Newcastle – Week 37

Monday

I am back yet again. I began to feel pointless packing on Friday(s) because as soon as unpacked at home, I have to ‘re-pack’ and come back up here. Before I comment on this week’s events I had to mention something I did last Thursday night.

There is a Japanese restaurant I go for dinner on a daily basis. The food is pretty good, but being a member of the ‘Shallow men society’ I have to follow suit and find a more obvious reason for the visit. That is… as usual, a pretty girl. She is pretty in her own rights but what attracts me is her character, the way she treats the customer with her very sweet smile and politeness. Being a waitress is not an easy job, have to work long hours and have to stand constantly. It is very tough and I can see it in her eyes, but nevertheless she is always professional and put her heart into her job.

When the moment came, I asked ‘Would you be interested to have a cup of tea with me sometime?’ She was shocked, panicked (I can spot little reactions). Being a very considerate person, I offered her a way out by saying ‘You don’t have to say yes.’ Stupid or not, I just don’t want to make it hard for her. Although it is always nice to hear someone likes you, it is not so easy to tell that person you don’t like him/her in that way at all. Her reply was, ‘I had to work 6 days a week, don’t have a lot of free time.’ I knew the answer before I asked her, but I had to because I need to know.

Am I going to go back again??? Probably not in the near future. It is not because of what she said but more due to the fact that I am not someone who really dying to eat Japanese food on a daily basis. I would love to go just to see her again, but my actual preferences are Italian and Spanish cuisine.

Speaking of food, let me mention the ones I like in Newcastle. Let’s not embarrass her more by mentioning where she works. In terms of value of money, Prima is probably the best. It is Italian, the seating is not comfortable, a bit noisy and overcrowded but for 20 pounds, you get a starter and a main course of reasonable size and a glass of wine that is good quality. If you prefer something more up market and stylish, Living Room is the place I would recommend. What I like it the most is the live band in the evening(s). Not for hours and hours but when there is one on, it is usually very good. Despite being here for a while, I haven’t tried many restaurants here. Just a couple hours ago, I had dinner at Frankie’s and Benny’s and it was disappointing. What I don’t like about American food is that it doesn’t make me feel ‘I have to come back again’. It wasn’t bad, but by no means memorable. The wine could be more chilled, the steak was overcooked by at least 60% of what I asked. I am going to try one of the restaurants at the quayside tomorrow and hopefully I can find a good one.

Where am I staying this week? Yet another hotel – ‘TL’. My comment? Even worse than last week. Noisy, soft bed, no air cond, not enough TV channels, no Internet… If only I knew I had to come back before late Saturday I would have gone somewhere else. Looking from the bright side, I know which Hotel(s) I will be staying and which one(s) I won’t in the future.

After the dinner, I took another stroll down the quayside and the Millennium Bridge yet again. If I am in Newcastle, I will be there every night. There are more and more people shooting there now, I would like to claim the glory and say I started the ball rolling. I am in love with that view, if only I could, I would move up here so I can look over it from my balcony every evening. I love architecture and my favourite are bridges. I guess, deep down, I love them because of what they symbolises, the link between two.

I am getting old, really old. Just last week, my great friend / mentor ‘Sifu’ was telling me that once you are settled, you have to behave. My job does allow me to travel around and be casual if need be. However, I can never do that because I regard myself as a well educated person to make such choices. What makes me happy isn’t sleeping around, but to share quiet moments with ‘the one’ I care. One thing I forgot to mention before. It is not right to quantify how I feel about ‘that’ girl. But if I have to relate it to real life, driving 8 hours from Brighton to Newcastle just to have an hour of coffee with her is a choice I wouldn’t hesitate in making.

What goes around comes around, I don’t want my daughter to look like those I see here. Being fit and head turning is one thing, but when the time comes and gravity takes control, it is intelligent that counts. I have yet to see someone who is ‘jaw dropping’ gorgeous but also intelligent. You can’t deny that all things balance out at the end. To be a bit cheeky, I am not good looking, so having 10 GCSEs, 4 A levels and 2 degrees balance it out afterall J .


Tuesday

Let’s jump straight to dinner as nothing major happened today at work. I was going to try another Italian restaurant when ‘Sifu’ recommended Coco Mos just off the Quayside. Food-wise, it is not bad at all. Considering the quality and quantity I would actually use the words ‘Value for money’ to describe the food. I started with a King Prawn in garlic and butter sauce served in white wine, then followed by a very interesting chicken liver pate pasta. My overall impression was… anti-climax… The house white was fruity but not overwhelmed, served at just the right temperature. The starter smelt so good that it actually covered the actual taste of the dish. After the starter, I said, ‘I can’t see the main dish topping this.’ Of course, as expected, the starter was too good that it made the main course hovering around average.

For under 20 pounds, it was very good. However, the service left a bit to be desired as I had to wait 15 mins for someone to come round. I was going to order a dessert but I had waited long enough I was p’ed and so I asked for the bill instead. Will I go back again??? I have to say no. I am backwards, so I can tolerate average food, but I can’t tolerate average services. Just like this ‘TL’, you will have to put a gun to my head before I will consider staying another night.

Wednesday

Tonight’s dinner express is from Fujiyama near the China Town. I would like to stress that the girl I like doesn’t work there. At Fujiyama, you can go for sushi or Teppanyaki. Having tried them both, they are highly recommended. The Teppanyaki was more like a show, the chef throws his tools around and it was fun to watch, especially the egg throw section. Sushi-wise, the quality is also exceptional. I always go for a deluxe sashimi and it is delicious.

I do have to mention one thing though, I know the boss of Fujiyama pretty well. Even so, my comments are not bias because if the food is good, I say it is. The quality of the sashimi is comparable with top Japanese restaurants in London. It might not have the same overall variety as a pure Japanese restaurant, but the sashimi dishes are right up there.


Thursday

Today is my last night in Newcastle for this week, or maybe for a long time. I was tempted to go and see the girl but I decided to wait a while. Afterall, I don’t want to embarrass her and myself considering all staff in the restaurant knows about the event last week.

On the way back to the hotel, I spotted an Italian restaurant and decided to give it a go. Rumpolis is at the same price range as Coco Mos and in terms of quality, they are roughly the same. I like the decoration and it is interesting to see the kitchen located on the floor above and not below. I started with a King Scallop dish and then a Cream Chicken Mushroom Pasta and finished with a Tiramisu. Impression… the King Scallop was good, fresh but it was more like 3 Kings and 2 Princes and a Baby. The pasta was ok for that price, they could have diced the chicken more so there are more surface area for the sauce. The Tiramisu was served with lots of cream on the side and believe me, it was necessary.

What about the service? It seems the staffs were enjoying themselves and it was overwhelming to be honest (there were 6 of them in front of me at one time, not serving me, but my table was close to the bar). However, I do have to say that I felt they were more into people who drinks a lot and not someone like me, who went there for the food. Even though I had to sit 15 mins for the bill at Coco Mos they had a valid reason because they were short of staff. I would like to retract my comment before and try Coco Mos again because they do deserve a second chance and in terms of overall rating, Coco Mos comes above Rumpolis, without a doubt.