It's Time for a Revolution

When you think of Revolution, the last thing you think about is good quality food, well at least I don't. I think of my post-student days, when I thought of Vodka Revolution (it's old name) was used as the ideal pre-drinking place or somewhere to frequent for a cheap drink and a catch-up. But as I detailed in last review of the bar back in August, it is no longer a tacky drinking place but more of a classy bar to have lunch or a drink in with friends.

Byzantium or just Tapas for my Mum?

Hidden away in the suburbs of Birmingham, Kings Heath to be exact, is Byzantium, a Greek, North African and Spanish tapas eatery. I was invited along to the launch of their upper room and it was my first to this restaurant. I was surprised that I had ever overlooked this place, especially as I have been to Kings Heath many times before but never come across it. The launch of the upper room allowed me to get acquainted to a small selection of the food that was available at the restaurant but I was invited to try out the restaurant properly, with a sit down meal with my mother.

It's all Sabai Sabai

It always adds extra pleasure to be invited to a restaurant you already adore and like, especially when you don't get to go there as much as you would like. So being invited to the Moseley branch of Sabai Sabai to try out their Christmas menu attracted that exact emotion. I was invited to their 10 year anniversary last year, which led to me winning a complimentary dinner at the restaurant in the raffle that was held that night, which was amazingly good and not only opened up my world to the culinary delight that is Thai Food but to Sweetcorn Cakes too.

Are You Pho Real?!

When a new restaurant comes to Birmingham, normal people are excited and cannot wait to try it, but food bloggers get their cameras and notebooks ready for that first, second and third taste. Well, maybe that is just me when I visited Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese restaurant and their branch in Grand Central is the first in Birmingham. I have never been to Vietnam, I would love to FYI, so I didn't know what to expect. The one thing that was, and is still, bothering me was how to pronounce Pho, is it "Pho", "Fuh," "Foe"?! I found out it is commonly pronounced "Fuh", which is probably why my cousin who visited Vietnam recently couldn't find any Pho because I pronounced it wrong when I recommended the dish. Anyway, enough of my waffling, time to talk about the food.

Bodega, Bodega, Bodega!

Over a month ago, I was invited along to a bloggers event at Bodega. It gave an insight into the new additions that the restaurant has added to their menu and the reasons as to why. I was interested to see what offerings they now had for someone like me, dairy-free and pescatarian (when halal meat is not available), so I went back a couple of weeks after the event. I used to frequent Bodega quite often but I am not sure why it was taken me so long to return to the restaurant. Their burritos are great but my go-to dish was Mahi Mahi fish with Sweet Potato Mash and a Green Chutney but they no longer do that exact dish, so I went on the look out to see what would replace it.

Is it Tapas time yet?

I love Grand Central and I am having a great time making my way through the eateries. The next one on the list is Tapas Revolution. Ever since my holiday to Barcelona, I have a newfound respect and love for the concept of tapas and could not wait to see how this restaurant would fare.

We need a Meating.

My diet is 70% vegan, so it is quite unusual to see me in a place called Meating, especially when it isn't halal either. But one thing I like about being a blogger is being invited to places that I haven't yet tried or wouldn't even think to try. So, when I got invited along to Meating in The Arcadian, I was both intrigued and excited to see what would ensue.

Fancy an Indian?

Located on the Hagley Road is Praza, the sister to Pushkar, a prestigious Indian restaurant that serves up the traditional with a fresh twist. If you read my previous reviews, you will know that I can be very critical about the Indian restaurants that I go to. They have a lot to live up to, because my mother's food is obviously the best, and after a terrible trip to Tipu Sultan on Eid day, I am on the lookout for the best Indian restaurant in Birmingham once again.

An Ode to the Wonder that is Barcelona

I visited Barcelona for the second time in September and I fell in love even more. I wish I could pick up my home and plonk it there but that is not gonna happen. I have just decided that someday I will live there, it just has to happen! Below is a list of why I just love this city so much.

What's Happening?

Hi folks!

This week is special for Birmingham, as not only has the new Birmingham New Street opened but it also marks the opening of Grand Central and John Lewis today (Thursday 24th Sept).

But what I am most excited for is the new food places that this will bring into the city, not only now but in the next couple of months.

My Food Place of the Week: MyLahore

MyLahore is a franchise that is based in Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and now Birmingham. The Birmingham branch opened in February this year and has been flooded with people ever since. But how will it fare in a Nutella Tasha review? Read on and see, my young padawans (yes I just made a Star Wars reference. I'm excited for the new movie).

Ten Commandments for Freshers

My cousin is off to university soon and it had me wondering what advice I would have given myself before I had gone to university seven years ago (yes, I am frigging old, don't you dare say it!). This advice prompted me to come up with Ten Commandments for this year's freshers, including my cousin of course.

1. Try to work hard AND play hard

Earn it and it will feel so much better

My Food Place of the Week: Gas Street Social

 If you follow me on IG then you would have seen that I visited Gas Street Social and had a disastrous experience where I double checked if a dish was dairy-free and then it arrived with dairy in it. So, I wanted to try Gas Street Social again, with an open mind, to make a through decision about the place.

Henry Wong Harbourne VIP Food Bloggers Dinner

Hi foodies! Apologies for the week's absence but I have been super busy pretending I am a glamazon at my cousin's wedding but I am now back at it, with a cold and 50-cigs-a-day sounding cough.

Throwback to a couple weeks ago when I had the pleasure of attending a bloggers event at Henry Wong in Harbourne. I was having one of those days where everything was going wrong, I was running late and I couldn't find anything to wear, I tried on my whole wardrobe and nearly cancelled, who have I become?! So a dinner at a new place with some familiar friendly faces was exactly what the doctor ordered.

My Food Place of the Week - Cafe Soya

I love meeting up with friends, I just don't get to do it as often as I would like. But when I do, I also take the opportunity to try somewhere new and on this occasion, it was all about Cafe Soya. I have never visited before but has heard only good things from the vegan Brummies I follow on Instagram and certain family members. So black dress in tow and camera at the ready, off I went to conquer.

My Food Place of the Week - La Tasca Barclaycard Arena

The last time I visited La Tasca was over 5 years ago, at the branch just off Broad St. The food was in small portions and I was still hungry, after paying 40 pounds for 2 of us and this was before my lactose intolerance got bad. So when I got invited to try out the new menu, I was a little intrigued but had low expectations, as I haven't tried tapas since then.

My Food Place of the Week - Revolution Bar Birmingham

I remember going to Vodka Revolution when I first moved back from university, it was slightly tacky, the clientele was mostly students and it didn't have the best reputation, especially not for food. Cut to four years later, Vodka Revolution has changed to Revolution and the whole franchise has had a whole style makeover and it isn't a bad one at that.

Brum Yum Yum Goes Veggie

Street food markets have become super popular in Birmingham but sometimes it can be hard for this dairy-free halal meat veggie-loving chick to find something to eat, so I rejoiced at the thought of a street food market that was solely veggie/vegan. It took place on the 19th July at The Kings Heath Village Square, with vendors The Vegan Grindhouse, Pietanic, Bare Bones Pizza, Bombay Tapas, 9 Tea Cups, Mex It Up and Vegetropolis in attendance there.

TimeOut Birmingham

You may have seen that I was AWOL from the blog a couple months ago, well I wasn't just sitting on my ass, eating hummus, oh no my friend, I was writing elsewhere (sorry for cheating).

My Food Place of the Week - The Church

I have heard a lot, within the Brummie blogosphere, about The Church in Jewellery Quarter.

So when I had a chance to set up a meet-up with some lovely fellow bloggers, I took it as an opportunity to finally try this place out. I didn't know what to expect as I arrived into the venue, it was quite small and I can imagine it can become quite cramped. It is your typical pub but with a difference. As my blogger friends arrived, we were told that it was Meat Free Monday and that meant that it was half-price on veggie and vegan main meals, as you can imagine, this made me ridiculously happy like someone just gave me a hamper full of Charlotte Tilbury goodies.

Anyways… onto the food.

Brum Yum Yum Goes Veggie

I love street food, this will be of no surprise to you, and after the meat feast that will be Eid tomorrow, I cannot wait for the first veggie/vegan edition of Brum Yum Yum on Sunday. I really hope that this becomes  an annual event, as it is the most ideal event for me.

See you there?

My Food Place of the Week - Antep

Turkish food is definitely up there as one of my favourite cuisines, so when Antep rocked up on Ladypool Rd, I knew it had to be tested. Especially as I was hearing only good things about the place, I knew I had to stick my two-pence in too.

Blending vs Juicing - What's The Difference?

As well as trying out The Detox Kitchen and going on a foodie adventure around London, my original intention was to attend a Blending vs Juicing event. Anyone that knows me, knows my blender and I have a special relationship; so they won't be surprised that I attended such an event with a curiosity and vigor as to what I would learn.

My Food Place of the Week - The Detox Kitchen (London Special)

First off, let me apologise for being MIA on the blog lately. There is no excuse because I know a whole host of bloggers that work and blog but I just haven't been keeping to my blogging schedule, I know naughty Tasha. It seems blogging and working full-time is alot more difficult than I had previously thought. Plus, it is now the month of Ramadhan, so it is all pretty hectic. But here I am, sitting inside the house on a Saturday with 10 posts to write and with Jhene Aiko blaring. So, bring on the blogging bunge!

My Food Place of the Week: Talk of the Town

It has been a while since I have done a review, due to not having tried anywhere new lately and being a tad busy with my new job, so I purposely tried this Caribbean place after the gym on Saturday.

VegFest Bristol 2015

This time last week, I was enjoying VegFest in Bristol. I have been to VegFest before in London but this was my first time visiting the food festival in Bristol. I lived in Bristol for three years for university and this was a great opportunity to visit the city, as I haven't been back for four years. So with the nostalgia came good food and it surprised me just how Bristol has raised it's foodie game and how much I remembered of the city.

Foodies Festival

Day 1

This time last week, Me, my mother and a whole bunch of Brummies descended upon Cannon Hill Park for the Foodies Festival. It is the first time that this festival has arrived in Birmingham and I was excited to see what would be there.

Dairy-Free Alternatives

As you all know by now, my body cannot handle dairy (if you didn't know, where the hell have you been?!), so I have found alternatives that ensure I never miss dairy. If you are lactose intolerant, just want to try a dairy-free lifestyle, or even a vegan lifestyle then I have come up with a list of alternatives that should help you cater to your dairy-free life. Trust me, it is not as hard as you think.

My Food Place of the Week: Eat

I struggle at times to find good dairy-free options for lunch, as most sandwiches and other options have cheese or a dairy-based products within them, so I wanted to see how Eat fares in this regard and whether they make me want to leave my own lunch at home or stick with my pasta leftovers.

My Food Place of the Week: The Botanist

The Botanist has been the talk of the town recently, or city, and I was lucky enough to be invited along to a lunch time preview and launch party.

It is located on the left-hand side of the Tesco Metro within Birmingham's City Centre, on Temple St, and you cannot miss it. It has these beautiful looking gates surrounding it and it just catches your eye (scroll down to see what I am talking about).

Wrapchic Bloggers Event

Located in the Bullring, on the upper level in between Debenhams and Gap, is the new flagship Birmingham store of Wrapchic. Wrapchic's concept is to be lunch on-the-go Indian cuisine and it is a Mumbai slang term for 'Sexy', which is pronounced 'Rap-chic' and I see it as a hybrid of Indian and Mexican. The fillings are Indian but they are presented in a typically Mexican way. Everything has an Indian theme, even the coffee.

My Food Place of the Week: Digbeth Dining Club

I love the idea of street food and I particularly enjoy having a variety of cuisines to choose from. So I am quite happy that Birmingham is becoming a hotspot for street food and one of the most noteworthy events is The Digbeth Dining Club.

The Battle of the Dairy-Free Yoghurts!

I am always on the hunt for dairy free options, so when I saw that both Eat and Pret A Manger had great dairy free yoghurts, I had to try both and see which one came up trumps.

My Food Place of the Week: Tipu Sultan

My Food Place of the Week: Coast to Coast

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited along to Coast to Coast on Broad St as an VIP diner, I have visited the branch before when it first opened in 2013 and I can't say I was enthused with the experience. I remember having a veggie burger, that it was mediocre, that there were not many choices for me to choose from, due to the fact I can only have halal meat, I wasn't strict about my dairy intake back then, and I haven't been back since. So I went to the restaurant with a brand new set of dietary requirements, I am sure restaurants hate me for this, and an open mind. The restaurant is located on Broad St, it has been several different restaurants before but this one seems to have stuck. I arrived there and it was quite busy, the music was booming, I have to say I loved the soundtrack of American classics, and the atmosphere was live. Seeing all this at 6pm on a Wednesday was filling me with anticipation for the meal.

My Food Place of the Week: Baders (revisited)

Back in March last year, I posted about Baders; A lebanese restaurant based in Small Heath, Birmingham. I just visited the restaurant again recently and thought I would post again because I feel my style has changed and I could be more thorough this time.

My Food Place of the Week: Marmalade

Bitter and Twisted, the people behind Bodega, Island Bar, The Jekyll and Hyde, The Victoria, The New Inn and The Rose Villa Tavern, have a new addition to their vast amount of venues in The Midlands, Marmalade. I visited the venue on a Saturday, enticed in by their 50% off offer and opportunity to discover new and unconquered ground.

The Anti-Valentine Playlist

I hate Valentine's Day, always have and always will, please note that this has always been the case whether I am in a relationship or not. I think it is a ridiculous capitalistic Hallmark holiday that has been created to apply pressure on singletons and couples alike. *End rant*

I have always loved breakup tracks, I just love the bitterness and lyrics. So with this love of bitterness, I have compiled a 28 track playlist that contains my favourite tracks, that are from various genres and genders, that made me feel amazing today and every single day.

Below is a list of the tracks.

My Food Place of the Week: Quinto Lounge

I work in Sutton Coldfield, it was Friday, I had 2 hours to spare, it was payday and I was hungry. So you can guess what I wanted, food obviously! I had seen on Full to the Brum, that a new place had just opened and it was quite close by. So the stars had lined up and conspired for me to be able to go and eat at Quinto Lounge, to see what the fuss was all about.

Workout Sites I Swear By

You're feeling motivated, now what?!

Now it's time to find the right workout for you and here are the sites, where you can find one or five.

Workout Inspiration

My Food Place of the Week: Pizza Express

I love pizza but struggle to find places that have dairy free options, however Pizza Express changed my life when they introduced a cheese free pizza, the Pianta, and allowed me to explore their menu by just asking for no cheese.

My Food Place of the Week: Yorks Bakery Cafe

I love breakfast time but I love Brunch on a Sunday even more. A couple Sundays ago, I took my mum over to Yorks Bakery Cafe to test out their Breakfast/Brunch Menu.

My Food Place of the Week: The Gentleman & Scholar

Located within the Hyatt Regency Birmingham, on Bridge Street just off Broad St, is The Gentleman and Scholar Pub.

1 Year Anniversary Giveaway

I cannot believe it has been a year today since this blog became Nutella Tasha. Before that, I was Pink Haired Asian and for a brief period, Tasha in my Weird Wide World.

It has been an exciting year, where I have been able to experience some amazing things and I wanted to thank anyone that reads this blog, that has given me an opportunity and has supported me, thank you.

Enough of the mushy stuff, lets get to to the fun stuff!

The Playful Indian (Not Talking About Myself)

How cute is that packaging?!

 The perks of being a blogger is that sometimes, you get sent some amazing products. Last week I got sent some greeting cards and gifts that are currently available at The Playful Indian.

Brummie Bloggers Dinner

Last week, I set a little dinner for a group of bloggers, it was intended to be an informal gathering where we could get to know each other, meet some new or familiar bloggers, and to just enjoy. You probably would have seen the images on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, it was a night full of food and good company. 

I choose The Warehouse Cafe because I love the food there and knew that the relaxed vibe of the venue would be perfect for the event.

We were given samples of the trio of hummus with some deep fried tortilla chips. I haven't thought of doing carrot or beetroot hummus so that was intriguing. I made hummus myself for the first time, a week ago, so I am going to start trying some different varieties of it very soon. 

Chaophraya Cooking Lesson

 A week or so ago, I was invited to Chaophraya to be a guinea pig for their Cookery School Experience. I love thai food, as they use coconut milk more than dairy, so it was a no-brainer for me and I didn't hesitate to say yes.

My Food Place of the Week: Raja Monkey

I have seen many of my fellow bloggers do reviews of Raja Monkey over the last couple of months, so of course I had to go undercover and see what the fuss was about.

My Food Place of the Week: Tamper Coffee

As you would have noticed, I took a little break over the Christmas and New Year period but I am back in this new year with all guns blazing. This year, I intend to have more foodie posts because that is what I want to concentrate on more now, call it a New Year's Resolution for Nutella Tasha.

Whilst visiting a friend in Sheffield, I was able to try a couple of food places and one that definitely tickled my taste buds was Tamper Coffee.

My friend I was visiting, Charlie, and a fellow blogger, Claire aka PinkLittleBean, both recommended this place to me, so of course it was the place to go on my last day of my trip in Sheffield.

The website says that they are "Bringing the very best of New Zealand Cafe culture to Sheffield " and if that is the case, then please book me a flight to New Zealand pronto!