Armagh Food Fair for variety

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 34

Armagh Food Fair for variety

(By

BRAD TATTERSFIELD)

The days are long gone, fortunately, when the office worker looking for a bite to eat at lunchtime had to settle for a crusty old pie, a ham sandwich or a cream bun oozing with cholesterol. Christchurch now boasts a large number of eateries offering a variety of tasty, light mid-day meals. The beauty of the Armagh Food fair, an alleyway connecting Armagh Street to Gloucester Arcade, is that it offers five entirely different menus in one location, guaranteeing satisfaction for all diners no matter how cost or calorie-conscious they are.

Packed into the small alleyway are Costa’s Souvlaki Bar, Charlie Browns Takeways, Uncle Lira’s Chinese Takeways, Gourmet Sandwiches, and the Praying Mantis Health Food Restaurant.

A sixth eatery, Anne’s Food Bar, closed down a few weeks ago. This reviewer spent two weeks sampling a selection of food from these establishments. None was perfect, but each had enough to recommend it to warrant a second visit.

Of the five, my favourite was undoubtedly “the Greek,” as Costa’s is now

widely known among its large clientele. The place was always packed every day I passed it, and its popularity would seem to suggest an opening for at least one other Greek takeaway bar in Christchurch.

Costa’s lamb souvlakis ($2.30), chicken souvlakis ($2.60), and donor kebabs (beef, $2.30) are all tasty. The small pieces of meat are skewer-cooked and wrapped in Lebanese pita bread, along with chopped lettuce and onion salad, French dressing, and a tasty meat sauce.

Eating souvlaki ha? its pitfalls — the hurried diner returning to work may find it difficult to avoid dripping sauce over their clothes (as I did), as eating the last half of souvlaki entails removing it from its paper wrapping. This aside, the souvlakis are excellent. On one of many visits to “the Greek,” I was accompanied by a friend, an avowed carni-

vore, who enthusiastically devoured his and would have bought another had we not already walked back to work. He commented they might not be so appealing on a hot day — a moot point, indeed (will decent weather ever return to Christchurch?)

Costa’s also offers a variety of sweets, including galactoboureko (lemon pastry, $1); baklava (walnut and honey slice, $1.30); and kourabies (almond cookies, 30c). The first two of these were not to my liking — like most Greek desserts, they were extremely sweet — yet the almond cookies, dusted with icing sugar, were delightfully tasty. My two visits to The Praying Mantis produced some conflicting impressions. On the first occasion I had a slice of quiche ($1.20) that was rather too heavy on herbs and light on ingredients. For a main I had a vegetable and chicken casserole with salads ($5).

I found the casserole lacked punch (cayenne pepper, or something else a bit spicy, would have helped) and the salad selection was limited and rather plain. For example, a carrot and coconut salad could have been greatly improved by adding sultanas or walnuts. My second meal was much better. The chicken and salads ($5.30) were delicious. The chicken was nicely cooked, with a crisp skin brushed with soya sauce and ginger. The salad selection had vastly im-

proved, a lasagne and mussel combination being particularly tasty. The highlight of the meal was a piece of apple and date slice ($1.30). It tasted of cinnamon and sour cream, with a delicious wholemeal crust. A glass of freshly squeezed orange ($1.35) finished the meal nicely. On to Uncle Lim’s Chinese takeaways, and a very pleasant meal considering the low expectations aroused by the bland decor. The chicken and corn soup ($1.75) was thick and hearty, without the globules of fat so often found in Chinese soups.

My main was a generous helping of beef and black bean sauce, sweet and sour pork, and vegetables ($3.20). The beef was a particular favourite — it was tender, juicy and spicy. Gourmet Sandwiches does not make sandwiches to order, as many other sandwich bars do these days, although a nice, variety of fare was on Offer nevertheless.

I found my two sandwiches (corn and bacon, and cheese and onion) tasty and filling, finished off with a slice of apple strudel. At $1.75, the price was right for a quick bite.

Charlie Browns sells traditional takeaway bar fare — chips, doughnuts, hamburgers and the like — at reasonable prices.

All in all, a pleasant and economical fortnight’s eating.