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Hull Truck Cafe - Michelin star quality food in a casual setting

At the front of the Hull Truck Theatre, nestled in the hustle and bustle of the City streets, lies the Hull Truck Cafe. It appeals to a variety of patrons from the young and shabby chic to the more adventurous and refined palettes.

Strangely casual would be the correct epithet to describe the surroundings, and I was pleasantly surprised by my visit there. I admit, I had been expecting a mediocre meal with a small selection of cheap wines, but I was in for a massive surprise.

They say time flies when you’re having fun. Guess what? Time flies even faster when you’re eating one of the top ten meals you have ever had the pleasure of tucking into on a cold and rainy day.

Upon arrival, we changed tables three times; The leather-chaired tables were too low for eating, the one by the window was too drafty, but the third one was just right.

The menu was very unpretentious and the specials looked amazing. They even have a soup of the day (today was potato and leek - my favourite) and both Amara and I sat back and watched in awe and admiration as the food from previous orders came out. We saw everything from the most amazing sandwiches (stacked incredibly high with amazing ingredients), jacket potatoes with numerous fillings to Eggs Benedict (properly done) being served.

Now let’s get to the more interesting part of this review; the FOOD.
I have travelled extensively throughout the United States, United Kingdom and across the world, dining at some of the best restaurants money can buy, and was literally taken aback by the amazing quality of food.

I can only review what I have eaten today, and will now try to walk you through my culinary experience.

My meal: The Steak and Ale Pie

The Pastry:
At first inspection, the pastry looked average yet home-made. Once I pierced my fork through its outer crust, the layers of flaky perfection crumbled throughout and fell apart like thinly wafers of soft amber glass waiting to be devoured. I immediately presumed that they had their own pastry chef, as pasty that good does not come without years of dedication and experience, but indeed they do not. I shall talk about the lovely chef later in this review.

The Steak:
Having had every type of meat possible, from grass-fed beef to Venezuelan steak, I was already familiar with how outstanding good beef can become if treated well. As it turns out, the steak and ale pie was one of the best meals that I have ever had. It was tenderer than any other steak I have experienced in a pie, with an unexpected depth of flavour, it rivalled the quality of some of the top-dollar, triple-digit meals that I have had in downtown New York City, London or even in Portugal. It was that good. I was convinced it was beef brisket, but the chef later assured me that it was locally-sourced chuck steak that had been slow cooked. Cooked to perfection, I say!

The Twice-Cooked Chunky Chips:
Now the menu does not reveal that these are twice-cooked, but anyone who has ever had the experience of something so devilishly delicious will know the difference, and these were magnificent. Much to my joy, they were not pre-seasoned or salted. I prefer to do that myself.

The Roasted Vegetables:
Drizzled with a slight bit of honey, these were roasted to perfection. Just crispy enough to bite into, yet fully cooked and incredibly delicious.

The Shot of Ale:
Yes, a shot of ale. The meal comes with its very own shot glass full of ale as accompaniment, seeing as it is the same ale that the pie is cooked with. What a splendid idea!

Amara's meal: Honey-Glazed Chorizo with Goats Cheese Risotto:
I have to admit that I am not a big fan of risotto, but this may have changed me. I do love chorizo, and these had a slight tinge of honey to them, complimenting the goat's cheese and tantalising my taste buds, daring me to have just a bit more.

The "side" Caesar Salad:
Literally the largest side salad I have ever seen. Complete with greens, a full chicken breast, poached egg, a fresh anchovy, homemade croutons and dressing and the most divine pan-fried smoked pancetta, I could have easily had this on its own.

The Service:
We had a great waitress who was happy to cater to our every whim, but did not pester us. Finding the right balance between the two is a very hard thing to do, and she has it down to an art. The portions were large, and the staff were more than happy to put everything into small containers for us to take home - a major positive in my eyes.

The Prices:
I was surprised that the prices are very reasonable. Our full meal, complete with drinks, was around £22. Looking back, I paid something similar for a meal at a pub recently, and the quality was nowhere near as good as at the Hull Truck Cafe.

The Wine List:
The wine list is surprisingly better than average, with a selection of House wines as well as champagne. I was also happy to see a good bottle of Rioja on offer for only £20.

The Chef:
As we drew close to finishing our meal, I asked our courteous waitress to ask the chef if we could speak with him. I have rarely done this, but this meal was so incredible, I had to commend him. Much to our surprise, a young and handsome young gentleman named James - the head chef - joined us for a chat and explained his menu to us. He changes it 8 times a year - twice each season to ensure that he can continue to use local produce. He was happy to explain to us details about the food: what meats, spices and ingredients he uses in full detail. He went into details about what types of specials he intends on doing and how he ensures that his fish is caught locally. I enquired about catering for parties and such, and he reassured me that any number of people can be catered for. This may prove handy in the run-up to elections. He seemed to be a man who knows his trade, and knows it well. He clearly understands what the people want, and just how to give it to them.

The Surroundings:
The place looks very 'drop-in cafe'. I think the quality of food deserves better. Perhaps a side room on an evening where people can go for a more intimate culinary experience would be a great alternative. This would be a great place to bring a date to – excellent quality without the pretentiousness of other establishments who could only dream of being a sous chef to the star of the kitchen, James.

The Toilets:
This area is a bone of contention for me. I admit it, I am a toilet snob. I have even stayed in hotels because of the toilets (okay, they were designed by Philippe Starck and I adore him). I have had some amazing meals in places, only to be let down by the state of the toilets and have vowed never to return to them again. The Hull Truck Cafe has very clean and simple toilets, with fresh soap, automatic taps, hot water, plenty of toilet paper, and both a hand dryer AND paper towels. What is that you say, A HAND DRYER AND PAPER TOWELS? You mean I don't have to chap my hands with hot air or use some manky tea towel that every tramp or spotty teenager has used before me? Yes. I am in hand-sanitising heaven here ladies and gentlemen. This alone is worth an extra 10 points!

Areas of Concern:
I was incensed with anger by the cheeky sods that brought their own food in and sat in the cafe taking up space, or even those who were doing nothing but reading a paper, whilst paying customers were waiting for a table. I hope the management tackle this particular issue and come up with some sort of strategy to deal with this. Broke and bohemian theatre types will always be attracted to the place, which is understandably expected but bad for business.

I suspect that either the prices will eventually increase (I would gladly pay twice the price for such decadent deliciousness) or that the talented James will eventually move on. Let's face it, he should really have his own restaurant, complete with Michelin star(s). Talent like his is a rare thing, and he should grab any opportunity to shine by the horns and revel in his success.

We left the Hull Truck Cafe determined to return again, excited with the prospects of trying even more of the delicious and tempting culinary delights on offer. In conclusion, Hull Truck Cafe can literally whip up a culinary storm and I challenge anyone to be dissatisfied with the incredible eatery.

This happens to be the best nail salon in the Hull area HANDS DOWN - and I have been to many many salons.

I have been getting my nails done for 15 years and have never found a salon that is so quick with such high quality. A full set only took 45 minutes.

They do use electric drills, which gives you a much better and faster finish than hand-filed nails.

The salon is clean, relaxing and service is beyond - they take their time and do such a great job with my nails and make sure they are done to a perfect finish.

At Christmas, they had an open bar - basically free alcoholic drinks while you waited. Everything from vodka to rum to wine, just open for you to help yourselves. I really enjoyed this!

Their polish collection is super organized. When I go there, they are neatly aligned by each brand and its shade, which made it super easy for me to pick out the appropriate colors.

You can just walk in and wait, but if you book an appointment with them, you get seen first.

I also didn't feel the pressure to "chat" with them because they just let me be. Not in a rude way or anything. It is always comfortably quiet, which I really appreciate after a long day at work.

They did an excellent job on my nails and toenails. They came out exactly the way I wanted.

They use OPI and Creative brands, which are two of my favourites. They also stock numerous items for you to buy.