it's on cardiff issue 2

2 IT’S ON MAGAZINE

3IT’S ON MAGAZINE


14//New Year, New You

9//Tea Guide

17//Chaiholics Review

Get into shape this year at some of Cardiff’s best gyms and clubs

It’s Natioanl Tea Month so down some darjeeling in our top tea rooms

We headed to the Indian bistro to review their new evening menu

08//On Our RadarHelping you keep up-to-date with all the latest goings on in the city

28Contents

44//Event GuideStumped at what to do this month? Stick these in your diary

12//Little Black BookWe ask the people of Cardiff their favourite places to go around the city

34//Highlighted EventsCheck out our list of this month’s top events from around the capital

Regulars

Food

Features

23

18//Food NewsAll the tastiest tid bits from around the city including burgers, lobsters and cookies

27//CompetitionWin a meal for four at Cardiff’s brand new all you can eat restaurant; FeD

4425//Vegan GuideIt’s Veganuary so head to some of these top places to chow down on vegan munch

5IT’S ON MAGAZINE

28//Five Minutes With Ross Noble

37//The Real McCoy

Feeling the Christmas blues? Catch Ross Noble this month for a laugh

We grabbed a quickfire interview with the seventh Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy

Christmas has been and gone but don’t get too down about it because the big day is only 360-odd sleeps away, depandant on when you’re reading this, and that means we’ve got a whole new year of events, gigs, bakeoffs, shows and exhibits to look forward to.

Kicking off 2015, we are returning to our digital roots to bring you guys an online version of our monthly magazine, before hitting the streets of Cardiff again in February with a proper printed copy.

So have a flick through the second issue of our magazine for some thrifty tips to save you money after blowing all your pay packet on presents and alcohol at the Christmas party, all the best bits on our radar from around the city, as well as the tastiest food news, plus an interviews a trio of interviews including Ross Noble and Nazareth.

Oh, and all the best events to stick in your diary to boot.

Jordan Harris, Editor

Welcome

20//Thrifty GuideSave money this year with some of our top tips and guides

38//Nazareth’s Pete AgnewThis Christmas we got excited about a different Nazareth as we interviewed the band

Shopping

Music, Arts and Theatre

37

Don’t forget, we aren’t just a magazine, we are Cardiff’s largest online database of events so get on your computer and check us out!

For all the best news, interviews, previews and reviews, head over to:

www.itsoncardiff.co.ukAnd don’t forget to follow and like us on social media:

Enquiries:[email protected]@itsoncardiff.co.uk02921258600

A/Itsoncardiff

C@itsoncardiff

7IT’S ON MAGAZINE


Miss Jones Cardiff has been situated in the heart of Whitchurch for over a year, functioning as a café and gastro bar by day and a cocktail lounge and restaurant by night. With a wide ranging bar creating unique cocktails, selling local craft beers and prosecco on draft, Miss Jones has become one of the busiest venues in Whitchurch.

In the last two months however, they’ve decided to up the ante and have extended their bar area, creating ‘the green piano lounge,’ an area boasting a full stage and extended seating, finished with vintage velvets, paintings and mirrors. In addition, they have installed the first ‘pub within a pub,’ named ‘The Crafty Cock,’ situated in its garden and smoking lounge that is home to lavish furnishings, paintings and artwork, making the area a fantastic place to hire for functions, or to retire to after plenty of dancing in their main lounge on a busy Saturday night.

Miss Jones expansion

As a result of the expansion and new stage, Miss Jones can now play host to live entertainment every evening to accommodate an array of tastes and provides a mix of different genres, ranging from Soul and Motown to Jazz and more mainstream beats.

“We’re thrilled to have launched our extension,” said Miss Jones’ owner, Naomi Gropetis. “Our popularity continues to increase so it’s important to us that we meet this. I’m really excited by the opportunities that have risen as a result of our expansion; we look forward to bigger and better acts over the next few months. Our next project is to host a swing evening, a lively, fun evening with a full band and plenty of 1930s dancing,” she continued.

As well as Miss Jones, the Gropetis family also own the chain of Top Gun fish and chip shops and have recently opened up a new outlet on The Hayes.

ON OUR RADARKeeping you up-to-date with all the latest news

9IT’S ON MAGAZINE

NATIONAL TEA MONTH

Everyone knows that January is National Tea Month... what? You didnt? Well good job Cardiff’s top tea blogger, Jaye Collins, is on hand to give her top tea haunts in the city isn’t it? Read more of Jaye’s blog over at:

Waterloo Tea teahouses are without a doubt the best places for a proper pot of tea in Cardiff. They have a wide range of teas to choose from, which they source from across the globe. They infuse the tea in water heated to an exact temperature and serve it with a timer so that you can time the tea to perfection. They also serve delicious yet healthy food, which is perfect if you have had an overindulgent festive season. There is the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse in Penylan, Waterloo Tea at the Wyndham Arcade in the city centre and, if you are venturing out of Cardiff, there is Waterloo Tea at the Washington Buildings in Penarth.

The Taiwanese craze of bubble tea has taken Britain by storm! If you want a bubble tea in Cardiff then your best bet is to pop along to the Bubblebase kiosk. There are so many different combinations of flavours, temperatures and toppings that you are spoilt for choice. Cold cherry fruit tea infused with Assam and some mango pobbles anyone?

Pettigrew Tea Rooms is an extremely charming little vintage inspired tea rooms. They have a good selection of loose leaf teas and sometimes use tea in their cooking and baking, which is an interesting touch. They offer tea pots with removable infusers on request which is a useful thing to know if you are popping in.

Cardiff’s urban jungle is slowly undergoing a beautification process that has seen an influx of art lighting up our streets and walls and the latest installation to go up is a whopping great lightning-bolt.

The sculpture, entitled ‘Alight,’ is the work of artist S Mark Gubb, who was behind the Nowhere Bar pop-up as well as other installations in the capital, and was unveiled last month.

‘Alight’ accompanies a wealth of art that has gone up in the city over the past year that includes murals on the walls, yarn bombs in the trees and asteroids on cars, thanks to both the Empty Walls street art project and Cardiff Contemporary’s Reveal Conceal visual arts festival. Art on our streets is no longer the product of vandals armed with cans of spray paint who crudely tag the brick and mortar; art, especially on the street, is becoming more widely accessible and accepted by all and is helping to brighten up the city.

“The role that public art now plays in our cities is very different to in the past,” said S Mark Gubb. “The best public artworks bring something entirely new to the site and city in which they are shown – ambitious, unapologetic and contemporary – works that go far beyond the traditional role of public art to commemorate or decorate,” he continued.

The 10 metre high sculpture, made of steel and shaped into a lightning-bolt, is positioned at the entrance of the new Ty Admiral building and is inset with coloured lights to give a unique sense of movement and drama and is designed for all to enjoy.

“This is a work for everyone, providing a unique experience for the day to day pedestrians through the area, the workers of the Admiral building, the visitors to Cineworld and the Motorpoint Arena and the arts audience who will come to visit it as an artwork in its own right,” the artist explained. “It’s designed to feel exciting and precarious; to be fun and inspiring. To be a reason for people to take the long way round and to get on a bus or a train to come and take a look. To create a feeling of wonder in people who walk past it every day, even in years to come. Ultimately, to feed in to Cardiff’s evolution into the world class City of Culture that it knows itself to be.”

What’s this all a-bolt?

1. Waterloo Tea

2. Bubblebase

3. Pettigrew Tea Rooms

www.cardiffinateacup.wordpress.com


ON OUR RADARKeeping you up-to-date with all the latest news

Last month saw the opening of Cardiff’s latest independent, family run shop in the form of Watches of Wales who, until now, were predominantly based online.

The shop, specialising in the buying and selling of exquisite pre-owned and new timepieces, opened up its first shop in Morgan Arcade as they feel that the area reflects their business beliefs perfectly.

“Being a family run business with a central focus on customer service, it was very important to choose a location that complemented our brand’s values,” explained Shaun Preece of the shop. “The Morgan Arcade really is a symbol of diversity of Cardiff offering other family run shops, small and local produce cafés along with some of the most beautiful buildings in the city. We felt all of these qualities made for the perfect location of our first shop,” he continued.

The move from a digital retailer from their online store to investing in a brick and mortar establishment in Cardiff was an organic transition. With a surge in

orders through their website, becoming the sponsors of the Cardiff Blues rugby team and learning that Cardiff was voted the best city to live in in the UK, the watch website new it was time to make the jump from trading online to opening a shop in Wales’ capital.

The shop, priding themselves in their VIP customer service and premier watch selection that includes Rolex, Tags, Carier and Omega, sets itself apart from its rivals by truly treating their customers.

“We aim to make shopping with us an experience,” Shaun continued. “Our shop has a certain ‘trip down memory lane’ vibe mixing old and new style to create a relaxed and comfortable ambience.”

Decked out in antique oak, mahogany and leather, Watches of Wales pays homage to the gentlemen clubs and libraries of yesteryear, making the shop the perfect environment to have a browse at their fine selection of watches and chat to their knowledgeable staff who have decades of experience in watches from around the world.

TIME TO OPEN UP

11IT’S ON MAGAZINE


LITTLE BLACK BOOKThis month we sought out some of Cardiff’s top bloggers to find out their favourite places to drink in, dine in, to party in and to kick back and relax in


Best Place for a pint?I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I do like American white beers and have had some really great ones recently at both BrewDog and Urban Tap House on Westgate Street. You also can’t beat the California White from Pipes brewery. The brewery is hidden behind a residential street in Pontcanna, you’d never know it was there. It opens for bottle sales on Saturday mornings.

Best place to watch live bands?The Globe on Albany Road is cool and intimate if you don’t mind sticky floors. But you can’t beat a huge show at the Millennium Stadium either.

Favourite spot in Cardiff?Anywhere along the Taff Trail. We love cycling from Radyr to town and stopping for a cuppa in the Summerhouse in Bute Park or Pettigrew Tea rooms or having a picnic near the Castle.

Best place to chill out.The yoga loft at Dave’s Gym on Albany Road.

Best place for a cocktail?I love the cocktails at Chaiholics. They are tea based meaning they are my idea of the perfect cocktail! The Rose Chaitini is my favourite.

Best place for a cup of Joe?The Caffeine Kid stall at the RCMA Market in Riverside serves great coffee and they sell the beans too so you can even drink it at home with your homemade fry up!

Best place to grab a bargain?The charity shops on Albany Road are where I go bargain hunting. The people of Roath donate some lovely clothes!

Favourite spot in Cardiff?Roath Park lake. It’s a lovely place to enjoy an ice cream in the summer and it’s always fun to go out on one of the boats.

Best night out in Cardiff?I like watching a play in the New Theatre.

Best place for a burger? It would be both tacky and shameless to plug my blog at this point, so I shan’t. I shall just say that I’m currently on a quest to provide the definitive answer to that very question. I’ll wave a flag for Spit and Sawdust here (because they need it) and Burger & Lobster (although they don’t); we are finding the local scene has some really innovative, fascinating choices apart from the usual big names.

Favourite spot in Cardiff? That bit between The Park House and the Civic Centre. So many memories...

Best place to grab a bargain? The Central Market. You can’t beat rifling through boxes of vinyl.

Best place to chill out?Thompson’s Park aka the park no-one knows about. An underused, underknown spot which I hope stays that way. It’s lovely.

Best Place for a pint? As it’s cold and rainy at the moment, I quite like sitting downstairs in BrewDog and playing Mario Kart on their old Nintendo with a nice pint of Dead Pony. I’m cr*p at Mario Kart, mind.

Best place for a cocktail?The bar in Burger & Lobster. I love what they’ve done with the old Habitat building and their cocktails are all wine based – rocket fuel!Best place to chill out? I love walking through Pontcanna fields and in to Bute Park. You see loads of birds on that stretch of the Taff – I’ve spotted a Kingfisher, Heron, Coot, Goosander and a Cormorant, all on the same day. That’s really dorky isn’t it?

Best place for a burger? Probably Urban Tap House for me. I don’t eat a lot of meat, and they always have a few really interesting and genuinely tasty veggie options; they’ve got a Thai special on at the moment.

Cardiff Girlwww.cardiffgirl.wordpress.com

Cardiff in a Teacupwww.cardiffinateacup.wordpress.com

The Plate Licked Cleanwww.theplatelickedclean.blogspot.co.uk

The Hungry City Hipppywww.hungrycityhippy.co.uk


NEW YEAR, NEW YOUHelping you work off that festive fat and get back into shape for 2015

CROSS FIT1. Outdoor Fitness

2. British Military Fitness

3. Smash the Fat

BOOT CAMPS

GYMS CLUBS

1. Dragon Crossfit

2. Crossfit Cardiff

3. The Boat Shed

1. Vitality

2. The Gym Group

3. Pure Gym

1. NoFit State Circus

2. San Domenico RC

3. Parkrun

The gym down in Atlantic Wharf is packed full of over 400 machines and has over 60 free classes each week and membership starts at just £13.99www.vitalitygyms.co.uk

This gym, located in Penylan, is open 24/7 so you can burn off those mince pies at all hours of the day and night!www.thegymgroup.com

Another 24 hour gym, Pure Gym is located in Millennium Plaza and has a whole bunch of equipment including a trampoline and battle ropes.www.puregym.com

Outdoor Fitness offers the ultimate fat burning, muscle toning, Outdoor Fitness program that’s fast, effective and lots of fun.www.outdoorfitnessltd.com

Fall in Private! British Military Fitness offer year round boot camp classes in Pontcanna Fields for you to kick start your fitness regime.www.britmilfit.com

It’s time to shift that Christmas stuffing so head to Smash the Fat for fat loss boot camp sessions and they even have a 3-for-2 month New Year offer.www.fitnessbootcamp.com

Fancy something a bit more competitive? Look no further than The Boat Shed which hosts the 2015 Welsh Open Championships.www.theboatshedfitness.com

Located on Colchester Avenue, Crossfit Cardiff has tons of classes everyday for you to join with drop in sessions costing just £7.www.crossfitcardiff.com

Dragon Crossfit offers a range of memberships and classes to get you fitter than a firebreathing fiddle this year.www.dragoncrossfit.com

If you’ve ever seen a circus, you’ve probably seen how ripped they are and NoFit offer a range of classes including trapeze and acrobatics.www.nofitstate.org

If you don’t want to run alone, this club is for you. Meeting Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, they are for all runners.www.sandomenico.org.uk

This free running club organises weekly 5km timed runs every Saturday at 9am along the Taff Trail and in Bute Park.www.parkrun.org.uk


NEW YEAR, NEW YOU


When you go to a tea house, you expect a couple of salads, a toastie or two, maybe even a selection of cakes to nibble on whilst you sip on your Darjeeling. When you go to Chaiholics however, this is far from the truth, especially with Chef Pramod Nair at the helm in the kitchen.

The chef, with a wealth of experience in authentic Indian cuisine that has seen him cooking his way around the world from India to Iceland and from Norway to the UK, as well as cooking for the likes of the Queen and the President of India (twice), you know you’re in good hands and you know that this isn’t your average tea house.

The truck shop style tea bazaar offers a range of bites during the day, such as prata rolls, onion bhaji scotch eggs and chicken tikka skewers, but their food offering comes alive after dark where you’ll be able to dig into an array of dishes from all over India.

With a selection of small dishes, curries, and burgers, not to mention signature dishes, including Pramod’s own creation, Truck Stop Chicken, and his speciality, seafood, the menu is impressive in size and you’ll soon find out that it is impressive in flavour to boot.

First up the Black Pepper Lamb Fry and the Potato and Sweet Corn Fritters. The subtle heat attached to the lamb is just enough to tingle your lips, but isn’t overpowering and doesn’t outshine the smokey taste of the meat. When mixed with the trio of chutneys (mango, beetroot and tamarind), the sweetness of the sauces react with the spice and the flavours meld together effortlessly.

The fritters have a crisp outer shell with a slight fluffiness inside from the potato and when slid through the chutney on the plate, the sweetness brings out the flavour of the corn that could risk going unnoticed.

It has been said that a good book must draw the reader in from the first paragraph and the same rings true with a meal. Chef Pramod has your taste buds on the edge of their seats, begging for more and the main course can’t come soon enough.

A bowl, filled with a beautiful silky smooth green curry sauce with tender chunks of chicken awaits an eager spoon, follows the triumphant starters. This is chicken korma like you’ve never seen, or tasted it, before and is the most flavoursome curry that has ever danced across my tongue.

“How can this be?” I hear you ask. “Kormas aren’t green.” Well be quiet a minute and just taste it. Just put it in your mouth and taste it. This is what korma is supposed to be. A mild curry that coats your mouth, with a slick kick from green chillies offset perfectly by the cooling mint. This is something special. “Mint?! Mint?!” I hear you pipe up again, but relax, it’s a thing of pure magic. After tasting this korma, you’ll never want that orange slop ever again.

Who said that a tea house just served up cakes and toasties and who said that a curry house only serves up the same drab kormas and tikkas? Not Chef Pramod and certainly not Chaiholics! The joint, located on Wellfield Road, is a must if you’re in the market for an authentic curry.

CHAIHOLICS REVIEWED

A tea room just serves tea, right? And an Indian serves the same old curries, right? Not if Chaiholics and their new chef have anything to say about it


FOOD NEWS

If art is food for the soul, then steak is food for the… well… stomach, so at Steak of the Art, which is opening in Cardiff in January, you can feed both as it isn’t just a fine steak restaurant, it also has a separate art gallery.

The brainchild of classically trained chef and entrepreneur Steve Bowen, who studied at Leith’s School of Food and Wine in London, Steak of the Art has a restaurant in Bristol, but is gearing up for a move to Cardiff on Churchill Way, due to our transitioning food scene.

“Cardiff is a cosmopolitan city that has grown from its industrial past to become one of the UK’s most vibrant places to live and visit,” said Laurence Phillips, representing the restaurant and with the influx of restaurants we’ve witnessed recently, his statement certainly rings true.

“More recently it has enjoyed a bit of a boom in terms of its food and restaurant offering,” he continued. “To be a part of that scene is a very exciting one and we

can’t wait to serve the people of Cardiff our take on a great meal out while enjoying some fantastic art.”

Sourcing the best ingredients from the West Country, such as beef from Launceston in Cornwall and fresh fish from Cornish fishing company Fish For Thought, Steak of the Art promises to serve great tasting, value for money grub in an artistically inspired environment.

The restaurant, majoring in steak, will however be sourcing some of its ingredients from Wales.

“There will be a deference to Cardiff, Wales and the Welsh culture with the venue including locally sourced beer while a proportion of the meat will also come from Welsh farms,” Laurence added.

Serving up some of the finest meat, fish and poultry, alongside the great ales of Wales and a healthy portion of art on the side, Steak of the Art will be a welcome addition to the city and will add a new dimension to Cardiff’s dining experience with its unique blend of art and food.

Food for the soul


After recent months that have seen an influx in restaurants opening up shop on our city’s steps, Cardiff can now boast to be the first place outside of London to house both a Burger and Lobster plus a Wahacca, but can now add another culinary accolade to it’s booming CV of eateries.

This month sees Cardiff become the first city outside of London where French inspired chain, Côte Brasserie, has two restaurants.

Complementing their popular restaurant in Cardiff Bay, Côte have invested in a new venue in the heart of the capital’s thriving retail and dining district on Mill Lane after the success of their restaurant in the Bay.

“Our Cardiff Bay restaurant has proved a massive hit with locals and tourists, alike, becoming a key part of the local community,” said Josie Price, the chain’s Assistant Marketing and PR Manager. “Due to this success, we listened to what people in the area wanted and kept our eyes open for a perfect spot for us to launch in Cardiff Central to become

available. We’re very excited that our new brasserie, on Mill Lane, is right in the heart of a buzzing and vibrant area and we will bring further variety to the fast-growing dining scene around us” she added.

The restaurant, located in the former home of Kapu Lounge, will sit in amongst an eclectic hub of eateries in the town centre and offers an array of authentic French dishes with a modern twist. Guests will find classic brasserie favourites such as steak frites and chargrilled corn-fred Breton chicken as well as a tempting selection of desserts including crème brûlée all washed down with an extensive wine list.

Get your Côte


One of London’s premier restaurant brands, Burger & Lobster, who has restaurants in high-end districts such as Mayfair and Knightsbridge, swung open its doors last month with its simple, yet delicious, menu of... yup, you guessed it, burgers and lobster.

“We are extremely excited to bring the Burger & Lobster phenomenon to Cardiff,” said Simon King, the restaurant’s Operations Director. “We felt it was an obvious choice for our next opening due to the rising appreciation for great good and great ingredients across the Welsh capital,” he continued.

Offering the same concept that often sees Londoners queuing to eat, Burger & Lobster serves three mouth-watering dishes (a burger, the lobster plus lobster rolls) all priced the same at £20. Using only the finest ingredients, including fresh, live lobster from the North Atlantic near Nova Scotia and succulent Angus beef for their burgers, the restaurant is set to add a whole new dynamic to Cardiff’s burger boom that is witnessing an influx of burger bars.

BURGER &LOBSTER

Have you ever run a 10k or a marathon or even one of those insane obstacle courses, or perhaps competed in a sporting tournament, and found that the only caterer in the proximity is a burger van?

For some, that’s just the ticket after a long period of exertion, but for others they don’t want to pig out. They want something healthier, something cleaner, something that’s good for you.

That’s where Onest Food comes in.

Owned by Welsh international rugby player, Elinor Snowsill, Onest Food is set to launch this month and will be serving up good, honest food, and the concept has been a year in the making.

“About this time last year, I just thought this is what Cardiff needs,” said Elinor. “It’s really hard to eat healthy in Cardiff and it’s hard to find grab and go food that’s good for you.”

But at the time, Elinor was training for the World Cup as well as working towards obtaining her PGCE to become a Psychology Lecturer, and Onest was put on the back seat.

“It’s been frustrating waiting that year but it has allowed us to play around with the idea and fine tune the concept,” she said.

Serving food from a custom built caterpod outside the Dragon Crossfit gym, Onest Food will be selling a variety of other food including salads, but Elinor isn’t limiting her menu.

“It’s about seeing how things go, adjusting to what the customers want and being flexible,” she said.

Well we are sure that whatever Onest serve is going to be top notch, especially with an honest ethos that sees them source fresh and local ingredients, with nothing hidden and we can’t wait for Elinor and her pod to hit the streets.

FOOD NEWS


You may be in the middle of a New Year’s detox and hitting the gyms and boot camps hard after stuffing your face over the festive period, but you can forget about any weight loss resolutions and head to St. David’s for Cardiff’s premier dessert kiosk.

Providing on-the-go desserts for the city’s shoppers, with their indulgent and irrestible range of desserts and shakes, My Cookie Dough opened up last month and have gone down an absolute treat with shoppers.

The entire concept is targeted towards providing customers with a unique experience; from the delicious products that are on offer, to the ground breaking outlet design that contains cutting edge technology and encourages customer interaction.

The Cardiff outlet is the first of five for the franchise that will be situated across the UK in some of the largest cities, so ditch the treadmill and check these guys out.

MY COOKIEDOUGH

No matter who you are, chances are you’ll start your day in the same way; with a cuppa. Whether it’s a mug o’ Joe or a pot of tea, we are all in need of that morning pick-me-up to give you the oomph to get on with what the day has in store.

The city centre may not be short of places to grab one but come January, there’ll be a brand new independent café for you to get your caffeine fix and

a hearty bite to eat.

Offering up “great coffee in a contemporary environment,” Milk&Sugar is set to open on January 5 2015 and owner Tim Corrigan says that customers can not only expect great tea and coffee, made to order sarnies, a proper full breakfast menu, great seasonal salads and British specials, they can look forward to “honesty and attention to detail” all in a modern setting.

Tim, who has a wealth of experience owning and running clubs, bars and restaurants in Cardiff and London including Mocka Lounge, The Potted Pig and London’s infamous Emporium nightclub, is now setting himself a new coffee based challenge due to his love of the stuff.

“I love coffee and the environment that comes with it,” he said. “After years of owning and running clubs, bars and restaurants, you soon realise what you enjoy.”

Well, if their teaser pics on Twitter are anything to go by, Cardiff is sure to enjoy Milk&Sugar and their offerings and we can’t wait for them to open.


FOOD NEWSFASTER PASTA

One thing is certain in Cardiff; we love food. We love to eat it in a warehouse and from a taco truck, in a pub and from a pop-up, at a farmers market and in a restaurant, in burger joints and in lobster joints and our ever-evolving culinary scene demonstrates this.

In recent months we’ve seen street food burst onto the scene, we’ve had announcements that the big boys of the burger world are heading our way from across the Atlantic and we’ve had our fair share of MasterChef winners and contestants serving the capital delicious dishes, and now we are about to welcome Cardiff’s latest addition; We Love Italy.

We Love Italy, opening in January on St. Mary Street by the Royal Arcade, is set to bring us top quality Italian takeaway, or faster pasta.

Owned by Cristiano Avanzi, who has accumulated years of experience from a career that has seen him work in renowned and starred restaurants and hotels in his home country of Italy, as well as running a wine and snack bar, the sommelier is about to embark on his latest venture that portrays his love of both Italy and Wales.

“With our passion for good Italian cuisine and more than 15 years of experience, we have created a new concept of dining Italian that is faster and easier,” he explained.

Cristiano, who moved to Cardiff four years ago, was attracted to Wales by the culture, beer and rugby as well as its potential to launch the We Love Italy brand across the UK.

“I discovered Cardiff on a summer holiday and I loved it,” he said. “I saw the potential that this city has as a young, dynamic, modern and bubbly place so I decided to invest my experience and passion for the hospitality world right here, in the heart of Wales, land of a brave and glorious people, never subdued, proud of their roots and traditions but with an eye always pointed toward the innovation and love of good food, especially Italian, ” he continued.

The takeaway, which has inside and outside seating, will be serving up boards of top Italian charcuterie, pizza, pasta, wraps and gnocci as well as panna cotta, tiramisu, sweet crepes to get your taste buds going and we can’t wait to loosen our belts and dig in.


Mr. Nice PieVeganism (the removal of all animal products from your diet) is no longer just the preserve of the tree hugging hippy. Even Beyoncé and her hubby Jay Z have tried it, and this month, thousands of people will be ‘going vegan’ for four whole weeks in the name of Veganuary. If you’re thinking of giving it a go, or you’re already a full time plant eater, there are plenty of places in Cardiff serving great vegan food and here are some of the very best...

Mr Nice Pie can be found most weekends at the fantastic Riverside Market, selling his handmade hearty made vegan pies. Flavours like Rendang Curry and Spicy Lentil keep things interesting, and he makes a mean nut roast too.

Situated inside Cardiff’s old market hall, Clancy’s is a fab little veggie and vegan food stall, just perfect for a quick lunch. Bean burgers, butternut bhajis and superfood bakes are available ready-to-eat hot, or cold to take away and enjoy at home.

Cafe Atma on Crwys Road is run by a group of friendly Hare Krishna’s and has always been veggie, but they’ve re-launched with an entirely vegan menu. Expect curries, quiches, cakes and of course, their famous banana bread.

A trip to Morgan Arcade isn’t complete without a hearty salad bowl from Crumbs. Snuggle up in this cosy café and choose from a variety of salads and sauces to make your own bowl, or tuck in to veggie lasagne, quiche or spicy chilli to beat the winter chill.

This quirky, hipsterish veggie restaurant and late-night cocktail bar in Roath boasts a seasonal menu full of globally inspired dishes, with plenty of vegan

options on the menu - their butter bean, dill and saffron cassoulet is this month’s special. They’ve got plenty of vegan cocktails on the bar and the weekly curry is usually vegan too.

Wales’s first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour opened this summer serving the smoothest ice cream imaginable thanks to the tiny ice crystals created in the unique freezing process. This process also means they can make incredible vegan ice cream. Visit them in Castle Arcade to try the banana and cashew flavour; it’s a vegan’s dream come true.

This Indian restaurant in Riverside is as casual and laid back as they come but the food is really something special. There are tons of vegan options on the menu including my favourite, the ‘Atom Bombs’ (baby potatoes filled with a fiery garlic chutney and served with tamarind chutney).

Canton’s Chapter Arts Centre boasts an award winning dining space and serves locally sourced produce and great German beer. There’s always a couple of tasty vegan options on offer and the roast butternut & red onion salad is one of my favourites.

1. Mr. Nice Pie

2. Clancy’s

3. Cafe Atma

4. Crumbs

5. Milgi

6. Science Cream

7. Vegetarian Food Studios

8. Chapter Caffi Bar

VEGAN GUIDEJane Cook, who blogs at www.hungrycityhippy.co.uk, gives us her best options


Although our summer holidays are long gone, Cardiff’s latest restaurant promises to take your taste buds on a round the world trip when it opens on January 15.

FeD, or Food Exploration Destination, is the brainchild of the Bajpai brothers former managers of Red Hot World Buffet, but this isn’t your average buffet.

Rather than vats of pre-prepared meals, FeD will feature freshly cooked dishes from a variety of different countries, prepared in ‘live kitchens’ using quality ingredients by highly-skilled chefs who are hired based on their culinary skills, creativity and their personality and they can’t wait to get going.

“We are very excited to launch our brand new restaurant concept in Cardiff,” said Sal Bajpai who, along with his brother Sachin, has a combined knowledge of 15 years in the multi-cuisine sector.

Located close to Cineworld and St. David’s, the 300-cover restaurant will offer an array of meals for

you to sink your teeth into from a variety of different cuisines including Chinese, Indian Japanese, Italian, Tex Mex plus a grill kitchen and with prices starting at £8.99, it won’t break the bank this winter.

“Whether you want to try new tastes inspired by our travels, or enjoy a favourite dish that you already love, everyone can enjoy their own dining adventure together,” Sal continued. “Our expert chefs will cook each dish live to customers’ own preferences, using fresh, healthy, high-quality ingredients. And while there will still be plenty of choice, we will offer a specially-curated selection of dishes from around the world, rather than a staggering array of meals, which diners can sometimes find overwhelming,” he finished.

Are you ready to get well and truly FED? We’ve teamed up with the restaurant to offer you a free meal for four people, so just head over to www.itsoncardiff.co.uk/Competition to enter and to be in with the chance of winning a feast of a meal for you and three mates.

A MEAL FOR FOUR

This month we’ve teamed up with one of Cardiff’s tastiest new restaurants to offer you a meal for four for free. Say goodbye to those New Year resolutions!

PREPARE TO GET FEDWIN!

AT FED


The weird and wonderful comic genius that is Ross Noble hits Cardiff’s Wales Millenium Stadium on Januarry 25 for his 15th live tour entitled Tangentleman

Tickets for your 15th tour, Tangentleman, are now on sale. What is it you enjoy about touring so much?Is it my 15th? I’ve no idea. It depends what you class as a tour. I started doing stand-up when I was 15, and I’m 37 now. And I’ve pretty much been gigging relentlessly that whole time. It was 1999 when I stopped doing the comedy clubs and started touring on my own. But when you tour the UK and Ireland, and then go off and do the rest of the world, and then go off to Australia for six months, is that all one tour or not? I’ve just released my 9th DVD, and most of those have got a couple of different shows on them. I suppose I’m a bit like Bob Dylan, I’m just on one never-ending tour.

Do you think senses of humour are like accents in the sense that they vary with regions?No. I think that may have been the case once, but not now. I think in the Variety Theatres, the audiences in different places used to have a certain sense of humour. I think now you’re much more likely to get different crowds on different nights in the same venue, who have totally different senses of humour. If you’ve got a crowd in seeing Roy Chubby Brown one night, and Eddie Izzard the next, they will be totally different crowds. It’s more about the mindset of the people going to see the gig. People used to say Glasgow audiences were really tough – I think some southern comedians might find it difficult. For me, I find the Glasgow audiences are some of the

best. They’re rowdy, they’re lively, they’re great fun.

Anyone who’s ever seen your work before knows it’s not exactly what you’d call structured. Is there any point in asking what people can expect from Tangentleman?I think what I try and do is do the show that I would want to see if I went to see somebody live. I like to keep it interesting for the audience, and I like to keep it interesting for myself. I’m naturally quite playful in the way I approach life, and that’s what I try to bring to the live shows.

What that means is your show is basically different every night. Do you get people who come back again and again becaue they are all different?Yeah, some do. The way that I work, I go on stage and I improvise stuff. Somebody might say something that will spark five or ten minutes or more of improv, and then out of that ten minutes, there might be one nugget of an idea that I like, which I’ll maybe expand and kick around next night. The best way to describe it is some comedians write out lists of words, to remind them what to say, whereas my show is like taking a bucket full of cartoon characters and melting them, then taking that melted cartoon sludge, putting it in a water pistol, and firing it into the air.

With a scripted show, comics will often leave their best material to the end. Do you ever

FIVE MINUTES WITH...


FIVE MINUTES WITH...

out with me like a chorus line, and we all took a bow. And I was thinking “The firemen will be loving that,” and one of them just went “Don’t go thinking you’re special, I’ve already been onstage with Goldfrapp.”

Lastly, is it true that you once played the love interest to Ian Smith, who played Harold Bishop in Neighbours?Yeah! I did. A friend of mine who makes an Australian show called It’s a Date, a drama about people going on dates, suggested I co-wrote and starred in an episode. It can be anything you want. Now, I could have chosen anyone to star with, instead I said “I know exactly what I want to do. I want to play a gay fella who’s on Grindr, looking for a guy, and he thinks he’s going to meet somebody who looks like Antonio Banderas.” And my mate said “Right. And who would you be on the date with?” And I said “Ian Smith. Harold from Neighbours.” So I wrote the script and that was it.

worry that you might finish on s o m e t h i n g that doesn’t work?That’s why my shows are so long. “No, that’s not good enough to end on. I’d better do another five minutes.” “Is that good enough? No. Five more.” But in terms of ending the show, I’ve probably started ten different stories, so I’ve got to try and get back to them to wrap them all up. So the problem I normally have is remembering all the things I’ve started.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and think “I didn’t finish that bit…”Oh, all the time! The great thing about twitter is that now people will just tweet me and go “You never finished talking about that thing…” Very often I’m in the hotel bar or a Nandos or a petrol station the day after the gig, and someone will come up and go “I was at the show last night. What was that you were going on about?”

You say your shows can be quite long. How do you know when to finish the show? Are you able to keep track of the time?Because my tour manager is at the side of the stage tapping his watch, going “Come on, come on. You’ve had your fun.”

You get really involved with the audience. Do people ever come up with something that throws you?Yeah, all the time, but that’s the fun of it. Sometimes stuff happens that you think would completely ruin the show. For example, I did one gig where the fire alarm went off. That could knacker the whole thing. The audience had to be evacuated. But I went outside and just continued doing the gig while everyone was standing around. And there was a little kid there, probably about 12, with the fire engines behind me, and got people to take pictures of me, so it looked like I was saving a child’s life. Then we all went back in, and I came onstage and brought the fire brigade


THRIFTY GUIDEHelping you save pennies after the Christmas blowout

FREE PLACES TO GO

Not only is it one of Europe’s leading open-air musuems and Wales’ most popular heritage attraction, St. Fagans National History Museum is absolutely free and was even voted as one of the UK’s top free attractions by Trip Advisor. Now that’s saying something. So if you want to step back in time without having to invest billions in building a time machine that probably won’t work, St. Fagan’s should be on your list. There’s even a photo studio where you can dress up in period attire and get yourself a sepia souvenir of your day.

If you’re reading this, chances are you probably live or work in Cardiff. Well if you do, you’re in luck because you can apply for a key to Cardiff Castle which will give you free admission to this world-class heritage attraction for a grand total of three years. There is an administration fee of £5 but once you’ve got your Castle Key you get access to a whole load of sites inside the grounds including the Norman Keep and the Battlement Walk, as well as discounts to events and in the gift shop.

Not only are the Roath and Riverside markets, held every Saturday and Sunday respectively, they are free to wander around and you may also pick up a bargain in the form of some great local produce from Wales’ top farmers, butchers, bakers and brewers and therefore you are helping to support local businesses.

1. St. Fagan’s National History Museum

2. Cardiff Castle

3. Farmers Markets

Are you under 30? Do you enjoy the classical stylings of the opera as opposed to the drum and base beats and dance anthems that dominate the dancefloors? Well if you are, and if you do, then you’re in luck and I’ll tell you for why. Anyone aged 30 and under can go and watch the Welsh National Opera for just five of your Great British pounds instead of forking out over 40 quid for a ticket when they perform at St. David’s Hall. On January 16, they will be playing four classics exploring the themes of desire, temptation and threat.

Not only do we at It’s On Cardiff strive to bring you all the best news from around the city to keep you in the loop with what’s going on, we’ve also got a handy new app that you can download from iTunes and Google App for absolutely zilch, which gives you access to our mammoth database of events, as well as giving you the opportunity to buy our deal of the day. These deals are designed to let you enjoy Cardiff for less by giving you discounts to a range of places and activities.

It may not be specifically for Cardiff, but Cineworld’s Unlimited Card is well worth buying. You can pick up at just £16.40 per month, which entitles you to... yup, you guessed it, unlimited movies. Now considering watching a film normally can cost a tenner, that’s a bargain and you also get discounts on food and drink.

1. Watch the Welsh National Opera for less

2. Get our app

3. Get yourself a Cineworld card

MONEY SAVING TIPS


EATING ON A FIVER

Got a grumbling belly but only a crumpled £5 note in your pocket?

Fear not because food blogger Jonathan Swain, from The Plate Licked Clean gives us his top

picks for cheap eats

1. Meat & GreekThere’s no slick operation here, no social media campaign or PR agency, just good old-fashioned food served with a smile. A family who were inspired to ‘give it a go,’ were taken aback by the queues that soon formed as word spread. Toasted halloumi, marinated pork, chicken steeped in the flavours of Greece… turning slowly as flames caress and aromas rise and saturate the air, as you wait for those toasted pitta breads to be stuffed full of flavour… wonderful, just wonderful. If you want to find out where they’ll be popping up, follow them on Twitter @meatandgreek.

The eclectic décor here shouldn’t fool you; whimsical and eccentric it may be, but the kitchen is knocking out unpretentious food, which is always very good and at times, excellent. Their ‘two for one’ ‘til 4pm is the main draw here and be prepared to do a Warner Brothers cartoon-style double take as you realize you’re paying the equivalent of under £4 each. The crispy salt and pepper squid salad is a hit. If that tickles your tastebuds, head over to North Road for some grub.

In its own quiet way, a surprise find. Not only is this effectively the works canteen of the Unite the Union, it is run by Kuldeep Singh, the former head chef at the much-missed Munchesters. The idea here is all about daily specials, depending on what is good and fresh and seasonal. Whatever you might find - curries, fish, Thai influences and so on - is built from scratch every day. That’s an impressive commitment at these prices and one, which makes you grateful that the café is not solely open to the Transport House staff. Check Cegin out on Cathedral Road.

To read full reviews on an array of affordable restaurants, head over to www.theplatelickedclean.blogspot.co.uk

2. North Star

3. Cegin

FREE EVENTS

Making the most of the city doesn’t have to set you back a pretty penny. There’s a whole bunch of free events

so head over to our website to check them out, but here’s a couple

to get you going-

Every fourth Monday of each month, Gwdihw are hosting their free open mic nights from 7:30pm. If singing and performing isn’t your strong point or you’re not too fussed about listening to the music, it’s worth a visit just for the half price food and drink. With a selection of tipples including locally breweed PIPES beer, bourbons, whiskey, rum and Red Stripe plus paninis and pies, Gwdihw is looking like the best place to be this month if you want to have a good time and give your bank account a breather until payday.

Another handy event for all the musicians out there but this time a chance to meet and collaborate with a host of other like minded musicians.

Held at Four Bars on January 15, it is an informal networking event for anyone in the local music industry, which aims to encourage collaboration, the exchange of ideas and to have a bit of a catch up.

At each event they’ll give approximately 20 people up to two minutes to introduce themselves, describe their role and how they can work with others, whether they’re offering or looking for services and collaboration opportunities. This doesn’t need to be scary or formal and can just be a simple “hello I do this..” or “I need some help with this..”

It could be a record label looking for a new designer for artwork, a promoter looking to co-promote with others, someone offering advice, publishing companies seeking songwriters, managers and booking agents looking for new acts, or bands who need a website or video made.

1. Gwd Mondays

2. Music Networking Event


JANUARY’S HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS

The ex-prison warden X-Factor winner, Sam Bailey, will be hitting St. David’s Hall on January 31 for her Power of Love tour.

Running from January 14-24 at the Wales Millennium Centre, the West End hit makes its Welsh debut this month bringing Hollywood razzle dazzle with it.

Wellness guru Jillian Michaels brings her critically acclaimed “Maximise Your Life” motivational tour to the U.K. for the first time on January 26 in St. David’s Hall.

The masked rockers are back on UK and will be playing at the Motorpoint Arena on January 24 with their nu-metal brothers, Korn.


JANUARY’S HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS

Newport rockers, Save Your Breath, are playing at Clwb Ifor Bach as part of their Farewell Tour, so head down on January 30 to see them for the last time.

Legendary Sheffield-born singer and former frontman of Mike & The Mechanics, Paul Carrack, returns to the road and is set to play St. David’s Hall on January 22.

Long haired funny man, Ross Noble, will be performing his off the cuff comedy at the Wales Millennium Centre on January 25.

The Pomegranate Piano Trio is an exciting new collaboration of award-winning musicians who will be playing Beethoven on January 20 at St. David’s Hall.

Head over to our website for Cardiff’s largest database of events!www.itsoncardiff.co.uk


Drunken SailorP o p - u p W a f f l e S h o p

@wafflesofwales

What a load of waffle

C


Music, Art & Theatre

The real

From Middle Earth to the Tardis, Sylvester has been there and done that and we caught up with the former Doctor ahead of the release of his latest project, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

You’re career has spanned decades and you’ve played a number of different roles both on the big and small screen as well as the stage, but what has been your favourite role?Ham Roll! My favourite roll is ham roll! I mean I’m an old ham so I need to eat as much ham as possible, so ham roll is my favourite roll.

Do you prefer the Dr Who of old or the present take on the series?I preferred it when I was in it obviously! I think! It’s great but I like being in it.

Do you miss your days of being the Dr?No. I’ve been working solidly for 40 years as an actor in an infinite amount of roles and I love them all.

McCoy


Nazareth have inspired generations of musicians over the years, including Guns N’ Roses who covered your song Hair of the Dog, but who first inspired you musically you to start a band?There’s so many things you know, right from the dawn of rock and roll right through to now. I mean my personal favourites are bands like Little Feat who are my favourite band and Little Richard and people like that… the original rock and roll singers right back to Elvis and Chuck Berry and all the early rockers. That’s what started us all out. I’ve got so many favourites!

You’ve been with Nazareth right from the very start, so what has been your greatest memory from your career?Oh I don’t know, there’s so many to choose from again. We’ve been doing this for 35 years with the Nazareth name so there’s quite a few things that have happened. I guess probably getting our very first hit record. I think with most bands that would be their greatest memory. You’re actually recognised and you’re played on Radio 1 with your first hit single. I think that was a big deal because we’d never had that kind of treatment before, you know? So getting our very first hit record, luckily enough in Britain, with Broken Down Angel.

The band has been going for quite a few years but how has the music changed during that time?With the music changing around you, you tend to change a bit although you don’t really notice it but you are being influenced by it. So I think in that much the song writing has changed quite a lot, but I don’t think our approach to playing it has changed that much. You tend to think that your songwriting gets better… or you hope so anyway. Our approach to playing is pretty much the same though.

The band is constantly releasing albums or touring but are you going to continue to do so?We started with this tour, which is a small tour of Britain and then we have quite a full year but that’s what bands do now. Bands used to spend an awful lot of time in the studio and then they’d go out and promote their new album. Bands are spending less time in the studio because records don’t really sell these days because people can pinch them for free and download it so bands tend to be working a lot more now than they were ten years ago. We’re a lot busier now than we ever were. We are constantly on the road and I don’t see that changing but we enjoy it so that’s a good thing.

Pete AgnewFROM NAZARETH

We caught up with Scottish rocker and Nazareth’s only remaining founding member and bassist, Pete Agnew, to chat about the past and future of the band, as well as his inspirations ahead of their next gig in Cardiff at The Globe on January 25

Cop

yrig

ht: p

hoto

s by

Dag

mar

Hei

nric

h-H

oppe

n


Cop

yrig

ht: p

hoto

s by

Dag

mar

Hei

nric

h-H

oppe

n


JANUARY EVENT GUIDE

The African Children’s Choir14/01/15

St. David’s Hall7.30pm

£9

The Smyths: Meat is Murder Tour17/01/15The Globe7.30pm

£10

Pomegranate Piano Tour20/01/15

St. David’s Hall1pm

£5.50

The Weeks21/01/15The Globe7.30pm

£10

Paul Carrack22/01/15

St. David’s Hall7.30pm£28.50

Slipknot24/01/15

Motorpoint Arena7.30pm£37.50

Kizzy Crawford29/01/15The Plan

7pm£10

Save Your Breath30/01/15

Clwb Ifor Bach7.30pm

£7

Sam Bailey31/01/15

St. David’s Hall7.30pm£29.50

Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band31/01/15The Globe7.30pm

£10

Music


JANUARY EVENT GUIDE Want to fill your diary with even more events? Head over to our website for the city’s largest online database of events:www.itsoncardiff.co.uk

Ross Noble: Tangentleman25/01/15

Wales Millennium Centre7.30pm

£25

Pop-up Cinema: Silent Running17/01/15

The Centre For Alternative Technology6pm£8

Bad Movie Club: Howard The Duck04/01/15Chapter

8pm£7.20

Jiillian Michael’s Maximise Your Life Tour26/01/15

St. David’s Hall7.30pm

£25

Swan Lake02-03/01/15

St. David’s Hall2pm and 5.30pm

From £14.50

Top Hat14-24/01/15

Wales Millennium Centre7.30pm

£18

Terry Pratchet’s Wyrd Sisters29-31/01/15

The Gate Arts Centre7.30pm

£8

Disney’s The Lion KingRunning until 11/01/15

Wales Millennium Centre2.30pm and 7.30pm

£20.50

TheatreComedy

Exhibitions

Film

it's on cardiff issue 2

Documents

new year of events

best events

magazine14new year

best bits

best news

cardiffs brand new

cardiffs best gyms

bar area