THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

Eating Out
A fresh look for Air...
Quality hospitality has always been a key feature
of the LG Arena experience, with amplify, the
Birmingham venue’s hospitality arm, providing
‘the very best in great food, prepared by some of
the UK’s leading award-winning chefs, amazing
seats and live experiences’. Now the LG is
enhancing that experience further with the launch
of its recently refurbished Air restaurant.
Continuing to offer luxurious dining, Air now
boasts an interior which is both premium and
contemporary, a brand new bar and a more spacious
dining area. For further information on Air
and amplify packages, visit www.amplify.co.uk.
The newly refurbished Air restaurant
Top chef award just what the
doctor ordered
A former doctor who’s been in the running for the
Shropshire Council Curry Chef of the Year award
for the past three years has finally won the coveted
title. Dr Ijlal Haider, from Dorrington Old Hall
Persian Cuisine, recently beat off fierce competition
to bag the award at a Radbrook Catering
College event in Shrewsbury. Commenting on his
victory, a delighted Dr Haider, who’s relatively
new to the industry having practised medicine for
twenty-one years, said, “I always thought I would
be the one watching the winner collect the award
after these past years coming so close! It’s just
fantastic - an on-top-of-the-world feeling - to be
the lucky one this time. It means so much to me.”
Tiger Bills roars into Birmingham
A new bar, wok and grill, offering a clever mix of
cuisines from both the East and the West, has
opened on Birmingham’s Broad Street. Authentic
Thai street food such as satays, curries, stir-fries
and soup dishes appear on the Tiger Bills menu,
and are complimented by a Western grill offering
juicy sirloin steak and a huge rack of baby back
ribs. The three hundred-seater restaurant is the
first Tiger Bills in the Midlands.
Classic Italian, in vogue...
REVIEW
At the corner of
Brindleyplace and Oozells
Square is Piccolino, an
Italian restaurant with a
contemporary and stylish
interior. The kitchen looks
out into the restaurant,
allowing diners a peek at
the busy chefs and the
wood-burning oven. But it
was the heated terrace that
took our fancy - the novelty
of eating alfresco on a
rainy evening couldn’t be
resisted. The outside seating
is on low but comfortable
sofas, although my
dinner date found it a little
cramped, as he’s taller
than average. While perusing
the menu, we shared
fresh baked herb focaccia
and crusty Tuscan bread
with the obligatory olive oil
and balsamic dip. On the
recommendation of our
friendly waitress, we
ordered some olives; the
greenest olives I’d ever
seen. Sicilian and bursting
with flavour, they were delicious.
To start, I chose Carpaccio
(£9.95), which came with
parmesan and rocket
salad. The well-matured
beef had been seared
before being sliced, which
added an extra depth to
the flavour. The accompanying
Venetian dressing
was light and lemony, and
offered a wonderful contrast
to the beef. My companion
had Costatine
(£7.95), barbecued short
pork ribs in a smoky sauce
that had a cheeky chilli
kick.
My main was Branzino
(£18.95) - a succulent sea
bass with a scrumptiously
crisped skin, served
straight from the wood
stone oven, with lemon,
garlic and parsley. It was
sublime. My partner went
for risotto with Tuscan
sausage, fennel and basil
(£11.95). There was a fine
balance between the
fennel and basil. Overall
the risotto was creamy and
smooth, with a perfect bite
to the rice. We shared a
side of zucchini frites; thin
strips of courgette fried in
a light batter, they were an
ideal accompaniment for
both dishes. The meal was
pleasantly lubricated by a
Cortese, Araldica,
Piemonte 12 (£18.95), a
beautifully dry, lemony
white wine from northern
Italy.
Unfortunately we couldn’t
stay to try the desserts,
though I did fancy the torta
al cioccolato - a chocolate,
bitter orange and almond
tart.
Throughout the meal our
waitress was personable,
efficient and knowledgeable
when it came to the
menu and specials. In
hindsight, the terrace
wasn’t such a good idea
on a wet evening.
Although it was warm and
comfortable, the square
was wet, grey and lacking
in atmosphere. I found
myself wishing I was
inside. The food itself was
classic Italian fare, perfectly
cooked. My choices
were uncomplicated dishes
in which the simple
ingredients combined to
create delectable flavours.
I’d happily return - and
next time have the torta al
cioccolato. Ted Finlay
Food: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Service: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Ambience: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Overall value ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
OVERALL ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Piccolino
9 Brindleyplace
Birmingham
B1 2HS
Tel: 0121 6343055
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 79