We’re back in The Dog house
Posted: 07 June '10 by Kelly
The Barking Dog restaurant, Malone Road, Belfast
I had been in Dublin visiting Ciara for the weekend and hadn’t seen Niall for a few days so we decided to catch up over a meal and a few drinks. You might remember that we had been to The Barking Dog before and thought that the food was delicious, so decided to go back.
The decor is really cool, a mixture of French chic and rustic farmhouse with its vintage cups and saucers and the huge wooden dresser that holds all of the wine glasses. It’s quite informal too – a chilled atmosphere in which to enjoy a leisurely lunch or evening bite-to-eat.
We were shown to our table by a very pleasant member of staff which, after our last experience, was a welcome change. Looking down the menu we were pretty impressed – a good range of dishes which were added to by 4 or 5 daily specials.
After some deliberation Niall chose the Crab with creme fraiche on sourdough toast to start while I went for the Scallops with black pudding and cauliflower puree. Niall’s starter was OK, but I thought that it was quite bland! My starter was OK too – the scallops were cooked perfectly however the black pudding was wafer thin and the cauliflower puree lacked flavour… although I am quite spoilt because Niall’s version of this dish is the best I have ever tasted. It also has to be said that the portion size was quite measly.
For our main course we decided to have the ‘Cote de Boeuf’ with thick-cut chips, roasted tomatoes and bearnaise sauce (for two people). Now, maybe we have been spoilt by our experience at ‘Robert et Louise’ in Paris, but whenever you order this dish you do have certain expectations!
The first taste is with the eyes, they say, and this did look very promising. Served on a wooden cutting board, the chunky chips were stacked beside a large rib and the sliced beef, together with the juicy roasted vine tomatoes – a rustic feast just waiting for you to dig in. Whenever I think of Cote de Boeuf my mouth waters as I think of a seared, charcoal-flavoured crust and moist, flavoursome steak that melts in your mouth. Sadly there were none of these attributes present as we tucked into our meal.
Although it had been cooked to our request (medium/rare), it had not been seasoned well enough and was actually quite bland. I got very bored of the dish after a few mouthfuls and just didn’t want anymore. The bearnaise sauce was a bit of joke too – there was absolutely no tarragon in the sauce which had a milky, buttery, non-flavour.. it was horrible!! Once again the portion-size just wasn’t generous enough for two hungry diners – while it may have looked impressive, the majority of the serving was the large rib-bone, after which there were only 4 slices of beef. The best parts of this dish were the thick-cut chips and the tomatoes which, for the £42.50 price-tag, is a bit rich.
For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and Niall had the chocolate and pear tart. My sticky toffee pudding was OK, but it wasn’t very ‘sticky’ and the only discernible toffee presence was the sauce that had been poured around the pudding on the plate. Niall’s dessert on the other hand was delicious, with the pastry being light and crisp and the chocolate rich and gooey. It worked perfectly.
| Starters: | |
|---|---|
| Crab and creme fraiche on toasted sourdough | £6.95 |
| Seared scallops, black pudding, and cauliflower puree | £8.50 |
| Mains: | |
| Cote de Boeuf (for 2) | £42.50 |
| Sundries: | |
| Buttered green beans | £3.00 |
| Dessert: | |
| Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream | £4.95 |
| Chocolate and pear tart | £4.95 |
| Total: | £70.85 |
Our verdict
The letters “O” and “K” on my keyboard have almost been worn away from this one review alone.
The food was very average, the portions were quite small, and the cost was fairly excessive. It’s such a shame because there is a lot to recommend about The Barking Dog and I want to like it.
The waitress was really polite and couldn’t do enough for us without being too over the top.
I do hope the food gets better as it could be an excellent restaurant.
The Barking Dog
35 Malone Rd
Belfast,
BT9 6RU
T: 028 90661885
E: barkingdogbelfast@googlemail.com
W: www.barkingdogbelfast.com
You can also see The Barking Dog on Google Maps.
Shanahan’s on the Green, Dublin 2
Posted: 18 May '10 by Ciara
Shanahan's on the Green, Dublin 2
My 30th birthday fell on a Friday this year so before the party that was planned for Saturday night my husband and I decided to celebrate my joining of the 30 club by taking a trip to Shanahans on the Green for one of their renowned steaks.
Being huge fan of steaks it rates at the top of our “favourite restaurant” list – they serve certified Irish Angus beef which is cooked in a special broiler, charring the surface of the meat while keeping the centre tender and moist.
Shanahan’s is situated at the top of St. Stephens Green in Dublin 2. Founded by John Shanahan, born in Boston Massuchussets, who always identified with his rich Irish heritage, he embarked upon Shanahan’s on the Green to try and capture his love of cooking and his passion for Ireland.
In addition to its scrumptious menu, which includes those certified Irish angus beef steaks, Irish seafood, hearty sides and mouth-watering desserts, it also has top class service. The elegant service together with the top class food is complimented and heightened by the beautiful old Dublin décor of the restaurant. “The Oval Office”, the restaurant’s downstairs bar featuring historical documents and mementoes from each of America’s presidents of Irish Heritage and also JFK’s original rocking chair from air force one blends both cultures and histories together classically.
We always enjoy a drink in the Oval office before dining in the restaurant as the comfortable leather green chairs and low lit table lamps and frequently lit fire add to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere helping us to unwind and ponder over the menu and beautiful wine list.
Each of the staff at Shanahans are also extremely professional and friendly and if you ask them about any of the artifacts they will willingly give you a history of the restaurant.
The details
For the wine I choose a Portugese red, Duas Quintas Reserve, 2006. This was quite full bodied, quite strong at first but delicious with the steak. Since Cor doesn’t like wine he choose his usual, an Austrian beer called Stiegel – Shanahan’s is one of only a few places in Ireland that serve it.
After making final decisions on our food order our waitress bought us over a selection of fresh breads, cheese and onion flavoured crusty bread and chilli flavoured muffins, still warm from the oven. I decided to have a slice of each, conscious of my huge steak that I was determined to finish. I opted out of a starter and Cor went for the sizzling black west coast mussels presented on a huge plate along with shallots, garlic, fresh herbs, lemon and butter. I watched in horror, not being a fan of fish, as Cor devoured the whole plate. I shook my head laughing telling him he’d never finish his steak.
When our 12oz medium done fillet mignon’s arrived my mouth watered in anticipation. I waited patiently as our waitress placed our beautifully presented side orders of whipped potatoes with butter and chives, sautéed wild mushrooms and Shanahans renowned large portion of onion rings on our table in their copper pots.
We exchanged satisfied smiles and tucked into our meal.
As always, we were thrilled with our meal: the steak was mouth-wateringly satisfying and cooked to perfection, as were the creamy whipped potatoes, the thin and crispy onion rings and the mushrooms, all of which combined to create the perfect meal.
The only downside was that I was so stuffed after my main course that I almost couldn’t breathe.. But not so stuffed that it prevented me from getting a dessert! We shared a huge portion of cookies and cream cheese cake. I was so full at this stage but had to keep eating as it was too nice to leave (and Howard from Take That had arrived into the restaurant with his friends at this stage so I took my time eating the cheesecake while glancing back and forth at him and his companions).
| Starters | |
|---|---|
| Sizzling Black west coast mussels | €19.75 |
| Main Course: | |
| Fillet Mignon x2 | €48.50 ea. |
| Whipped potatoes with butter & chives | €9.25 |
| Sautéed wild mushrooms | €9.25 |
| Crispy fried Onion rings | €9.25 |
| Dessert: | |
| Cookies and cream cheese cake | €12.50 |
| Sundries: | |
| Duas Quintas Reserve, 2006 | €65.00 |
| Stiegel Beer x5 | €6.00 ea. |
| Total: | €252.00 |
Our verdict
We have been to this restaurant quite a few times and have yet to be disappointed. To me, it ticks all the boxes. The intimate, relaxed, classic and historical atmosphere, the beautifully presented and largely portioned food, the extensive wine list and the lovely staff all add up to make my perfect night out.
It is pricey but you do get what you pay for and, as my father-in-law says, “money spent on good food is money well spent.”
Shanahan’s on the Green
119 St. Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2
Ireland
T: 00353 (0) 1 4070939
W: www.shanahans.ie
You can also find Shanahan’s on Google Maps.
The writing is on the wall.. We love Graffitti!
Posted: 12 April '10 by Kelly
Graffitti, Ormeau Road, Belfast
It’s quite difficult to find a place to go for a relaxing late breakfast on a Sunday where the food isn’t dripping in grease, so we were delighted when we discovered Graffitti.
Located on the Ormeau Road in Belfast, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We would usually go for breakfast but have also been there for lunch and dinner before and it has never failed us. Graffitti is also a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) restaurant, so it’s very handy for a cheaper night out.
I love eating here on a Sunday morning as it does my favourite breakfast (outside of what Niall makes me at home, of course!!) – the Ciabatta Breakfast is 2 slices of toasted ciabatta, bacon, free-range fried eggs, grated parmesan and tomato chutney.. And it is delicious!! I always look forward to going in on a weekend and ordering it. Niall usually orders the Italian Omelette or the Mushroom Breakfast, both of which look very tasty too.
If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea they also serve more conventional things: scrambled or poached eggs, muesli, a full ulster fry, and so on.
As I said before we have been there for lunch and dinner also and have always been more than happy with the food. It serves tasty salads, sandwiches, home-made soups and the specials are always worth a go. Mum and I had lunch there last week – I ordered the pitta-bread with lamb and tzatziki with salad while mum had a beautiful fish cake which, to be honest, could have fed us both!!
Graffitti has been open for 25 years and serves up tasty home-cooked food, it has its regulars and we often see some local ‘celebs’ having their lunch or academics pondering the meaning of life over a coffee with their colleagues. If its fine dining you want then i’d suggest you stay away from Graffitti. With its bohemian decor, laid-back waiters and people talking for hours over a coffee you’d think you’re in somebodys dining room rather than a restaurant, which in my book is a good thing.
| Breakfast | |
|---|---|
| Ciabatta Breakfast – Fried eggs and bacon on ciabatta with tomato relish | £6.25 |
| Mushroom Breakfast – Fried eggs and mushrooms on toasted soda with balsmic syrup | £5.50 |
| Sundries: | |
| Pot of tea for one | £1.60 |
| Cup of Illy coffee | £1.90 |
| Total: | £15.25 |
The details
The Ciabatta Breakfast really is delicious. Parmesan with eggs and bacon might sound slightly strange but believe me it works, especially with the home-made tomato chutney! Niall and I often try and re-create it at home, but there is nothing better than having it cooked for you AND having someone else to do the dishes!!
Niall’s Mushroom Breakfast isn’t my cup of tea but he absolutely loves it. The free range fried eggs with mushrooms on toasted soda bread with balsamic syrup makes for a very filling breakfast, and the balsamic has a wonderful sharpness against the earthy field mushrooms.
Our verdict
Graffitti is a great casual, laid-back restaurant. It serves simple but tasty, home-cooked meals made with fresh ingredients, and I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience there.. Quite the contrary!
The only downsides are that parking close to the restaurant can be quite difficult and getting a table can be difficult as the restaurant itself isn’t that big (although I think this adds to the overall vibe).
Graffitti restaurant
258 Ormeau Road,
Belfast
BT7 2FZ
T: 02890693300
W: www.graffittibelfast.com
You can also find Graffitti on Google Maps.
Never, EVER again..
Posted: 17 March '10 by Kelly
The Chelsea Wine Bar, Belfast
As it was Mother’s Day on Sunday all the girls in my family decided to go out for a meal and a few drinks. With nowhere booked we decided to give the Chelsea Wine Bar a go.
The Chelsea is in a great area, on the Lisburn Road and right next to some lovely boutiques, art galleries and coffee shops.
According to their website their “chefs have combined the freshest of local ingredients to create a taste-bud appetising menu” and you can “round off your meal with a decadent dessert”, so we thought we were in for a treat.
We were shown to our table by a very friendly and polite waitress who took our drinks order and handed us the menu. Although it was quite large there wasn’t anything on the menu that I wanted to eat, nothing stood out. After much deliberating I ordered:
| Starter: | |
|---|---|
| Thai Crab cakes with pickled cucumber and wasabi dressing | £6.95 |
| Main: | |
| Rib-eye steak with celeriac mash, root vegetables and red wine jus | £18.95 |
| Dessert: | |
| Chocolate and toffee sponge | £4.95 |
| Total: | £30.85 |
The details:
The Thai crab cakes came down to the table and the smell of fish was so overpowering I didn’t even want to taste them. There was a dark brown sauce over the (overcooked) crab cakes that was, according to the manager, a mixture of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and wasabi(!?!). Now, for the life of me I couldn’t taste any wasabi and there was no heat at all from it – why anyone would mix Balsamic vinegar with soy sauce and wasabi remains a mystery to me!! The only thing I could taste from the dressing was Nam Pla (fish sauce), which as you can imagine was horrible!!! When I sent the crab cakes back the manager was lovely and couldn’t apologise enough, but I wasn’t looking forward to my main course.
My rib-eye steak was huge, which was good as I was hungry from not being able to stomach my starter!! It was also cooked just as I asked ‘medium, rare’. However, the ‘celeriac mash’ tasted nothing like celeriac and actually more like a mixture of Smash and potatoes. The ’red wine jus’ was more like a watered-down gravy – my plate was swimming in it – with not a drop of red wine anywhere to be seen. The root vegetables were dripping with oil which then sat on top of the watery gravy.
You’d think I would have just given up by now, but I thought I’d order a dessert. When it arrived the chocolate and toffee sponge cake was actually just a chocolate sponge with toffee sauce around the edge of the plate. The sponge itself was dry and could of been any flavour and the ice-cream had obviously been in the freezer far too long as it had ice crystals in it. My cousin ordered the ice-cream and the chocolate ice cream actually tasted like food!! All I can think of is the ice-cream had been stored with savoury food and it had flavoured it..
As I was leaving I noticed that I had been charged for the starter which was totally inedible so I went and spoke to a very impatient and impolite barman and he reluctantly gave me the money back – well, he eventually placed the money on the bar counter and walked away, but by this stage I just didn’t care.
Our verdict
The food was really unpleasant and very expensive. I thought that the £18.95 price tag for the main course was way too high, especially when the food was truly awful.
The attitude of the barman didn’t do anything to lessen the sour taste in my mouth.
I certainly won’t be back. The only saving grace for this establishment is that the wine-list was good – I consoled myself with a few glasses of the Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc.
Yes, you read it correctly.. ZERO!
Chelsea Wine Bar
346 Lisburn Road,
Belfast
T: 028 9068 7177
E: info@chelseawinebar.com
W: www.chelseawinebar.com
You can also find The Chelsea Wine Bar on Google Maps.
Restaurant review – Nando’s, 24 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast
Posted: 04 March '10 by Niall
Nandos, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast
After walking past the shiny and new Nando’s on Ormeau Avenue almost everyday since it opened I was looking forward to venturing in to what the menu was like. With Kelly incapacitated at the minute, the task fell to fellow Chilli-and-Chocolatier Eamann and myself.
The restaurant is a good size, and the decor helps this sense of space with an uncluttered style – plenty of glass and bright lights interspersed with potted plants and art – which makes you feel that you have a little more room to breathe in what can become a busy restaurant. We managed to get a table on the mezzinine and had the Nando-experience explained to us by the friendly waiting staff as we sat and started to work our way through the menu.
Since this review we’ve been back a couple of times, but the procedure for ordering your meal is still slightly annoying: having selected your meal from a fairly dis-organised menu, you have to go to the tills and order your meal yourself. Now, this mightn’t sound too onerous but, weighed down by coats and baggage, you begin to wish that the waiter would just take your order at the table. I saw a table of ten people take time to gather all of their stuff just to traipse downstairs and order their meal. It’s not a fatal flaw, and truth-be-told it did create a relaxed and informal atmosphere, but it’s a black mark in my book.
The menu itself is a little limited – four or five basic nibbles to start your meal, lots of chicken (obviously!), with a couple of veggie and meat options too. Realistically though, if you don’t like chicken, Nando’s probably isn’t the place for you. Your chicken comes with a choice of marinades – from the Extra Hot to Lemon and Herb or Mango and Lime (you can also have it without a marinade) – which you select when ordering your meal. Eamann and I both like our spicy food so we went for the Hot sauce.
Our hoummus starter was with us in no time, served with slices of warm pitta to dunk. The hoummus itself is quite good – chunky and with good flavour – but the peri-peri drizzle makes it so much better.. fiery and spicy. The amount that you get is also deceptive – there was more than enough for two people in this portion – although you will be squabbling over the last piece of pitta to mop up every morsel.
The chicken pittas weren’t a disappointment either, stuffed with double-breast fillets, youghurt and peppery rocket salad. The flavour of the meat was really good – chargrilled to perfection, moist and succulent. Again, the portions were extremely good and took some time to finish. The fries were decent too, although I thought that the peri-peri salt was a bit of a waste. The marinade on the chicken really did give the meal a lot of flavour – however, you’re fully encouraged to bring bottles of sauce down to your table, so Eamann and I thought that we’d try the Extra Hot sauce for the purposes of journalistic research. I can report that there is a delicious lime tang.. shortly before your tongue and lips go numb and the fire starts in your throat.
I’d forgotten to order some grilled Halloumi cheese which, when it’s on the menu, is a must. Deciding whether to leave my meal to go to the tills again or not, our waiter mentioned that he could take our order if we needed anything else. The Halloumi duly arrived and rounded off a very tasty meal.
I had two bottles of a Portuguese beer called “Sagres” which Kelly and I had tried on our hols last year. While the beer was enjoyable it was a little expensive – the bottomless fizzy drinks that Eamann had the sense to order are a great choice and you will get through several glasses, particularly if you go for the hotter sauces!
| Starters: | |
|---|---|
| Hoummus with peri-peri drizzle | £3.10 |
| Mains: | |
| Double breast fillet in pitta (inc. fries) x2 | £9.75 ea. |
| Sundries: | |
| Grilled Haloumi Cheese | £1 |
| Peri-peri salt for fries | £0.10 |
| Drinks: | |
| Sagres beer x2 | £3.15 ea |
| Bottom-less Coke | £2.10 |
| Total: | £32.10 |
Our verdict:
Restaurant-chains usually aren’t our favourite places to eat, but Nando’s does what it does well – tasty food, served quickly, and is fairly inexpensive (considering the price you normally pay for eating-out in Belfast).
The food in Nando’s feels quite healthy too. All of those fresh salads and the chargrilling means that you certainly won’t leave with the sluggishness and guilt you might experience after other quick-dining alternatives.
Our main courses were with us in around 20 minutes from the time that we ordered – so it’s a great option for a mid-week meal after work when cooking for yourself just seems like too much hassle.
As I’ve already said, we’ve been back a couple of times which is as good an endorsement as we could give!
Nando’s
24, Ormeau Avenue,
Belfast
BT2 8HS
T: 02890 434442
W: www.nandos.co.uk
You can also see Nando’s, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast on Google Maps.
Other information
Jane Hardy in the Sunday Life (Feb 14) mentioned that the chicken in Nando’s was free-range. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case – the chickens that Nando’s use are sourced mainly in the UK and meet the Assured Chicken Production standards which means that they are battery-farmed, albeit with better conditions than used to be the case.
