The Regency Restaurant, Brighton

The Regency Restaurant
Address: 131 King's Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2HH

It comes to no surprise that I have a (not-so-secret) love affair with food. Growing up, my sisters and I were encouraged to try everything and anything (within reason) at least once. Weird looking food with an even more stranger description? Sign me up. Both my parents are giant 'foodies' and as they're both from Guangzhou, Guangdong (hailed as the food capital of China), it was inevitable that their love for eating (and the obsession with Cantonese cuisine) would be passed down to their children.

My parents also owned their fair share of Chinese takeaways/restaurants and their weekly Tuesdays off were normally dedicated to a family dinner out in Brighton. We'd source out the best that the city had to offer and I think we've found it. Behold, one of my favourite seafood restaurants of all time: The Regency Restaurant - (one of the oldest seafront restaurants in Brighton and former home of Harriott Mellon).

I hadn't been back in 6 years but would often describe the food excitedly to Jordan and cast secret longing gazes at the restaurant every time we drove past. It turns out that the stares weren't as subtle as I had thought as Jordan surprised me with a booking two weeks after my graduation last November. I'm not sure whether I should be proud or embarrassed that the way to my heart is with food.

 I only had one clue: it'll bring nostalgia.

I had left my Sherlock Holmes hat at home that day and was met with a series of ???s when trying to figure the venue out. A few minutes later, we stopped in front of the restaurant and Jordan proudly said:

'I said it'd bring nostalgia but I never said it had to include me - it was meant to be nostalgic for you.'

I think I nearly cried which all sounds very melodramatic and over the top but I hadn't dared to go back since my parent's divorce in fear of the associated memories that'd come along with it so I welcomed the opportunity to revisit the place with him instead : )

Ok, enough rambling and onto the food.

For starters: Scotch smoked salmon for the lady (that's me) and deep fried calamari for the gentleman (that's Jordan) - I was tempted with the 1/2 dozen of oysters as it's one of my favourite seafood dishes (a quick squeeze of lemon and a dash of tabasco for me) but I've always deemed it as a starter for summer. Is there anything better than sitting outside during the height of summer with the views of Brighton pier and some ice-cold oysters? Patiently waiting until then. It tastes as you'd expect: fresh and left us wanting more.
 


This is my chuffed smilin' from ear to ear face. I look composed but inside, I was counting down until the main event, aka the main reason why I love this restaurant so much: the hot lobster thermidor.



Ahh, just look at it. It's a tradition to order this because well, it's simply brilliant. In my opinion, lobster is hard to get right and growing up, the go-to way of preparing it at home has been the 'Cantonese- style' way (what a surprise). The lobster is roughly chopped up and quickly stir-fried with ginger slices, scallions, onions and rice wine to retain the freshness and natural flavours. There's nothing worse than overcooked lobster, it's bland, the texture is ruined and it takes out all the joy of eating it. Bleugh. This dish completely changes all of the above. It's a beautiful mix of lobster, cheese, cream, white wine (or brandy/cognac depending on the chef's preference!) shallots and assorted herbs. The flavours all blend together beautifully and it's honestly a feast for your taste buds. It isn't particularly overpowering in the slightest but actually adds to the moisture of the meat. It was Jordan's first time with eating lobster and he approved. He's a keeper.

Of course, we ordered a side dish of garlic bread to mop up the leftover sauce ;)



Yes, we had room for dessert. We ordered a rhubarb crumble with custard and pistachio ice-cream. I practically inhaled the ice-cream and didn't have the chance to take a photo. Woops. It was great though (in case you were wondering). The rhubarb was a welcome change from the traditional apple pairing. I had actually grilled a very amused waiter with the best dessert choices and after he whispered to us the ones to avoid, he loudly declared the homemade crumble to be the victor and what a winner it was.

If you ever find yourself in Brighton in search of a new restaurant to visit, give The Regency a try! It's a no-brainer during the summer months and judging from the heaving crowds during peak time - I think both the residents and tourists would agree. Save me an oyster (or three)?