Five problems all Foodies Face

1)

Choosing where to eat out:

You'll probably have an easier time naming your firstborn or choosing your first house.

It normally begins with mentally consulting the list etched into your brain of places you once spotted/read about and promised yourself you'd try. 

Ends in an anxiety-fuelled decision half an hour before the damn place closes.

Currently, I'm experiencing this after moving to Bristol. Tearing my hair out over which Korean restaurant I want to try first? First world problems...

2) 

The only problem worse than number 1, for me, is the cardinal sin of having to eat somewhere you've never heard about.

Picture this, yourself and a few friends meet up after work. A few wines in and you're peckish. Of course, as a self-respecting foodie you've probably planned exactly what you're cooking, but you're a total food-slut and easily swayed.
"Let's try that burger place a few doors down," Hannah recklessly suggests.
Unbelievably, everyone nods in assent, though no one has even been. "Why not?" they say. HA!

You know why not. Each time you eat out is a sacred experience, God forbid you try somewhere really disappointing and spend the evening internally bitching about the tragic excuse of a brioche bun you're eating.
Alas, the ultimate foodie problem is finding the courage to visit a mystery restaurant. Okay, it could be good.. What if it's crap? I mean, surely I've heard of all the good local places already, right?! Is it new? Should I quickly consult the holy bible (TripAdvisor)?
Drink your wine and chill out, Luce.

3) 

Menu meltdown.

Attempting to resist the temptation of reading a menu online before eating out. You're usually the friend who has the menu semi-memorised. In fairness, it's probably a necessity, because god help the poor waitress waiting on your order decision otherwise...

4)

Being a sucker for food fads.

You're the first person to get entranced by the newest popular fad foods that promise to revolutionize the market. Shedding a silent tear as you shell out £6.95 for a tiny bag of Chia Seeds to make your porridge look more instagramable. Note to self, stop calling Avocado 'avo'...

5)

Coping with Airplane/Service Station Food. 

The place where, removed from the exotic delights of a Malaysian Laksa or a Sweet Potato Pakora, your snobbish food habits are fully exposed, as you reluctantly prod a stale Cheese & Pickle as if you might bring it back to life. "excuse me....any chance of a quinoa salad?"

Damn good chilli: Mathilda's Chilli Bar, Stokes Croft

I've always been a firm believe in quality over quantity. I'd much rather have a small, concise menu that doesn't cut corners, than a sprawling menu that takes on too much. 

As such, I bloody loved the concept of Mathilda's: you want chilli? they do chilli, and a damn good one at that. 

Don't expect much else. But if that's a problem, head to your nearest chain pub for a sub-par plate of literally whatever the hell you want. 

Tucked away underground, in the Bearpit between Cabot and Stokes, Mathilda's is easy to miss. It's unassuming amongst the graffiti'd tunnels. A very cool looking place nonetheless. 

Golden syrup pots hold cutlery, glasses are redundant when a can does the job, and decor is minimal. Stylish in a no-frills way. Very Stokes Croft.

Speaking of no frills, the prices are very very reasonable. For £8.50 I had a full meal, and a can of Stowford Press. In fact, the deal was £6.95 for a bean chilli and drink, but I extravagantly splashed out £1.50 to upgrade to a mixed brisket chilli, topped with cheese. Feckin' bargain. 

As my attractively filtered photograph hopefully demonstrates - it's a tasty dish. Thick, well-flavoured chilli was packed with different beans, alongside tender chunks of brisket. 

I'm also pleased to say that, unusually, I didn't even need to reach for the Tabasco because it packed just the right punch of heat. 

The rice was nicely cooked, and the addition of guac and jalapeños were the icing on the cake. 

Ate it all up. Just sorry I didn't leave room for a Sundae.

The onion rings and FRIED PICKLES (!!!!) looked impressive, so you bet your bottom dollar I'll be back to try em.

I really urge you to try this place if you're around - it's so nice to support local, and when it's this good there's no excuse not to. No frilly, just good chilli.

Twitter's here for you folk to keep up on their deals/drool over their photos: 

https://twitter.com/MathildasChilli

Coconut Crazy: Co-Operative Chocolate and Coconut Flavour Bombes

Much like a magpie to a bejewelled necklace or a moth to a flame, it seems there is something inherent that draws me to anything coconut flavour.
Whether its in curries or cakes, rest assured I will find and devour it.

Disappointly, then, is Britain's lack of coconut products on the shelves of our supermarkets. Despite the increasing popularity of coconut oil and milk, for their acclaimed health benefits as 'good fats' and uses in Dairy Free products, there are simply still not enough coconutty foods about, for my liking.

Meandering through the aisles of my local Co-Operative Food, I stumbled upon a box of these chocolatey beauties. Wide-eyed and near dribbling, I of course promptly purchased them and headed home to enjoy them with a cup of tea and a couple of willing reviewer friends.

They are priced at £2 for 4, each of which contains 233 calories.
They consist of chocolate cake, topped with a coconut butter cream and enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate.

Our Thoughts:

Tasty outer layer of chocolate, nice and thick. No complaints here.

The chocolate cake middle that dominates these 'bombes' did not blow us away (pardon the pun),
It is really quite dry. One pal commented that he 'got bored' of eating, whilst waiting for the coconut buttercream.

The coconut buttercream is, by all accounts, the star of the show. Creamy, rich, and coconutty, it provides a lovely companion, moistening the lack-lustre sponge and complimenting the chocolate flavour very well.
However, there is simply not enough of this stuff. As you can see from the image, there is a rather measly cone of buttercream, so you only end up with heavenly mouthfuls when you reach the middle of the bombe.

Another friend commented that she rated the product a 6/10 - but would have given the coconut buttercream alone a solid 8/10.

Concluding Thoughts:

Definitely pleasant, and I would have it again.
But, it would be so much better if the buttercream was evenly distributed, more plentiful - or better yet - the sponge was improved.

To end with another terrible pun: we weren't nuts about it.....