The kids are all bite

Andrew Kay hands over his knife, fork and spoon to a group of budding gourmands

What a relief it was, after the meaty excesses of Lyon, to hand over the official Latest 7 cutlery to a bunch of aspiring gourmands once again. The annual Kids’ Review special is one of my favourite issues of the year, filled with the excited reports of youngsters who basically all have their eyes on my job. Well, hold back kids, I’m not for giving over the mantle quite yet, although some of you are clearly on the right track, especially this year’s seven willing volunteers.

“They wanted spice, they wanted raw fish and they wanted to really taste the flavours of the world”

It should come as no surprise, in a city as sophisticated as ours, that our younger generations are so keen on their food. It doesn’t seem to matter what I throw at them, they are up for it. Which is a great relief and rather encouraging. When I first did this, about ten years ago, I was apprehensive. Would they all go out and demand chicken nuggets and sausage and beans? No, they did not, they wanted spice, they wanted raw fish and they wanted to really taste the flavours of the world.

Nothing has changed, ten years on they still embrace the idea of great cooking with the same fervour, and, as you will read, when offered the children’s menu, they still go for the exciting option. Hats off to them.

Brighton and Hove’s restaurant scene seems to have embraced the kids too, there are fewer and fewer places offering dull dishes for kids, far more who are happy to offer smaller portions from the full menu.

I am always delighted to see youngsters experiencing great food, they are not only our future in a global sense, but specifically they will be the restaurant users of the future and in their hands will lie the future of our restaurants. If we choose not to welcome them now, then they may never adopt a culture of dining out. We welcome children into the world of good food, to show them how exciting it is, and to explain that food is not just about taking on fuel. Food is a part of our culture, our history and our heritage. From food we can learn so much, not only about how we produce it but why and where it comes from. We can explain how our ancestors travelled the world and show what they brought back. We can explain the influence of the many nations who, over the years, have made Great Britain their home, how their dishes have been adopted and adapted to become a part of the British diet.

I’m 57 now but I still get excited when I discover new things to eat, and there are plenty of new things all the time. But I am equally excited and inspired by the enthusiasm that is created by asking these young people to go out in my place and report back on what they find.

With so much choice and such willing volunteers it’s always easy to fill the review slots and we are no longer surprised at how up for it Brighton and Hove’s kids really are. I would like to thank all of my volunteers and their chaperones, for joining in this year and making it as much fun as ever.

Agua Dulce

I was really excited and felt very proud that I had been asked to write a food review for Latest 7 magazine (I’m only 6 so needed a bit of help from Mum), especially as it was to be for Agua Dulce on Kings Road, by the sea, which is a Spanish Restaurant and I love Spanish food. 

When we arrived we were welcomed by Carlo. We had a really nice table by the window and I loved all the decoration on the walls. There were boats, star fish, bull horns and a Spanish guitar. It was like being in Spain!

With Mum and Dad’s help I read through the menu and although we were tempted by the paella (another table had it and it look very tasty), we thought we would go for the Tapas as I wanted to try lots of small dishes. Also, there were a lot of seafood options and seafood is my favourite!

I was really excited to try the shark as I had never had this before and I wasn’t disappointed, it was fantastic! Amongst other things we had a huge bowl of big juicy mussels (which I had to eat quickly before Dad ate them all!) which were perfect and I liked the olives on top. The cooked chorizo was great and I liked the spice which went really well with the potato and aioli. I really enjoyed the octopus with paprika and loved eating the tentacles. 

I felt full and happy but knew I had room for some dessert so I had the crème brûlée and Dad had the toffee cheescake. Mine was great but I stole some of Dad’s as his was amazing!

I don’t usually pay for meals out but Mum and Dad said it was good value for money.
I really enjoyed the meal and when we said “Adios” to Carlo I left wishing I could go to Spain!

Stanley Sperring (Age 6 1/2)
Agua Dulce, 10-11 King’s Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1NE
01273 328672
www.aguadulce-restaurant.com

The Chilli Pickle Canteen

I was really pleased to find out I was going to be having a takeaway at home for this review, as takeaways are such a surprise. Today’s treat was an Indian takeaway, which is good for me because I like some spicy food and my dad cooks lots of Indian food (there are lots of choices for non-spicy too.) It had to be ordered from the website, which is really easy and clear with pictures (and a funny cartoon).

I saw the little car arrive – I was looking out the window as I was really hungry – it was white with The Chilli Pickle Canteen written on it. Mum said we could eat outside as it was such a beautiful day. My first impression was what lovely, colourful, interesting boxes with lots and lots of little tubs and bags inside like a treasure chest! We had a paneer (Indian cheese) Grand Thali, Chicken Railway Tray, Kallikut Biryani (Mum told me all those names as they are not familiar).

It was a feast, the thali and tray had pickles and breads and these wonderful colourful rice crackers which I loved, lots of things to dip in, some sweet, some spicy, my favourites were mango pickle, cabbage thoran and the yoghurt ones. Such interesting tastes and so colourful, great for sharing with your family. The Paneer cheese was very tasty; I didn’t believe the sauce was made of spinach until Mum showed me on the website. There was so much food I had to leave it for Dad and my big brother to have later. For pudding I had banana honeycomb ice-cream, it was very yummy but I had to share it with my mum as it was a big tub. I really enjoyed my meal and when Mum said it was about £40 worth of food, we both agreed it was good value as it fed four of us.
I’ve never been to The Chilli Pickle restaurant, well not yet! But I love their takeaway, it was excellent and I’ve asked Mum if we can have it again soon!

Katja Kettles (Age 7)
www.thechillipicklecanteen.com

Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel

The entrance to the hotel was really posh with sparkly glass chandeliers and porters taking people’s cases to their rooms.

The restaurant was busy and we had the best table “very reserved” for us. It was a curved booth overlooking the sea and it had very bouncy seats. Our waitress was called Izzy and she was really friendly and helpful. She brought out our drinks and food really fast and was very funny.

There was a really good selection on the kids’ menu it was a tough choice, between the burger, chicken nuggets and the Thai curry. In the end the curry won me over it was scrumdiddlyumptious. Daddy had the chicken and chorizo salad which was healthy and delicious.

For dessert I chose the hot chocolate pudding which had a rich chocolate sponge and sauce and a sour raspberry sauce which was in a wavy pattern on top. Dad had the pecan pie with clotted cream ice cream which I thought was fantastico.

You should go to this restaurant because the service is speedy and the food is splendid. All the tables are great but if you can reserve a booth it would be the best. The restaurant is perfect for a birthday treat or other special occasion. I hope to go back soon with the rest of my family.

Izzy Blood (Age 7)
Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FU, 01273 775432

Bardsley’s

We went to Bardsley’s fish and chip shop for lunch and it is very traditional. Roy Brown, who runs the restaurant, greeted us and was very friendly. He showed us a fish book so I could see what the fish looked like before they were cooked.

We tried lots of different fish, some of it fried in lovely, crispy batter, some of it grilled and some poached. We tried Haddock, Skate Wing with capers on it, Huss and Salmon fillet with some side dishes, including mushy peas, which I was surprised to find I liked. We also had a nice salad and chips, which Mum said were very good. I don’t really eat chips.

My favourite fish was Plaice cooked in batter, which was a sweet, white fish. You can also have gluten-free batter for people allergic to flour. The main courses are good value at around £7 to £12 and the specials menu includes tasty things like Moules and Mackerel. They didn’t have any Mackerel that day and Roy said that they can only get the fish on the days when the fishermen can catch them.

The ice cream menu was interesting and made in East Sussex. I chose the honeycomb and Mum chose the blood orange sorbet. Both were a good price at under £2.50 and really good quality.

The service was nice and quick, and I would recommend this as a really good place to have lunch or to get a takeaway.

Rhiannon Price (Age 9)
Bardsley’s, 22-23a Baker Street, Brighton, BN1 4JN, 01273 681256,
www.bardsleys-fishandchips.co.uk

Terre à Terre

Terre à Terre makes a striking impression. The front of the restaurant has a charming antique feel, lavish with wooden panels and ornate décor. While the back maintains the theme with a highly polished wooden floor, the walls are painted a deep purple which creates a more playful vibe. The large French doors, leading out to a small patio area, help the interior to feel open and airy.

The service at Terre à Terre is excellent, with polite and attentive staff that seem almost omnipresent in their ability to keep a glass topped up.

The food served is refreshingly innovative, and I was really surprised by their ability to take ingredients I would usually avoid and produce a culinary masterpiece.

The three-course meal I was served was remarkably satisfying, reaching a rare equilibrium between quality and quantity. The generous portions sizes were a pleasant surprise when considering the precise attention to detail applied to every aspect of the food. An even more pleasant surprise was the relative affordability of such a prestigious establishment, £25 for a satisfying and flavoursome three-course meal seems a small price to pay.

The meal I chose consisted of a warming sweet potato soup, an intriguing rosti re-imagining for main and a refreshing helping of ice cream served with fresh summer fruit and biscotti. All three courses benefited from elegant presentation and were cooked to perfection.

Overall, Terre à Terre is an incredibly enjoyable dining experience. The gentle hum of conversation emitted by the eclectic group of diners it attracts creates the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a wide variety of exquisite vegetarian cuisine.
Felix Leif (Age 16)
Terre à Terre, 71 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ, 01273 729051 www.terreaterre.co.uk

Wagamama

It was a hot day and I needed a drink first, freshly squeezed OJ. Loved it! I then chose from the Kids’ Menu – a ‘mini menu for little grown ups’ as they call it – and had the mini chicken katsu; chicken breast deep fried in panko breadcrumbs, with sticky white rice, carrots, cucumber and sweetcorn.

I chose the sweet sauce (amai) to dip with but you can have the spicy sauce (katsu) if you want. Dad says the older you get the more spice you like and he had the chilli ramen. He liked it!

There are other things kids can have like cod with vegetables, noodle dishes, chicken ramen (noodles in broth with chicken and vegetables) or chicken cha han (stir-fried rice with chicken and vegetables). For dessert I had a cherry lolly which is my favourite flavour.

I really loved it; I like Japanese style food, the restaurant had a lot of kids, you could see all the chefs cooking, free wi-fi (for the iPad, of course), and I got to try chopsticks again! I’m still learning though, so out came the spoon and fork! In fact, when I left I got given a bag by the lovely waitress, with more chopsticks in and some stickers.

Max Hemmings, (Age 7)
Wagamama, 30 Kensington Street, Brighton, BN1 4AJ, 01273 688892
www.wagamama.com

Bom-Bane’s Café

When we first arrived at Bom-Bane’s Café, we were amazed by the great atmosphere. There was music playing, there were lots of funny tables and there were interesting pictures and guitars hanging on the walls. Jane, the owner, came out and gave us a big welcome. She had even cut out letters on the wall saying, “Hello Tabitha & Tilly”!
We sat at a table in the window where we had a good view of the street outside, but you could also see the whole café and Jane working in the kitchen. First of all, Jane made us a fantastic kids’ cocktail with umbrellas and a straw in it. She also talked us through the menu to decide what we would like to eat.

First of all we both had a really yummy tomato soup with chewy brown bread and butter. We finished that all off! For our main course, I had a tapas plate (£3.95) with salad, hummus, peppers, olives and mozzarella cheese, and Tilly had bangers and mash and tomato gravy (£3.95). To finish, we both had some ginger and vanilla ice-cream with fresh fruit. Tilly said it was “spectacular!”

After our food, Jane took us round the café and showed us all the funny tables. One had a TV in it and told stories, one turned round slowly so your plate and drink would keep moving away, and another one went up and down so you had to stand up or sit down!

Finally, Jane sat down at a little piano and sung us a funny song about having a goldfish bowl on your head – and she wore a funny hat that really did have a goldfish bowl on the top!

We really liked eating at Bom-Bane’s. We thought Jane was brilliant and would love to go there again.

Tabitha Cotton, age 10, and Matilda Cotton, (Age 8)
Bom-Banes Café, 24 George Street, Brighton, BN2 1RH
01273 606400, www.bom-banes.com