It had been a while since we visited Moules A Go Go in Chester and that is never a good thing so when we saw the offer of 2 for 1 on their Kilo Pots of Mussels on Mondays that seemed the perfect reason to revisit this Chester legend Restaurant. Not legendary just for its Mussels but also because it has been a leading Chester Restaurant for over 20 years now and very few can claim that in todays disposable world. Why have they succeeded when many, many others have gone by the wayside? Simple really. They do what they say exceptionally well. They have a Belgium slant with their mussels and they have no natural competitor on that front but they also do quality European style food backed up with great service and all at reasonable prices. Doesn’t sound complicated when you break it down but its amazing how few are capable of doing it. Duncan and his team do it better than most.
So we ventured into the city and on an Autumnal night, where most places we passed looked empty it, was pleasing to see at just 6.45pm a half full restaurant that by the time we finished our meal was well over ¾ full. A testimony indeed to both the Mussels deal and of course their a la carte offer.
The online booking system worked a treat and on arrival we were greeted by a particularly smiley manager who very quickly showed us to our table. The young lady who offered us wine, water and menus, was both delightful and enthusiastic. She knew her stuff and was delighted to share a “fun fact” with us about the wine we had chosen. Apparently, they had recently done a wine tasting of their new drinks list and this winemaker from Australia was ever so engaging and delightful. Can’t vouch for that but she seemed an honest lass – she was right about the wine though, very good.
As we came for the Monday night offer we looked through the Kilo Pot Mussel menu and decided upon the Thai Style Mussels and the Harlech. Each different in their own way, although they all came with a choice of fritte or crusty bread and at £18 each with one free, it meant on this deal we really were getting something special.
We waited an appropriate time for a main courses to be served and appreciated what a lovely place the new Moule is. It just feels very homely and with character. For those who don’t know its now in Cuppin Street having moved from its Watergate Street birthplace. When the kilo pots arrived with their lids on there were two things that came instantly to mind. The first was what wonderful smells both had when we took the lids off and the second was just how much we had to eat. Let’s start with the fritte that accompanied our dish – for those who know my recent rants about poor chips, the good news – nothing to see here. They were perfect, light crisp and flavoursome.
Gaile ordered the Thai style Moule and they were dressed beautifully, with lemon grass, coriander, spring onion and lime and the smell was nicely perfumed with the coconut milk base. When she eventually got to the sauce at the bottom it didn’t deliver quite the punch that she wanted but that is as a seasoned Thai eater, were it too much stronger then maybe not everyone could stand it. Our advice to the chef is – just go for it. It says its Thai and has chilli and there are four other choices on the menu if you don’t like spicy so give this one a kick. Other than that, it was faultless, as were my own which was flavoured with cider and cream, with bacon, shallots and onions. I couldn’t pick any holes in this, it was delightful. The mussels were lovely and fresh, not a cracked or non-opened one in any of ours and they all tasted great – every last one of them.
We loved our meal and we loved the deal. With a nice bottle of Aussie Chardonnay the whole thing came to £39 and in such a lovely place with staff who make you feel special, we were delighted. Any night is a good night at Moule, either just for a drink, as the bar is very homely or of course to eat from their wide ranging menu but particularly on a Monday for what is an extra special deal. Give it a try. You will enjoy it. It’s the stuff of legends.
Ratings:
Service 10/10 Ambience and Setting 9/10 Food 8/10 Value for Money 9/10 Total Score: 36/40
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.