedict's family too - to achieve the success he is now achieving.  Having visited twice ourselves, and planning to go again very soon, we can confirm that Benedict's are really hitting the mark and the plaudits Rich and his team are receiving are well-deserved.

Inside The Forum, numerous stalls caught the eye and our first stop was at the table of The Tiny Tipple Company, who specialise in creating infused spirits.  We sampled a strawberry gin which was delicious and packed a real hit of fresh strawberry flavour.  There was a good crowd around the table, sampling other delights including rose hip infused vodka and rhubarb gin.

Our next stop was Season's Bounty, maker of handmade preserves.  This was where we made our first purchase - a jar of strawberry and elderflower jam which WOTVM bought as a present for her dad.  The jam was very tasty and clearly very popular; we managed to get the last remaining pot.

Just across the way from Season's Bounty was the stall of Ethnic Fusion - a catering company and cookery school based near Dereham and specialising in fine Indian cuisine.  The food on offer looked amazing and Mr Vegan Man couldn't resist.  Alongside traditional pakoras, samosas and bhajis was a gluten-free offering called a bonda, made using chick pea flour.  The bonda was superb, lightly crispy on the outside and filled with a spicy potato-based filling.  There was some coriander chutney on the table too so we helped ourselves to a good spoonful of that as well and we were very glad that we did - it was fresh and punchy and went excellently with the bonda.

As we began to make our way towards the exit of The Forum to check out the stalls outside, our eyes were caught by Candi's Chutney.  An array of intriguing chutneys and pickles were on display, and Mr Vegan Man tried a spiced carrot chutney and an asparagus chutney.  The asparagus chutney was tasty, reminiscent of piccalilli in flavour with a nice sharp vinegary, mustardy taste.  This was, however, outshone by the stunning spiced carrot chutney, which was so good that Mr Vegan Man insisted that WOTVM needed to try it.  She tried it and she also loved it and so our next purchase of the day was complete.  We will bring you a dish incorporating the chutney later this week - yes, we've already been using it!

Next door to Candi's Chutney was a Deliveroo stand, offering generous free samples to anyone entering their competition.  We signed up for the competition and were rewarded with two delicious pieces of sushi from Ciscoe's and a chocolate and hazelnut brownie from Macarons and More.  The brownie was rich and fudgy with a generous amount of hazelnuts, it looked great and the taste lived up to its looks.

Once outside, we discovered a whole host of stalls around the side of The Forum and we made a beeline for Bullards' table where their Norwich Dry Gin was being handed out.  The gin was incredible, with a real peppery heat on the back of a throat and deep, fruity flavours from their blend of botanicals.  We're quite well-stocked for gin at the moment, but this blend will definitely be on our wish list once we've depleted our current supply a little further.

We moved on to Essence and Jubberwacky's stall next door.  Mr Vegan Man tried two kinds of mustard, one spicy mustard and one wholegrain mustard.  Both were excellent but the Jubberwacky wholegrain mustard in particular was superb and so another item was bought.  The helpful lady on the stall (who may have been the owner) explained that the good kick that comes at the end when you taste the mustard comes from them cracking the grains and soaking them overnight in Nelson's Revenge.  They pride themselves on using local ingredients in their preserves and it is clear from the taste that Norfolk is producing some excellent ingredients right now!

We also quickly perused Kind Food's stall, offering a good looking range of gluten- and dairy-free breads, cakes and pastries.  Unfortunately we were too full to consider buying anything and so moved on to another excellent preserves stall, this one being run by Ollands Farm Foods.  The jams were excellent, Mr Vegan Man tried a particularly tasty lime and chilli marmalade, but we couldn't justify a further purchase and so we left empty-handed.  The outside stalls were all really busy, which was great to see, and Riverford seemed to be getting interest in their increasingly popular organic fruit and veg boxes.

The 'Battle of the Bangers' was one of the highlights of this year's festival and so we decided to join in.  Of the eight varieties on offer there was one veggie option made by North Nofolk's vegetarian Art Café.  As Mr Vegan Man could only try one of the options and so would vote for this by default, he abstained from the contest and WOTVM was left with the great responsibility of selecting her favourite banger.  Ultimately, the first one she tried was her favourite - a substantial and meaty pork sausage from Icarus Hines.  WOTVM chose this one because of its great texture - smooth and not grainy - rich pork flavour and excellent caramelisation.  We bumped into a friend of WOTVM's who had also voted for the same variety and as it transpires, the Icarus Hines entry was the overall winner of the 'Battle of the Bangers'.

Before we left, WOTVM couldn't resist the sight and smell of the hog roast stand and so as we left she bought herself a generously filled roll, complete with crispy crackling.  The pork was soft and rich and was a rare treat for WOTVM as it's not the sort of thing she ever gets to have at home.

We had a great day out at the Norwich Food & Drink Festival.  Huge kudos to the organisers as the event seemed really well-run and attracted a good crowd throughout.  It was great to see so many local producers gathered in one place, many of whom we had no idea existed, and this was further evidence of just how strong the local food scene is in Norfolk at present.  We look forward to seeing what's on offer next year and we will definitely be seeking out some of the vendors again.

Stay tuned over the next fortnight as we will be bringing you two dishes using ingredients we bought at the festival.  We hope that those of you who attended enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.  Please get in touch via the comments section or send us an email with your thoughts on the event.

On tour in Croatia - Part 2

We are now back from our holiday in Croatia - it was wonderful, we can't recommend it highly enough as a place to visit - and so we bring you the second instalment of our holiday food blog.  We ate out four times in all during our stay, all of them in the Old Town in Split, at three different restaurants.  We decided on our last night to return to our favourite restaurant, which happened to be the first place we ate at during our holiday.

A quick word on eating out in Croatia generally as a vegetarian or vegan; vegetarians are generally quite well catered for.  Whilst you will come across the odd place that doesn't offer a single veggie option, the vast majority of places have at least one non-meat or fish dish on offer.  Croatia has historically had a large Italian influence (parts of it were under Italian rule less than 100 years ago) and so pizzerias are common and invariably they offer a vegetarian option.  Those restaurants with a broad Italian influence will usually also offer a pasta or risotto that is suitable for vegetarians.  Traditional Dalmatian cooking is heavily meat and fish-based and so the old-school Konobas (the Croatian word for a restaurant or tavern) tend to be the only places where veggies struggle, however the more modern Konobas are more bistro-like and offer twists on classic Dalmatian and Mediterranean cuisine and will have at least one option for vegetarians.

Vegans, though, fare less well.  Croatia has a proud cheese-making industry and they love the stuff and this means that many restaurants lean heavily towards loading their vegetarian option(s) with cheese.  There are possibilities for vegans, as you will see below, but in addition to the places we ate at, Konoba Matoni a few minutes walk from Old Town in Split has vegan options and there is always the option of requesting a cheese-free pizza from a pizzeria or Italian-style restaurant.  Mr Vegan Man did exactly that when we visited Zadar, further up the Dalmatian coast, last year.  You may also stumble across a vegan option here and there at the more modern Croatian restaurants but you may have to look hard.  Thankfully, Croatian restaurants clearly display their menus outside so it is easy to browse before going in.

So, this links nicely to the first (and last) restaurant we visited in Split: Galerija Food in the lovely Northern alleys of the Old Town.  Galerija is especially notable because it offers no fewer than three vegan options as well as a small but well-thought-out menu of meat and fish dishes.  We sat out in a beautiful courtyard on both of our visits and were greeted by a maitre d', which was unique in our experience and a nice touch.  Galerija also have a lovely looking bar/café adjacent to the al fresco dining area.

The food is modern and takes in international influences, whilst offering local produce and local wines.  They also offer things like bio hempseed pasta and gluten-free cakes, a bit different from some of the other fare on offer in the Old Town.  On our first night at Galerija we opted to share a mezze starter with a rocket pesto and hummus dip and some flat breads, followed by beef cheek with celeriac mash for WOTVM and a green pearl barley risotto with smoked tofu for Mr Vegan Man.  Alongside this we opted for a white wine made from a Croatian grape variety, Posip, which was recommended to us by the waiter.

The wine arrived promptly and had a nice, crisp flavour.  This was quickly followed by the starter, which was very tasty.  The rocket pesto was fresh and peppery and the hummus, whilst not tasting like a traditional hummus, had a lovely smooth texture and allowed the chick peas to really shine, being light on lemon juice and tahini with the garlic offering just a background kick.  It also had a subtle nutty, cashew-like flavour going on.

The main courses arrived shortly after; despite the restaurant being full (it was a Friday night) and only having one waiter, assisted by the maitre d', they managed to keep up a good pace with service without it feeling rushed.  WOTVM absolutely loved her beef cheek with celeriac puree; the meat was plump and somehow remained intact despite being so soft from the slow-cooking that it fell apart the instant she touched it with her fork.  It was rich and had a deep meaty flavour, like a really good beef casserole, and the texture was melt in the mouth.  The puree was beautifully made, very smooth and with a creamy celeriac flavour coming through.  It worked well with the big flavours of the beef cheek in its rich, winey sauce.

The green barley risotto was a really good vegan dish; the smoked tofu had been grated over the top to give the appearance of the dish being finished with cheese, but this method of presentation also worked well as it meant lots of thin slivers of the smoky tofu were dispersed throughout the dish.  The hint of smokiness really went well with the freshness of the risotto.  The pearl barley was well-cooked and had enough of a bite without being too chewy and it was loaded with fresh green vegetables, including courgettes and peas.  We opted against dessert, feeling nicely full, and the bill came to around £35, including tip.  Galerija is towards the higher end of midrange in terms of restaurant prices in Split but we found it excellent value, especially with a bottle of wine.

Our second meal out in Split was at Mazzgoon, a little closer to the centre of the Old Town.  Mazzgoon offers modern, fusion-style dishes including some Asian influences.  They have a large outside area but this was full so we were offered a table indoors.  The décor, like the menu, was modern and Mazzgoon wouldn't look out of place as a trendy modern bistro in any UK city.  We decided against starters in the end as we weren't that hungry, however they did offer an intriguing-sounding miso soup with Jerusalem artichoke and rice noodles - an option suitable for vegans. 

WOTVM decided on homemade pasta with wild rabbit ragout and parmesan crème brulee.  Mr Vegan Man ordered beetroot gnocchi with rocket pesto.  Mazzgoon also offer a range of quirky cocktails, different from the usual generic cocktail bar offerings, and we plumped for two of these along with a bottle of water to drink.  WOTVM went for a Geraldine's Ginger Fizz - a gin based concoction with fresh ginger - whilst Mr Vegan Man chose a Jasminium, another gin cocktail containing a jasmine liqueur.

The drinks arrived and they looked amazing, the Jasminium in particular was a bright, vivid green.  The cocktails were fantastic, with very unusual and unexpected flavours.  The fresh ginger gave WOTVM's drink a real punch whilst the floral jasmine taste of Mr Vegan Man's cocktail was a revelation.

The food arrived in good time.  Mr Vegan Man's gnocchi was, however, only lukewarm despite there being quite a short time between the food being ordered and arriving.  The bowl it was in was completely cold and this can't have helped it to retain it's heat.  WOTVM's pasta was warmer, though still not piping hot.  The beetroot gnocchi were cooked nicely and had a light and fluffy consistency.  The rocket pesto, though, lacked a bit of punch.  It was more of a sauce and so lacked the bite you expect from pesto, whilst the rocket - possibly through being warmed/cooked - had lost a good deal of its peppery flavour.  The gnocchi were also far too big - much more like full-size dumplings than the bite-size pillows we'd expected - and as a result needed to be cut up to be eaten.  This meant then having to coat each chunk of cut gnocchi in more of the sauce and whilst this is the very definition of a first world problem, when ordering gnocchi or pasta you expect each bit to have been coated in its sauce and having started to absorb some of the flavours from it.  This wasn't the case here.

The wild rabbit ragout was rich and well-flavoured and WOTVM was impressed by her first bite of parmesan crème brulee.  However, there were some issues with WOTVM's dish too.  The parmesan crème brulee was cold - very cold in the middle, like a strong cheese set cream - and while it tasted good, she felt it didn't work so well as an accompaniment to what was a hot dish.  The homemade pasta was far too thick and as a result was quite stodgy. This coupled with the rich rabbit ragout meant the balance of the dish was too heavy and each mouthful was a bit of an effort to eat.  We decided against dessert and had to wait a little while for the bill, which at around £40 including tip put it at the higher end of Split dining and felt like far less value for money than our meal at Galerija.

Mazzgoon is trying to do something different and their ambition is very admirable.  They have a lot going for them - a good location, lovely interior and exterior dining areas and really fabulous cocktails - but at present the execution of the food basics does not match the ambition.  Some little touches that you would expect from any restaurant, let alone one pretty near the top end of the price spectrum, were missing.  In terms of service, we felt a little forgotten about at times despite them having plenty of staff on and the food lacked the refinement needed to really justify the pricing and live up to the ambition on display.  The pasta was too thick, the gnocchi too large.  The food was neither consistently hot nor cold and the flavours could have been punchier for sure.  There is a little way to go for Mazzgoon to really be achieving what they want to achieve, which is a shame as their menu is interesting and they could be a real star of the Split food scene if they nail the attention to detail.  We would return if/when we go back to Split as we're interested to see how they progress, plus the cocktails are amazing and worth a visit in themselves.

For our third meal out, on WOTVM's birthday, we visited Bokeria.  Bokeria has quickly established itself as a place to go in Split, a stone's throw from the central square it is a busy and bustling wine bar and restaurant with a mix of locals and tourists alike.  Knowing that it gets busy, we arrived at 6pm and were able to reserve an outside table for 7pm.  The outside tables are lovely for watching the world go by, whilst indoors the interior is sleek and modern whilst remaining warm and not clinical.

When we returned we were warmly greeted by the waiter who we had spoken to earlier. Again, many of the wines on offer were local varieties, our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wines and we ordered a glass of local sparkling blush wine on his recommendation while we perused the menu.  The menu at Bokeria is small but interesting and of seven or so main courses, two are vegetarian; this would be a pretty good ratio in many British bistros and it was good to see another more modern Croatian restaurant catering well for vegetarians. 

The two options for Mr Vegan Man were gnudi stuffed with young cheese and thyme on a tomato and basil sauce, and a pear, asparagus and gorgonzola risotto.  Although Mr Vegan Man is not a fan of cheese, he is trying to work on his aversion and he ultimately plumped for the risotto after much deliberation about which dish would be easier for him to manage.  For starter, he ordered a local take on gazpacho. WOTVM went for cheese and prosciutto bombolini (little croquettes with a rosemary crust) followed by white fish on cauliflower puree with courgettes.

The sparkling wine was excellent, it had a nice crisp finish and a good hit of fruity flavours.  The starters were a little bit of a mixed bag.  WOTVM found her croquettes far too salty for her taste and ended up leaving one.  They were, however, well-made and beautifully presented with a lovely herby, crunchy crust.  Mr Vegan Man's soup was delicious; the flavours were fresh and punchy, with a nice vinegar acidity coming through at the end.  The dish was topped with chopped boiled egg and this worked excellently.  It was probably Mr Vegan Man's favourite dish of the holiday.  Following the starters, we ordered a glass each of local white wine - WOTVM plumped for a local Sauvignon Blanc whilst Mr Vegan Man picked a wine from the island of Hvar made with a local grape variety.

The wine arrived and the food followed shortly after.  Both of the wines were very good, the Sauvignon Blanc in particular was really crisp with a hint of grapefruit flavour on the finish.  The white fish listed on the menu turned out to be sea bass, one of WOTVM's favourites, and the fish in Croatia is always beautifully fresh.  The fillets of bass were well-cooked, golden brown from being pan fried, and flaked away from the skin with not a bone in sight.  The cauliflower puree was smooth and full of flavour, the grilled courgettes added a real freshness and the accompaniments didn't overpower or outshine the fish, but complemented it well.  The dish was finished with sundried tomatoes which added a depth of flavour and a sweet, salty kick.  WOTVM said that she liked it as much as the beef cheeks she'd had at Galerija but that the dishes were like yin and yang in that the beef cheeks were all rich unctuousness whilst the sea bass was light and fresh.

The risotto was well-cooked, the rice keeping its texture without being hard and chalky.  It was on point and had a nice looseness to it.  The risotto was rich and creamy with the gorgonzola and whilst for many people this would have been ideal, Mr Vegan Man did find it a bit of a struggle.  There was a good amount of asparagus in the dish, however it could perhaps have taken some more pear to help cut through the richness of the cheese with its sweet acidity.  Some finely diced fresh pear added as a garnish would have been perfect.  It was, though, a good dish and along with the gnudi represented a fine attempt at offering some different options for vegetarian diners.  Ideally it would be good if Bokeria made one of their two vegetarian options vegan as having a full vegan option would give them an edge over many of their competitors on the Split dining scene and would fit well with their ethos of producing tasty, fresh and seasonal food.

We again opted against dessert as we felt nicely full from our two courses and two glasses of wine each (although the options on offer sounded delicious and included a strawberry tiramisu, our waiter explained the desserts change on a daily basis and are all freshly made).  The bill, at just over £50 including tip, was the most expensive of the holiday but worth it.  The combination of good food and wine with a lovely setting justifies the cost comfortably and the service was excellent too.

Our final meal out on our last night in Croatia was once again at Gaelrija.  Whilst we had greatly enjoyed Bokeria, on balance Galerija had edged it as our favourite restaurant of the week and so we decided to go back (it also meant Mr Vegan Man didn't have to brave another cheese dish!).  We sat at the same table as we had on our first trip and were attended to quickly.  WOTVM ordered a glass of Prosecco as an aperitif as we looked over the menu, whilst the less classy Mr Vegan Man ordered a large beer. 

Croatian beer - Ozujsko and Karlovacko being the two main brands - is very drinkable, it is not particularly strongly flavoured but is crisp and cold which is what you need on a hot day in Split.  At supermarkets you can also get bottles or cans of Ozujsko with grapefruit or lemon added. They are a bit like a cloudy, fruity shandy and at only 2% are good for drinking in the sun and nicely refreshing.  When the waiter returned with our drinks we ordered our mains - we made the decision to skip starters to try to save room for dessert - which were a tofu stir fry with wholegrain rice and sesame, and pulled pork with homemade crunchy vegetable slaw and aioli.

The food arrived quickly and was nicely presented once again.  WOTVM's pulled pork was rich and soft and served in two sandwiches made with inviting griddled bread.  The pork tasted like it was lightly seasoned with Chinese five spice and the coleslaw was made with dill pickled vegetables, giving the dish an Oriental rather than the traditional American BBQ slant.  WOTVM enjoyed it very much and ate the lot; the pickled vegetables complemented the rich pork and the punchy but not overpowering aioli added creaminess.  The salad garnish was dressed well and added even more crunch and freshness.

Mr Vegan Man's stir fry was delicious and his favourite main course of the week.  The tofu was soft and full of flavour from the marinade and the vegetables had been cut finely and cooked quickly to retain a nice crunch.  The rice had been tossed through the dish and this worked well, the grains being coated by and taking flavour from the delicious sesame- and soy-rich sauce.  The alfalfa sprouts that topped the dish added a light crunch and a fresh element.

The portions, whilst generous, left enough room for us to order our first desserts of the week.  We opted for a mango cheesecake and gluten-free chocolate cake.  WOTVM ordered herself a Hendrick's and tonic to go with dessert and this arrived with the unexpected addition of some freshly-ground black pepper, which added a pleasantly unusual twist to her post-dinner drink and will definitely be one we try at home! 

When the desserts arrived they looked lovely and the eating certainly matched the viewing.  The chocolate cake was incredibly light and almost soufflé-like in its consistency.  It melted in the mouth and was not at all heavy, as can be the case with gluten-free bakes. The mango cheesecake had a nice fresh taste and was not at all rich despite a generous amount of creamy topping.  There was a good mix of fresh mango and a mango glaze on top and the balance of flavours was just right.  The bill came in once again at around £35 - great value - and the service was swift and friendly.

Overall, we ate really well during our week in Croatia.  The fruit and veg there is fresh and packed with flavour, you can get some excellent gelato (we had some lovely hazelnut gelato just inside the Old Town, close to the market) and beautiful and varied fresh bread is available from innumerable bakeries that seem to be open all hours.  We made some tasty meals ourselves and had some really good dining experiences too.  That said, Galerija was the stand out as it offered great value along with tasty food and good service, as well as offering the best veggie/vegan options in town.  Bokeria was also great and we would definitely go back, and despite some of our misgivings about Mazzgoon it too would be worth another visit.

If you've been to any of the places we've reviewed or plan to go then we'd love to hear from you.  Contact us by email or leave a comment at the end of this blog post.