The Review Thread

[Tobes]

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I wanted to have a go at setting up a thread in which you can comment on the hidden gems within our otherwise bland town - you know, the things which get missed by the masses but which deserve to be celebrated, be they restaraunts, businesses, places to visit etc. As such, I'd like to keep this on the positive side - negative views and hatchet jobs ought to run in a separate thread - but comments on or about the places here would be welcome. Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll add stuff as I go...

Tobes

[Tobes]

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Ink Extra Plus

Here's a good place to visit if you're having any pc or laptop issues. The proprietor, Ola, is a friendly chap who will have a crack at fixing your IT problems, from the slightly irritating all the way up to the dreaded Blue-Screen Of Death, and he'll do it at a very reasonable price too!

In addition to repairs, he also sells and re-inks toner cartridges. So, if you live in or around the Old Town area, I'd give Ola a try if you're having any IT issues beyond your skills to put right. He's fixed my laptop twice - and has done it damn cunningly too! It had a dead internal mini hard-drive which is going to cost a fair few pennies to replace. To keep me up and running in the meantime, he's got the laptop running off of a memory-stick and Ubuntu. And all this was diagnosed, installed and fixed within three hours (he even stayed on a little later to get it done as he knows I'm off on hols soon). What about that for service huh?

Anyway - he comes with my endorsement - a good local business deserving local support IMHO. (the shop is up on Vic Hill in Old Town, opposite the Smile Shop and next the The Guitar School)

Shop website at www.inkextraplus.co.uk

[Tobes]

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Eggliscious

Talkswindon regular Simon is also a big fan of this little gem of an eatery which is located in the otherwise rather uninviting and infamous 'tented market'!

However, as many of us have noted, the progressive attitude of the landlord and his reduced rent policy has encouraged a whole swathe of new and interesting little ventures to set up there. Long may it continue in a town which has far too many boarded up shops. In fact, as an incubator for independent and local businesses, I fully hope and expect to see some of these ventures branch out in later years.

One which fully deserves the maximum success is Egglicious, which serves a unique blend of egg and indian based cuisine - in the main, wraps containing the most exquisitely flavoured and spiced marinades. Not only are the damn tasty, but the proprietor, Ash, takes the issue of nutrition and health very seriously. The dishes have been selected and cooked to be low in saturated fats and cholesterol, so you can enjoy your lunchtime treat without listening to the flapping of furred up heart valves!  This is what their website says:

People will always need food to survive, the best and cheapest way of serving your body with the essential protein vitamins, fats and minerals is by eating eggs. Egg-e-licious will provide good nutritious food and drinks at affordable prices in or out of recession and it is the one takeaway food that is good for you. Egg is the original, natural fast healthy food. Eggs take less than a minute to cook and therefore can be served fresh unlike other takeaway foods where the main protein is usually pre-cooked. With the benefit of cooking with different herbs and spices using super foods, such as tomato, garlic, ginger, peppers and olive oil; you can have a different tasting meal each time. To add variety to the menu, the addition of chicken will complement the range of fillings, they will be served in a choice of- Ciabatta Bread or Tortilla wrap

Anyway, I've had several very pleasant lunchtime snacks there - Ash is an excellent host and has already built himself a very loyal customer base. If you're that way in town, eschew the likes of MaccyDs and try something a bit different!

www.egg-e-licious.co.uk/

[Tobes]

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Noodle King

OK - this eatery on Commercial Road doesn't have the most exciting exterior, looking more like a take-away than a proper sit-down restaurant, but it really does serve some of the nicest Asian food in town if you're on a budget.

The service is always prompt and friendly and you'll usually find yourself sat in front of a complimentary snack before you've even ordered. OK, the tables have perspex over them, and the ceiling has had a couple of hi-fi speakers crudely cut into them, but if you're after a genuine taste of Asia, this is an excellent place to come - with freshly cooked dishes from Malasia, Vietnam and China. I did say freshly - so you'll need to bear with one of the Noodle King eccentricities - all food is served hot, so don't be surprised to find dishes arriving in the order they were cooked and (if you're with company) not necessarily together with the dish your partner might have ordered!

A nice aspect is that there is only a thin curtain between the kitchen and the seating area - so wafts of delicious smelling food soon start percolating through once you've placed your order (and the frenzied clashing of dished and sounds of sizzling woks go together to remind you once again that your food isn't coming from some warming dish or microwave).

I've eaten here so many times, I'm afraid I'm totally biased. A personal favourite is the HoFun soup, served Vietnamese style (which I can personally vouch for as regards authenticity).

The service is always friendly - and another good endorsement for the quality of food is the number of asian families you'll see visiting. Prices are also very reasonable - so for a gourmand miser like me, Noodle King really hits the spot.

... but don't just take my word for it - the Gazzette and Herald noticed them too!

www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/leisure/fooddrink/reviews/6336945.Takeaway___Noodle_King__Commercial_Road__Swindon/

[Ben]

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Good Work Tobes!

[Tobes]

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Why thank you, kind sir.

The Mecca

I have to confess to having been amongst the town's cynics when it came to the launch of this venue. When it sat unused for so long, I rather feared that it was a damp squib, doomed to run a couple of DJ events before closing. How wrong I was - and how happy I am that I was too. There have been a wide range of events, from comedy and boxing through to The Buzzcocks.

It is quite simply a FANTASTIC venue. Its kinda like a mini Brixton Academy inside - the basic fabric of the old theatre/cinema has been preserved, including some exquisite turn of the century plaster mouldings. The stage are is big - big enough to cope with any band - or for that matter, pretty much any other stage based entertainment I can think of.

I'm not sure what the official capacity is - but I'm sure that it would fit 500 people no trouble at all. A nice touch inside is the two-bar system which allows for both minors at the 'coke only' side, and proper booze for the old 'uns on the other side (via and iD checking couple of security guards.) Nice as this is, it must be a headache for the organisers - so I hope this condition (imposed by the licensing authority?) isn't too onerous, as it would be a shame to see the potential for the Meca stymied by red-tape.

I was there last weekend to see Grand Master Flash. Yep - he of 'The Edge' and 'White Lines' fame - and, according to his own intro video, the first DJ to use scratching as an instrumental accompaniment. I'm certainly long enough in the tooth to remember his influence: The White Lines 12" was the sound track to my sister and my 1984 summer - and that piece of vinyl must have been played until it was nearly paper thin.

The gig started out really well - Flash had good stage presence and had the crowd jumping and the hip-hoppers and breakdancers moving. Unfortunately, his spirit didn't seem to last the pace. Perhaps he was disappointed by the low numbers (250ish?)- or, swindon being the place it is, a lot of general ignorance amidst the chaverati as to who he was. All the way through the gig, numbers on the dance floor thinned as people went back to get drinks or move on to other venues. What ever the reason, the second half of the night was a definite tail-off, and his selection of tracks became more and more bizarre, culminating in the nadir of Dexy's Midnight Runners 'Come on Eileen'... I guess most of the people in the audience had come for a night of proper DJing rather than school disco cheese, so the finale was a somewhat muted affair. I guess Mr Flash felt the same as there was no encore. A shame, as things had begun so well.

Anyway, the revelation for me was the venue. I'd urge people to keep track of events at the Meca and to support it. No point complaining of nothing to do and no quality venue in the town unless you vote with your feet! Furthermore, having a successful place to hostl acts which can attract the attentions of serious promoters might also see the town put back on the rosta of national venues. That would do the town's brand a real power of good - and give the rest of us an alternative to having to travel off to Bristol or Oxford.

Thumbs up for The Meca!!! 

http://www.mecaswindon.co.uk/