A Taste of Turkey: Saray Mangal

Jossi found this little gem of a place. She'd been telling me for ages that we should make some time to go out for dinner and eventually, we both managed to clear our calendars enough to fit in an evening of new food. Joss had been to Saray Mangal once before and had come away raving, so trusting in her impeccable taste, I was pretty keen to try it. Only thing was I'd never eaten much in the way of Turkish cuisine before and so didn't quite know what to expect...

The first thing that struck me was how colourful and lively the little restaurant was. We were greeted warmly and shown to a window table, right next to the counter which displayed all the food on offer. We could see directly into where the food was cooked and the chefs were more than happy to lean over the counter and help us pick our menu choices, explaining what went into each of the kababs. 

As soon as we ordered, a big bowl of delicious, warm, complimentary pide bread appeared, accompanied by two dipping sauces. We happily munched through it while chatting over our drinks. Joss had ordered a 'ayran' which is a yogurt drink mixed with salt and is apparently a national drink of Turkey, where as I'd gone for a slightly less exotic Fanta. I was soon jealous however when I saw how hers arrived, foaming over the rim of a beaten copper cup. 

Before long our food materialised, along with more of the yummy bread. We'd decided to share and so had gone for the 'special mix' which was a huge platter of chicken wings and chicken, lamb and lamb mince kebabs. This was all cooked in different spices and presented with a second (unexpected) platter of colourful salad and rice. 

We happily tucked in, chomping through the massive pile of food in front of us, before finally admitting defeat with only one lonely little chicken wing left on the table between us.We just couldn't manage another bite, no matter how much we wanted to!

 We ordered the bill and were shocked to discover that the entire meal had come to just over sixteen pounds which was a complete bargain, especially considering how stuffed we were feeling, the level of attentive service we'd received and amount of complimentary bread (which had just kept coming!). We left very happy customers and will hopefully be returning in the future!

Leicester: Jones' Café

Today, I'm going to share with you a badly kept secret... Jones'. Over the last few years, this café has been a firm favourite of my university friends and I, my record being five visits in one week! It's an addiction and now having left uni, I'm not sure how I'm going to cope without!

Unfortunately for us, it's also a lot of other people's fix as well- I've spent more than a few drizzly afternoons queuing out the door, hoping someone will leave before they stop serving food! However, when you get inside, you remember that it's all very much worth it.

To drink, I normally almost always order the home-made strawberry lemonade which arrives in a jam jar with fresh strawbs, slices of lime and lemon on the side. However, I have been known to stray away from this summery concoction to thick milkshakes, cream-topped hot chocolates or even the odd cocktail....

My favourite dish is the 'veggie bagel burger'. This is a delicious stack of roasted red pepper, mushroom, goats cheese and, if you're like me and ask for a few, fried onions, all incased in a bagel with chilli fries on the side. I love opening up my bagel and filling it with the home-made garlic mayo and ketchup, before squeezing it all together and digging in! It really is truly delicious.

However, I've recently discovered the thai mussels which are also amazing- a huge bowl of them comes floating in a tangy thai sauce. I've only ever had the starter size and have always had more than enough to share!

They also do breakfast foods such as eggs Benedict, full English and...pancakes and waffles! Yum!

The bar is always packed with batches of home-baked goodies, from festive cupcakes to slices of millionaires shortbread.

Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that I'm a big fan of this little café: the food is excellent, the staff lovely and the prices very very reasonable. Go!

Bonfire Night and Diwali!

Every year when the leaves start turning golden and the wind starts nipping at your heels, you know it's soon time for Bonfire Night. Scarves are tightly wound, toffee apples are bought and wellies are dug out of the backs of cupboards and dusted off, ready to go stomping through a muddy field to watch sparkling firework displays.

However,  this year my mother and I decided to do something different. We went to a Diwali celebration!

Diwali is the 'Festival of Light' and one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar. Traditionally, Diwali is marked by the lighting of small clay lamps, the setting off of firecrackers to keep away evil spirits and celebrating with family and friends. It's also often celebrated by setting off fireworks. Luckily for us, the Diwali celebrations in Leicester are some of the biggest outside of India and so Mum and I set off to watch the firework display and soak up some atmosphere!

The 'Golden Mile' in Leicester was bustling with people all heading down to the display. The street was all lit up with Diwali lights and the Hindu temple was covered in twinkling lights!

We settled ourselves in the park and got ready to watch the fireworks. Before long the first one shot into the air. The whole crowd (around 35,000 people!) all 'ooh-ed' and 'ahhh-ed' as it burst into showering sparks.

The display was wonderful- there were a huge amount of fireworks and the display lasted at least 20mins. Not only that, it was free!

I'd definitely recommend going to Leicester for the Diwali celebrations- it's not something you'll see anywhere else in the UK and it's lovely to get involved with traditions from other cultures. Not only that, since Diwali happens around Bonfire night, you can get a double dose of fireworks!

Happy Diwali Everyone!