MAASI’S St Luke’s Church Hall, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff. 029
2063 0579 /
maasiscardiff.com
Think of Asian food and you’re quite likely picturing a pre- or post-pub feast with friends, or a Saturday night takeaway for which you overorder and spend the rest of the evening prostrate on the sofa groaning and barely able to move. But times are changing. Restaurants like Mattancherry (formerly Chai Street) are focusing on fare that is both lighter and a little more sophisticated, while at the opposite end of Cowbridge Road East, Maasi’s is taking things a step further in catering only for a daytime day- off, working-from-home or weekend crowd.
The Victoria Park area is not short on curry houses, but Maasi’s serves up something different – breakfast, perhaps most notably, but also a menu that draws on tried-and-tested family recipes to offer a flavour of Pakistani cuisine. They’ve taken up residency in St Luke’s Church Hall, premises previously home to the Park View Café, and while our meal isn’t quite a religious experience, it’s certainly not the devil’s work either.
The lunchtime options aren’t extensive, which – as is so often the case – proves to be a good sign. They evidently know what they do and do it well. Half of our party plump for the samosa chaat, in which one of Maasi’s signature samosas – spiced lamb, in this case – is buried beneath a blanket of rich brown choleh (chickpea curry) and finished with a chutney combo and a scattering of pomegranate seeds and crunchy sev. The rest of us tuck into a naanwich, a hillock of tasty constituents (chicken, chutney, slaw and pickled red onion) heaped on a small but perfectly formed naan. More fool anyone who tries to tackle it like a kebab rather than use the knife and fork provided. Even still, you’ll be very glad that napkins are near at hand.
BEN WOOLHEAD
JANET’S AUTHENTIC NORTHERN CHINESE
Market Street, Pontypridd. Info: 07825 463685 /
facebook.com/janetspontypridd
Nestled discreetly in a unit at the south-east corner of Pontypridd market, Janet’s Authentic Northern Chinese is quickly running out of wall space on which to hang its well-deserved culinary awards. In this year alone, Janet Wei’s brand of Korean and Chinese cuisine has made her grand champion of the British Street Food Award and overall winner of the Wales Street Food Award, and the resultant popularity has diners attending from around the country.
Wei herself is an extremely friendly, welcoming, and accommodating business owner. Whether a result of the restaurant’s increasing popularity or simply the fact that everything is made fresh, on the day of our visit a number of menu items were unavailable by 2pm, including the vegetarian-friendly gyoza, tofu fried noodles and – after we ate the last of them – spring rolls, so the chef offered instead to prepare traditional Korean doenjang jjigae with tofu. This turned out to be a blessing, as the iconic soybean paste stew was made beautifully; earthy and hot without being overwhelmed by the mushrooms, the tofu absorbed the stew easily and made for flavourful eating.
Staff kindly took care to double-check the appropriateness of the dish’s egg content for our table and were otherwise exceptionally friendly and diligent. For carnivores, this stew also makes a perfect accompaniment to the Korean beef, chicken and pork dishes on offer.
Note that Karen’s is currently a cash-only business: a free-withdrawal cash machine is available just outside the market property. The restaurant is also, by virtue of its location, a very small venue; prospective customers should make sure to ring up and book a spot, as the magnificent food easily justifies the train, bus, or car ride to Ponty.
JOHN MCLOUGHLIN
Hensol Castle Distillery Open For Business
With Wales open for business once more, gin and history buffs can satiate their thirst for both with a tour and/or workshop at Hensol Castle’s Distillery. After a multi-million-pound revamp, the 17th century, Grade-I listed castle is now open to the public, aiming to offer something that other distilling and bottling experiences can’t: a 400-year-old backdrop steeped in more than just craft spirits. Previously home to ironmaster Lord Rowland Fothergill and Welsh language advocate Benjamin Hall, Hensol Castle has a fascinating foothold in the nation’s history, cushioned – for those after a longer stay – by the four-star Vale Resort.
Info and booking:
hensolcastledistillery.com 49
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