Awaken the pallet... Chilli Pickle - BRIGHTON

So I recently got back from Brighton (was there for work) and my managers took me out for my FIRST EVER curry at an Indian restaurant! Chilli Pickle, located on Brighton’s Jubilee Square, was highly recommended to us and now I highly recommend it to YOU!

If you are ever in Brighton this is a must visit. Although this is my first visit to an Indian restaurant (so I don’t have anything to compare it to) this restaurant had a great atmosphere and very unique cocktails.

Bursting with colour and great energy, The Chilli Pickle is a great venue! One thing I would say is make reservations! When we turned up it was very busy and an hour and a half waiting time. We ended up giving in and sitting on the communal table - we were famished after our hard days work!

Unfortunately The Chilli Pickle only had a small selection of cocktails - However they are unique to the restaurant and compliment the cuisine really well! I tried the Apple Pepper Zin which was a delightfully spicy mix of apple juice, spiced rum, ginger ale, chilli sauce, ginger, lime and black pepper. It really reminded me of the Chilli Martini I had at Dirty Martini (Covent Garden's - love that place!). The spiced rum and apple infusion along with the extra kick of chilli turns this cocktail into a mouth party. I think this is one for the spice lovers out there!

 

 

 

To eat, we had a selection of staters; poppadoms with a variety of chutneys which really did "awaken the pallet", Bombay samosa with yogurt and paneer crispy. For my main I had the Chicken Biryani with mango chutney and a peshwari naan. Let me say the food was AMAZING and the portion sizes very generous! (F.Y.I - I couldn't clean the plate and they had to roll me out of there!)

 

Like a Kid in a Candy Shop… Hong Kong Charlie’s – PORTSMOUTH

Seeing as I live in Portsmouth (and have been for the last  4 years) I had to dedicate my first post to this city! And what better venue to tell you about than Hong Kong Charlie’s! Whenever any of my London friend’s come down to visit I always make sure I bring them here – it has become a bit of a favourite :)

 

Found in the heart of Southsea, this little place earns 10/10 for the novelty of their drinks menu. HKC’s is the only Vodka Bar in Portsmouth and they produce all of their own shots using real sweets and vodka! Starburst, Lovehearts, Foam Bananas, Coca Cola Bottles, – you name it, they probably have the vodka for it! The best ‘shots’ are their frozen chocolate ones! Malteaser, Twix, Toblarone and many more… ‘Corkys’ is no comparison for these babies! More importantly, they have a great selection of COCKTAILS including some of the usual, such as Purple Rain, and some which are not so usual, such as Jelly Baby. Jelly Baby (the one on the left) consists of grenadine, pineapple juice, Smirnoff Red, Archers, Malibu and is topped of with Bols Blue Curacao. It is a seductively sweet cocktail - just the way I like it. And the best part… HKC’s is GREAT value for money! £10 usually gets me a  drink and 3 shots!

 

HKC’s offers a relaxed and chilled environment during the week which is perfect if you’re wanting to go out with a few friends and try something new. Is also great on a Friday/Saturday night before going clubbing – very lively atmosphere and the music is pretty up to date. There is an additional seating area on a basement floor which is perfect if you want to reserve and have a ‘private party’. My friends actually arranged a surprise 21^st for me at this bar last year.

HKC’s is a must visit if you are ever in Portsmouth!