We became Ladies who Lunch at Giraffe –
Birmingham Grand Central.
So today we became, Ladies who Lunch. We headed into Birmingham City Centre for a lovely lunch at Giraffe which is located in the brand new Birmingham Grand Central on the upper Dining Level with a great open plan restaurant so you can watch the chefs in action.
My lovely friend Toni and I were both complete Giraffe newbies so we were very much so looking forward to our visit. The staff were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The restaurant itself was very bright with a modern open plan layout and although you’re in the middle of a busy shopping centre, you don’t actually feel that way once inside. There’s lots of little features like plants around the edges to help block out the busy outside world. We sat in a comfortable booth made for four which was rather lovely. Around us were happy people laughing, smiling and generally enjoying their lunches. Above us was a beautiful lighting structure which again was very modern, class and beautiful. I really liked it.
We ordered a glass of Prosecco to start with and why not? Ladies who Lunch are allowed a glass of bubbles every now and again, right? The Giraffe Menu is quite large with lots of choice on it. For Starters there’s: Starters, Appetisers and Sharing Platters to choose from. I went for the Chicken Yaki Gyozas whilst Toni chose the Tuscan Lamb Meatballs. Both were very well presented and tastes delicious. For a starter they were decent sized portions.
The Chicken Yaki Gyozas:
Five fried chicken dumplings with an orange & miso glaze. They came served with a nouc cham sweet chilli sauce which was amazing. The dumplings were filled with lovely moist chicken which went down really well. I enjoyed every mouthful of this started although eating all five of them was a little hard to manage but I did it, just about.
The Tuscan Lamb Meatballs:
Four large Tuscan Lamb Meatballs served in a rich tomato sauce topped with lemon yoghurt and gremolata breadcrumbs. Toni really enjoyed her starter and happily complimented the lemon yogurt dressing, she said that added so much flavour to the dish and was really tasty. Again it was a very good sized starter, with four large meatballs and two pieces of warm tortillas on the side, she struggled to eat it all but managed to do so, just about.
For our Mains I chose the Slow-Cooked Jerk Ribs whilst Toni went for the Tuk-Tuk Suck Stir Fry. There was lots of choice on the menu but we both decided we’d try something completely new instead of our usual ‘chicken’ dishes and we were both so happy that we did. Both our meals were delicious, Toni managed to finish all of hers, unlike me.
The Slow-Cooked Jerk Ribs:
The Slow-Cooked Jerk Ribs are slow-cooked pork ribs covered in a hot jerk sauce with a roasted red pepper & mango salsa on the side and a mountain of sweet potato fries too. The plate was huge, I was really impressed with the amount of sweet potato fries that were on my plate. The ribs were really tasty and the sauce was great. It wasn’t too spicy but the flavours were delicious. I managed to eat all of my ribs but just couldn’t fit all the fries in.
The Tuk-Tuk Suck Stir Fry:
The Tuk-Tuk Suck Stir Fry was a large bowl filled with shredded duck, bok choy, mint, wok-fried vegetables and noodles with chilli jam and crispy shallots. Toni was really happy as she loves shredded duck. It wasn’t fatty at all and had a really lovely flavour. Her dish came with chop sticks although Toni had a little trouble getting used to them which was quite funny.
We happily sat chatting for over an hour and a half today. Giraffe is really relaxed place and has a great friendly atmosphere. Being in Grand Central you’re surrounded by shoppers, travellers, ladies who lunch like us and many more people just out for food. The real mix of people makes for a great atmosphere and the staff are all so lovely in there.
Even though we were already feeling a little full by now we still had to try the Deserts seeing as the choices on the Deserts Menu all seemed so amazingly delicious. Toni went for the Hot Choc Brownie whilst I went for the Salted Caramel Sundae… Yum!
The Hot Choc Brownie:
The Hot Choc Brownie was a slice of warm chocolate brownie served with a melting chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top. Toni said it was fab! The brownie was really moist and chocolatey just like a good brownie should be. I’m happy to report, there was one clean plate when she was finished. There were no crumbs left at all.
The Salted Caramel Sundae:
The Salted Caramel Sundae is not you’re usual sundae. It’s the best sundae I’ve EVER had. Two scoops of salted caramel ice cream served with salted pretzels and toffee popcorn. OMG the textures were amazing. The salty ice cream with the crunch of the pretzel and then the sweetness of the toffee was just divine. I think I’ve found myself my new favourite dessert ever! I’ve never had anything quite like it. For such a simple idea, who ever thought of this needs a medal. I will defiantley be going back to Giraffe even if just for Dessert!
We finished off with a Yorkshire Tea for me and a Latte for Toni. I loved the quirky little tea pot and the cute little Giraffe’s on the sugar packs. The Fresh Lemon Wipes also came in useful. There were lots of little things that made our visit so great today. It wasn’t just the tasty food although that is a big part of it. The friendly, smiling staff. The quirky little details and the relaxed atmosphere all added to an extra special afternoon for the both of us.
Toni and I had a fabulous lunch this afternoon and would definatley go back again.
Giraffe Grand Central gets a fantastic thumbs up from us as we just couldn’t fault the place. For Ladies who Lunch, it was everything we had hoped for and more.
Disclosure: I was invited to Giraffe Grand Central to review their restaurant but all the pictures and opinions shown in this review are 100% honest and entirely my own.
