Restaurants

[Darth Paul]

Great Chinese place around Blackburn is Yu and You, been there a few times when I've been to visit my parents. Not cheap but you get what you pay for..

Absolutely phenomenal food but same problem as the new Bulls Head at Wilpshire, full of pretentious, well off, badly dressed new money.

[thenodrog]

Absolutely phenomenal food but same problem as the new Bulls Head at Wilpshire, full of pretentious, well off, badly dressed new money.

loadsamoney being more necssary than new money.

Speaking of which I was treat to a meal at Northcote on Saturday. Lovely food and excellent service as you would expect but it must have been wildly expensive.... I discovered that the bloody water bill was 18 quid!

[ABBEY]

Had a freebie last weekend at THYME ( I think its called) above the sirloin.FANBLOODYTASTIC.Also had a curry at the spice lounge the week before.bloodygood too.

[Darth Paul]

Fair point, there is a lot of loadsamoney in there too, including one chap who I got talking to with a Rovers family link who was fine...just a lot of people who think to much of themselves in there sadly. It is amazing what a couple of quid can do to some people.

I have probably never eaten better in this country but prepare to remortgage when the bill comes!

[thenodrog]

Fair point, there is a lot of loadsamoney in there too, including one chap who I got talking to with a Rovers family link who was fine...just a lot of people who think to much of themselves in there sadly. It is amazing what a couple of quid can do to some people.

I have probably never eaten better in this country but prepare to remortgage when the bill comes!

Went to Yu and You's again last night and was extremely disappointed.

4 of us,

soup ordinary.

crispy duck starter brilliant (but who could get that wrong?)

but the 4 main courses varied between

King prawn Good.

Chicken with chillie tasty but greasy.

Pork dish poor and bland.

and the house chicken curry virtually inedible.

Wine was good but at £20 a bottle for Chardonney and £24 for a South african red absolutely extortionate.

Best draught beer was Warsteiner which is a sin in itself.

On last nights evidence it's turning into the chinese equivalent of the Sharzan. Designed as the trendy place to be seen by the keen-to-be-seen Ribble Valley nouveau riche.

Music too bloody loud too forcing raised voices instead of conversation level. They turned it down when I asked but seemed to sneak it back up again through the meal.

£180 for 4 will definitely not see me hurrying back.

[Roost]

The Fence Gate Inn at Fence (surprise!) has probably the best fillett steak I have ever had.

It also won The Observer 'Sunday Roast Of The Year' - and rightly so.

As with Yu & You - if you can cope with the champagne suppin wannabees then its worth a trip.

[Gav]

Best of the bunch in no particular order:

Thyme

Three fishes (until yesterday when i had lancs hotpot and it was poor)

Olive press Bolton

Fence gate

San Carlo manchester

Sylhet Bangla Restaurant Langho

Anaz best indian in Darwen!

Sakura Teppenyaki Preston was great and different

[Gav]

Great Chinese place around Blackburn is Yu and You, been there a few times when I've been to visit my parents. Not cheap but you get what you pay for..

I don't mind paying for good food but that place is disgracefully over priced.

Plenty of better places at a fraction of the price.

[Darth Paul]

Went to Yu and You's again last night and was extremely disappointed.

4 of us,

soup ordinary.

crispy duck starter brilliant (but who could get that wrong?)

but the 4 main courses varied between

King prawn Good.

Chicken with chillie tasty but greasy.

Pork dish poor and bland.

and the house chicken curry virtually inedible.

Wine was good but at £20 a bottle for Chardonney and £24 for a South african red absolutely extortionate.

Best draught beer was Warsteiner which is a sin in itself.

On last nights evidence it's turning into the chinese equivalent of the Sharzan. Designed as the trendy place to be seen by the keen-to-be-seen Ribble Valley nouveau riche.Music too bloody loud too forcing raised voices instead of conversation level. They turned it down when I asked but seemed to sneak it back up again through the meal.

£180 for 4 will definitely not see me hurrying back.

Very surprised as the food has always been excellent when I have been, but I think you have hit the nail on the head with your assessment of what the place has become.

Sadly (or not for the muppets that keep forking out) the kind of people who go there will continue to go there to be seen adn eat the food whether it is good or not.

And you are right, good, bad or indifferent, £180 is just nuts...

[tony gale's mic]

Very surprised as the food has always been excellent when I have been, but I think you have hit the nail on the head with your assessment of what the place has become.

Sadly (or not for the muppets that keep forking out) the kind of people who go there will continue to go there to be seen adn eat the food whether it is good or not.

And you are right, good, bad or indifferent, £180 is just nuts...

I've been there a few times when I've been to visit my family and that's a really crass generalisation. People go because the food is excellent and they don't mind forking out a bit more for it, not because they're "muppets" or because they want to be seen there. Maybe there's one or two like that but I'm sure theyre in the minority.

Edited July 13, 2008 by tony gale's mic

[Paul]

Went to Yu and You's again last night and was extremely disappointed.

4 of us,

soup ordinary.

crispy duck starter brilliant (but who could get that wrong?)

but the 4 main courses varied between

King prawn Good.

Chicken with chillie tasty but greasy.

Pork dish poor and bland.

and the house chicken curry virtually inedible.

Wine was good but at £20 a bottle for Chardonney and £24 for a South african red absolutely extortionate.

Best draught beer was Warsteiner which is a sin in itself.

On last nights evidence it's turning into the chinese equivalent of the Sharzan. Designed as the trendy place to be seen by the keen-to-be-seen Ribble Valley nouveau riche.

Music too bloody loud too forcing raised voices instead of conversation level. They turned it down when I asked but seemed to sneak it back up again through the meal.

£180 for 4 will definitely not see me hurrying back.

Good grief £180 in a Chinese restaurant, it must have been fantastic on your previous visit to get you back there?

Glad to see a few people voting for Thyme.......ABBEY you lucky so and so. Last time we went I was hosting some good friends as a "thank you" for a major favour. We didn't stint on anything and I think the bill was around £120 - £130. Spoke to the manager and complimented him on how nice it was not to be rushed - we arrived at 7.30 and didn't leave till near 12.00 - and he responded that the restaurant wants people to relax and acknowledged we are likely to spend more if we're allowed to stay and to return again. Both of which are true.

Anyone visiting the Oban area should go to Eeusk ....just make sure everyone likes fish as that is all you will get

Edited July 14, 2008 by Paul

[GiddyGoat]

Best of the bunch in no particular order:

Thyme

Three fishes (until yesterday when i had lancs hotpot and it was poor)

Olive press Bolton

Fence gate

San Carlo manchester

Sylhet Bangla Restaurant Langho

Anaz best indian in Darwen!

Sakura Teppenyaki Preston was great and different

When did you go to Sakura? and why didn't you invite me

[scotchrover]

Sukis Darwen best indian in Darewn by far

Edited July 18, 2008 by scotchrover

[yoda]

Sukis Darwen best indian in Darewn by far

Darwen being the centre of the universe I suppose

Edited July 19, 2008 by yoda

[Gav]

When did you go to Sakura? and why didn't you invite me

At the time I went, I couldn't afford to pay for your family as well as mine!

[den]

Had the famous fish pie at the Inn at Whitewell, last week. Very good.

[vintageadidas]

Has anyone tried that new indian takeway across from Ewood? Few doors down from the bakery i think.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Lower Buck at Waddington well worth a try - been there twice recently and both times excellent.

[DingleBaiter]

Sukis Darwen best indian in Darewn by far

I used to think that, until went to the Anaz. Akash is a good third choice. We're spoilt in the local area with regards to some great eating places, but my faves are

Indian - Anaz, then Sukhis. Shahjan can be good, but I'm not right into trendy places for eating - I go there to eat, not pose. Also like the Bengal at Clitheroe, owner used to be have the DilShad, which went pants when he left.

Chinese - I do like the Man Lee in Darwen, though I'm not from there. Kong City is good for the Sunday buffet.

Note about You & Yu, one should be able to judge the place before eating there, one look at the cars outside, the ambience, it's 'vibe', the decor/style suggests it's going to be a place more 'fashiony' than 'foody'. How many eating places locally do you know bring DJs in from Manc & further afield? Accept the point that a lot of the clientele aren't exactly 'nouveau riche', in fact it's mainly old money's family & friends, which are probably there several times a week! Still, Northcote attracts a similar type of crowd true, but they're just a bit older, less fashionable & keener to be seen LOL

Thai - the one at Billington, Siam Palace is it?

Italian - Checcos.

Mexican - Wellsprings

Traditional - Fencegate; Derby Arms, Longridge; Nabs Head, Salmesbury; Three Fishes, Whalley.

Chains - Nandos, Middlebrook. Any Colonel's chicken parlour!

Further afield - Yang Sing, Obsidian, Sams Chop House, Manchester.

Edited August 6, 2008 by DingleBaiter

[Lee]

Thai - the one at Billington, Siam Palace is it?

Went there the other week, the place is dying on its arse as the pub downstairs is now shut of sorts. They must have had a shed load of chili delivered that day as it overpowered everything and I like hot food.

The fact that my credit card got 'done' two days later made me wonder as well.

The Little Elephant in Darwen is better.

[DingleBaiter]

Went there the other week, the place is dying on its arse as the pub downstairs is now shut of sorts. They must have had a shed load of chili delivered that day as it overpowered everything and I like hot food.

The fact that my credit card got 'done' two days later made me wonder as well.

The Little Elephant in Darwen is better.

Yup, it is it a bit erm, eclectic or haphazard; can't work out the integration between upstairs & downstairs myself, and TBH not sure if they can. Been to LE 3 or 4 times, liked the food better in Bill although LE is still good, service was atrocious last time there. Think there's work to be done on both counts, though I think LE will last the pace better.

Edited August 6, 2008 by DingleBaiter

[thenodrog]

The Little Elephant in Darwen is better.

Excellent Thai restaurant but somebody told me that it had closed down. Anyone know if this is true?

Edited August 6, 2008 by thenodrog

[DingleBaiter]

Excellent Thai restaurant but somebody told me that it had closed down. Anyone know if this is true?

Unless it's been in the last three weeks? Have driven past in the evenings recently, and now you mention it, didn't see any cars on car park, if that means anything.

Think a problem with a lot of these places, that often only have a few customers per night on the less busy nights, is whether it's worth opening as much. I know the one @ Billington sometimes has been shut, or changed it's opening hours/nights. Being shut at the time of visit isn't the same as being closed down permanently I guess. Must be the credit crunch; used to go in the 'new' Blue Diamond at Roe Lee regularly, often no other customers in, although food the food very good, then it just shut down & reopened again.

Note the Shere Khan, or whatever it's called, is due a re-opening.

[thenodrog]

Think a problem with a lot of these places, that often only have a few customers per night on the less busy nights, is whether it's worth opening as much. I know the one @ Billington sometimes has been shut, or changed it's opening hours/nights. Being shut at the time of visit isn't the same as being closed down permanently I guess. Must be the credit crunch; used to go in the 'new' Blue Diamond at Roe Lee regularly, often no other customers in, although food the food very good, then it just shut down & reopened again.

Blue Diamond owner sold that when he moved to the Spring Mill (Sylette). Alright that lad.... he played Christmas carols over the Christmas period rather than that wailing stuff.

Edited August 7, 2008 by thenodrog

[DingleBaiter]

Blue Diamond owner sold that when he moved to the Spring Mill (Sylette). Alright that lad.... he played Christmas carols over the Christmas period rather than that wailing stuff.

Agreed - the guy took over the BD was good guy too, shame it didn't work out for him, can't believe some (seemingly good) Indian restaurants churn like they do (think our Thai friends may be the same too) whilst others keep going & going. Guess that's business.