Big Eat Out - Wig and Pen

THE WIG AND PEN

**THE GEN:**There’s a beautiful white freehouse that stands at the exquisitely named St Martin-at-Palace Plain that screams Jacobean like a well-inflated pantaloon. That particular freehouse is the Wig and Pen, and for the last 21 of its 300+ years, it’s been a well-loved pub, manned by Lynne and Craig McLaren. I’ve known it as a popular real ale pub – one of Norwich’s numerous on the ale trail – but tonight I was sampling their delights of their busy kitchen.

**ATMOSPHERE:**Walking in to the Wig and Pen, you’re struck by the historic beams and cosy looking snug that prop the building up with the weight of over 300 years of stories. Extending beyond the familiar traditional bar room, there’s a more modern looking dining area, which accommodates the spill over. As it was, the bar room was scattered with different characters, of nicely varying age, all using the pub for their own reason; for a quiet bit of pint supping, to tackle the crossword alone, to getting their evening’s grub.

THE MAIN EVENT: Chicken Gurkha Curry // 100% Steak Burger w/ Bacon and CheeseNo, I’d never heard of Chicken Gurkha curry either. I’m assuming your ignorance as it makes me feel more learned. This was my selection from a choice of four curry sauces, and four meat / fish / veggie options. It was awesome to see deviations from the usual tacky tikka staples – there was Thai, Nepalese (I’m assuming in the case of the Gurkha), Jamaican and Indian, and apparently, the options change every Tuesday. That’s exciting. Having never sampled a gurkha before, I have no idea of its authenticity – and how can you tell if Joanna Lumley isn’t vehemently picketing for its workers’ rights? That being said, it was peppery and spicey, and tasted like a proper homemade curry. The spices were on the verge of tasting charred, which makes me think they were toasting a little too long, but it just added to the fiery edge. It was so generously laden with chicken too, that at its price of £9 including a pint, you were being well looked after. It’s good to know that your burger is 100% steak – all heaving moo cow, making you feel instantly Desperate Dan, but it does always mean you need to ladle on some juiciness – sauce, cheese – whatever your weapon, lay it on thick. In the Wig’s continued spirit of generosity, the chips came piled high, and were softened by a colourful side salad.

DESSERT: Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Ice Cream The Wig has a modest dessert menu, but when chocolate fudge brownie is one of the options, why do you need a long list? This had the velvety smoothness of the topping to a chocolate fudge cake, topping and ending a densely rich brownie, and it was a triumph. It was roughly 10cm squared of food that I shouldn’t have eaten, leaving me to roll my fat trunk home, very satisfied.****

**VALUE:**The curry conundrum – I still don’t know what the puzzle is – is a steal. To get a homemade curry, rice, poppadum, mango chutters and a ruddy pint for £9 is beyond argument. Why wouldn’t you? The prices on the rest of the menu – even the specials – were modest and realistic, and that’s what you want, in an ever-expanding world of pubs adding the gastro cash onto their previously affordable fayre.

**OVERALL:**The Wig is a great midweek choice – especially on Curry Conundrum Tuesdays. It doesn’t profess to be the go-to for anything particular; it’s not a first-date place, or a nouveau-gastro destination. It’s one of those honest, do what you’re good at, warmly welcoming British boozers. Amen to that.

VENUE: 7/10

FODDER: 7/10

VALUE: 9/10

OVERALL: 7.5/10