Host

My girlfriend really wanted to try something new tonight and we thought HO+ST will fulfill our wishes! Which they didn’t disappoint! We had the duck and water melon salad, really unusual, then my Malay rice cake with confit duck was so pretty! My girlfriend had the noodle soup with chicken, it has a good kick of spicy and she likes it. Very cool restaurant, highly recommended!

From several «top places to eat» lists I know that we are spoilt in Liverpool for great restaurants to try, so I don’t want to waste my city dinners with bad choices. At host I was not disappointed. I took my dad, and we are both big fans of Asian food having lived in Japan and traveled around south east Asia. We know when it works and when it doesn’t. Host has it figured out, with a menu spanning Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam but not overloading the options to make it impossible to choose. We went for our standard starters of edamame beans and duck gyoza which came with a thick dipping sauce, not just the soy you get in other places. My dad had a 5 spiced wok fried beef with rice which he said was spiced to perfection. I went for the beef phở (pronounced fur according to the Vietnamese) which is a gloriously huge dish of beefy broth, noodles and strips of succulent steak on top. I’ve had this in Vietnam and the only difference was there the meat was raw, cooked in the broth at the table. I had a plate of toppings to add to my did and couldn’t get enough of it, I could sup on that all evening! The service was great, really attentive and fast. Our server sorted us out with watermelon infused Liverpool gin, so so nice! Even though there are plenty of must eats in the city, I’ll definitely be returning to host!

I took a girlfriend of mine to Host last Wednesday as an early birthday treat before going to the theatre and I’m so glad we did. She hadn’t been before and I’d always had good experiences in the past so I thought it would be a safe bet.
I was right. The food and the service were excellent. We knew we were on slightly restricted time as we were heading to the theatre so I quickly asked for some advice on a bottle of white wine (the French Sauvignon Blanc the waitress recommended was really great) but having skim read the menu we realised it was going to take us both a little while to decide. The waitress kindly offered to put the order in for the starters we had chosen while we carried on perusing the menu for our choice of main course which I thought was really helpful.
We decided to share the onion bhaji and Thai fishcakes to start; fairly standard choices (also my friend is pescatarian and there is a LOT of meat on the menu!) but the way they are cooked in Host is far from standard. The bhajis were light and crispy and the flavours in the fishcakes were amazing. (It’s probably sacrilege to say this but I really enjoyed the mint and cucumber yoghurt that came with the bhajis with the fishcakes as well!)
My friend chose the King Prawn Pad Thai noodles — again a fairly standard choice but she assured me it was excellent — and I went for the Indonesian Braised Lamb with fried rice, mint, soy beans and a ‘son in law egg’. I have no idea what a ‘son in law egg’ is but I want more of them! This dish was amazing. I could have eaten it all over again had we not had to rush off for the play. The lamb was tender and tasty and the fried rice with soy beans an excellent accompaniment. Not to mention the egg. Again.
Next time I visit Host I will most definitely do it when I don’t have to rush off somewhere. Fabulous.

The place is great, the food is too. And that’s the good things.
I needed to use WiFi and theirs didn’t work, but I don’t think one goes to a fancy dinner place to use the Internet.
Food was great, as I said. Service not that good, though. I hate it when I get my food minutes before my companion. We felt a little bit «left», and our waitress seemed to forget about us for the desserts.

Pretty mediocre.
The squid starter is beautiful, but the lentil curry was horrible and the pad thai was super meh, like it needed something else.
I don’t know what to say? Won’t come back again.

I was expecting Host to be a smart kinda place but in fact it’s very casual, and our 8pm table was surrounded by a mix of families, couples and friends. I was dressed to the nines and felt a little out of place, but hey — better to be overdressed than underdressed.
The food was gooood. Starters (or «small plates» as they’re billed) were the absolute winners — duck gyoza were generously stuffed and came with a tasty dipping sauce and I actually licked the plate of my amazing pork belly with caramel sauce. Absolutely, utterly delish.
Mains were good too. I had confit duck which came with a really tasty cake of rice and some lip-​smacking yoghurty sauce. Nice as it was, I did get a little food envy after a taste of my companion’s braised lamb with a «son-​in-​law» egg which was delish.
However, cocktails were really disappointing. Wishy-​washy glasses of squash which were not worth the price and really didn’t live up to the food.
But the pork belly! All wrongs forgiven for that caramelly gorgeousness.
Marked down to a 3 star review from me as drinks were so «meh» and the service fine but lacking in personality. Would recommend though.

This place is legit. Really tempted to give it five stars but going to go four.
Great food, fantastic selection, everything well made. We had beef teriyaki skewers to start in addition to a salmon and potato salad thing; both solid. Fr the mains we had barbecue pork ribs with sweet potato chips and steamed bass with veggies. Both were excellent albeit perhaps just a hair too salty.
The service was mostly outstanding. Everybody was friendly. Only slip-​up was that we had to ask twice for some tea.
I genuinely wanted to have some dessert because the options looked delicious but I was just too damn full from the main course.
And the value here is great.
I would highly recommend you check this place out.

The place is very good, there’s no doubt. I’m pleased every time I have the opportunity coming here. It is truly amazing. Unbelievably professional service! Food is always well-​prepared, with enough spices and sauce. My friends are crazy about this place! And there’s a pretty good reason for that. Come and experience!

This would be my second best Unilocal find! I could not believe all the five star ratings for this place, so my friend and I decided we would give it a go on our day trip to Liverpool. Of course, this place has their menu online and it just added to our excitement over it. We spent days drooling over the menu and knew exactly what we were going to order when we got there.
As soon as the coach parked, we booked it through Chinatown, up the hill, to Hope Street. The restaurant décor is very trendy, modern and it is very roomy with floor to ceiling windows. The staff were very quick to get us seated. We were in a little bit of a rush, but nothing comes between us and a food experience. We started with the Corn Fritters and Tamarind Caramel sauce. WOW! I have had a lot of corn fritters in my time, but these were by far the best… and the sauce! All I can say is there was not enough sauce, a small pot of it on the plate would be great. Make sure that if you don’t want it to be super spicy, take the little slice of red chilli under the cilantro off, but DO eat the fritter with the cilantro. The mix of the flavours is wonderful!
My lunch buddy ordered the Green Thai Chicken Curry with Rice and I ordered the Crispy Fried Sea Bass with sweet potatoes, soy beans, broccoli, and a Vietnamese hot and sour sauce. The main dishes came out really quickly… which was a good thing because besides being in a bit of a hurry, we were also starving! The waitress said that both were spicy, but we both said that was fine because in all the time I’ve been in the UK, when someone says it is spicy, usually it isn’t spicy at all. Beware: The hot and sour sauce for the fish really is spicy. I like some spice, but this did hurt my mouth a little bit. That being said, I ate all of the fish. My only criticism of the dish is that a side of rice would have been fantastic and would have helped with the spice of the dish. I know that not everyone likes a side of rice, but being Asian, it seems a bit strange that there was not any rice with the dish. The fish was wonderful and the crispy coating on the outside was fantastic! The sauce was delicious as well and I loved the sourness of it! My lunch buddy enjoyed her green curry and said that there was a bit of spice, but nothing like mine. She also said that she has had a lot of green Thai curries, but this had to be one of the best she has had.
We saw what was on the dessert menu and we knew we had to have dessert. It took some doing to get someone to take our dessert order, but when someone finally did, Lauren ordered the Banana and Peanut Butter Gzoyas with White Chocolate Brulee and I had the Vietnamese Coffee and Chocolate Tort with Condensed Milk Ice Crème. Our warning with the Gzoyas… cut into them and let them cool a bit as Lauren burned the roof of her mouth biting into one. It was delicious if you love the Banana and Peanut Butter combination. My tort was fantastically smooth and if you are not a fan of coffee, don’t worry because it doesn’t not have a strong coffee flavor… just more of a dark chocolate flavor. The pastry was just right for the tort and the ice cream… oh the ice cream. I have never had condensed milk ice cream, but I love condensed milk and this was heavenly! If they had just offered that ice cream by itself it would be delicious!
It does get a bit pricey, our total was around £38 that was with one Diet Coke. However, if you are like me, if the food is worth it, you don’t mind paying it. I really wished I lived closer to Liverpool because I’d be stopping in on a very regular basis!

Two nights in a row at Host last week and two nights of bad meals and even worse service. The first night I was alone and could barely get the attention of my waiter. I was sitting in the bar and he was focused on the bigger parties; finally the hostess had to tell him to take my order. When the order arrived the mussels were barely cooked and the spring rolls were nothing special.
The next night I went with a group and the spices in my lentils were so strong that there was absolutely no telling what one was eating. Lentils, broccoli, whatever, it all tasted the same. Will not be going back there again.

The reason Host is one of my favourite places to eat lunch or supper:
Edamame sprinkled with Maldon sea salt
Grilled king praws with black pepper sauce and roasted pineapple
Corn fritters with chilli caramel
Crab and sweet potato cakes with wasabi mayo
Sweet chilli crayfish with coriander, mint and crispy noodles
Green chicken curry with thai aubergine
Jasmine rice
Wok fried greens
& wonderful fruit tea.
In a word: Yummmmmmmy.

It probably says more about my warped mind that the name of this place, derived from its location on HOpe STreet, just makes me think of the dumb animal that parasites take hold upon. I certainly felt like a parasite here, but that’s probably because I’m rubbish.
Some would deride the seating, in which everyone is lumped together on a series of bare tables, as a bit odd, but I loved it. You find yourself sitting either with excitable loons or stuffy, uptight types who clearly don’t like it. The latter is the more fun to watch, as they cover their faces and try not to pay attention to the fact they’ve come out for a romantic meal and have ended up sat next to me.
The food is delicious but can get quite pricey. That’s hardly a criticism though because I’m the kind of person who thinks oxygen costs too much. Definitely one to visit.

Named after one of my favourite films, this place is an absolute delight. I mean it is just a cosmic mouth waterfalling experience that gets better and better through your dining journey.
I jsut will not bother with small talk about the décor and the I want to talk foooood!!! I would at any given opportunity destroy any nibbles on the table at this restaurant. So all you friends that come with me better hope that nibbles plate comes with cctv security, because we have a thief on the table people! Oh dear lord whether its the crunchy wasabi nuts, the delicious crackling Indonesian prawn crackers, the spiced nuts I have the tendancy to just munch my way through with the kind of pleasure and speed which is animalistic!
After I’m done with the nibbles the small plate options are just as inviting. The bang bang chicken salad, Chinese cabage and satay sauce is well and truly bang bang on the money. I even managed to steal some corn fritters with chili caramel from my neighbouring plate without alarm, oh I am like a ninja! The stir fried udon noodles with beef meat balls and peppers hit the spot so hard the spot was down in 30 seconds in the 1^st round and was counted out. Udon noodles winning by knock out. All of this great food comes at a highly affordable price which just woohoos it into a 5 star heaven, a well deserved rating indeed. Well what are you waiting for? I order you to let’em Host you, ya silly ol coys!

I can’t really fault Host. They have a pretty big monopoly of Hope Street, also proud owners of The Quarter and I’m sure others.
It’s surprisingly simplistic, sleek and modern with those swish wooden tables and benches with a few higher bar seat and candles out at night to set the mood.
The staff went out of their way to provide the most excellent service even though it was exceptionally busy, asking us if we needed anything, refills and menus etc.
Now, the biggy. The food. The big plates are huge and the portion sizes so big I can never finish them but delicious all the same!
My friend raved about the sea bass which was simply steamed and served with stir fry greens. I had the Thai green chicken curry; simply gorgeous.
They have some eccentric desserts too, Fresh pineapple, mango and lychee purée and coconut sorbee on a wanton crisp… did I mention the chocolate chilli brownie that comes with a candied chilli?
You need to taste it to know. So what are you waiting for? Book a table!

After a walk around town we ended up on Hope Street and chose Host for a stop off point for a quick drink and a bit of lunch.
With a similar interior set up comparable to Wagamama’s inside with sleek wood tables and clean, clear, modern styling, Host represents classic and modern combined. This theme is reflected by its own description of ‘east meets west’, the menus are all set at reasonable prices with mains (‘big plates’) costing between £7 to £11, and drinks on a similar gastro pub based price spectrum.
On a really nice day it was enjoyable to sit outside Host on it’s outer seating. Keeping in mind that Host does deals such £7,95 for a dish of the day and glass of wine (between 12am and 7pm), it is a recommendable contemporary, relaxed meal out.

Host is one of those places which has been recommended to me time and time again by friends who knew of my deep, passionate and unerring love for anything pan Asian. So when a friend suggested it to me one rainy Friday lunchtime, I really didn’t take much convincing to go.
Host prides itself on serving Asian inspired food, meaning its menu is filled with interesting little tit bits — including various ingredients being used in new and intriguing ways. But, like any good noodle house, it also has a wide range of dishes on the menu that can appeal to even the most discerning palette. One of the favourite things I scoffed during my meal there were the wasabi peas which were served up as an appetizer. Crisp, crunchy and zingy, these were packed full of an eyewatering punch, and led to me screwing my face up in all manner of different contortions when some fiendishly hot wasabi particles wooshed up my nose and into my bloodstream.
For mains, I had the Yellow Seafood Curry with sticky Jasmine rice which was one of the day’s specials. This was an absolute joy to eat (and also managed to clear up my hangover a treat). Filled to the brim with toothsome and wonderfully fresh pieces of salmon, king prawns and mussels, it was brimming with a whole host of interesting and delicate flavours. Whilst my partner was unable to get the Pork Belly she ordered due to the kitchen running out, her spiced pork chop with a sweet potato mash was a more than adequate substitute. The sweet potato complemented the pork perfectly without managing to be too overpowering, and it was hoovered up by her in record time.
However, where Host really excels is with its desserts. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into their sweets menu, and I bowled over with the deftness and lightness of touch applied to each and every ingredient on the plate. My Strawberry and White Pepper panacotta with liquorice macaroons was an absolute joy to eat — each ingredient melding in perfect harmony on my tongue with each and every bite. However, the stand out dish of the night was my partner’s Turkish Delight ice cream with rosewater jelly and chocolate covered popping candy. Words other than ‘Wow’ really cannot do this dessert justice, with it looking and tasting both delicate and playful. I still have no idea how the chef managed to get the little balls of popping candy covered in chocolate without them disintegrating into mush, but I certainly came out of there feeling incredibly impressed.
Host is a definite ace in the Hope Street restaurant pack — and a place I’ll certainly be returning to time and time again. This is reasonably priced, elegant and delicious food done at it’s very best.

The name of this restaurant, ‘Host’, is made up of ‘Ho’ as in ‘Hope’ and ‘St’ as in ‘Street’. How clever’s that?
The restaurant is clever too. As with many Oriental Fusion eateries, the long canteen style benches alongside very neutral, plain and contemporary décor and noisy, busy, trendy ambience lend themselves well to an enjoyable, modern meal. The dishes are really delicious, the service is quick and efficient and sometimes feels slightly impersonal but that’s more than understandable considering just how crammed the place gets. It’s certainly popular. I’ve been when it’s been less busy too and in this situation the staff are so attentive and friendly you want to hug them. Would that be frowned upon?
The prices can be a little high but the food is definitely worth the money. Even the desserts have an unusual twist with a hit of chilli in the chocolate brownie… I must try that in my own recipe, but no doubt I’d ruin them and cause mass vomiting. Oh and the banoffee crumble trifle… be still my beating heart. Another wonderful thing about Host is the tap water donation to Water Aid and also the nibbly bits — the wasabi peanuts and Indonesian prawn crackers are stunning. It’s owned by the same people who run The Quarter and 60 round the corner, so it’s in very good company. Overall, an excellent dining experience.

I’m a bit of a sucker for restaurants that have attractive men eating at them and sweet waiters with foreign accents…
I’d been to Host before but decided to take my mum there recently for a treat. The first time I went, I was with a few girlfriends, we were working on a project, and were absolutely starving. So we ordered most of the ‘small plates’ (ranging from £3.25 — £5.95) and picked away at them, whilst having various notebooks out and discussing our project, and quaffing bottles of wine. This must’ve led the manager to believe we were critiquing his food, as he was soon over to introduce himself and offer us anything else from the menu. Obviously we played along and made out that we worked for a reputable Liverpool mag. A good evening was had by all and we left in hysterics.
This time round, luckily the manager didn’t recognise me, and I managed to procure a table in the bar area, away from all the families with kids. Again, we ordered a range of small plates — hot & sour beef salad with chilli jam, thai aubergine, peanuts & lemongrass; crisp fried pork with caramel and chilli vinegar; sichuan pepper & salt squid with chilli mayo; rice paper rolls with chinese mushrooms and peanut hoisin; seared tuna, dashi mayo, aubergine and soba noodles; and crab and sweet potato cakes with wasabi mayo. Can you tell I took a copy of the menu home with me?
These were all absolutely lovely, and the food arrives as soon as it’s cooked, rather than all in one go, so it gives you time to digest between dishes. The one thing I will say is that the rice paper rolls were full of noodles and extremely bland if they weren’t soaked in the hoisin sauce. The hot & sour beef, being the most expensive small dish, was well worth it, with the beef finely sliced and cooked medium rare. The tuna was served cold, which is a surprise if you’re not expecting it. Other than that, the food and service was top notch.
As we were treating ourselves, we decided to splash out on dessert and a dessert wine. I opted for the turkish delight parfait with rich chocolate sauce and popping candy, whilst my mum had rhubarb and lemongrass 3 ways (ice cream, jelly and crumble). We sneaked bits from each others plates and oooohed and aaahhed over them. Unfortunately, the dessert wine only turned up at the end as the staff had some difficulty locating it. Doesn’t anyone drink dessert wine anymore?
For my mum though, the highlight of the meal was being able to see a restaurant across the road, where Carol McGivern from Loose Women was eating. Once the dessert wine had gone to her head she ran across the street, knocked on the window and waved at her like she knew her. Poor woman.
All in all, the afternoon was a success. I was slightly put out that I’d had to book a table in advance only to see my dad and his new wife (good job my mum was in the loo at this point) come in and be seated immediately without a reservation. They soon left though when they realised they’d been put in the screaming children area. The manager could also do with a hefty dose of anti-​sleaze medication, although I’m used to leching as an owner of an overly-​ample bosom. Next time I’m in there and he has a conversation with my chest I may just demand a free meal…

Came here more by accident than anything. We where in Liverpool for concert at the Phil and although where planning on eating there we had forgot all about the fact that probably everyone else going to the same concert would be doing the same and it just so happened HOST was the only place that could fit us in!
Glad they could though as it was really really nice, I had the special, I think it was blackbean chicken and my boyfriend had a fish dish, both where lovely.
The service understandably was brisk as it was very busy but that suited us fine.
Would definitely go again.

This restaurant is a really cool place because it is well located, the atmosphere is really cosy and the food is great. On top of that it is cheap too so you can’t go wrong by going there.
When i went there I had a special deal which was £7 for a starter + meal + a beer.