Birmingham, UK. There is hope.

by 11:10 2 comments
The Second City

If you live in Birmingham and happen to enjoy international cuisine you'll notice that the options, despite what you might think you'd find in the Second City, are more limited than expected. For example; the nearest Korean restaurant is in Manchester. That's not to say that the food here is bad - but when you find a gem you learn to cherish it.

Fiesta del Asado

Billed as Birmingham's first Argentinian restaurant this is now our go-to place when we feel like a casual evening out for some guaranteed good food and rather excellent service.


We'd never had Argentinian food before we visited Fiesta del Asado but I can't tell you how glad I am  that we did. This is a restaurant for people with healthy appetites. There are no tiny artisan portions here, but don't think big means done without class - it's satisfying in quantity and quality.

I can't do a dish run-down because we've been so often. What I can do is talk about our favourites.

Starter

Z: Morrones asados - Roasted pequillo peppers stuffed with black olives and feta cheese.
A: Morcilla curada - Traditionally-smoked black sausage flavoured with paprika & sweet caramelised onion.

The roasted peppers are a very light starter that are surprisingly delicate for a dish so packed with flavour. Z usually gets this, else it's the prawns. 

I've tried some other starters, including one of the other sausages, but I go back to the black sausage every time. This is my number one starter, worldwide. I recently went to Marche de Provence in Vilnius and their oxtail in marrowbone starter was real contender, but upon my return to the UK and Feista del Asado the black sausage proved to be the number one. 

What is so good about it? Well the sausage itself is rather heavy, almost like black pudding, and highly flavoured with spices and succulence. It comes with a small contrasting sharp salad that sets it off perfectly. I cannot image lovers of good meat disliking this. It's divine. 

Mains

Z likes the spaghetti, cod or prawns and although I'll venture into the Desde la cocina section of the menu now and then the real meat (pun absolutely intended) is in the De la parrilla section.

Let's not beat around the bush - Argentinian food has a reputation for good steak and you'll not be disappointed here. If the waitress tells you the meat will be tender it will be tender. And juicy and delicious. It's an indulgence, no doubt about it, but beware - these are not small portions. If you're following a black sausage with the Bife de Angosto, and plan on a desert (which you should), you need to know your own limits and be confident about it. 

I'm not actually a fan of beef and I cook with it rarely and order it rarely. I do like a good steak but it has to be a good steak. The beef at Fiesta del Asado is some of the finest I've had. 

Deserts

We always get the pancakes. That's all you need to know. 

Okay, the churros are good too. But we always get the pancakes.



subeffect

Eater, taster, trier, explorer.

2 comments:

  1. There is a great little Korean restaurant called Topokki by the Arcadian.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jim, we'll have a look and review it.

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