Scotland Restaurants / Cafes National
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Josephine's Restaurant (Aberdeen)
by doglover25 Josephine's in a restaurant on Holburn Street, Aberdeen, which has been open for just over 10 years. It serves Italian tapas and has a BYOB (bring your own bottle) policy creating a very relaxed atmosphere. Decor: It has to be said, Josephine's is not the most appealing restaurant if based on looks alone. It is ... amongst a set of terraced shops and businesses and doesn't stand out at all. The exterior looks run down and consists of a large window with stickers detailing the name and type of restaurant. This window is also usually steamed up during open hours so doesn't "invite" you like most restaurants would. The inside decor in Josephine's seems quite dated although I feel it almost suits the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. Food & Drink: I LOVE the food in Josephine's. I am always a fan of tapas anyway as I feel it is a great way to eat amongst friends. It is traditionally Italian/Spanish tapas with dishes like scallops, prawn pil pil and potatoes bravas amongst many others. The tapas dishes are around £6 each and I feel that this is completely reasonable for the size of the dish. Everything I have tried in Josephine's has been perfectly cooked, seasoned and presented; I have never felt let down. As it is BYOB, I have never drank anything from the bar in Josephine's. The corkage fee to take your own alcohol is only £3 and so it is a much cheaper option than most restaurants where a glass of wine is the same price as a bottle in a supermarket. Atmosphere: I feel it's important to stress that there is a very relaxed atmosphere within Josephine's. The manager is not dressed as you would typically find in a restaurant, but I have always found him to be friendly and professional. He also seems to know his menu inside out which is always appreciated when trying to decide what to have! As it is BYOB it can sometimes get a bit rowdy however most of the time it is filled with tables of friends chatting and laughing. I always find there is a relaxed buzz in the restaurant accompanied by relaxed classic rock playing in the background. In my experience I have always found that the staff don't pester you or hurry you out the door and so the evening can really be enjoyed. Overall: I love going to Josephine's for a catch up with friends as I feel it has the perfect atmosphere. If you are looking for tasty food without the fuss then this is definitely the perfect option! I have dropped one star as it isn't the prettiest/most appealing restaurant from the outside. Read the complete review |
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Jimmy Chung's Bar and Chinese Buffet (Scotland)
by VampirePrincess When walking around Edinburgh we noticed a Chinese restaurant right by Waverley Train Station, where we were dropped from the airport. As I love Chinese food we decided we would certainly be giving it a go! Jimmy Chung's Chinese Buffet Restaurant: My Findings: In Birmingham close to where I live there ... are some great Chinese all you can eat buffets, one of my favourites being Big Wok. As Jimmy Chung's is twice the price as my beloved Big Wok I was hoping for something special! As we walked in we were greeting straight away and directed to a table for two, the waiter only gave us a couple of minutes before coming back to take our drinks order. As this was our first time here, I personally would have found it nicer if the waiter had told us 'when you're ready, please go help yourself'. However I had to ask if it was ok to just go up. The restaurant was set out well, even though there was a lot of tables you still had a good amount of space and wasn't right on top of one another. At the back of the restaurant there was even a place to sit and eat outside. However it was closed off, I'm guessing it was closed due to the time of year being on the chilly side. Warm plates awaited you and your cutlery was already on your table but still a set out if you wanted more. Luckily when going up to the buffet everything was clearly labeled, so it was easy to see what we wanted to try. It was set out in sections, vegetarian and starters, mains and soups then a third section for desserts. It also stated that sushi was available however I didn't see any but that didn't bother me as I don't like it anyway. If you would like to see there menu it can be found here - www.jimmy-chungs.com/buffet-menus The cleanliness of the whole buffet and surrounding areas was immaculate which is something I personally always look for. There was a chief/waiter by the buffet making sure it stayed clean and the food items where kept stocked. He was also friendly and you could ask him any questions you wanted regarding the food. Being vegetarian can sometimes be a pain when it comes to buffets as they normally seem dominated by meat. However I was really surprised as the vegetarian options were rather good, and even better they tasted amazing! I must admit I did pig out a fair bit, my starter I had spring rolls, spicy vegetable samosa, egg fried rice and curry sauce! All of which I really enjoyed and the curry sauce was sweeter than ones I have tried before but still lovely. After each dish and the waiter saw it was finished with on your table it was soon taken away. When drinks were gone they soon asked if you wanted more, so they really did keep an eye on you. So my second time up I had foo young, chow mien, mixed vegetable and sweet and sour sauce! I really was in heaven and writing this review and thinking of the food I want it all over again! The toilet facilities where clean and kept well, which is always a plus in any restaurant as I personally don't like using the toilets when I'm out but there is only so long you can hold it in! The bar area was neat and presented well, but you didn't really need to go to the bar yourself as the waiters took care of all your orders. For the desserts there was a nice little selection, I enjoyed a fruit salad and banana fritters. I must admit they were the best fritters I have even eaten at a Chinese. My partner went for a few helpings of ice creams and sponge cakes. My partner being a meat eater tried a few more dishes than me and even he really enjoyed the food. So all in all paying more than we normally do was worth it for our lovely meal. Price and Availability: Lunch - Monday - Thursday Adults: £7.99 Children under 11 years or under 135 cm £ 5.49 Friday - Sunday Adults: £8.99 Children under 11 years or under 135cm £ 5.99 Dinner - Monday - Thursday Adults: £11.49 children under 11 years or under 135 cm £ 6.49 Friday - Sunday Adults: £ 13.49 per person children under 11 years or under 135 cm £ 7.49 Overall: For me I really enjoyed the food, it was cooked well and tasted lovely. When I go back to Edinburgh I will certainly be visiting here again! The drinks were reasonable priced, the whole ambiance was great and I was comfortable which really does go along way. The restaurant is also wheelchair friendly. Five out of five stars from me. Thank you for reading. Additional Information: Opening Times - 11:45 till 23:00 hours Jimmy Chung's, 17 Waverley Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1BQ Tel: 0131 556 3313 Fax: 0131 556 3393 E-mail: jcwaverley@hotmail.co.uk www.jimmy-chungs.com/waverley-location/ Read the complete review |
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Hup Lee (Motherwell)
by angelboouk ~The Restaurant - Location and Layout~ 131 Merry Street Motherwell ML1 1JP Hup Lee is a Chinese buffet restaurant located in Motherwell, Lanarkshire. It is a five minute walk from the main shopping area and has a small car park to the rear of the building. Hup Lee occupies the former Untouchables ... (wallpaper shop) building. The exterior of the restaurant is welcoming with large windows allowing a decent amount of natural lighting into the restaurant. There are two gold coloured dragon statues outside too. Inside, there are various seating options available and they can accommodate various sized parties. The layout of the restaurant is spacious and as the restaurant is set across one level, it is perfectly suitable for those who are disabled. Various sized tables and booths make up the bulk of the restaurant and the wooden tables are of a high quality. The decor is stylish and modern. Hup Lee have a karaoke room to the rear of the restaurant. There is also a seating area if the restaurant is busy and a cloakroom. Prams can also be left in this area. A large television is in this area too. The toilets are just past the bar and there is a disabled toilet and baby changing available. The ladies toilets are very modern and clean. Highchairs are available. Lunch is available from 12noon (12.30 on a Sunday) to 4.15pm each day. Dinner is available from 5pm to 10pm (11pm Friday and Saturday night). ~Service~ When you arrive at the restaurant, you will be shown to your table and drinks orders are promptly taken. You can then help yourself to the food on offer. Any staff we have encountered are friendly enough and quick to clear plates and replenish food. I have noticed in many buffet restaurants that the staff linger and watch to make sure you aren't wasting food (they charge for heavy wastage). I don't like this as I feel a little rushed and intimidated by the constant lingering. The restaurant excepts cash and card payments. ~Food On Offer~ Lunch - £7.80 (adults) and £5.60 (children under 1.5m) Dinner - £12.90 (adults) and £8.90 (children) Karaoke and Buffet - £16.80 The majority of the dishes are available all day (lunch and dinner) with a few additional dishes being added in the evening. The buffet area isn't the most spacious but is clean and well replenished. The buffet area is split into a few different sections. *Starters - there is a chilled cabinet with various salad bits (eggs, coleslaw etc) and prawn cocktail. There is always two types of soup on offer such as chicken noodle or cream of chicken alongside bread and butter. *Main courses - lots of choice here including typical options such as curry, spare ribs, rice, chips, omelette and chow mein. There are a few vegetarian options available (cauliflower cheese being one) but the majority of substantial dishes are meat based. In the evening, dishes such as sirloin steak are available. *Desserts - the chiller cabinet offers gateaux and jelly. There are lots of ice cream flavours and toppings available. Apple pies, banana fritters and pineapple fritters too. In the evening, they also offer a chocolate fountain with sticks of marshmallows, shortbread and various fruit. Fresh fruit is also available including watermelon and orange segments. Drinks are priced individually. For a while, Hup Lee didn't have an alcohol licence but this seems to have been rectified and they serve various spirits and beers. Soft drinks are also available but typically overpriced. A pint of Cola is priced at £2.50 for example. ~Why Hup Lee?~ When Hup Lee first opened, a lot of business was taken away from local restaurants. It is the only buffet restaurant in Motherwell so it was a bit of a novelty for our community. I have dined here around 10 times or so over the past 2 years with my fiance, with my son and with family. I do feel it is expensive especially if you are dining with young children who no longer sit in a highchair for meals. Whenever we dined with our young son, we weren't charged for him as long as he didn't take a plate and was in the highchair. They accommodate families but aren't particularly chatty with the children. My most recent visit to Hup Lee was yesterday. I cannot say it would have been my first choice of restaurant but my friend had never been before and as she was paying, it was her choice! We dined here with my 4 year old son who is a particularly fussy eater but there is always plenty of choice at a buffet for him and we made sure he got his moneys worth! The restaurant is nearly always busy when we pass and they must do a roaring trade. I will base my experience mainly on yesterdays visit but will also take into consideration past visits. ~Food Quality~ We were seated quickly and ordered some juice and a Fruit Shoot for my son. The food is plentiful and there is something to suit everyone. The food is always piping hot and fresh which is always a good sign. The range of food isn't exactly adventurous - it is fairly basic. One thing I am not keen on is the prawns being in the same chiller cabinet as the jelly and fruit - it just doesn't seem normal! I don't visit a buffet to devour salad but the prawn cocktail has always been a hit with my fiance and my friend did enjoy hers. I always opt for soup and in particular, the cream of chicken soup. I absolutely love Chinese soup but find it to be a little on the thin side compared to the nearby Mandarin restaurant. It is nice enough though and there is plenty of chicken but it could be doing with being a little thicker. The bread is thickly sliced and usually tasty if you get some when it is replenished otherwise it can be a little hard. I had a small amount of pasta from the chiller which was cold and quite flavoursome. I don't think you could go hungry at Hup Lee as the main course options are quite filling and typically Chinese. It would be very easy to fill plate after plate but I tend to limit how much I eat to avoid wastage. The food is of a decent quality in my opinion but nothing outstanding. There is possibly 20-30 split sections in the main buffet area. The rice is moist and there is a choice of egg fried, chicken or plain boiled rice to suit all. I put together a plate of various bits for my fussy son including prawn crackers, chicken balls, fried rice, bread with butter and he thoroughly enjoyed his meal. Whenever we have visited with my nephew (he eats anything) he definitely gets his monies worth and will take a more 'colourful' plate of food. My friend said she appreciated the selection of food on offer and she is quite fussy too. She piled her plate with curries, rice, noodles and chips - all of which she polished off. I love my food and opted for a plate of various bits and pieces. The food was pleasant enough for the main part. I don't bother with curry in restaurants as I prefer to choose dishes which I wouldn't normally order from my local Chinese takeaway. The salt and pepper chips were crunchy and nicely seasoned if you want something a little more flavoursome than regular chips. The chicken balls were nice but the spare ribs were lacking flavour and meat. The prawn crackers were delicious as always and cooked just right. The Hong Kong chicken is delicious and has a lovely rich, sweet and sour like sauce which coats the battered chicken perfectly. I opted for something a bit different yesterday - salt and pepper chicken. It was chicken with a breadcrumb coating and slightly spicy. I enjoyed that. The chow mein is also good with the noodles being cooked to the right consistency. Whilst there are many 'dry' options (rice/noodles etc), there are plenty of saucy dishes to top them and make a filling meal. I enjoyed my meal but it wasn't amazing. There is a good balance of spicy and regular seasoned food so this will suit more tastes. If you aren't fond of spicy foods, you could still slap a meal together of chicken Maryland, chips and veg if you wanted! I do like the steak they offer at night time as it is always cooked nicely and lovely cuts of meat as well as plenty of onion and vegetables - perfect with some chips. I usually fill my plate with the steak to get my monies worth :) Dessert choice on our recent visit included little chocolate and cream sponge rolls which my son enjoyed. My son wanted some ice cream which he enjoyed. My friend opted for some gateaux (they had chocolate or strawberry on offer) but I avoided as the strawberry had nuts. She said it was nice enough but could have been doing with being defrosted a little more. I had some jelly cubes which are very colourful but a weird texture compared to the jelly I make at home. I had some strawberry ice cream and mini marshmallows too. I also opted for some banana and pineapple fritters which I love from Hup Lee due to the seasame and coconut coatings though some may not like this additional coating. I do like dining in the evening as the chocolate fountain is amazing! ~Conclusion~ Our bill for 2 adults buffets, 1 child buffet, a cordial drink, a pint of Coca Cola and two cans of Sprite came to £29.90. My friend said she thought the food was nice enough but not really worth the price if you don't eat a massive amount. Both of us prefer the Chinese we usually go to for lunch as we can get a 3 course for under £7.00 and the food is more wholesome and tastier overall. Service is much more friendly too. We paid by cash and left. Overall if you want to dine at a buffet then by all means, go to Hup Lee in Motherwell. If you want a more relaxed, less rushed restaurant where it is more comfortable and even better food, I recommend the nearby Mandarin restaurant. Hup Lee isn't a bad place for a bite to eat but I do find that other restaurants offer more value for money. I totally grudge paying £5.60 for a toddler and do feel an under 5 price would be better as surely a 10 year old will eat more than a 3 year old? Thanks for reading :) Originally posted on Ciao June 2012. Read the complete review |
Scotland Restaurant / Cafe National |
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Address: New Jerviston House / Restaurant / Cafe National / Merry Street / Motherwell ML1 4UG |
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Restaurant / Cafe National / Address: The Mint Bar and Restaurant, 16 Academy Street, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland ML5 3AU |
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Restaurant / Cafe National / Address: Tony Macaroni Motherwell, 352 Brandon Street, ML1 1AX |
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1 review Restaurant / Cafe National / Address: 32 Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1TA |
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1 review Address: East Kilbride Shopping Centre, Centre West / Restaurant / Cafe National / Tapas restaurant in East Kilbride |
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1 review Cuisine: Mexican / Restaurant / Cafe National / Restaurants / Cafes National / Location: 64 Thistle Street, Edinburgh |
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1 review Address: 1 Princes Street / Restaurant / Cafe National / Edinburgh EH2 2EQ / Tel: 0131 557 5000 |
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1 review Address: 44-46 George IV Bridge / Restaurant / Cafe National / Edinburgh EH1 1EJ / Scotland / Tel: 0131 226 4155 |
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1 review Cuisine: Chinese / Restaurant / Cafe National / Address: 43 Union Road, Falkirk FK1 4PG / Tel: 01324 611288 |
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1 review Cuisine: Asian / Restaurant / Cafe National / Noodles / Address: 97-103 west george street, Glasgow, G2 1PB / Tel: +44 (0) 141 229 1468 |
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