This weekās Tuesday Goodie Bag features
š Jumon
š Sugar Rays Smoke House
And our product of the week:
š Mon Petit Chou
We had been eager to try this Asian fusion vegetarian restaurant since it opened, and finally, last night, the stars aligned and we found out what all the fuss was about: simply excellent service, colourful eye-popping decor, and sensational meat-free food.
The new menu is divided into two sections-āSmallsā & āBigsā and as the incantation at the top states, āThe secret to abundance is sharingā.
We began with the Kkanpoong Tofu: gochujang glazed crispy bean curd in a poppadom, Cigar Rolls stuffed with ricotta, kimchi & aubergine, Celeriac and Potato salad with soy marinated egg, and Konchijeu: a deliciously oozy mozzarella and charred sweetcorn dip.
We then had Sayur Lodeh: a creamy jackfruit curry with a lovely sweet hit of pickled lychee, a terrific tamarind-rich Pad Thai, and Mandu Tacos generously topped with aubergine, avocado, Asian greens, mushrooms, salsa verde and smoked cheese.
Jumonās mantra states, āI canāt control everything in my life but I can control what I put in my bodyā, and what an absolute pleasure to enjoy healthy food as flavoursome as this. Jumon Dreams indeed!
Sugar Rays Smoke House
We were invited to try out the menu at Sugar Rays, a family friendly restaurant at Dundonald Omnipark offering a variety of delicious food options; from homemade beef burgers, slow cooked rib combos, freshly made pizzas, beef brisket to chicken stacks, & great veggie dishes- Sugar Rays has it all!
The fully licensed venue has beer by the bucket or on tap, and thereās an extensive wine list and cocktail menu with lots of familiar favourites; the Classic Margarita is a tequila-based salty treat!
The āNo Meat Hereā veggie burgers are made in house, and we opted for the Hot Top- a spicy bean burger smothered in smoked cheese, jalapeƱos, tobacco onions & hot sriracha mayo. This tasty, fiery feast was accompanied by Confused Fries, one of many āfancy friesā options on the menu, with grated cheese, garlic mayo and scallions.
Sugar Raysā āHomesliceā pizzas have a sourdough base using a mature starter culture then left to prove for 48 hours to maximise flavour, and we couldnāt resist the āVeggie Queenā with sundried tomato, mozzarella, roast pepper, mushroom, red onion, rocket, pesto, and extra olives, accompanied by a house salad. It had our name written all over it!
The portion sizes at Sugar Rays are on the large side-you certainly wonāt leave hungry, but we were tempted by the dessert menu and had just enough room for the warm Caramel Crunch Pie with vanilla ice cream, fudge pieces and sticky toffee sauce. And how glad we were! Almost treacly, with an oaty biscuit base, this was one of the yummiest desserts weāve tasted in ages
Sugar Rays is a terrific spot for a family lunch, a catch-up with friends, or a pre-cinema treat.
Mon Petit Chou
French pastry chef Marion grew up in the kitchen of her grandmother’s hotel-restaurant, in a small village in Normandy. She loved watching her grandma work with her crew, especially all the hot steamy pots and the amazing energy she put into her dessert creations.
Discovering new recipes and exploring different ways of baking, Marion travelled from France to Washington DC, creating her business and working as a Pastry Chef in fine restaurants. She loved the American baking style, which is very different from her classic training, and she began to explore, experiment, invent and mix these two cultures.
Now based in Belfast, French pastry chef Marion works as a Chef and Pastry Chef Instructor in Waterman House Cookery School. She is the founder of Mon Petit Chou: a baking blog where she shares tips for her delicious sweet treats & takes orders for her incredible macarons. We ordered a box of 12 handmade authentic French macarons in three exclusive flavours: Tonka Bean Chocolate, Raspberry and Rose, and Lemon and Elderflower. Jāen ai lāeau Ć la bouche!!
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