Restaurant Reviews
Wes’
Amy’s Restaurant – Gatwick Hilton
An airport hotel may not be the obvious
choice for a fine dining experience but
tucked in the centre of the hustle and
bustle of a huge 800+ room Hilton at
Gatwick is a real gem.
Amy’s is a contemporary, sophisticated
and airy restaurant that offers
international a la carte dining served
by friendly knowledgeable staff that
make you feel special. Being an airport
hotel there is the perfect opportunity to
people watch and being a Hilton this
often means the odd celebrity can be
seen too, whilst I was there we saw
actress and ‘Bond-girl’ Gemma Arterton
checking in.
red cabbage, smoked sea salt & truffle
oil which was heavenly.
For main course I ordered a 10oz Ribeye
from the grill which arrived perfectly
cooked (rare) with crisp hand-cut chips,
flat mushroom & balsamic roasted vine
cherry tomatoes. To be ‘healthy’ I also
had a caesar salad on the side.
Not having much of a sweet tooth I usually
head for the cheese board rather than a
dessert and I wasn’t disappointed with
the great selection of British cheeses that
came out all served with fruit chutney,
water biscuits & celery (and a glass of port
of course).
On arrival we were seated in a private
raised area to relax on the sofas to
peruse the menu whilst enjoying a glass
of champagne and a delightful array of
delicious canapés.
Minutes from the A23 and with a train
station on its doorstep it really couldn’t be
any easier to get to and of course if you
decide to have a drink you could always
check in and stay the night!
The menu was light on choices for
vegetarians but thankfully I’m a
complete carnivore and the choices
of fish, chicken and grills meant that
choosing was not an easy task. To start,
I opted for a delicate peppered venison
carpaccio that was served with pickled
Prices for starters and desserts range from
£6-£15 and a main course is £14-£39 (£39
is for the mighty Amy’s Mixed Grill!). This
is a great place to dine out whether it be a
special occasion, kick starting your holiday
or with business contacts. It gets a double
thumbs up from me.
HoiSum – 8 Station Street, Eastbourne
I was taken to this little gem of a restaurant,
hidden down what appeared to be a back
alley near Eastbourne station, in December
2013. After a drink in the Greenhouse
next door, we went to HoiSum at about
6.30pm, just after it had opened. I had
been assured by my companion that the
restaurant was very popular but even so I
was quite surprised to see that it already
had a number of customers.
The second half of the Set Menu was
equally delicious; the rice, in particular,
was beautifully cooked. Again, the
portions were generous and my
companion and I began to flag with only
half of the food eaten. We both tried
gallantly to eat more because it was so
delicious and we did not want to waste
it but we were eventually defeated with
about 25% still left.
The restaurant is small but welcoming,
with friendly, polite staff. The menu
consisted of the usual type of fare
one would expect in most Chinese
restaurants and, after a little deliberation,
we settled on one of the Set Menus – B
to be precise.
We washed our food down with a bottle
each of Asian beer (a good selection on
the menu), followed afterwards by a pot
of Chinese tea.
The first part of this Set Menu included
probably the best sesame prawn
toast I have eaten, together with great
chicken satay and lovely little spring
rolls amongst other things. It was all
so delicious, not a scrap was wasted,
despite the generous portions.
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I have no hesitation in recommending
HoiSum. The food is wonderful, the
service quick and friendly, and the price
very reasonable. I cannot recall the
exact cost of 2 set meals, 2 beers and
a pot of tea but it was around £35. The
only thing I would say, it’s probably a
good idea to book in advance or turn up
very early.
Reviewed by Wes Game
Argentina
Alma Andina, Torrontes
New Zealand
Pioneer Block, Pinot Noir
£8 - Laithwaites
£17 - Majestic
With some of the highest vineyards in
the world, Argentina has become the
5th largest wine producing country, just
ahead of Australia. Torrontes is now
Argentina’s signature wine variety with
the best examples coming from high
altitude vineyards (this vineyard is over
5000 feet above sea level!). With warm
days and cool nights, this wine produces
a clear and crisp finish. Some intense
citrus flavours as well as a little hint of
honeysuckle and grapefruit. Add in some
floral aromas and exotic fruit flavours
and you have a great summer wine. Try
something new when out in the sun.
New Zealand has doubled its vineyard
area within the last 10 years due to
the popularity of Sauvignon Blanc.
However Pinor Noir is the dominant
black grape and is also growing its
reputation. Styles and flavours vary
depending on the location and the wine
making process used. This Pinot Noir
uses grapes from 2 different areas to
give additional flavours and aromas.
Bright ruby red in colour tells you that it
is easy to drink and soft on the palate.
With aromas of raspberry and a little
vanilla (from being aged in oak for a
short period), the flavours of redcurrant
and cherries are a delight. There is
plenty to think about with this medium
bodied beauty!
England
Ridgeview Grosvenor,
English Sparkling Wine
£25-30 - Virgin wines or Ridgeview Vineyard
The Multi-Award winning Ridgeview Estate
is based in Ditchling, East Sussex, which
is c100 miles from the Champagne region
of France and has similar soils. English
Sparking Wine is rapidly competing and
beating the top Champagne houses
so watch this space. The Grosvenor is
a “Champagne Style” wine, using the
same traditional methods. It is a Blanc de
Blanc, meaning that it is made from 100%
Chardonnay. The Grosvenor was also
chosen by H M the Queen for one of her
birthday celebrations. It is light and crisp
on the palate with subtle citrus, butter and
toast aromas. It ages well and isn’t as dry
as other Champagnes. Refreshing and
exciting to drink. This is a rare treat for a
very special occasion.
USA
Andrew Quady, Elysium,
Black Muscat
£10 per half bottle - Majestic
Elysium means Heaven or Paradise
and I can see why. There are fewer red
dessert wines, but decided to try this on
a recommendation. Grown in the Central
Valley of California near the town of
Madera, and specialising in dessert wine,
Quady’s moto is “keeping it sweet since
1975”. Dark red in colour the flavours
and sweetness are intense as you would
expect. Rich fruit flavours as well as roselike aromas. I drank this whilst having a
dark chocolate mousse and the flavours
of the wine were still able to cut through
the chocolate. I’m told it also tastes good
poured over ice cream.
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