Noel Par Chef Fregz

The Christmas holiday is hands down the best holiday of the entire year. Not only do we get to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, we get to stuff our faces with food for days on end. Can I get an Amen!!?

Christmas with my family is the same every year. The girls spend endless hours cooking an array of dishes, we all 'over eat'and drink and pass out in front of the T.V. This year was no different. By the 29th however, we were all out of leftovers and I remembered there was some foodie event and so off I went to the GET Arena for Chef Fregz Special.( okay I didn't just remember, I had this circled on my calendar for months)

The Chef:

So I had read quite a bit about this French trained chef and to be honest I thought he was going to be super snobbish, so I was kind of ready not to like him. To my surprise he was really nice, like REALLY nice. He took time out from the kitchen to say hello to guests and make sure everyone was satisfied. So even if the food wasn't so great (the food was amazing), I would love it either way.

The Menu: The Menu had a musical theme with dishes named after the hottest Nigerian songs of 2013. Three main meals named So le? Eminado and Pull over. My least favourite song out of the three is Eminado(sorry Tiwa) so I tried out everything except that.

The Food:

SO LE? : So le was described in the menu as chicken pieces marinated with lemongrass, whole spices and a touch of efirin leaves. A yellow coconut curry formed the lake which  surrounded a very generous island of fried rice. Despite the attractive presentation, I thought the answer to the question So le would be Ko le. But there I go judging the dish without tasting it. This dish was off the charts. One of my tasting buddies almost licked the plate clean.

The curry sauce was fiercely flavourful and the touch of efirin leaves was a perfect combo of gourmet meets local cuisine. So le? O le gaan.


PULLOVER: Now singing ' Park! Baby o pullover ,' as the smiling waitress brought out the second meal.
It was smoked beef fillets with cranberry salsa sauce and cheese wrapped in a soft freshly made tortilla.

The abundance of black beans and rice(and duh the tortilla) reminded me vaguely of a Mexican taco. The sweet cranberry with smoked beef wasn't really cutting it for me, but the burst of cheese right in the middle made up for it.

DESSERT:
XO: I think I died and went to heaven when I had the XO which was a strawberry cheese cake with fresh strawberries in it.

I could eat this for the rest of my life

imagine an engagement ring hidden in this. just a hint fellas!

So the cake didn't quite set so it ended up being a bit of a custard but it was undoubtedly the most delectable dessert I've had all year. The crunchy crushed biscuit with the creamy strawberry was just decadence on a plate.

 Delivery Time: The meals came out about twenty minutes after the orders were placed, and the dessert in less than five minutes. For the presentation and taste, I think that was pretty fast.

Being the 12th Edition of Chef Fregz's Special, Chef Fregz is clearly not a novice and knows exactly what he's doing. He's been able to tailor his French culinary skills to suit the average Nigerian's palate and create dishes that are impeccably michellin starred restaurant standard and yet not too pretentious. He's definitely one to watch out for.

*  Chef Fregz is available for events. Send an e-mail to info@cheffregz.com.  
Happy Holidays Everyone, see you in the new year. 

Hola Mexico !!!

Lagos is a cultural melting pot of not just different tribes, but also different nationalities, many of whom have been kind enough to share their local cuisine with us. In a quest for some Mexican and 'Tex-Mex' cuisine,which is reasonably rare in these parts, I discovered Bottles Restaurant.

Tucked away in a duplex in Victoria-Island, you almost drive past, because you think it's a residential premises. But the minute you walk in through the door, guarded by two 'totem' like light poles, it's like you stepped into a portal and have been teleported either to Mexico or the set of an old Mexican movie.

The Menu: with a menu twice the size of two A4 papers, filled up with Mexican specialities and Tex-Mex Cuisine, you are definitely spoilt for choice and a little overwhelmed with what to try out. What's great about the menu is that it's very precise and descriptive especially about what you are ordering so you know exactly what a dish is made of.

The Food!!!:

The Entree:

The 'awesomeness' of this place knows no bounds. The minute you sit down, you are presented with a 'COMPLIMENTARY' and very generous serving of Tortilla chips and dip. The dip is a surprisingly nice mix of raw tomatoes, red and green peppers, doused with a sprinkle of ground pepper which gives you an insight into the spicy and fiery reputation mexican food has. You can snack on this while you skim through the menu or while you wait for your food to be served.

The main Dish

Enchilada : This is a divine mix of taco beef, chicken breast, spinach and cheese rolled into a soft flour tortilla, and topped yet again with cheese. The enchilada is usually either beef or chicken, but they can mix it up so you have chicken on one end and beef on the other. The texture of the filling is delicate and near perfection. The cheese topping is a great accompliment to the spicy hot chicken and beef waiting to be uncovered underneath.

Tacos: This comes in either hard or soft shell, and it is a wrap generously filled with lettuce, tomatoes and a choice of either chicken of beef. It almost tastes like a sharwama but wayyy better. Despite the fact that the soft shell is quite delicate, it doesn't fall apart and leave you looking like a messy eater.

Most dishes are served with a side of beans(which is a staple in mexican cuisine, not to worry it's not ewa agoyin) and jollof rice, and ode perhaps to us here.

The Margarita!!!!
Sooo...I was going to order the non- alchoholic virgin magharita, but who does Mexican, the birth place of the margarita without trying a real margarita!!

And so I got the house special, frozen magharita! This is one of those dangerous drinks that taste so sweet and amazing you keep drinking until your glass is empty and you are left winking at everyone that passes by(tequila content at work!!). Highly recommended. The alcohol filled snow cone stays frozen even after half an hour of slowly sipping the icy delight.

Delivery Time : The main courses were served between 15 to 20 minutes of the order being taken, which was reasonably fair considering the fact that you get to snack on those crisp tortillas.

Portion control : One plate of whatever you order is enough for two people to share, especially since you're reasonably filled up courtesy the free entree, not to forget the cheese topped beans.

The Staff : The staff are very friendly and helpful when it comes to recommending combos you can try. They also don't do the whole 'breathing down your neck till you decided what to order' skit.

Specials:
Tuesday nights offer an all you can eat of chicken wings and beer at a very fair rate.

Wednesday and Saturday nights also involve a wicked live band, worth checking out.

Ambiance: I saved the ambiance for last, because there are so many cool details that come together to infuse the North American culture. In addition to the Sombreros decorating the bar and the multicoloured chairs, the entire space is littered with artefacts and figurines that clearly have a Mexican influence. Like the name suggests, there are bottles on each table with a candle tucked into it, giving a very rustic and homey feel to the place. It's definitely not just about the food,it's a cultural experience.

Fun outdoor sitting!

Last Words!!!  

Bottles Restaurant is a great way to experience Mexican Cuisine, with a breathtaking ambiance,  and has earned themselves a FIVE STAR rating *****, wish I could give them more stars, but hey, five's the limit!!

Bottles is at No.8, Imam Augusto Close, Olosa Street, Victoria-Island,Lagos.