*Gifted – restaurant review *

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a restaurant review on here but I’ve been itching to get back into it and recently I had an incredible meal at The New Valley in Bishopston, Swansea which made me excited to write about food again.

Ryan, the head chef has worked in some of Wales’ best restaurants and it shows. We sat down for a chat when I first arrived and it was a pleasure to talk to someone with such an obvious excitement and passion for food. Along with Wayne Rees and Louise Price ( the co owners ) he has helped to reinvent this pub and they’ve turned it into a cosy, rustic but stylish place to relax and enjoy outstanding food. They have created an enticing menu with fresh, local ingredients and use local butchers and fishmongers which I think is important.

On arrival the outside of the pub was bustling with customers enjoying the sunshine and a cool drink, we opted to eat inside as my sister gets cold even in the blazing sun but it looks like a lovely place for a spot of al fresco dining.

We were invited to try out the new street food menu and I did something I don’t do very often and left my food choices to the chef! I was a bit wary as there were one or two things I wouldn’t typically choose on the menu but I am very glad that I left it in his capable hands as I was blown away.

A sharing dish of Calamari was brought out to start and this was the dish I wouldn’t have chosen. I rarely order seafood other than salmon and tend to only eat it on tasting menus. When it appeared on the table I had a brief moment of OOPS I should have chosen myself but the oops was short lived and quickly replaced with a surprised delight.

I think perhaps I have just never eaten perfectly cooked Calamari. Cooked in panko breadcrumbs and served with mango mayo, soy, sesame and Sriracha ketchup which I wish I could buy by the bottle and toasted nori, black sesame and crispy onions. It was a flavour explosion and the texture and sauces worked perfectly. I shared these with my willing assistant ( my sister) who does not like seafood and unfortunately she loved them as well which is a real shame as I’d have happily devoured them all.

Next up I had the Louisianna chick with skin on fries. It is a very generous serving and once again the combination of flavours just worked. There was a vibrant freshness from the spring onion and coriander salad, texture from the crispy onions and an incredible sticky smoky bourbon bbq sauce and the chicken was beautifully tender with a crispy coating. The skin on fries were outstanding, so often the fries are a let down but definitely not here. They were the perfect accompaniment. This dish has a little bit of heat but it doesn’t overwhelm or take away from the taste.

My less adventurous sister chose her own main and went for the El Jefe Nachos. Whipped avocado, salsa fresca, jalapeños and cheddar with a mixed bean chilli. I had to have a taste of hers as well ( for research purposes ) and it was beautifully presented and so tasty. Special shout out for the creamiest whipped avocado.

I was technically too full for a dessert when it was offered but my sister had her eye on the triple chocolate brownie from the moment we arrived so we shared that. It is definitely big enough to share at the end of a satisfying meal. It is served with ice cream ( or custard if you are into that) fresh zingy berries and a sort of ginger crumb which was just delightful. I make pretty good brownies myself ( or so I’ve been told) so I can be quite judgemental about them when I am out and about but to be fair this was exceptional.

I can see a really bright future for The New Valley, when someone has a passion for good food it really shows and there are many plans for the coming year including a kids play area which would be perfect for those using The Forge in particular. I have heard rave reviews of their Sunday dinner so I think that’ll be my next visit there as I do love a good roast dinner and unfortunately they are few and far between around here.

I’ll finish up with this, if you’re in the area and want to try some inventive and tasty dishes I urge you to get on over to The New Valley and try for yourself. Be sure to let me know what you think and remember as well as street food and Sunday dinners they also have a fabulous pub food menu including dishes like Lamb Cawl. fish and chips and the usual faves as well as some great veggie dishes.

You can find The New Valley at 41 Bishopston Rd, Bishopston, Swansea and for more pics and to find out what they have coming up like their live music events why not follow them over on Instagram.