Restaurant Review - Cote Brasserie: Mailbox, Birmingham

I had surprised my mother with tickets to see Shrek the Musical for Mother’s Day over the Easter weekend and wanting to make a day of it I booked us in for an early dinner at Cote Brasserie in the Mailbox. I have had several pre-theatre meals at the Cardiff Bay branch of Cote before and enjoyed so I thought it was a safe bet.

It was pouring with rain when we arrived but we were quickly relieved of our wet jackets and seated at our table. As I don’t see my mam that often so we opted for a bottle of the Blanc des Blancs Brut to go with our meal but the waitress strongly advised us to go for the nicer (and more expensive) bottle of Brut Cremant De Bourgogne. It was good – but probably no different to the cheaper bottle!

We both ordered from the A La Carte Menu and went for 2 courses. For starters I chose the French onion soup – a true French classic and my mam went for the Chicken liver parfait. Both were reasonably priced at around the £5 mark. The soup arrived and it had spilled over the sides of the bowl which did not give a good presentation, however the taste was good. My mam also enjoyed her starter but said it was no different to standard chicken liver pate’s she has had before.

For our mains we both opted for the Half chargrilled ‘Breton’ chicken with frites and a choice of sauces. I went for the wild mushroom sauce and my mam went for the garlic butter. Both portions were generous but there wasn’t anything particular that screamed French Bistro about the place. It was just your average chicken and chips!

As a side note – I have the right to be fussy when it comes to French food as my grandparents have lived there for over 10 years now and as you can imagine I stuff myself silly with true French delights every time I visit. Overall – despite visiting Cote Brasserie on several occasions but this being my first visit in Birmingham I wasn’t overwhelmed and I do think the mains are overpriced for what they are. The bill came to around £55 which for 2 x 2 course meals which lacked in presentation and a bottle of fizzy wine was slightly expensive in my opinion. However, the waiter and waitress who served us were very polite and catered to our every need.

Despite sharing a bottle of ‘Brut’ between the two of us me and my mam then left Cote Brasserie for a couple of rounds of cocktails in Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar before the show started which did affect my ability to stay awake during Shrek I must admit! I would say that I would definitely return to MPW but I doubt I will visit Cote Brasserie again in a hurry!

Restaurant Review - Chung Ying Central Birmingham

A few weekends back my parents came to visit so we all went out for food in Birmingham on the Saturday evening. We decided to visit Chung Ying Central after I mentioned that I have read many good blog reviews on the restaurant since it opened. You may have already heard of Chung Ying which is based in the Chinese quarter of town, Chung Ying Central is the latest addition from the Chung Ying restaurants who have been established in Birmingham since 1981.

We arrived at the restaurant on a busy Saturday evening around 8pm and were shown to our table quickly. I spent the first 5 minutes trying to decide which cocktail to pick from their extensive drinks menu however the same cant be said about my father and boyfriend who were less than impressed that there was no real ale at the bar! Eventually I decided on Coconut Breeze which had a great tropical Caribbean flavour to it and looked really pretty too!

Now lets focus on the food. We all opted for a dim sum and a main each. I went for the shredded squid with chilli dipping sauce and my parents went for the king prawn dumplings with mayo and the curried parcels. My boyfriend however likes to make 'different' decisions when it comes to ordering food and he went for the chicken feet in black bean sauce. Not only did his starter arrive a good 5-10 minutes after the rest of us but it was then torture having to watch him eat it and pulling tiny bones from his mouth with every bite. He even admitted he found it very difficult to eat. All dishes were chosen from the dim sum menu and were very reasonable at £4 each.

Now onto the mains, we ordered deep fried duck in plum sauce, lemon and honey chicken and two portions of crispy shredded beef in chilli sauce (Mine and my Mam's favourite) and sides portions of steamed rice and vermicelli Singapore style noodles. When the food arrived my boyfriend was left waiting for his main dish an extra 5 minutes again. The staff must've taken a disliking to him! The food was nicely presented and the portions were very generous. I have tried many crispy beef dishes in my time and I must say it was super delicious!

Service in general was ok but I did find one of the waitresses quite rude and she seemed really fed up when serving and taking our orders. They were also unapologetic about my boyfriend having to wait an extra 5-10 minutes than the rest of us on both of his courses. When we asked for the bill at the end of the night my mother paid on her card and as we had our coats on and were about to leave we were told that we had paid for someone else's bill and we actually have more money left to pay and therefore she had to get her purse out and go through the whole process again. The waitress also did not apologise for this.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my dishes and drinks and I wouldn't let the below average service that night stop me from returning again, especially as Chung Ying Central also have a two for one menu available 4-7pm from Mondays to Saturdays. The food is affordable and I think it makes the perfect place to visit after work or even for those who fancy some Oriental cuisine!

For more information, visit their website here.

Are there any good restaurants in Birmingham you can recommend for me to try?

The Fashion Tag!

1. I love to shop for my clothes at...(3 shops)?
- Primark
- Missguided
- River Island

2. Shop you like to visit but you don't usually buy from?

Hmm, I really like to visit Zara but I never really come away with any bags from there. I love their minimalistic pieces.

3. Last accessory you bought?

I bought a pair of cat eye sunglasses from River Island. As I am so short I struggle with the bright sun shining into my eyes when I'm driving (also my sun visor doesn't reach my eyes - typical!)so I intended to buy a nice affordable pair that will also come in handy in the summer months. Afterwards I noticed the inside part of the sunglasses are pink and black leopard print and not cream and black like I initially thought. I guess these WILL be staying in the car.

4. Do you own something you've never worn? What?

I have plenty of items that I have never worn but I have recently had a clear out and got rid of most of these things apart from 1 playsuit I bought from Missguided last summer. Its beautiful pastel colours with a scalloped short but at the time I bought it I felt a bit fat when I tried it on. I have since put more weight on so my aim is to keep it and fit into it comfortably THIS summer!! (High hopes...)

5. I put a lot of thought into what I wear, throw my clothes on quickly or just like to be comfortable?

It really does depend on what I am doing that day. Everyone has them days when they cant be bothered to look amazing just to pop to Sainsbury's for something for tea. Also, as a teacher I do have a certain amount of clothes that would only wear to work. If I am going somewhere nice or having a day out I do always plan my outfit beforehand.

6. If I could wear (blank) everyday?
It has to be leggings. I tend to wear a lot of tunics with leggings and boots to work currently and its so super comfy! Plain black leggings are my wardrobe staple. At the moment I wear River Island's as they are quite high waisted and I find this tucks my belly in too!

7. My wardrobe is mostly full of..?

Black, grey and dark reds. I absolutely LOVE winter colours. The thought of florals and pastels for Spring/Summer is actually making me feel a bit queasy. As the summer months are so short and unpredictable here in the UK I also tend to invest less in colourful clothes too. I know I need to start experimenting this year and choose the trends that are right for me.

8. Most comfortable piece of clothing I own is..?

I think the most comfortable piece of clothing I own is a pair of Hogwarts pyjama bottoms and a loose fitting long sleeved cotton top from Primark. I live in these if I am not going anywhere!

9. What hat would you never ever wear?

I LOVE hats. But I would not be seen dead wearing a sun visor. Remember that trend a few summers back? Horrible. Actually, I have worn one once... to a pub golf fancy dress in my hometown! Don't ask me where that hat is now!

10. What's your style?

I really haven't got a specific style at all. I don't know if anyone has. I wear completely different trends all the time. Ask my friends. Or not.

11. Favourite t-shirt?

Because I'm an RE teacher I just have to say that my favourite t-shirt of all time is a light grey one with the Hindu god - Lord Ganesha on the front. Its not really fashionable but it looks so nice thrown on with black ripped jeans and a nice pair of ankle boots. Ganesha is the Lord of Success and remover of evil and obstacles, therefore I like to feel pretty invincible when I wear it...

12. Favourite dress?

This is a tough one... I have too many dresses. Nope, sorry I cant choose one.

13. Favourite jumper or sweatshirt?

I adore my knitted burgundy polo neck jumper from Topshop that I can wear with jeans, check leggings, black trousers for teaching (if its cold). It's warm. Its comfortable.

14. Favourite bag?

My current favourite bag is a berry coloured Fiorelli one. It also matches my Primark winter coat perfectly without being too matchy matchy!

15. Favourite earrings?

I'm not a earrings person. I normally choose a nice plain studs and wear them constantly without changing. If I had to choose I'd say a white gold pair I had from my mother a few years back.

Keep Dancing...

So, for my birthday last November my boyfriend bought me tickets to see Strictly Come Dancing Live which I was super excited about as there is nothing I enjoy more than spending my Saturday evenings cwtched up with a glass of wine engrossed by the glitz and glamour of Strictly. I loved this year’s celebrities too so I could barely contain my excitement when it was finally time to go and see it live in the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham for its opening night!

It’s been extremely cold lately so I had to ensure my outfit was going to keep me warm but still looked smart enough for some drinks pre show too! I recently purchased this monochrome check twist wrap blouse from River Island, it was a bit pricy for what it is but I absolutely love the way it looks on! I am also a huge fan of these colours at the moment as they look so effortless on but also extremely chic! I teamed the blouse with a plain black pair of Leigh jeans from Topshop and some oxblood cleated ankle boots from River Island (see similar here ) that I had for Christmas off my parents. I decided to accessorise the outfit with a hat that I nabbed for £3 in the New Look sale, some frilly black and white ankle socks from Primark and my Olivia Burton gold and black watch . The Oxblood bag is from Dorothy Perkins. (No longer available online.)For those of you who are interested, I am also wearing Mac Diva on my lips here.

I also wore a leather jacket to go out although I was still freezing! Despite this, I had an absolutely amazing time at Strictly Live and I was so happy that Simon Webb won on the night with his amazing Argentine Tango that gave me goosebumps! If you’re also a fan of Strictly I would highly recommend seeing the live shows as it is a really good night out for all. Even my boyfriend enjoyed! But don’t tell him I told you that…

What trends are you guys loving at the moment?

Lots of love,

Slendertoxtea: My experience

After discovering slendertox tea on Instagram I was curious to try it out for myself! Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be sent a 14 day Teatox kit by Slendertox, so I’m really grateful to them for that.

The first thing I noticed about was that the tea came in teabags which is super handy as many other teatox brands only provide you with loose tea which can be a bit of a pain!

Within the 14 day slendertoxtea pack there are two different tea’s to consume. One is called ‘daytox’ which contains 14 teabags and you drink one of these as soon as you wake up every morning for the 14 day period. The second pack is called ‘sleeptox ’ which contains 7 teabags as you only drink one of these tea’s every other night. Both are made from completely natural and organic ingredients, so I was confident I wasn’t putting any rubbish into my body!

For those of you who are interested about the contents of the teatox:

DAYTOX INGREDIENTS:
Hawthorn Grain, Red Bean, Sterling Bean, Radish Leaf, Camellia Seed, Camellia Flower, Green Tea, Fennel Seeds.

SLEEPTOX INGREDIENTS:
Valerian Root, Large Hawthorn, Red Bean, Sterling Bean, Green Tea, Radish Leaf, Camellia Seed, Fennel Seeds, Camellia Flower.

As a basic guideline, all you have to do is put one of the teabags into a cup or mug and fill with warm water (the instructions suggest you do not use boiling) and leave it between 3-5 minutes before throwing the teabag in the bin. I would advise you not to leave it in any longer than instructed. (You will find out why below…)

I successfully completed the entire 14 days and I must say that I was super happy with the taste, as I have previously tried another teatox and found the taste unbearable. The taste of slendertoxtea is not too strong which makes it very drinkable. As I am not a massive hot drink lover the taste is an important factor for me, especially when if I know I will be drinking it every single day for 2 weeks!

It is recommended that you start the teatox on the weekend or on a day off so that your body can get used to the side effects. What side effects I hear you ask? The website clearly states that the only noticeable side effects you may get from the teatox are those associated with a laxative effect, this can include cramping and increased visits to the toilet (too much information?!) but should not include diarrhea, vomiting, severe cramping or dizziness. If this is the case, then you should stop drinking the tea immediately.

These side effects depend on the strength of your teatox and how long you leave the teabag to brew in the hot water for. I would be lying if I said that I did not suffer from these side effects and at times the cramping was pretty painful which was annoying because as a teacher I cannot leave the classroom and pop to the loo as I wish. At times I had to wait long periods of time until break, lunch or even after school before I could ‘go’! There were also a few occasions where I had to literally run to the bathroom – much to my boyfriend’s amusement! I think the side effects of the teatox also made it more difficult to exercise as you do tend to feel a bit more ‘loose’ than normal! Towards the end of the teatox I did not experience any serious cramping although trips to the loo were still more frequent than usual.
Ugh, too much toilet talk. Let’s move on.

Despite the side effects, I really enjoyed slendertoxtea. During the 14 day period I exercised a maximum of three times but stuck to the Slimming World diet plan throughout and I managed to lose 3 pounds! This may not sound like a lot of weight but I did also feel far less bloated and my stomach did look flatter. I felt like my body had a really good cleanse and got rid of all the unhealthy food I had eaten over Christmas from my system.
I would definetly recommend giving this teatox a go - try not to let the toilet business put you off as I’m sure everyone reacts differently anyway! If you do experience any of the side effects you can always just stop drinking the tea!

You can purchase Slendertoxtea here for £19.99.

Also, check out their Instagram and Twitter!

Let me know if you’ve tried this product and how you got on! Also, if any of you have any other recommendations for other teatoxes and slimming products, let me know as I am always looking for more to try!

Lots of love,

A Winter Christening

It's been a ridiculous amount of time since my last post but I never imagined my NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) year would be so challenging! It's a pathetic excuse but there isn't enough hours in the day!

This weekend I actually took time out and visited the Clothes Show Live in the NEC Birmingham as I was fortunate to win tickets to go. It was a brilliant but very tiring day however, I did manage to nab a few bargains and I also met the lovely Fleur De Force who I have admired for a long time! Today, we had a Christening to attend in Rugby, near Coventry. It was my boyfriend's first cousin - Kitty's christening and I have never been to one before so I had a bit of a dilemma when trying to decide on what to wear this morning.

Eventually I settled on this floral jumpsuit from New Look's petite range, a River Island long length blazer from last year, a New Look clutch and my new Public Desire heels that I bought in the Clothes Show yesterday.

What did you lot get up to this weekend?

Lots of love!

Meet Taz!

It's been a while since my last post but I have been a very busy bee! Between returning from holidays and my stressful first week back at school I am extremely glad the weekend is finally here!

I also have some very exciting news! Last Sunday me and my boyfriend Sam, decided (after weeks of deliberating about it) that we were finally going to get a kitten. We have been living together for over 2 months now and we wanted a pet of our own and one that would also be quite independent as we often work long hours at our schools. We went to visit a lady with a litter of kittens and we ended up bringing this home...

Meet my new kitten Taz! He's an 8 week old male tabby and is probably the cutest thing ever! :)

He's been living with us almost a week now and he has most definitely settled in. He is the cheekiest and most mischievous little kitten ever! I have also never heard a cat with a 'meow' quite like him in my entire life! Every morning I have brushed my teeth whilst he has climbed from the floor, then clawed and pulled his way up my pyjamas and then into the sink! One evening this week whilst I was chopping some veggies for dinner he even thought it would be a good idea to climb his way up my legs and body and then sit on my head!


Despite his antics - I am very excited about the arrival of the newest member of our household. After all, how could you possibly get angry at this little face?

Lots of love!