Gingey Bites

18/10/2026

Who's put their heating on this weekend?

If you're not quite prepared to go full winter casserole just yet, this smoky bean stew is a nice autumnal bowl of comfort!

See details below:

Craving comfort food on a rainy day? This family friendly smoky chicken and bean stew is perfect for using what you have in.

16/10/2026

There’s a new noodle review up on the blog. This time it’s the Beef Pho Bo from the ever popular Mama brand.

Find out what I thought and catch up on over 40 other instant noodle reviews whilst you’re there.

Despite having close to 50 instant noodle reviews on my guide, this is the first Phở to appear. Once upon a time, Pho was my …

14/10/2026

We are so lucky to have City Road, here in Cardiff. So many brilliant places to eat, like Saray Restaurant - Cardiff where I ate tonight with my S-I-L Clare. 🔥 😋

Saray is one of several Turkish grill houses there and the delicious smell of meats cooking hit us as we walked in the door. Followed promptly by the sight of a huge open grill and piles of freshly marinated kebabs ready to go. Heaven!

We shared a cold mezze of dips and a basket of bread before both opting for the chicken shish (mine with chips, Clare’s with rice). The food was excellent, especially the baba ganoush, the bread and the chicken shish which was tender and had charred bits in all the right places.

For £45 for two of us, this felt like an absolute bargain. I’ll be headed back soon with Dave and our four year old soon. They won’t be dissapointed!

After all that food we did a walk along the road, popping into various shops along the way. Some baklava may have made its way home with me too…. 👀

What a fantastic part of town - lots of different cultures mixing on one long road. I spotted places selling Thai, Indian, Turkish, Lebanese, African food and more. Love it!

Cardiff Blogs

05/10/2026

A great spread today for lunch at Mokka | Downend • Keynsham in Keynsham with some of my bestest friends. Love 💕

They have a large and varied lunch menu but by far the most exciting options have to be in their small plates section. They do 3 for £19.99 so between three of us we got 9. It was probably too much food but it’s not often the three of us get time together without our kids so we thought sod it! 😂

Here’s what we ordered:

👉 Loaded Hash Browns - Avocado, feta cheese, hot honey, chilli flakes.
👉 Naughty Fries - Melted cheese, chipotle, crispy onion, bacon bits, spring onion.
👉Fig & Goats Cheese Parcels - Caramelised onion.
👉 Nachos - Melted cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños.
👉 Mac ‘N’ Cheese Bites - Sweet chilli dip.
👉 Hot Honey Halloumi Bites - Drizzled with hot honey.
👉 Breaded Duck Bon Bons - Hoison sauce. (ss)

It was all honestly delicious. If you had to push me on it, I’d say the loaded hash browns and mac and cheese bites were the best but it was all good. The halloumi was perhaps a little over cooked but really that’s just me being extra picky.

Portions were handily mostly in threes and the food came out hot and fresh. Really great value for the quality and quantity!

I visited the Downend branch a few weeks ago and had a tuna melt toasty which was good but not a patch on these small plates. They also do a lunch offer - one small plate, fries or a salad for £12.95. Definitely worth trying

03/10/2026

Here’s something I do each month that you might find handy.

By auditing everything in my freezer and cupboards I can plan ahead, avoid food waste and save money on shopping. I don’t do it for fresh stuff but do find this super handy!

And it’s always great to nose through someone else’s food stocks right? Get a load of my freezer! 🥰

25/09/2026

A few weeks ago, I enjoyed 50% off a s**t tonne of Chinese food in a rather grand (if slightly tired) Georgian building in Bristol.

The discount was thanks to using First Table after rediscovering it recently. We used to use it loads before we had our son, but bedtime routines and toddler chaos put paid to that!

This time I booked Cathay Rendezvous Bristol on King Street in Bristol for an early dinner with friends. We went for the three-person set menu and, quite frankly, underestimated how much food was coming 😂

Satay, spring rolls, prawn toast, duck pancakes, black bean beef, sweet & sour chicken, char siu, egg fried rice and veg.

The char siu was dry sadly but everything else was really good. The black bean beef was the standout. Spicy, saucy and so good I was drinking the sauce with a spoon. No shame here! Lol😂

Our bill was just over £73 including tip, so less than £25 each and we were absolutely stuffed.

I’ve written more about First Table, how it works and our Cathay Rendezvous visit over on the blog. Link in bio 👆

If you’re new to First Table, use invite code **ALEXR224** when you sign up for £3 credit towards your first booking fee.

17/09/2026

No filters needed on any of these photos - rainbow coloured food is the best food! 😋

Nachos from BAB HAUS + BAB HAUS MEX and pork gyros bowl from Meat and Greek at Goodsheds in Barry. Both were delicious, no notes.

What a spot! Independent eateries and shops with plenty of covered seating. Think Wapping Wharf / Boxyard / Pop Brixton vibes in miniature but with train carriages!!

And what’s better, you can order food to your table in the kids softplay area (which is in a proper building to the side) Tasty food and drinks for the parents, contained play zone for the kids. Perfection on a rainy day. 🙌

10/09/2026

First time to Caerleon today. Can’t believe this hidden gem is so close to Newport and packed full of history.

Lovely chai cake and coffee to shout home about at Coffiology. Also saw and smelt amazing bacon sarnies on the next table. Next time! 🤤

06/09/2026

Last night we found ourselves at Newport Market after a long time since the last visit. Despite it being early, the place was heaving.

You’ll know if you’ve been following me for a while that we love Korean food and have visited the country several times together with Dave living and working there when he was younger.

Anyway, friends & Lia Kelly - Korean Foodie in Cardiff have been saying for a while that we should go to Bonjuk Newport and finally we did!

Bonjuk is a well known chain of restaurants in South Korea, mostly serving juk (as the name suggests) which is a savoury porridge popular especially in the colder months. The owner told us that although he sells juk, the Welsh palette prefers dishes that are better known here like bibimbap, japchae and Kimbap. He also told us that this is the first Bonjuk franchise in the UK which is pretty cool!

Between two of us and our 4 year old we ate:

👉 Beef bulgogi bibimbap (swipe to see pictures of before and after mixing!)
👉 Japchae
👉 Fried prawns
👉 Prawn tempura kimbap

The food was delicious, as we expected it to be. The kimbap was filld to the brim (and no, it’s not the same as sushi!) and our son polished off almost as much as me.

The bulgogi bibimbap was my favourite. The beef was well seasoned and tender and there was a big dollop of gochujang for seasoning. Remember, bibimbap quite literally means mixed rice so you have to stir before you eat!!

The japchae, a favourite with kindergarten kids, was good but a little peppery - that didn’t stop us wolfing it down but it was perhaps a bit spicy for our son who mostly picked out the mushrooms and egg!

Newport market is a buzzy spot and it was heaving last night so be prepared to wait for food and drinks and if you’re there with a child, bring entertainment!

A great meal, which isn’t too unhealthy and one I’d definitely recommend if you’re in the area!

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