Perfect 'Plaice' for a Chippy - The Ashvale Restaurant, Aberdeen

Have you ever been so hungover that it even hurts to think about physically moving?  I have.  This, my friends, is a short tale, of how a chip shop saved me from the depths of treacherous hangover that knew no bounds.

Picture the scene - your two best friends come to visit you in the Silver City. You stock up on snacks, champagne, wine and gossip to ensure they have a fabulous time.  You decide to visit numerous bars and clubs, drinking Jager Bombs like they are the elixir of life.  Rolling in the door at about 6am, a heavy drunken sleep bestows itself upon you.  Sounds great?  It was.  Until about 5pm.

My friends decided to leave for their journey home late afternoon, and I was suffering terribly.  I longed for a traditional fish supper from The Ashvale, which to this day is still the best chippy I've ever had.  I live on the same road as the chippy, however the thought of leaving my jammies was gut wrenching. So?  I had one delivered.

The very kind staff at The Ashvale understood my predicament, and even delivered the food free of charge to me.  The tangy smell of salt and vinegar hit my nose, and it almost cured me on the spot.

Fish wise, a standard fish supper is a massive fillet of haddock.  They do offer a jumbo haddock, and even one called "The Whale" however normal people would be happy with this.  A light, crispy and sweet batter encases the fillet of flaking fish.  The chips are absolute perfection: slightly crisped at the ends, but ultimately fluffy and saturated with vinegar inside.

A fish supper of the standard size is just over £7, which I think is excellent considering the high quality fish fillets used for each and every meal.  There are chippies all over the place that serve up flimsy fillets of cheap, 'matured' fish, shall I say, which they will charge the same price for.

What's more, you can sit in the restaurant too if you decide not to be a reprobate such as myself.  The staff are friendly, but even better is that the service is superbly quick.  My dad treated me to a sit down chippy when he visited and we were definitely not disappointed.

I believe that the fact The Ashvale has won awards (for 25 years!) speaks for itself, and it's just got the double thumbs up from Foxy.  Definitely one to get on your hit list.




Contact Details:

The Ashvale Restaurant & Takeaway
42-48 Great Western Road
Aberdeen
AB10 6PY

Tel: 01224 596981

Website: http://www.theashvale.co.uk/

Wheelchair access: Yes

A Comeback Post - The Caledonian Thistle Hotel, Aberdeen

I'd like to start off by apologising for my lack of posts.  I was always told you should never start anything off with an apology, but I feel like I owe it to you all.  I've just started a new job, I've moved out into my own flat, I have no internet... first world problems, eh?

I am now a resident of the 'Granite City' so I thought I'd do a post about the food I was getting in the hotel I lived in whilst finding my flat.  The Thistle Caledonian is smack bang in the centre of Aberdeen, literally 50 yards from Union street and overlooking the beautiful gardens on Union Terrace.

So, as I did with my last hotel food post, I shall do a reel of pictures with descriptions for you to gaze upon and lust for - enjoy!

King prawn linguine with garlic bread.  Juicy prawns served in a slightly spiced tomato sauce with sliced vegetables tossed throughout.

Starter: Scallops served with asparagus spears in a lemon & herb dressing.  Three perfectly cooked scallops sat on a bed of mixed beans, and three aldente asparagus sticks.  This was beautiful, and ordered from the Market Menu.  For my main, I had a medium rare fillet steak with peppercorn sauce - slightly overcooked for my liking though.

Peri peri chicken burger with cheese.  This was quite dry, so I slathered it all in mayonnaise.

Lamb cooked medium rare, served with a red wine jus and moroccan cous cous.  This was beautiful, although some of the lamb was fatty, which I don't like.  For dessert I treated myself to the chocolate trio - milk, white and dark chocolate mousse with chocolate wafer balls on top, and a chocolate centre filling.  Beautiful!

This was grilled salmon in a ginger and black soy sauce, served with udon noodles.  This was my favourite dish of my whole stay - Packed with flavours, but really healthy and filling.

When you order a steak and cheese hoagie, you would presume it would be a bit lighter than most.  This was flakes of steak, drowned in sauce on a bed of caramelised onions and a blanket of melted Emmental cheese.  Served with a crisp side salad, french fries and a side order of perfect onion rings.

Overall, the food at the Thistle was good.  There were a few mishaps here and there, but overall it was a wonderful hotel with a great variety of food to suit all moods.  My only gripe was paying a £5 tray charge for room service... what about delivering a tray costs £5?!




Contact Details:

Caledonian Thistle Hotel
10-14 Union Terrace
Aberdeen
AB10 1WE

Tel: 0871 376 9003

Website: www.thistle.com/The-Caledonian

Wheelchair access: Yes