Liz McLarnon falls inlove with flavours

M E N UTHE DAILY POST FOOD AND DRINK GUIDE

Solo suppers

Atomic Kitchen

Hit the heights

Great dishes for one... or two

Meet Panoramic’s chef

NOVEMBER 08

Solo suppers

Atomic Kitchen

Hit the heights

2 DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Advertising Feature The James Monro

Authentic flavoursfrom the Big AppleB

ROUGHT to you by theowners of The Monro, TheJames Monro, servingauthentic New York cuisine.If you’ve enjoyed the fine

dining experience at The Monro, you’llbe delighted with the quality dishes atThe James Monro, which is set to openits doors on Friday, November 21.

The mouth-watering meals combinethe freshest ingredients and seasonalproduce to create innovative dishesfrom the ‘Big Apple’.

From short ribs, Hudson Valleyrabbit and Hangar steak to what anyNew York style restaurant needs, asucculent pasture-raised burger withVermont cheddar – the melting pot ofNew York city is at your fingertips.

The accompaniments don’tdisappoint either, with huckleberry jusand Yukon skordalia, or fingerlingpotatoes.

There is a fine selection forvegetarians too, with Americanchestnut ravioli, pistachio dumplingsand mixed beets with a carrot andcurrant slaw. Additionally, The JamesMonro can also cater for coeliacs andother dietary needs.

A vibrant fusion of flavours andtextures awaits you, embracing theunique mix that is New York style.

And it wouldn’t be New York diningwithout a mouth-watering choice of

desserts to tempt those tastebuds,including Southern-style pancakeswith caramel bananas, cinnamonbutter and vanilla ice cream, MileHigh baked cheesecake, MolassesButtermilk Pound Cake and MamaGeorge’s pumpkin pie to complete yourmemorable dining experience.

The James Monro, situated onTithebarn Street, Liverpool city centre,follows in the tradition of servingdelicious, authentic New York cuisinecooked from scratch. Whether it’s alight lunch, something more special,just a beer or expertly blended

cocktails with friends, look no furtherthan The James Monro.

Opening in time to celebrateChristmas ‘New York style’, The JamesMonro also has a carefully chosenfestive menu that is sure to prove adelight whether you’re with friends,family or colleagues.

Having become a successful, wellregarded restaurant within Liverpool,The Monro in Duke Street was namedafter the first scheduled passengerservice to New York in 1817, which wasnamed after the then US PresidentJames Monro. It was therefore fittingto call The Monro’s second restaurantThe James Monro.

The restaurant offers a completedining and drinking experience withlegendary Stateside service in theheart of Liverpool.

Think you know American food?Think again, experience New Yorkstyle dining at The James Monro, 69Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, L2 2EN, orcall 0151 707 9933 to reserve a table ormake a Christmas booking. The newwebsite can also be found atwww.themonro.com.■ AS a special opening offer, TheJames Monro is offering a free bottle ofwine per person for customerspurchasing a two-course evening meal.Offer runs until December 1.

The James Monro boasts a mouth-watering Christmasmenu, including Postrio’s rack of lamb with madeira,rosemary and black olives

Experience dessert New York-style at the James Monro, withthis delicious Staten IslandStack

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Visit website for special opening offers,history and NEW ideas for Christmas.

James Monro 1779

DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3

Chef’s Table

Working400ft uppresentsuniquechallenges

Hitting the heightsof fine diningEmma Pinch talks toPanoramic’s chef aboutcreating a menu with adifference

IT CAN be hard to feel inspired aboutwhipping up a gourmet meal for onewhen it's just as easy to wait for a readymeal to go “ping” in the microwave, oropen a tin of beans.

Even if you manage to avoid thetemptation of resorting to toast, orworse, eating cereal from the packet,one of the frustrating things aboutcooking for one is the hassle of figuringout how much to make.

This is where new book CleverCooking For One Or Two comes in – notonly are the recipes designed for smallerhouseholds, but they use freshingredients you can buy in the quantityyou need, plus a few store cupboardstandbys.

■ Clever Cooking For One Or Two ispublished by the Dairy Cookbook, priced£9.50 (plus £2 postage and packagingfrom www.dairydiary.co.uk)

RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP(see cover picture)

Ingredients2 large beefsteak tomatoes2tbsp olive oil1 large red pepper, deseeded and cutinto thin strips1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced1tbsp sun-dried tomato pasteFinely grated zest and juice of 1 largeorange600ml/1pt vegetable stockSalt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:1tbsp single or double cream, optionalSmall parsley sprigs to garnish, optional

Method1. Using a small, sharp knife, cut out acone shape from the stalk end of thetomatoes to remove the white, woodycentre.2. Put the tomatoes into a heatproofbowl, cover with boiling water and leaveto stand for two minutes. Using a slottedspoon, remove from water and leave tocool. When cool enough to handle,remove the skins. Cut each tomato inhalf horizontally and remove the seedsthen roughly chop the flesh.3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan,add the red pepper and onion and cookgently for five minutes, or until slightlysoftened.4.Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatopaste, orange zest and juice, and stock.5. Bring soup to the boil, then reduce theheat, cover the pan and cook gently forabout 45 minutes, or until the peppersand onions are softened. Remove thepan from the heat and allow the soup tocool. Then, puree the soup, in batches,in a food processor or blender.6. Place a sieve over a clean saucepanand use the back of a wooden spoon topass the soup through the sieve.7. Reheat the soup, season to taste andserve garnished with a little cream andparsley sprigs.

Tasty mealsfor one or two

HE ALREADYcooks at one ofthe highestaltitude restaur-ants in Britain –

now Panoramic chef ChrisMarshall is seeing his foodhitting the heady heights too.

Panoramic, which sits on the34th floor of Liverpool’s WestTower, has been voted 26th bestrestaurant in the UK inRestaurant Magazine. Judgedby industry peers, critics andthe public, they beat off thelikes of Gordon Ramsey’sClaridges (33), celebrity hauntHakkason (69) and JamieOliver’s 15 (71).

And just last week it waspacked with popstars and musicexecs in town for the MTVawards including Kanye Westand Estelle.

When the restaurant openedin February, Chris, chef director,wanted to create a menu on apar with the best of London’smodern British restaurants,and play with gastronomictrends.

Getting the clientele to matchtheir spirit of adventurousnesswasn’t plain sailing for theriver-view restaurant.

Early dishes included lambrump with sweetbreads, DublinBay prawns with slow cookedpork belly, ears and trotters,beef sirloin with bone marrow,scallops with black pudding andskate wings with chickenwings.

“It’s been a struggle but wethought, once people do trysomething a little differentmaybe they will be converted,”says Chris, 35, who lives inWarrington.

“In our first menus weexperimented with cuts of meatand we’ve learned a few lessons.Maybe it wasn’t the right timeto use pigs ears, but we still tryto be a little bit different. Itseems to be working slowly. Weknow we’re in a totally differentmarket to London and we arevery well aware we have to cookfor the customer not ourselves.”

Some or part of the dishesfound fans, which wasencouraging for Chris and his11-strong kitchen team.

“Skate wings go withchicken, whether it’s chickenmousse or anything,” hecontends, “and that was ourlittle take on it. Some peoplecouldn’t get enough of it, othersfound it wasn’t for them. A lotof people weren’t keen onsweetbreads but they found the

lamb itself fantastic.”Now the trendy nuances are

subtler, like his indulgentversion of meat and potatoes.They’ll offer “spumas” betweencourses – sauce injected withgas to create foams – to edgeclients towards new tastes. Thelunchtime menu is stillexperimental and changesevery Monday.

The beef fillet on the bone isserved with truffle potatoes, foisgras, girelle and trompettemushrooms, in a red wine andbeef stock sauce. The beef iscooked vacuum-sealed at 52Cinside a bag injected with highdensity foam. Cooking in a panbriefly brings the temperatureup to 54C to come out mediumrare.

“I don’t know anywhere elsethat serves beef on the bone.With the fois gras it’s a veryrich combination and that’sbeen very, very popular.”Mutton, long out of culinaryfavour, also sells well.

“We also do a bavette of flanksteak, which is very popular in

the US. It’s cooked for 24 hoursat 54C so it’s pink right the waythrough.”

State-of-the-art kitchenequipment also brings scope forquirky touches. They can’t usegas up in the tower. Instead theyhave magnetised inductionhobs, which boil a pan of waterin 28 seconds.

“We use some different bits ofequipment, like dehydrators tomake powders out of scallopsfor example to put into thepasta, so the pasta tastes ofscallops.”

Chris never imaginedworking in Liverpool.

“The city is progressing veryquickly. We like to keepconstantly evolving. We have alot of talented young lads whowork in the kitchen and if wedon’t carry on teaching themthey’ll go elsewhere.”

Originally from Speke, Chrisreturned to Liverpool afterworking in Jersey and London.

He dreamed of playing forEverton as a boy, but ondiscovering his talent for

cooking capitalised on it,training at Halton College.

He learned most, he says,under Ian Morgan and GaryRhodes in Manchester.

“Attention to detail andconsistency” he nods. “If youare going to dice veg to onequarter of an inch, dice it to aquarter of an inch, not alldifferent kinds of sizes.”

Working 400ft up presentsunique challenges – particularlyto someone with vertigo.

“We have to compete againstthe dazzling views,” he says.“It’s a challenge; dishes have tobe eye-catching and constantlyevolving. It’s hard work but weare trying, and it’s vindicationwhen we get an award like this.

“I’m still not keen on theheight, but I’ve got more used toit. l don’t get too close to theglass and I don’t look down.

“I’ve never worked at thisheight before; not in metresanyway.”

emmapinch@dailypost.co.uk

BY LUCY CORRY

Chef Chris Marshall at Panoramic with his beef fillet on bone dishPicture:HOWARD DAVIES/hd031108pan-4.

4 DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008

I thought winning was a flukeFormer AtomicKitten LizMcLarnon tellsEmma Pinchhow herMastercheftriumphrevealed anunexpectedtalent

THERE are some jobswe expect girlbanders to turn toonce the bubble ofpop superstardom

has burst.Roles on soaps, underwear

lines, children’s books – butgiven past pressures to stay railthin, food ventures might notseem an obvious choice.

But for former members ofAtomic Kitten it’s proving asweet idea.

There’s Natasha Hamiltonwith her bistro H andbar/club/restaurantHamilton’s, and now LizMcLarnon who has revealedan unexpected talent in thekitchen.

Liz’s win on CelebrityMasterchef in July was a

surprise to many. At 27 she wasthe youngest competitor andher natural shyness was the

opposite of chef machismo.But as Liz, who now presents the

National Lottery show, explains, it’s allin the genes.

Her mother, Janet, a counsellor andhypnotherapist, initially trained as achef at catering college, and it was herpassion for creative cooking thatpersuaded Liz to take part.

Now after a stint teaching easyrecipes on GMTV’s LK Today, she’s gota regular spot on UKTV’s MarketKitchen.

“ I did Masterchef because my mumwanted me to,” she laughs.

“She said, ‘Elizabeth you betteragree because you know I love thatshow’. She gave me a proper guilt tripand said, ‘if you love me you will doit’.

“At first I thought winning was afluke, but it’s got to run in the familybecause my little brother is anamazing cook.

“He’d come in at 3am slaughtereddrunk and want to do a stir fry whileI’d be watching Sex in the City andhe’d ask if I wanted to share. It wasalways delicious, even at that time ofnight.

“My mum went to catering collegeand she’s a really, really good cook andwhen I was growing up my mum dideverything, curries, pasta, all sorts ofdifferent foods.

“I remember when my brothercame home from school aged aboutnine, my mum said to him “what didFi

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Christmas Table d’hôte Menu(Tuesday to Thursday) 2 Courses £16.95 - 3 Courses £21.40(Friday & Saturday) 2 Courses £19.95 - 3 Courses £24.40Home Made Soup of the Day • Trio of Melon with Spiced RoastFigs • Pheasant and Quail Terrine • Baked Stuffed Mushrooms •Potted Prawn and Smoked Salmon

Roast Cheshire Turkey - (It’s not Christmas without turkey!)Belly Pork • Venison Borderlaise • Selection of Poached Seafood •Rib Eye Steak • Chestnut and Oyster Mushroom TartletChoose a Dessert or Cheese (£1.00 extra) from the Home Made

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A LA CARTE MENUChoice of 3 Home Made Soups prepared daily £4.95

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Julian’s Restaurant in Hoylake were delightedwith October’s edition of Menu.

“Just wanted to say a BIG THANKYOU for looking after us. Our full page advert intoday’s Daily Post is absolutely fabulous.We will be changing where we advertise next

year and will be advertising much more frequently in the Daily Post.We hope youcontinue the Menu theme for 2009.

Thanks again.

Jackie and Julian”

DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5

Cupboard love

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It costs £149 fromwww.silvernutmeg.com or call0125 482 0478 for stockists.

you have for dinner today?’ And hesaid ‘it was really nice today mum:they did chips, fish fingers and beans’.For him that was exotic.”

Liz says she instinctively knowswhat food marriages will work.

“I’m only reasonably good becauseI’m such a food snob,” she insists. “Ican have a smell and a taste and tellyou what’s in it. I can pick it apart.That’s my talent.”

Being a chef was a tough gig. “Allthe hours standing around on yourfeet all the time. Nine hours on yourfeet with no break.”

As hard as being in a band?“Any band, Girls Aloud who have a

similar schedule to ours, would sayyes, definitely.

“I really, really want to smackanyone who says get a proper job.

“If you worked on the factory line atFord the same hours you’d be earningloads too.

“It’s a really, really tough job to do,especially with all the time you’ve gotto spend promoting.”

Ironically, she hardly needs to cooknow she’s such hot property.

“Since the show I’ve been in Londonworking and eating in TV studios, oreating out for dinner or being takenout by agents,” she says.

“If I’m in Liverpool my mum’ll say Ihaven’t seen you for ages let me cookfor you, and she’ll make chicken andmushroom risotto.”

Liz, who is single reveals herfavourite food is fois gras terrine. Theanimal rights storm about itsproduction it doesn’t unduly concernher.

“I’m not a cheap date,” she smiles.“Any meat you eat has to be killed.

Ignorance is bliss.“To be very very honest I don’t eat

veal but I do eat fois gras. I love it, andI’m a carnivore.”

She’s carved a niche for herselfpresenting pocket-friendly cooking,and she attributes her cost conscious

when it comes to food to her mum.“Everyone is on a budget these days.

At home the favourite game is ‘guesshow much this was?’

“My mum thinks nothing of havingan expensive meal but refuses to paycostly prices for fish for example. Sheruns into Asda and competes withpeople for the knocked down stuff.

“Buying ready meals is ten timesmore expensive than cookingsomething. We’re in the middle of acredit crunch and sometimes it’scheaper to go out than get a readymeal.

“We get a piece of beef and somecream and wine and mushrooms andloads of rice and freeze most of it. Webuy meat in bulk. You’re laughingthen.”

She’s planning to do more withcookery, maybe even a book.

“I’d like to do more with food. ButI’d never open a restaurant. Thatwould be too much like hard work.”

emmapinch@dailypost.co.uk

Liz McClarnon with her trophy after winning Celebrity MasterChef 2008

Liz with fellow Masterchef contestantsMichael Buerk and Julia Bradbury

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6 DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008

World Cuisine

Mel C’s winter warmer

Havana wonderful timeWith its mix of African,Caribbean and Spanishcooking, La Cubanita wasseventh heaven for EmmaJohnson

MEL C, left, has revealed thesecret ingredients in her mum’sScouse to MyDish.co.uk, awebsite dedicated topreserving Britain’s mosttreasured recipes.

As well as recording theingredients, the website alsocollects the stories that go withthem.

Carol Savage, who createdMyDish.co.uk, explains: “Manyof the best recipes can’t befound in the bookshops, butare often tucked away in dustyold recipe books or on scrapsof paper.

“Many of them have been

fine-tuned over generationsand have fantastic stories andmemories behind them – it isthese recipes that we want topreserve.

The former Spice Girl’s food-related memory goes back toher childhood.

“Being a scouser you haveto love three things, TheBeatles, football & scouse (it'skind of genetic!). Scouse is themost delicious stew –comforting, warming andcheap.

“I remember coming homefrom school in the winterfreezing – coats were for

wimps, it was all about trackietops.

“Walking through the frontdoor and smelling thewonderful aroma of a big panof scouse would warm you upinstantly. It has to be eaten withloads of red cabbage andbeetroot. Seconds is a must.”

MEL’S RECIPE

Ingredients900g/2lb neck of lamb, cubed(remove fat first)450g/1lb stewing or braising steakcubed (remove fat first)600ml/1 pint beef stock (plus extra

hot water to topping up)3 onions. peeled and sliced2lb carrots, peeled and chopped9g/2lb potatoes (King Edwards orsimilar floury ones) peeled andquartered

Method1. Cover meat with stock, bring tothe boil, remove scum from thetop, cover and simmer for oneand a half to two hours until meetis tender. Top up with hot water ifrequired.2. Add carrots, onion andpotatoes, and cook for about halfan hour until the vegetables aresoft. Season.

SPANOPHILE. Soundsodd doesn’t it? Justdoesn’t have the samesort of ring to it asAnglophile or

Francophile.However that is what I am. An

unashamed Spanophile. At least Iam when it comes to food. While Iam partial to pasta and not averseto Chinese, it is Spanish dishes thatreally get my tastebuds fired up.

The less kind among my friendswould say that is probably down tomy obsession with three foods –meat, cheese and bread. Somethingthe Spanish also seem to share.

The upshot of this fixation is thatshould any restaurant with theslightest hint of Spanish influenceopen in Liverpool, then I am there.

So it is surprising it took me solong to find my way to La Cubanita.This Cuban restaurant tucked awayin Liverpool’s Campbell Square,opened at the beginning of this yearand describes itself as a unique,restaurant and bar where you canenjoy great Latin food and listen tosome of the best live bands directfrom Cuba.

Unfortunately we went on aTuesday evening early doors somissed out on the band and thesalsa dancing but we definitely gotthe Latin flavours.

Cuban cuisine is a fusion ofSpanish, African and Caribbeancooking, something which isquickly evident when you see themenus at La Cubanita.

There is no getting away fromthe fact that the dishes on the menucan seem a bit samey – most of thestarters and the mains come servedwith rice and beans. But if you havea problem with that you are goingto have to take it up with theCubans not the management(although it would be likelamenting that everything in anItalian restaurant comes withpasta).

I, however, love rice and I love

beans and was won over by most ofthe mouth-watering descriptions onthe menu which made ordering abit of an ordeal.

Just listen to this: Fritura defrijoles (£4.25) or blackeyed beanfritter served with a plantain cremaon a bed of dressed leaves –yummy; or the Cuban speciality ofcroqueta de cerdo y boniato (£4.95)that’s croquette of minced pork and

Cuban sweet potato – doubleyummy.

In the end I opted for the saborde caribe (£5.35) – lobster cake witha charred mango and chilli glaze(although when I ordered theyinformed me this dish was nowdone with salmon not lobster),while my other half ordered theVaca Frita (£4.95), crispy strips ofbeef in a Cuban mojo marinade of

roast garlic and lime juice,accompanied by... rice and beans.

To drink I ordered a large glassof pinot grigio (£3.75) while myhusband went authentic with abottle of Corona (£3).

My husband’s entree was quitethe masterpiece, a tower of rice andbeans topped off with beef andsurrounded by a moat of the Cubanmojo marinade. It tasted as good asit looked and could easily have beena main course given the portionsize.

There was no skimping on thefishcakes either. They were huge,crispy on the outside andfabulously fluffy on the inside. Myonly niggle with this dish would bethat it required more salad and it

was a bit of a mistake to put thefishcakes on top of a paper napkin –cue a bit of picking off.

Onto the main courses andthings continued to please.

I had ordered the manisero conpollo (£15.75). Apparently ittranslates as the Peanut Seller’sSong, and as the name suggests is adish of chicken in a creamy peanutsauce with a hint of garlic, lime,chilli and coconut. It came – youguessed it – with Cuban rice andwas fantastic. Very sweet withmore than a passing resemblanceto satay. Sadly I struggled to finishit.

Again the show-stopper dish wasmy husband’s. He had ordered twoskewers of chicken and chorizo(£15.95 for two or £22.95 for four)from the grill, which arrived ingrand style hanging from awrought iron stand – talk aboutmaking an entrance. Both meatswere succulent and richly flavouredand there was more than enoughsalad to go around, and in betweenmouthfuls I am sure I heard thewords: “we should come hereagain”.

In spite of temptations such asthe Fantasia de Chocolate and FlanCubano, neither of us could findroom for dessert and so it was ourlittle trip down Havana way ended.But I venture it will be an hastaluego not an adios amigos to LaCubanita.

LA CUBANITA, Campbell Street, LiverpoolTel: 0151 709 5335INTERIOR: Richly coloured with red banquettes and the obligatory picturesof Che Guevara.SERVICE: Excellent, very helpful and friendly.BILL: £52.45.VALUE FOR MONEY: Not the cheapest place but you get lots of food!

La Cubanita is a delightful taste of old Havana

DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008 7

Sommelier – Mathew SloaneBest bar none

Mojo, working for youOWNER Mal Evans describesMojo, the latest bar to open itsdoors in Liverpool, as a rock androll cocktail bar. Their ethos is toget as a rich mixture of people in apossible, from 21 to 65, so there’sa relaxed dress and door policy.

Like its sister bars in Leeds andManchester, Liverpool’s Mojosticks to doing what it knows, anddoing it well, so you won’t findfood, alcopops, draught beer orbands with dodgy sound systemshere.

What you do get is carefullychosen classic rock, aconnoisseur’s selection of liquorsand beer served ice-cold.

“The decor is almost like a NewYork dive bar,” says Mal. “There’slots of San Francisco Americanaon the walls. It’s very, veryunpretentious.”

The music builds up throughoutthe evening.

“We might have Bob Dylan onwhen you walk through the door,later a bit of Indie, then The Who,Elvis and The Stones,” says Mal.“We make a point of not being allabout The Beatles.”

A bottled beer costs £3 and ahouse rum punch is £4.50. An“over spec” fridge was importedfrom Milwaukee to keep the beer“the coldest in town”.

It’s open from 5pm until 2am

during the week, and entry is free.The hours and relaxed door

policy are part of Mal’s ethos toattract as rich a mix of people aspossible. “We have students injeans and sneakers, people in suitshaving a drink from work, or for alate night drink after the theatre.The mix of people is what makes abar an interesting joint.”

■ MOJO, The Stables, Back BerryStreet, Liverpool. 0151 707 0828.

I’M NOT sure if it’s an autumnthing but I’ve been feeling veryphilosophical of late. Us winechappies have a penchant forflowery introspection from time

to time, but these past few weeks I’vebeen a lot more concerned with theworkings of the cosmos than onewould normally expect from such abelly button ponderer (sic) as myself.

It is whilst perching on this intellectualpromontory, gazing down on themeandering world of all things liquidthat I shall endeavour to deliver a columnwhich represents my new leaningstowards Chinese philosophy, yin andyang, the divine balance and all that.

Burgundy, in my opinion, is wheregrapes get to live if they’ve enjoyedexcellent karma in a past life. One myfavourite producers made the brilliantdecision to show some wines alongsidesome beautifully obscene cooking atKanye West’s new pad, The LondonCarriageworks. Fortunately Kanyewasn’t in a cooking mood and exiledMackem, Paul Askew was at the helm.

The wines were from outstandingBurgundy producer Joseph Drouhin andhis ambassador talked us through somegreat vintages of his flagship bottles. Idon’t mind telling you that Paul’s trio ofRhug estate lamb with MonsieurDrouhin’s Chorey-les-Beaune was abetter combination than the fantasticarray of body shots that floored ClubberLang in Rocky 3. The intense, earthyconfit of shoulder waltzed around withthis succulent, fresh Pinot Noir and leftus feeling like we’d just helped MichellePfeiffer out of her catsuit, knockout.

I believe there’s a dinner coming upwith Etienne Hugel, who’ll present somesublime stuff from Alsace, check outwww.hopestreethotel.co.uk and I’ll seeyou there.

After tales of decadence I feel obligedto offer some helpful advice, it’s all aboutthe cosmic balance.

I don’t mind telling you that I despiseChristmas shopping, it fills me with aGodzilla-sized hatred.

Salvation has arrived in the shape of awiry mancunian plying his trade at theAlbert Dock. James and Karen McGroryare the proprietors of Vinea, a wine shopthat lets you drink the stuff on thepremises, brilliant. Liverpudlian, Karen,took pity on poor James and allowed himto marry into decent society, in order torepay the kindness shown by her fellowscousers, old James has devised theperfect gift solution to ease our festivewoes – hampers with smart wine,boss chocolates and even a slab oftop cheese if you fancy. Thehampers are bespoke, stick whatyou like in there, if any of myesteemed colleagues arereading this little rant, I’ll havea couple of Rieslings this year,hold the cheese, throw in somechocolate for the maid. Have abrowse on www.vinealiverpool.co.uk or give the littletinker a bell on 0151 707 8962.

So I feel the universal balancehas been restored andmaintained, I shall happilycontemplate the oneness of thecosmos over a glass or two of redstuff in the welcome knowledgethat my Karma is finally intactand the masses will part likethe Red Sea when I eventuallydecide to brave Liverpool One insearch of Audrey Hepburn boxed setsand the latest effigies of pretendwrestlers. Wish me luck, I offer you allthe mojo I can muster in thesetroublesome times.

There’s something foreveryone at Mojo

180-181 ELLIOT STREET,ST. JOHNS SHOPPING CENTRE,

LIVERPOOL, L1 1NHwww.maysumrestaurant.co.uk

PHONE NOW TO BOOK0151 707 6886

Please note: Deposit is required TWO WEEKS prior to Booking Date. Cheques and Cash accepted

OPEN BOXING DAY24hr car park, disabled facilities and baby change. 10% Student and OAP’s discount on food.

Only with valid proof of ID. Fully licenced

CHRISTMAS MENUOpening Times Sun-Thur 11.30am-11.00pm. Fri-Sat 11.30am-12.00 Midnight

Early Booking Highly Recommended

• STARTERS •Mini Spring Roll (V)

Prawn CrakersPrawn Toast

Crispy Chicken ToastSatay Chicken Skewers

Capital Spare Ribs/Chicken Wingssalt and Pepper Tofu/Chicken Wings/Pork Chops

Deep Fried battered vegetables (V)Chicken Nuggets

Salt & Pepper Potatoes (V)Crispy Seaweed

Crispy Won Tun ChickenVietnamesse Spring Rolls (Mince/Pork/Chicken)

Deep Fried Cheese SavouryCrispy Duck

• SOUPS •Won Tun

Vegetarian VermincelliTurkey and Sweetcorn

Hot and Sour (Prawn/Char Sui/Turkey/Mixed Chinese Veg)

• MAIN MEALS •Sweet and Sour (Chicken/Turkey/Pork)

Curry Dishes (Chicken/Turkey/Beef)Szechuen Dishes

(Chicken/Turkey/Beef/Charsui/Roast Duck)Kin Do Dishes

(Chicken/Turkey/Pork/Beef/Charsui/Roast DuckBlackbean Sauce Dishes (Beef/Chicken Wings/Charsui)

Fried Beef and MushroomsMussels in Black Bean SauceSoya Flavoured Chicken Wings

Salt and Pepper Fish Fillets (Fish selection on availability)Sweet Ginger Pineapple Dishes (Roast Duck/Beef/Turkey)Oyster Sauce Dishes (Chicken Roast Duck/Beef/Charsui)

Sauces - Sweet and Sour/Curry/Kindo SauceSalt and Pepper King Prawns

Roast DuckCrispy Roast Belly Pork

Char Sui (Hong Kong Style)Stewed Beef with Kidney Beans

GRAND BUFFET ONLY

• EXTRAS •Steamed Boiled Rice (V)

Egg Fried Rice (V)Vegetable Fired Rice (V)Yeung Chow Fired RiceSingapore Fried RiceFried Soft Noodles (V)

Crispy Noodles (V)Vermicelli (V)

Vegetable Curry (V)Buddha’s Delight (Mixed Vegetables) (V)

Mushroom and Onion Gravy (V)

• DESSERTS/SIDE ORDER/SALADS •Oriental Style Mixed Salad (V), Coleslaw (V), Pasta Salad

(V), Potato Salad (V), Selection of Vegetables (V),Selection of Fresh Fruit (V), Fruit Salad, Selection of Ice

Cream (V), Jelly (V)

• PRICES •Mon-Thur (before 5.30pm) £5.95 (after 5.30pm) £8.95

Fri-Sat (before 5.30pm) £6.45 (after 5.30pm) £9.95Sunday-All day £6.45

Please note: Maximum Stay 1 1/2 hrs

8 DAILY POST Tuesday, November 11, 2008