Better Living #3: Get Your Five-A-Day… Without Even Trying!

 

 

The road to healthy living is paved with good intentions: getting more sleep; exercising regularly; drinking more water, and consuming the all-important five portions of fruit and veg every day. There are some lucky people who have no problems getting their five-a-day. And despite the fact that I love fruits and veggies and have no aversion to them, I also love chocolate, cakes, pastries and anything sugary and stodgy, and more often than not, that’s what I opt for – especially when I need to dash. It seems such a mission to remember to eat healthily with my fast-track lifestyle where I’m always on the move.

 

I’ve convinced myself many a time that the jam tart I’m scoffing is actually quite healthy because it contains jam which is made from, er, fruit; that coffee and chocolate are good for you because they are made from beans; chips are made from potatoes which is a vegetable so all good in the hood there, and sugar comes from a plant – need I say more! But seriously,  who am I trying to kid?

SO WHAT COUNTS AS A PORTION?

 

There seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what constitutes a single serving of fruit or vegetables but it’s widely believed to be around 80g. The following are examples of single servings:

• 1 150ml glass of pure fruit juice
• 1 thick slice of pineapple or melon
• 3 heaped tablespoons of pulses or beans
• 1 apple, pear, orange, banana or other similar sized fruit
• 2 plums or kiwi fruit
• 1⁄2 a grapefruit
• 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables
• 1/2 an avocado
• 3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad
• 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins or sultanas
• 3 heaped tablespoons of stewed fruit
• 3 dried apricots
• 1 cupful of grapes, cherries or berries
• 1 small bowl of salad

 

With the exception of potatoes, which are very starchy and aren’t included in the recommended five a day, all other fruit and vegetables count, whether they’re fresh, frozen, dried, tinned, or pure juices.

 

But it’s worth remembering that no matter how much pure, freshly-squeezed juice you drink, it still only counts as one portion owing to certain nutrients being depleted in the juicing process. And because they don’t contain the same vitamins and minerals as other fruit and veg, kidney beans, chick peas, lentils and other pulses also only count as one portion, no matter how much you eat. Therefore in order to get a wide variety of nutrients, it’s advisable to munch on five different types of fruit and veg each day. It’s also worth noting that when people talk about getting their five-a-day, that’s just the minimum amount that we should be consuming every day. Ideally we should be aiming for about seven servings but goodness – it’s sometimes hard enough just getting the five so we’ll concentrate on that for now!

 

To be honest, it’s not actually hard to eat the recommended daily amount of fruit and veg. It’s just that we all live such busy lives these days and we’ve fallen into a pattern of bad eating habits. An ideal healthy eating day for me would see me start with chopped mango and pineapple with yogurt for breakfast; an oaty, apricot flapjack for mid-morning; prawn salad for lunch; a snack of fruit salad; and salmon with spinach, asparagus, broccoli and potatoes for dinner. What could be simpler?

 

I was thinking of ways in which you could effortlessly get the recommended five-a-day where it seems as though you’re not even thinking about it so it doesn’t seem such a drag. Many of the ideas below are things that I’ve tried or that appeal to me, and appear to be effective and not at all unrealistic ways of getting more fruit and veg into your diet. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to change your eating habits overnight, and lifestyle changes always seem a bit daunting but you’ll gradually be able to work your way up to incorporating more fruit and veg into your diet – and once you know how easy it is, you’ll be unstoppable!

1. USE REAL FRUIT INSTEAD OF ARTIFICIAL SYRUPS IN DRINKS

 

I always feel really disappointed when I call into a coffee shop, order a fruity iced drink, smoothie or milkshake – and find them pouring sickly-sweet, synthetic-tasting syrup into the glass instead of blending real fruit.

Well you can’t control what your local coffee shop uses, but you can make delicious cold drinks at home using real fruit. It may take a little more effort than opening a bottle but it’s so worth it!

2. GET SPIRALIZING!

Spiralizing has caught on in a big way where vegetables such as carrots and courgettes are cut into thin, spaghetti-like strands using a spiralizer before being blanched and added to salads or eaten in place of pasta with pesto or tomato-based sauces.

3. CAULIFLOWER ‘RICE’ ISN’T JUST FOR THOSE DOING ATKINS!

 

When I first heard about cauliflower ‘rice’, it was something that Atkins dieters were making as a substitute to rice, where they would pulse cauliflower florets to resemble rice grains.

I don’t really  think it tastes like rice but I do think it’s really delicious. It tastes a lot like the fried cauliflower my mum used to make. It might sound quite bland but with seasoning, herbs, spices, a little chopped onion or crushed garlic, and a lot of imagination it can be very tasty. You can even add egg to it to make egg cauliflower fried ‘rice’!

4. SNACK ON DRIED FRUIT AND FROZEN BERRIES INSTEAD OF SWEETS

 

I do love my sweet, sugary treats but thankfully I also love dried and frozen fruit and it’s a healthier way to get my fix of something sweet.

5. ICE ICE BABY

 

Blend yogurt, and honey with your favourite fruit, pop into ice-lolly moulds and you’ll have a delicious, frozen sweet treat that takes next to no time to prepare.

6. GO BANANAS!

 

Bananas are so versatile and contain a lot of potassium which is great when you need an energy boost -something many of my colleagues know only too well as they’re always bringing bananas to work to snack on. There’s so much you can do with them. You can have them on toast, or blended into a milkshake or smoothies for breakfast; coat them in chocolate and freeze them as an alternative to ice-lollies; mash them into pancake, muffin or cake batter; bake or barbecue them and serve them with ice-cream… the list goes on!

7. DREAM TOPPING

 

Purée some berries with honey and pour over ice-cream as a healthy alternative to sugar-laden ice-cream toppings.

8. JUICY!

 

I don’t know many people who don’t own a juicer – but I know many juicer owners who don’t use them. This is a real shame because fresh, pure juice is so good for you. And of course with a vast array of fruit and veggies available, you can have fun trying to come up with unique flavour combinations.

9. SWAP POTATO CHIPS FOR APPLE CRISPS

 

Slice an apple (or pear) very thinly; place on a baking sheet; place in the oven at a low temperature, and bake until crispy, turning over occasionally.

10. BLEND VEG INTO SHOP BOUGHT FOOD

There are times when we don’t have time to make things from scratch – no matter how much we want to. But you can always add veggies to shop-bought stews or  blend vegetables into shop-bought soups. My grandfather always liked adding mushrooms to frozen pizzas while I tend to add sautéed onion, garlic and mushrooms to shop-bought pasta sauces – something Mr.D. is not happy about!

11. MAKE VEGGIE DESSERTS!

It started with carrot cake but now there seems to be a trend for adding vegetables such as beetroot, sweetcorn, pumpkin and courgette to baked goodies and desserts – and it seems to be going down a storm. It’s great because you can enjoy the sweet treats you love so much AND get the necessary nutrients. So you get the both of best worlds!

12. CHIPS AND DIPS

Ever since I discovered that I can make dips and salsas that taste better than the shop-bought stuff and that they’re so quick and simple to make, I’ve been making delicious guacamoles and spicy salsas to serve with tortilla chips when I want to snack on something in front of the telly. Not only do they taste great but I feel so much healthier.

13. FEEL THE PULSE IN A CAN!

These are a great cupboard stand-by and a good source of fibre. A serving (three tablespoons) of canned beans or lentils can be added to soups, stews, salads etc. And let’s face it – how much effort goes into opening a can?

14. LIVEN UP THAT SALAD

Gone are the days of boring lettuce, cucumber and tomato salads. Today we have a fantastic array of fruits and vegetables available – not to mention awesome dressings – which will change the way you look at salads forever and let’s face it – how hard is it to prepare a salad? My favourite is prawn with mango and avocado with a chilli, lime and coriander dressing. I’d eat it every day if I could!

15. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN’T DO WITH AN AVOCADO???

When I was a kid, there was only one way in which people used to eat avocados and that was halved with a little salt, pepper and lemon juice. Nowadays the humble avocado has come a long way since then, and like the banana, it’s quite versatile, and is even making an appearance in sweet dishes. Salads don’t seem the same without them, and you can add avocados to dips, salsas, smoothies, milkshakes, desserts and is also used as a substitute for butter or cream in cakes and mousses. I even saw a contestant on Come Dine With Me baking them – something I didn’t know you could do with avocados.

My Top Ten Last Meals!

 

 

Mr. D. told me today that if he could live on three meals for the rest of his life, he’d choose steak, pizza and pasta. That’s it – he’d never need any other type of food for the rest of his days on earth. However when he asked me for my top three meals, it was impossible to choose (and no, I wasn’t allowed to choose desserts!) And this is coupled with a colleague asking me what I’d have for my last meal if I was on death row (we do have some strange conversations in the staff room!) and once again I couldn’t decide. I clearly have a more varied palate than Mr. D. and I couldn’t possibly live on just three dishes and neither could I have just one ‘last meal’. For me, you’d have to make it ten!

So if I could only eat ten dishes for the rest of my life, these are the ten I’d choose:

1. ROAST DINNER

 

A roast dinner is a family favourite. It doesn’t matter what kind of roasted meat it is – though when I was growing up it was usually chicken or lamb – but it has to be served with stuffing, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding, or if I’m in the States, biscuits. I always add either red or white wine to the pan while the meat is roasting, and I usually tend to vary the types of vegetables that accompany the dish.

Seriously, who couldn’t love a good roast dinner?

2. CURRIES

 

I’ve never understood people who say that they don’t like curries, usually because they insist it’s too spicy. I don’t like overly spicy food either. I don’t see the point in not being able to taste what you’re eating because you’re mouth is engulfed in flames! But that’s the beauty of curries – you can make them as mild or as spicy as you like. I’m lucky that because of my cultural background, curry was almost always on the menu when we were growing up, and not just curries from the Indian subcontinent either, but also from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Africa and the Caribbean.  There are so many ways of making this very versatile dish, and I can honestly say that I enjoy them all – providing they’re not too spicy of course!

3. NASI LEMAK

 

Nasi Lemak is Malaysia’s national dish, and even though I believe it is traditionally served for breakfast, I could quite happy eat this dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whenever I go to a Malaysian restaurant, I don’t really need to look at the menu, as I know I’m going to choose my favourite Nasi Lemak. This classic dish contains a serving of coconut rice and various other components which can vary but typically include a curry of some kind, fried chicken, an egg, sliced cucumbers, and crispy fried anchovies and peanuts, all served up on a banana leaf.

Delicious!

4. SALMON

 

Mr. D. is a real sweetheart. He knows how much I love salmon so whenever we go out to dinner, he’ll be checking out the menu for my favourite salmon dishes before he’s even decided what he wants!

At home, I’ll usually pan-fry or oven bake the salmon with some lemon, coriander, and maybe a little crushed chilli (if Mr. D.’s OK with that!) But I really don’t mind how it’s cooked, as I know it’ll be delicious. I’ve eaten salmon curried; in a salad; poached; with teriyaki sauce; in a red Thai curry; grilled with a mango salsa, and this weekend I’ll be trying Jamaican jerk salmon for the first time. Bring it on!

But strange as this may sound, I can’t actually stand smoked salmon at all! How bizarre!

5. FISH AND CHIPS

 

This one can hardly be a surprise – I’m from England after all! I didn’t like it very much when I was a child though. I suppose it was because I was a very picky eater and I found fish and chips to be way too greasy. But as I got older I grew to love it. I still don’t like fish and chips if it’s overly greasy, and furthermore the chips have to be thick and chunky; I don’t care much for mushy peas, and the fish should preferably be cod and should always be battered NEVER breaded! Oh and you can hold the ketchup: I prefer to have a squeeze of lemon with chilli and garlic sauces. Not very British, I know, but it hits the spot!

I’ve tried fish and chips in other countries, and even though they’re not bad attempts, they’re obviously no match for the fish and chips at home. However I have to say the fish and chips in Zurich were pretty good!

6. SHEPHERD’S PIE

 

Another British classic that I absolutely love and it takes me right back to my childhood. As fussy as I was during childhood when it came to food, I loved shepherd’s pie and I’d surprise everyone by asking for thirds! Some people – Mr. D. included – might just write off shepherd’s pie as bland slop on a plate but as far as I’m concerned, it means they’re not ‘doing it right.’ Minced lamb in a thick, brown gravy topped with mashed potatoes looks, sounds and tastes boring. Whenever anyone in our family makes it, we always try to jazz it up a bit. You can do that by adding herbs, garlic, cheese, spring greens or mashed root vegetables to the potato topping, and a tin of chopped tomatoes, a dash of Worcestshire sauce  and a load of veggies taste great in the minced lamb and helps to improve the appearance.

Though try as I might, I can never get Mr.D. to have more than a couple of forkfuls.

7. SEAFOOD

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of seafood: crab, lobster, prawns, squid, scallops, clams… I seriously can’t get enough of them. Mr. D. and I went to an American restaurant in London last year where I ordered a kind a stew that had virtually every kind of seafood in a delicious white wine sauce. Bliss!

I’ve tried seafood cooked in many different ways but I believe that the best way of cooking seafood includes a fair bit of spice and zing to bring out the flavour.

8. MINTED LAMB CHOPS

 

Oh my goodness – heaven on a plate! This is something else that takes me back to my childhood as this was something I’d happily guzzle without complaining. It also happens to be my little brother’s favourite dish too. However, as the minted lamb is the star of the show, I like the accompaniments to be quite simple, so it’s just boiled potatoes, savoy cabbage and lashings of gravy for me – just like Mum used to make!

9. TRICOLORE SALAD

 

I love this salad of mozzarella, tomatoes and avocado with a bit of basil. What’s so strange is that I was never a huge fan of cheese or avocado when I was younger but I absolutely love it now, and try to make a tricolore salad whenever I can – and it tastes divine in a wrap!

10. TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

 

OK, so Mr. D. said no desserts but I had to sneak one in here! I’ve never really been an apples, oranges, grapes kind of girl. So if you’re going to serve me any kind of fruit or prepare a fruit salad, tropical’s the only way to go. I could eat mangoes, pineapples, passion fruit, papayas, jack fruit, soursop and kiwi fruit all day long. And it’s better than gorging on cakes and pies (though I adore those too!)

 

Things That Make Me Go Ewwww!

 

I never thought of myself as a fussy person when it comes to food, especially when compared to Mr.D, who has a list of food dislikes that’s almost as tall as he is! I considered myself to be the kind of person who’ll eat anything – or at least give it a try. But a conversation about food the other day made me realise that I had an awful lot of food hates myself. In fact after sharing them with you, I doubt I’ll ever be invited to dinner again!

1. Glacé cherries

This might seem a little ironic considering I love cherries, but they have to be either fresh or dried – I can even live with the tinned variety. But glacé cherries for me are a huge non-no. Their bright, tomato-red colour just puts me off as I know that real cherries aren’t supposed to be that colour. In fact for years I thought that they’re weren’t ‘real’ cherries as they didn’t look or taste like the cherries that I love but they are – they’re maraschino cherries that have been stoned and candied in a sugar syrup.

Even as a child I’ve never liked them, and my dislike for glacé cherries still continues. As much as I adore cherry bakewells, fruit cake and Christmas pudding, I always pick out the offending glacé cherries.

 

2. Smoked salmon

I love, love, love salmon. It’s one of my fave foods. So you’d think I’d be a huge fan of smoked salmon, right? Wrong! Smoked salmon and I never really hit it off. I never liked the taste or the texture. I know it’s considered a luxury delicacy, but I could never acquire a taste for it. In fact, give me a tin of salmon over the smoked stuff any day!

 

3. Quiche

Oh my goodness – if there’s a food I really cannot stomach, it’s quiche. I’ve never liked it and they used to serve the horrid stuff  for school dinners on a regular basis. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a whole slice of quiche. I’ve given it a good go but that taste, that smell… no, just not happening!

 

4. Green banana

Green bananas are usually served in savoury dishes and feature in Caribbean, South American, African and South Asian cuisines – cuisines I enjoy a great deal.   I don’t come across green bananas very often, thankfully. But when I have, I’ve never really enjoyed them so tend to pick them out. I don’t like the texture – and the fact that I believe bananas should be yellow and sweet probably has something to do with my dislike of them!

 

5. Cooked peppers

Now I can eat raw peppers without any problem at all, and I don’t believe that a salad is a salad without them. But for some reason, I don’t enjoy peppers when they’ve been cooked. Unlike many of the foods on this list, I can actually eat cooked peppers but then again I’ve had to – you won’t believe how many dishes contain cooked peppers. It’s just that I’d prefer not to! I don’t really like the flavour or texture of peppers when they’ve been cooked.

 

 

6. Non- peeling oranges

I’ve always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with oranges. One of those things in life that just can’t be explained. But even though I’m happy to OD on oranges when I have a really bad cold, they have to be of the peeling variety. I can’t be doing with all that cutting malarkey. And since childhood, I’ve never been able to stand the sight of those navel oranges – definitely not for me!

 

 

 

7. Soft jelly sweets

Now I’ve always had a sweet tooth so naturally I love sweets. But I don’t like those ultra soft, sugar-coated jelly sweets. I’m not totally sure why – I vaguely remember being sick after eating too many of these as a child so I’m sure that’s got a lot to do with it – but they’ve always made me feel a bit queasy after tucking into a few, so I tend to give them a miss. I prefer the jelly sweets with a harder texture.

 

 

8. Curried/stewed fish

OK, so I love fish, I love curries, and I love stews. I even like fish stews and curries. But I’m very fussy about how the fish is cooked. It has to be in chunks rather than steaks, and there shouldn’t be any huge bones and certainly no skin, as  I hate the texture – all slimy and nasty. Not good!

 

 

9. Duck

Duck is very popular with many people but I personally have never understood the appeal. It has a rather strong flavour that I really don’t like but if I did have to eat it, I’d prefer to have my duck cooked a bit longer than most people would prefer. I’ve tried to get into it but I’ve accepted that my tastebuds are different to everyone else’s and duck just isn’t for me.

 

10. Offal

I reckon it’s a small minority of people who can stomach offal – but I’m not one of them. The smell alone is horribly off-putting, and although I’ve tried classics such as steak and kidney pie, and  liver and onions,  it’s not something that I’m in a hurry to sample again.

 

 

If any of you have any ‘food nasties,’ I’d love to hear about them!

 

 

 

Cinnamon Island: A Taste Of The Exotic

 

Mr. D and I were very lucky to spend the weekend with Mr. D’s uncle who had flown over on business. Eager to show him some of this fantastic country, we took a trip to Dover – a place I hadn’t been to since childhood. As expected, it was a huge hit with Uncle P. but the problems began when we were looking for somewhere to have dinner before hitting the road. Maybe we were just unlucky but it seemed as though Dover is full of recently shut-down restaurants! Plenty of take-away places but nowhere for a proper sit-down meal.

And then we stumbled across Cinnamon Island, a restaurant which specialises in cuisine from the Indian subcontinent. The honest truth was that I was desperate for a tiramisu and a hot chocolate so Italian was my preferred choice that night but we weren’t having a great deal of luck with restaurants. In any case, Cinnamon island didn’t look too bad from the outside so we went in.

So glad we did…

LOCATION: Cinnamon Island is situated in the heart of Dover in a Grade II listed building, not far from the cliffs, pier, Dover Castle and Dover Museum.

INTERIOR: Spread over two floors, the first thing that hits you is the striking décor. Tastefully decorated in a hot, spicy combination of colours including red, mustard and gold, it sounds horribly clashing and could have been very overwhelming and in your face but it actually works. Far from feeling like you’re in an Indian restaurant, you feel as though you’re sat in someone’s home – a sentiment shared by both Mr. D and Uncle P which proves that the overall atmosphere is cosy, intimate and inviting. The two dining areas are not massive but unlike some places where they try to cram in as many tables as possible, they tables are adequately spaced out so diners don’t feel hemmed in.

 

SERVICE: From the moment we set foot in the house, I mean restaurant, we were greeted by friendly staff and made to feel very welcome. We were the first people there that evening so we were able to sit wherever we wished. We ordered poppadums and condiments, and staff were very helpful in explaining what each of the little dishes contained: sweet and spicy tamarind sauce; yogurt with mint; chopped salad; lime pickle; mango chutney and Cinnamon Island’s very own sweet red sauce whose ingredients are a closely guarded secret!

As the menu was quite extensive and the dishes all sounded quite delicious, we couldn’t make up our minds and really took our time deciding. If the waiting staff were annoyed by this, they didn’t show. We didn’t have to wait too long for our food which was a good job as we were famished! Any requests we had were catered for and we were looked after very well. After our meal, we were served with cut orange slices, little glasses of cream liqueurs and After Eight mints. A delightful and unique touch.

FOOD:

Starters

3 plain poppadums

3 spicy poppadoms

condiments

Mains:

Lamb balti with plain white rice (Mr. D.)

Tandoori salmon served on a bed of spiced potatoes with a side order of  mushroom and garlic rice (me)

Flambed salmon bhaja with lemon and ginger rice (Uncle P. )

Garlic and cheese naan bread

Cheese and coriander naan bread

Drinks:

Salty lassi (Uncle P.)

Sweet lassi (Mr. D.)

Mango lassi (me)

After mains:

Calypso coffee (me)

Regular coffee (Uncle P.)

I was torn between the salmon dish and the lamb biryani but eventually chose the tandoori salmon because it sounded unsual and I felt I was unlikely to sample that dish in most other Indian restaurants. Uncle P. chose the highly inventive salmon flambé and we couldn’t wait to check that out.

Our lassis were delicious but I was surprised at how pale my mango one was as when I have ordered it in other restaurants, it had always been a deep orangey-gold colour. It was however, still very tasty but I think I preferred Mr. D’s sweet lassi – something I have never tried before.

On the whole, the food was delicious. Mr. D. loved the lamb balti although it may have needed to be slightly milder for him (he’s still getting used to spicy food!) However,  Uncle P. and I were a little disappointed that our salmon was extremely dry due to it being overcooked. However the flavours were all there so we were still able to eat it – we just wished that it had been a little more moist. I also think that my tandoori salmon needed to come with a separate quantity of sauce as the salmon along with the potatoes needed it to break down the dry texture.

The naan breads were cooked to perfection and we loved our rice dishes which were full of flavour and tasted as delightful as they looked. Our only complaint there was that the quantities of rice were far too small – although the portions of the rest of the food were just right. The food was very neatly presented but I commented to Mr. D. that I didn’t think that Gordon Ramsay would have been too impressed with the abundance of cut vegetables used in the presentation of the dishes which could have come straight out of the 1980s ( we know from being avid Masterchef fans that Gordon is not a fan of such methods) but it added to the kitsch vibe that Cinnamon Island has going on and there was something strangely comforting in seeing that presented on a plate.

 

We had just enough room for dessert which is mine and Uncle P’s favourite course so we took a look at the dessert menu. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a great deal of variety as far as desserts were concerned as the majority of the sweets on offer tended to be ice-cream or sorbets which we didn’t fancy. I understand that most people will be too full but dessert lovers like me would still want something to satisfy the cravings of their sweet-tooth. Exotic fruit salad (not your bog-standard apples, oranges and bananas) or bananas cooked in spiced coconut milk would have been light enough and delish enough to have gone down a treat. Cinnamon Island prides themselves on the fusion elements of their cuisine. Perhaps an eastern twist on a classic panna cotta containing cardamom and served with mango would have won me over… We may not have ordered dessert but  I absolutely loved my calypso coffee which contained just the right amount of rum.

Despite minor problems, we were not at all disappointed with the food. Many Indian restaurants we have frequented have served up food that was too salty; way too spicy to be palatable, and saturated in oil. I am thrilled to say this was not the case at Cinnamon Island. The food was delicately flavoured with just the right amount of spices, seasoning and herbs. Definitely one of the more healthier menus I’ve encountered in a restaurant.

PRICE:

Actually very reasonable and a lot lower than we expected. As we were happy with the food (for the most part!) and extremely happy with the service, we thought it was well worth the money.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:

I don’t know how soon or how often we’ll go to Dover but if we do, we’ll most definitely be paying a visit to Cinnamon Island. We don’t have to think twice about that. Friendly staff; great food; and fantastic ambience… what’s not to like? From the moment we set foot in Cinnamon island we knew that we were in for a dining experience like no other – and we were right! Other diners who arrived after us seemed equally happy and judging by part of a conversation that I overheard, it appears that one set of diners were regulars. If Cinnamon Island was closer to London, we would be happy regulars too! However, I would advise the waiting staff to issue a word of warner to diners at the table to keep back a little – the flames just whooshed up in front of us and Mr. D and I very nearly went home without our eyebrows!

HIGH POINTS:

• Helpful and friendly service with a smile!
• Clean interior with elegant décor.
• Enough space to move around without bumping into other diners.
• Delicious well-spiced, well seasoned food with no ‘nasties’ (i.e.- huge amounts of fat, oil, salt etc.)
• Good size portions.
• Wonderful ambience.
• Didn’t have to wait long for the food.
• Reasonably priced.
• Good choice of drinks.
• Liqueur coffee was to die for!
• Unique special touches (i.e.- serving cut fruit and liqueurs at the end of the meal)

LOW POINTS:

• Salmon was overcooked and dry.
• Need more variety for the dessert menu.
• We needed to be warned to lean back a little when salmon was being flambéed.
• Would have liked the portions of rice to be a little bigger as it was extremely tasty.

Cinnamon Island Dover

1 Cambridge Terrace

Dover, Kent

CT16 1JT

Tel. 01304 241688 / 240185

Mobile: 07894 523142

Open everyday including bank holidays

Lunch 12 noon – 2.30pm

Evening 5PM – 11.30PM