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WIN: 100 TABLES FOR TWO
Not content with incredible Opheem, Saturday Kitchen regular, Aktar Islam, is opening his second Summer Row spot almost next door. Legna soft launches on December 11, with fine dining Italian and sourcing at its core. From the cheeses to the olive oil, ingredients will be delivered from Italy three times a week, making up dishes like a celeriac, trompette mushroom and Winchester cheese tagliatelle, plus the Carpaccio di Manzo (pictured), with fillet of beef, parmesan and truffle. There'll also totally be pizzas, with toppings like bocconcini mozzarella and Calabrian chilli. To be in with a chance of eating for free during opening, sign up to Legna’s mailer by 12pm on December 8. There are 100 tables for two for the winning.
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CIVILISED DISCOUNTING
Well Black Friday was rather intense, wasn't it? Trust Mailbox, though, to bring a more civilised aura to pre-Christmas discounting with an event this Saturday (December 1) to mark the launch of two new indy menswear stores — Burrows & Hare and English Brands. The former, is offering an easy to understand 10% off across the store, and a comp'ed barbershop service for wet shaves and beard trims. The latter is giving an even easier to understand 20% off its entire range of shoes, boots, bags and accessories. Emporio Armani, Gieves & Hawkes and Harvey Nichols are also doing one-day-deals but if we start explaining all of them then our entire "easy to understand" angle doesn't work. So best head here to for the nuts and bolts.
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Venue: Tiger Bites Pig, 34 Stephenson Street, B2 4BH; Facebook
Choice: Red braised belly pork bao (£4.50) Chooser: Owner
There's such a thing as being too excited by the prospect of a launch, and after our tenth email to the team at Tiger Bites Pig enquiring about a precise date for their opening, we were concerned we'd gone fan boy on the new bao bar embarrassingly early. Not so, old chum. A Honjozo sake (£4) and a classic white cut chicken bao with genius-grade seasme chicken crackle (£4.50, pictured) later, we were beaming at the full bar, and gesticulating wildly for more of those giving, sticky buns. From the slow-cooked, fish fragrant aubergine (£4.50 with tofu), to the house XO sauce that goes with the twice cooked duck bun (£5.50), to the house pickles with marrow from Chef Keith's garden in Billesley, flavour and texture reigns supreme at Tiger Bites Pig. But it was the old school pork belly bao that you should hit up if you've only got room for one. Steamed, then given six hours in a stock bath of star anise, rice wine, orange peel and every other ingredient you can think of, the richness of the dish is cut through with stir fried mustard greens, crushed peanuts and coriander, plus the obligatory Ginjo yuzu sake you'll by now have moved on to. Moments from New Street Station, this is a much-needed, happy, affordable addition to the city. Open daily from 11am until 9pm, except Sundays. Menu
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FLASH BANG ART
You know those exhibitions with lights and sounds and big visuals that you can appreciate whether you flaked out before GCSE art (us) or got a P an H and a D in it? Haroon Mirza, is bringing his collection of moving imagery, installations and sonics to Ikon from tomorrow, and it looks extraordinary. Take the installation pictured, which you can go in. It’s an anechoic chamber, so, a space in which neither light nor sound is reflected, with a circle of white lights at its centre, plus a crescendoing electronic buzz. Sensory bewilderment guaranteed. Until Feb 24.
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CREAM THEN JAM
It’s not yet December and the idea of turkey has us considering going full-on Ebenezer before the tree’s even up. So God Bless us everyone, that Aria at the Hyatt has an alternative, with their festive afternoon tea. The menu reads happily Masterchefy with mulled wine meringues, chocolate and chestnut macarons, and a trilogy of scones all vying for attention. And you needn’t even choose between them. For your chance to win afternoon tea for four at Aria, check out our Insta. And if you want to make doubley-sure you’re in with a chance of getting served, bookings are now being taken for December 1 onwards.
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FILM PICK: CREED II
Creed turning out to be awesome was one of the greatest plot twists in recent years but means this sequel comes burdened with expectations that its predecessor didn’t. Happily, though, while it’s not quite as shockingly good as the first film, this is still superior entertainment. Ivan Drago, who Rocky walloped way back in III for killing Apollo Creed, is back and wants revenge for the defeat that ruined his life: that means putting his enormo-son up against our man Michael B Jordan. Smartly, it’s far more than a revenge-in-the-ring flick, with Dolph Lundgren bringing huge amounts of pathos as Drago Senior, and the film about much more than which of the sons punches hardest. Now, bring back Mr T for Creed III. Times & trailer
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COCKTAILS & DREAMS (x6)
If you experienced the exclusive Smultronställe, you’ll already know it has morphed into the elusive 18/81 (we do rhymes). But what you might have missed is that the city centre spot is now offering cocktail tasting menus. Rumbullion (pictured) is a glorious blend of four rums, dark maple syrup and tonka bean aromatics, and appears on both the four-courser (£40) and the full six-course option (£50). The longer menu also includes a series of amuse bouche style snacks and edible courses, so we’re very thinking, go with that one. Both options are available by reservation only. Email hello@1881birmingham.co.uk to get booked in. And if it's your first visit, you're heading no more than a five-minute yomp from New Street.
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