Culinary adventures in Shrewsbury.

The last time I visited Shrewsbury was a couple of months into my first year at uni and I didn't have much chance to actually explore the town at all. Now that I have spent the entire week here on my second school experience, I tried to make most of it and actually visit some of the restaurants that sprung up here in the meantime, and some that have been here for ages, but I never knew about them.

I've managed to visit two and both experiences have been brilliant.

Momo No Ki
This is a noodle bar in a lovely location just opposite Shrewsbury Abbey. You can either choose one of the pre-set options, or "pimp your noodle" and choose your own combination. I went for the latter option and had udon noodles with yakisoba sauce, peanut sprinkles and tofu.

I must say that the waitress Rebecca has made my visit particularly memorable: she patiently explained the food choices and even helped me to pick the best dessert ever. I was the only person in the restaurant for a while, since I've opted for an early supper, but she made me feel at ease.

Out goes sugar-free.

But this was the most delicious dessert.

From the left, lemon curd, pistachio cake and dark chocolate mousse

Another thing that I really liked about Momo No Ki was the music: a mix of jazz and mellow pop, ideal for relaxing after a stressful first day at school.

La Laterna is a little gem, tucked away behind St Alkmund's Church, with an unassuming entrance and delicious food. It was truly like a piece of Italy in the middle of Shropshire. Have a look:

A cosy interior...

As for the food, it was really good as well. I had Bruschetta Pomodoro for a starter, Ravioli ai funghi for main and homemade tiramisu for dessert.

Add a cheeky glass of house white wine and you have a perfect evening over marking Year 10 mini-assessments. BTW, this is a great conversation starter, it turned out that the waiter has done a Music PGCE, so we chatted a bit about the illusion of long teacher holiday and the pressure of GCSE results.

There are two other places that I really wanted to give a try, but didn't have enough time (or money!): Umami (Japanese restaurant) and AleOli (Spanish tapas café). Hopefully if I'm ever in Shrewsbury again I will have a chance to visit those two.

One more discovery: almond milk latte at Starbucks. It's so delicious. You need to pay an extra 40p for it, but I find it much nicer and definitely kinder to my tummy than regular milk latte.