Bliss or Miss? | Mal Maison - Newcastle

Today’s #BlissOrMiss is a special collaboration with the amazing Jade from FoodNDrinkLondon. We journeyed together all the way to Newcastle!

I know Jade is a huge fan of the Mal Maison hotels, but I had never even set foot in one, so was really interested in trying one out and where better than in a brand new city!…Whey aye!

To catch EatNDrinkLondon's side of the story click >here<

So Jade and I sat down to dinner, in the spacious, french-boutique inspired brasserie. After perusing the menu, I settled on the classic ‘Moules Frites’ and wasn’t disappointed, it was salty, tender deliciousness. The only criticism I have is that I came across a couple of ‘beards’ on my mussels - a big faux-pas in my book - but I still enjoyed it very much.

Does anyone else do this when eating Moules Frites?…I always eat the mussels first and then decant all the fries directly into the rich, white-wine broth. In my opinion, this is entirely the best way to eat this dish.

With mussels providing a relatively light choice in terms of protein, I certainly could justify a dessert. I don’t know whether it’s Jade’s love of all things sweet and delicious that is slowly converting my sweet tooth, but I eventually settled on the baked cheesecake - one of my all-time favourite sweet treats. 

I happen to think of myself as somewhat, a cheese-cake connoisseur and this cheesecake, although not the most pretty, was absolutely perfect. Flaky, creamy decadence, laced with a tart berry coulis. I was very satisfied with my choice… but maybe not quite as happy as Jade, who was beaming with her sticky-toffee pudding - I tried a little of her’s and it was complete, sugary, warming, comforting delight. Appropriate for a food-gasm.

Satiated with the delicious food and friendly, northern service, we carried on into the night with drinks… My drink of choice: Lanson White Label Champagne.

The next morning, Jade and I were eager to try breakfast and indeed were not disappointed. Mal Maison boasts a tempting selection of cooked choices and a generous assortment of continental delights. The only downside is the price at £15 for a cooked breakfast and continental choices….do make sure you’re hungry!

 Myself and Jade both opted for the full works, so we were able to select a cooked option and have our fill of the continental counter. Jade chose the full-english - which definitely looked protein heavy - sausages, bacon, black pudding and eggs.

I opted for eggs benedict - being the typical, indecisive person I am, I couldn’t decide whether to have it with salmon or bacon - but the waitress kindly suggested ‘have both’. 

It was a perfect rendition of eggs benedict - luckily for them considering the price.

I’m a big a fan of these ‘punny’ additions throughout the hotel

I love to experience new dining environments, but this will remain one of my favourites - there’s nothing better than making new memories with a best friend. Please be sure to check out Jade’s, ‘Eating London’