Eat Like Ushi

I'd read a bit about Brighton's restaurants. I didn't expect that they would be so difficult to get a lunch spot on a Sunday. Apparently the small amount of options, the not-much-else-to-do and the weekend local diners and tourist visitors all come together. One person in the party was vegan which also made it that little bit more limited.

Terre-A-Terre and 64 Degrees were full. The Salt Room, Murmur and Jack & Linda fish smokers were inappropriate. So cheap curry was the order of the day.

Lal Mass? The last time I saw you was when you burnt my face off... (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/handi-jaipur-01-2015).

- Hyderabadi Biryani (marinated boneless chicken pieces, basmati rice, fried brown onions, South Indian spices with yoghurt raita & mirchi ka salan) £11.95 - a decent rice dish with tender chicken. Not too heavily flavoured;
- Lamb Lal Mass Thali (British lamb shoulder slow-cooked in yoghurt & onion sauce balanced by red chilli) served with lemon rice, naan, parsnip & onion pakora, daal makhani, vegetable thoran, tomato & black pepper rasam, beetroot raita, poppadum & pineapple chutney £10.95 - a whole mixture of things of average quality. The daal was quite watery, the curry wasn't spicy at all and the rest were relatively standard.

A staple curry lunch but I prefer my London ones more.

Some friends have lived in Shoreham-by-Sea (and Brighton) for many years and took us out for dinner. I therefore didn't bother researching any places in the area but this seemed a good choice.

The menu is French-inspired seafood and the bouillabaisse caught my attention the most. Luckily it came also as part of a platter...

- Smoke House Fish Board - we only ordered the Sussex smoked mackerel pate but they generously extended it to include a side of smoked trout and slices of smoked salmon on rocket. All the smoked elements were delicious and reasonably strong;
- Farmer's Market Vegetable Board £11 - a slight variation on the menu with arancini on beetroot, white asparagus, artichoke, pickled red pepper, cheese and large olives;
- Fruits de Mer £40 - bouillabaisse in a mild creamy sauce, mussels in white wine & cream, beer-battered fish with some of the best (probably triple cooked) chunky chips I've ever eaten, dressed crab with delicious roe, moderately strong rock oysters, smoked salmon.

The food quality was very good without any being particularly outstanding (other than the chunky chips which were incredible).

Dessert was 3 little dishes of creme brulee (one serving) which was unexpectedly served very cold.

A satisfying meal overall.