The Portaferry Hotel

It’s been ages since I’ve been in Portaferry – easily 20 years – and I can’t say I remembered too much about it other than the fact that Strangford, just across the lough, was always supposed to be that bit posher.

Portaferry is a small town on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, home of The Exploris aquarium, the Portaferry-to-Strangford ferry and now Bill Wolsey’s latest acquisition, The Portaferry Hotel.

No sooner had the takeover happened than chef Gary Bell was firmly ensconced in the kitchen – and the speed of this recruitment tells you all you need to know about how important the food is to the new hotel regime.

I’d already been warned by a co-worker about the “drive and a half” down to Portaferry from Belfast, so we booked our table for 8:30pm and braved the Belfast rush-hour traffic, heading down the A20 to Strangford Lough.

The Portaferry Hotel

Even with the traffic, it took us just over an hour to reach the hotel, which gave us plenty of time to get into our room and relax before dinner.

The hotel is right on the water-front and, with the roaring fire in the bar glowing through the windows, it looked an attractive sight as we pulled up in the gloom. Making a mental note to have a pint infront of that fire later on, we grabbed our bags and checked in.

The Bar

We were a bit early for our booking and took the opportunity to make good on our promise, having a drink in the long bar at the front of the hotel. It’s a relaxing spot in there, especially with the fire blazing away, and a big glass of Valpolicella from the wine-list was really helping us to forget the stresses of another week in work when the excellent Marco, one of those hotel managers who seem to be everywhere at once, appeared to tell us our table was ready.

The bar in The Portaferry Hotel

The Food

Even with Gary Bell pulling the strings in the kitchen and Bill Wolsey’s name above the door, we really had no idea what to expect from The Portaferry Hotel. It was a good sign, then, when we walked into a busy dining room – in the middle of January, that’s no mean feat.

Another surprise was the Tasting Menu – not what was on it, but that there was one! With all due respect to Portaferry, it was the last thing we expected – par for the course in your swankier Belfast eateries, maybe, but in a country hotel it’s ambitious. The descriptions of the dishes on the tasting menu had us hooked, though, and that’s what we went for.

The dining room at The Portaferry Hotel

The best tasting menus are a careful balance between flavours, quantity and a bit of culinary theatre, and this one didn’t disappoint. Before the first “official” dish arrived the waiter appeared with a large dish and whipped the cloche aside, allowing a cloud of billowing smoke to escape and revealing two mother of pearl spoons holding small rolls of delicately smoked salmon. The salmon almost melted in my mouth – it was delicious – but it was the showmanship that had us smiling.

Another wildcard was dropped down to the table, a tray of fish-skin crackling (although I think Gary calls them poppadums). It mightn’t sound to appealing but, honestly, give it the benefit of the doubt – the crackling is crisp, the flavour ethereally fishy, while the sea-salt and vinegar seems hyper-flavoured against the lightly-flavoured crackling.

Next was the first dish from the tasting menu, and the theatre continued. A rough wooden board with fresh seaweed and a piece of fisherman’s netting held a single scallop shell, with pan-fried King Scallop with Baby Spinach, Saffron Mousse and Roasted Almonds. The dark seaweed made the saffron cream seem florescent, but the aroma.. Kelly described the dish as “The Smell of the Sea”, a version of Heston Blumenthal’s “Sounds of the Sea”, and that’s as good a comparison as any. The combination of crunchy almonds, the mineral tang of the spinach and and exotically-spiced cream was heavenly – but the scallop was still the star: delicately meaty, it was plump and sweet and perfectly cooked.

I won’t go into too much detail about the Warm Goat’s Cheese with Bloom Cottage Organic Honey, Black Fig and Parma Ham (sweet and salty – absolutely delicious), the Loin of Venison with Spiced Red Cabbage, Quails Egg, Ragu of Shank and Dauphinoise Potatoes (all of which was superb, but the Ragu of Shank was sticky, slow-cooked perfection), or the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee (intensely fruit-flavoured, sweet and creamy), but the Foie Gras with Carrot and Cardamom Puree and Poached Grapes really needs it’s own paragraph.

Everything about this dish was right, perfectly judged, from the sweet carrot and cardamom puree to the rich, buttery foie gras.. oh, that foie gras.. seared to form a tasty brown crust but still melt-in-the-mouth tender inside.. we could have eaten that dish all night long.

Summary

We’ve been lucky enough to have had some great meals recently, and The Portaferry Hotel is on that select and all-too-short list. Believe me when I say I’d be delighted if the hotel was right on our doorstep, but I’ll gladly make the journey to eat there again.

The service was superb – both Marco and Peter were really attentive, managing to be professional but still very welcoming – and that seems to be the culture throughout the hotel.

It’s Gary Bell, though, that we were impressed with. His tasting menu was superb – really – and he leaves the kitchen at the end of service to talk to his customers. Not enough chefs make themselves so accessible, and our opinion of Gary and what he’s trying to do went through the roof after a chat – he’s so energetic and passionate about his cooking.

He’s also sourced great ingredients, largely from local suppliers – Marlfield Farm, which supplies the hotel with turkey, geese, chicken, eggs and so on is just 3 miles up the road.

Gary Bell is doing something very special down in there, so keep your eye on The Portaferry Hotel!

The Portaferry Hotel

Contact information

The Portaferry Hotel
10, The Strand,
Portaferry,
Newtownards,
County Down
BT22 1PE
T: 028 4272 8231
E: info@portaferryhotel.com
W: www.portaferryhotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/portaferryhotel
Twitter: twitter.com/portaferryhotel

You can also find The Portaferry Hotel on Google Maps

Il Pirata restaurant, Belfast

It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day: We’d already had enough turkey, ham and cranberry sauce to last us a lifetime and our spirits were pretty low.. We were sick of the sight of the Quality Street tin and and if I heard another version of ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ on the radio, I’d go insane. We also had a big New Year’s Eve party planned, so I needed a little pick-me-up – and hoped a visit to Il Pirata on the Newtownards Road would do the trick.

Arriving at 7.30pm, the restaurant was already buzzing with the sounds of people enjoying themselves and, more importantly, enjoying the food! It was so busy that the friendly member of staff who greeted us explained there’d be a twenty minute wait for a table. Fear not though, we managed to get a seat at the bar and ordered a drink and some nibbles – a good compromise, and a great way to start the night. To get us going we ordered some incredible olives and a bottle of the Montepulciano – the dark cherry flavours are perfect with hearty Italian food, and at £17.50 it’s fairly easy on the pocket.

The bar area itself is pretty cool, actually – you can see all the action at ‘the pass’ as the chefs put the final touches to their dishes, and then sit back and look around at the fantastic space that has been created. It reminds me of a very cool London or New York loft-space, with its bare floorboards, white walls and dim lighting.

The wait also gave us the chance to really get to grips with the menu as we tried to decide what to order. Now when I said ‘tried’ to decide, I really do mean it – there are SO many mouth-watering dishes on the menu that it took us some time, with lots of the usual “if you get this, then I’ll get that”.

The menu at Il Pirata divided up into “small plates”, “larger plates”, “pasta and risotto” and “sides”, and we tackled the small plates first..

Small plates

The ‘small plates’ are like Italian tapas, and we decided to order a mixture of them – because we’re greedy like that:

• Spiced pork slider
• Crispy whitebait
• Stuffed portobello mushroom

Our favourite was definitely the Spiced Pork slider – the slow-cooked pork belly was held in a little floury bun and was packed with flavour and delivered a proper chilli kick! Honestly, I could have eaten about 10 of these and actually have a re-occurring dream where chef Tony O’Neil makes me a MASSIVE version of it, just for me!! I can tell you now think I am odd, but try it and I bet you’ll be having the same dream!

The Portabello Mushrooms were another favourite of ours: stuffed with pine nuts, pesto and with a parmesan crust, they were very simple but full of flavour with different textures.

I think Niall would say his favourite was the whitebait – small silvery-white fish dredged in flavour and deep-fried whole – which were served with lemon aioli to cut through the fishy flavours. They were crisp, light and I could tell by the way Niall devoured them that they were really more-ish.

Larger plates

Hardly pausing to catch our breath, we moved onto the main dishes:

• Italian spiced sausage
• Spaghetti carbonara
• Side order of Potato gnocchi and herb butter
• Side order of garlic and rosemary potatoes

The Italian spiced sausage was excellent, with the dense, meaty sausage full of aniseed flavour from the fennel, and covered in a rich tomato sauce. It was a real hit with Niall, and from the one measly mouthful he let me try, a hit with me too!

I went for Spaghetti Carbonara, an old favourite of mine. Now, I normally wouldn’t order this in an Italian, the same way I would never order lasagne – I’ve been disappointed far too many times! But once I saw it on the menu I developed a real craving for it and, with the ‘good feeling’ we now had about our dining experience in the restaurant, I put my faith in chefs Tony O’Neil and Jonny Davidson and went for it – and I wasn’t disappointed! The sauce was very rich, the pancetta was salty, and my plate licked clean.

Dessert

Stuffed as we were, we didn’t think that it’d be fair not to squeeze a dessert in, and we ordered the Lemon Posset and the Tiramisu.

I am a huge fan of anything with Lemon in it and the Posset was just what I look for in a lemon dessert – sharp, zingy and really light – and the thin layer of sweet raspberry jelly on top complemented the tart lemon perfectly. The presentation was gorgeous too, served in a small Mason jar with some home-made biscotti biscuits on the side to scoop up all that delicious creamy pudding.

As you may know by now, Niall doesn’t have a sweet tooth but he can’t resist a Tiramisu when it’s on the menu. He found this one a bit too creamy and thought it needed more marsala wine in the zabaglione to deliver more of a punch – but I noticed that he cleared his dish without much persuasion!

Final Thoughts?

The food in Il Pirata is excellent, with lots of choice and lots of flavour – as you’d expect from good rustic Italian cooking.

The wine list is small but well chosen, and they’re all Italian – my favourite wines. There’s also a cocktail list, which is just about big enough to guarantee a fun night out!

The atmosphere is casual, fun and relaxing – everything you’d want from a restaurant.

You can’t phone ahead and book a table, which means that you might be faced with a bit of a wait, particularly at the weekends – but the bar is a nice enough place to hang out and work on what you’re going to order over a few nibbles.

So, if you haven’t already been to Il Pirata, what are you waiting for??

The exterior of Il Pirata restaurant, 279-281 Newtownards Road, Belfast

Il Pirata restaurant

A picture paints a thousand words - Il Pirata

Contact Il Pirata

Il Pirata
279-281 Newtownards Road,
Belfast
BT4 3JF
Twitter: twitter.com/ilpiratabelfast

You can also find Il Pirata on Google Maps.

Little Wing pizzeria

If you’re anything like us, pizza makes a fairly frequent appearance in your house, whether you’re making it yourself or getting a take-away. The rich tomato base, the milky mozzarella and whichever toppings your heart desires, it’s perfect fast food.

Belfast hasn’t been blessed with too many decent pizzerias, though, so it took us a while to get the enthusiasm up to try Little Wing pizzeria.

The pizzas (or pizze) you’ll get at Little Wing are “Naples style”, so it’s thin crust and wood stone oven baked all the way here, folks.

The chain now has restaurants in Bangor and on the Newtownards Road, Ann Street and the Lisburn Road in Belfast. We went to the latter – and one visit was all it took for us to regret waiting so long before we did!

The starters

Ever since I made our own Panzanella, Kelly has been a big fan of the Italian bread salad, so when the Insalata Panzanella was spotted on the menu, any further debate ended. Although Little Wing’s salad wasn’t exactly like ours, it was still very tasty – the ciabatta croutons with olives, red onion and cos lettuce tossed in sherry vinegar made for a fresh, sharp and really moreish mouthful.

For myself, the Bruschetta di Funghi leapt off the page – I can’t resist mushrooms! The flame-grilled Portobellos sat on a thick, toasted slice of ciabatta and were served with parsley, garlic and parmesan. Just like the Panzanella, it doesn’t sound that fancy, but that’s probably what makes it so good – simple food that lets the flavours do the talking.

Tasty as it was, we didn’t come to a pizzeria to eat salad and bruschetta – on to the main event!

The pizzas

Little Wing’s pizzas are 10 inches in diameter – although you can go for a whopping 24 inch option – and delivered to your table with your own pizza-cutter, choice of oils, extra parmesan and flaked chilli.

Kelly chose one of the specials, the Pollo e Pancetta, and decided to add an egg to the chicken, pancetta, basil and chilli oil for good measure. The pizza crust was thin, crisp and tasty, and the combination of toppings were just as good.

In my humble opinion, my own Palle di Carne, a fiery mixture of spiced meatballs, red onions, jalapeno, rocket and chilli oil, couldn’t have been bettered: The heat wasn’t too much, just a little spice in the background which didn’t overshadow any of the other flavours; the crumbled meatballs were melt-in-the-mouth tender but still meaty; and the freshness of the rocket really set the whole thing off.

Final thoughts

The restaurants all seem to have the same dark-timber decor and relaxed vibe going on, the restaurants are very child-friendly, and the staff are friendly and chatty – so it’s an easy place to sit in and enjoy your food.

The starters were really good, but the pizzas were great – good dough, cooked in that great wood stone oven and with quality toppings which delivers a more sophisticated flavour than you might expect from a pizza – and for a very reasonable price, too.

Now, I’ll admit to wondering whether an unaccompanied 10 inch pizza would be enough for an evening meal, but we’ve yet to even read the dessert menu – although the Stromboli does sound great, come to think of it..

We’ve been back to Little Wing a few times now, and we’ve ordered the same dishes – that’s how good we thought it was!

For us, if you’re going out for pizza in Belfast, it has to be Little Wing.

Little Wing – Lisburn Road
322 Lisburn road,
Belfast
BT9 6GH

T: 028 9066 6000
E: hello@littlewingpizzeria.com
W: www.littlewingpizzeria.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/littlewingpizza
Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlewingpizzeria

You can also find Little Wing – Lisburn Road on Google Maps

The Palle di Carne pizza at Little Wing

More information

We do like businesses with a conscience, and Little Wing seem to wear their heart on their sleeve.

Here are 5 things we didn’t know about little wing:

1. Little Wing pizzas claim to be the healthiest pizzas around: no additives here!
2. All of their tasty toppings are 100% traceable.
3. Little Wing is committed to the community and support local schools and charities.
4. All of their coffee is organic, fair trade and has the Rain Forest Alliance seal of approval.
5. As Little Wing branches out, they have planted 2,000 trees for every new restaurant that has opened.

The Bar and Grill at James Street South logo

Chef Niall McKenna’s latest venture, Bar + Grill at James Street South, opened it’s doors at the start of November amid excited tweeting and updates from food bloggers and journos.

Just yards away from it’s award-winning sister restaurant, the Bar + Grill is bit of a master-stroke: considering that people have less money in their pockets these days and the fact that Northern Irish diners clearly love their steak, the restaurant is less formal and a bit less pricey than JSS, and char-grilled steak takes centre-stage in the menu.

A week after their opening night, we thought we’d book a table and see what all the fuss is about..

The Bar and Grill at James Street South

When we arrived for our 8:30pm booking, the 60-seat restaurant was buzzing – stuffed with diners trying out Belfast’s new eatery and busy waiting staff ferrying plates, bowls and boards from the (almost) open kitchen.

On that note, you should take a walk around the the Brunswick Street side of the restaurant – there’s a kitchen window, letting you see the chefs at work. I love being able to see into the kitchen, and it’s fascinating to watch the professionals during a busy service, especially when you’re just about to eat in there yourself.

Although we did have to wait half an hour for our table, we managed to get seats at the bar, which eased the pain a little – and I suppose the delay sharpened our appetites!

The starters

Kelly’s Carpaccio with Parmesan and Balsamic was delicious, as you’d expect from a restaurant that clearly prides itself on the quality of their beef. The beef was meltingly tender and full of flavour, complemented by the salty parmesan and piquant, almost jammy balsamic. Definitely one I’d choose again.

The Charcuterie Plate came with 4 slices of assorted cold-cuts, a little rocket, a few capers and sliced olives. Both the chorizo and jamon were exceptionally good, the stand-out stars of the show: the chorizo was delicately spiced and the jamon felt almost creamy on the tongue – a nice, light appetiser to prime your palate before getting down to the serious business of the mains.

The mains

Northern Ireland produces some of the best beef in the UK – and a lot of people here order steak when they’re in a restaurant. So it never ceases to amaze me how few really good steak houses there are here. Being able to serve a well-cooked, well-hung and tasty steak is a good indicator of just how good the restaurant is and whether we’ll be going back.

So, when Kelly’s medium-rare ribeye, served on a thick wooden board and dripping with juices, arrived at the table, I knew it was make-or-break time.

The look on Kelly’s face at her first mouthful was enough to tell me that we’ll be returning to Bar + Grill in the future. The steak was perfectly cooked, pink in the middle and a seared crust outside, and the flavour.. oh, the flavour.. a wonderful initial taste of charcoal-roasted meat followed by a rounded, meaty succulence. The only thing that could improve on the steak was the addition of truffled parmesan fries – skinny fries with grated parmesan and drizzled in truffle-oil.. Do you need to hear any more?

As good as Kelly’s steak was, I really do think that my Braised Oxtail with Cauliflower was as just good, and everything a Winter dish should be. The oxtail was served on the bone and had plenty of meat, which was sticky and tender – it’s one of the best cuts of meat when handled properly, IMHO. The bed of pureed cauliflower gave a little sweet edge to the dish which really worked with the beef and the rich, intensely meaty gravy. Just make sure you order the creamed potato, which is wonderfully buttery and smooth as silk, to let you soak up all of the juices.

The dessert

I can usually take-or-leave anything from the sweet trolley, although I can’t resist old-fashioned, school dinner desserts. One look at the menu at Bar + Grill had me reaching for my dessert spoon.

Although the Bread and Butter Pudding, Eton Mess and Creme Brulee were in the running for a while, the Rice Pudding won the day. It was everything I wanted it to be: The rice was a little al dente and smothered in a warm, creamy sauce. There was even a dollop of raspberry jam in the centre – wonderfully retro, and wonderfully tasty too.

Kelly’s Sticky Toffee Pudding was good too, I think – I didn’t get the chance to try it..

Summary

You’ve no idea how happy it makes me to write a review of a restaurant in Belfast that doesn’t come with a “but” or “if only”!

The food in Bar + Grill is really good, but particularly the mains. It’d be criminal not to order the steak if you eat there – and madness not to get the truffled parmesan fries to go with it.

The wine-list is pretty decent too. I can certainly recommend the Malbec, especially if you’re ordering one of those great steaks – the plummy, dark fruits are strong enough to stand up to and complement the flavours in your meal.

The 30 minute wait for our table wasn’t great, but these things happen, particularly when a restaurant has just opened and everyone wants to eat there.

Even though the venue was a new one, the staff were great: attentive, chatty and, maybe most importantly, quick to get the orders out.

Bar + Grill isn’t the cheapest restaurant we’ve eaten in, and it’s certainly not the most expensive either – although the food is good enough to merit higher prices. It’s also become one of the few places we’d recommend to friends.

Other information

Bar + Grill at James Street South
16, James Street South,
Belfast
T: 028 9560 0700
E: info@belfastbargrill.co.uk
W: www.belfastbargrill.co.uk
You can also find Bar + Grill at JAmes Street South on Google Maps.

The kitchen window of The Bar and Grill at James Street South

I knew there was a but!

The only thing that put a crimp on our night were the pin-stripe-suited, loud-mouthed city-boys at the table behind us, who proceeded to drunkenly lounge over any free seats, swear at the top of their voices and generally abuse the waiting staff for the majority of our meal.

If the day ever comes when there’s a vote for waiting staff to have the right to use maximum force, I know where I’ll be putting my mark..

Home popup restaurant in Belfast

What a fantastic weekend for Belfast!

If you were in the city you couldn’t help getting caught up in the excitement of it all. Niall and I certainly weren’t going to miss out on it, so we thought we’d hit the town early for some drinks and a nice meal somewhere.. but where?

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the “pop-up restaurant” fad that’s sweeping Belfast at the minute, and we decided to get in on the action.

If you haven’t heard of the phenomenon before, here’s the deal – A pop-up restaurant will open in an available space for a short period of time, maybe a week or a couple of months, and then it closes. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

The Home pop-up restaurant has opened in a vacant retail unit on Callender Street in Belfast. Run by the guys from The Mourne Seafood Bar, the impromptu restaurant seats 50, serving feel-good, comfort food. The decor in the restaurant comes from ReFound , using reclaimed and unwanted furniture – and you can literally buy anything that catches your eye!

After a few drinks in the Spaniard (and enough ‘Beiber fever’ to last us a lifetime), Niall and I strolled around the city to Callender Street – and on our way round we were serenaded by Snow Patrol who were rehearsing for their MTV gig the following night. Could our night get any better??

Well….

We arrived to a warm home welcome from a fantastic waitress who showed us to our seats. Home runs a ‘bring your own’ policy, so, as we sipped over our wine we took a look at the menu..

Starters

After much deliberation I decided to go for the “Hot smoked organic salmon with horseradish potato salad” to start and Niall had the “Crispy duck salad with pear and watercress and honey mustard dressing”.

My starter was superb. I have to admit, I don’t usually choose salmon dishes, but I’m glad I changed my unwritten rule: the delicately smoked, tender fish was deliciously moist and full of flavour. The horseradish in the potato salad was pungent but restrained, and complemented the fish perfectly. Honestly, and I don’t say this lightly, it was one of the best dishes I’ve had in Belfast.

Niall’s Duck Salad was equally good, the fresh and sweet flavours of the pear and pomegranate cutting through the richness of the duck and balancing the slight heat from the cress. The dish looked beautiful, the flavours were well chosen, and there was plenty of duck, too.

We were very happy customers and really looking forward to our mains.

Mains

For our mains Niall and I did something we rarely do and ordered the same thing – the “Dexter oxtail cottage pie with whipped potato and seasonal veg”. We normally would order different things so we both can try from each others plate, but the oxtail just proved way too much to resist.

Now, usually when I think of oxtail, I think of slow-cooked, juicy, sticky meat that falls apart in your mouth and is rich and full of flavour. Unfortunately, this dish just didn’t come close to my expectations.

The whipped potato was light, fluffy and seasoned perfectly, but there was just too much of it. The amount of mash mightn’t have been a problem if the beef had been better but, while the oxtail was very tender, it was bone-dry. Infact, I ended up asking for some gravy to pour over my dish, which was very disappointing.

Now, I have a wee bone to pick with Home. “Seasonal Veg” suggests that there’ll be a selection of seasonal vegetables! But all we got were roasted parsnip batons – granted they were delicious, but I was expecting more.

Our two friends ordered the “Wild mushroom crusted Irish ribeye with big chips, spinach and watercress salad, and peppercorn cream”. The steaks were cooked rare and to perfection, and the delicious mushroom-crust was intensely earthy and rich.

In all honesty, I was very jealous that they had made a better choice than us.

Desserts

For dessert I ordered the Sticky toffee pudding with Vanilla ice cream, and it was to die for!! I would have eaten ten of them if I could’ve gotten away with it. The pudding was rich and moist and the ice cream a perfect balance to cut through the richness of the toffee.

Niall wasn’t as lucky. He ordered the “Oaty spiced apple crumble with vanilla ice cream” and, to be honest, it wasn’t great. The oaty crumble had too much vanilla, which over-powered any other flavours and became too sickly-sweet to eat much of it.

Summary

All in all, Home was a decent night out, with some high points and some low points – a real mixed bag.

The service and ambience were excellent, and we loved the quirkiness of the mismatched furniture.

The price was just about right, although the £5 corkage charge was a bit excessive.

I’d definitely go back, if even just to get the starter and dessert again…. (Drooling at the thought of that sticky toffee pudding… mmmmmmmmmm)

Contact Information

Home Belfast
8 Callendar Street,
Belfast
BT1 5BN
T: 07936292502
W: http://homepopup.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/homepopup
You can also find Home Restaurant on Google Maps.

You can click here to find out more about ReFound.

Home popup restaurant on Callender Street in Belfast

The Salty Dog Hotel, Bangor, County Down

There’s been a lot of talk about The Salty Dog Hotel recently, and Head Chef Derek Creagh in particular. So much so that Kelly and I thought we’d see what the fuss was about. A short tweet later and we were joined by Chilli & Chocolate members Paul and Linda, who’d also been champing at the bit to try Bangor’s newest bistro.

The sun was just starting to set as we parked our car and walked to the hotel and, as we turned the corner, I have to say that we were pretty pleased with our choice of venue for the evening – the three-storey, red-brick hotel sits right on the marina and has a great view of the harbour, a really prime location and makes for an impressive sight.

We were early for our 9pm booking and we thought we’d make the most of our night out by having a drink first. The bar is a very comfortable space, intimate and relaxing, but with a pleasing murmur of conversation in the background. With the rays of the dying sun streaming through the windows, a couple of perfectly pulled pints of Guinness we set before us, along with a glass on mineral water for Kelly (our reluctant designated driver for the evening).

Being partial to a good pint of Guinness, I think it’s worth saying that this one was verging on perfection and definitely the best pint I’ve had in a long time. As portents for the evening go, you couldn’t get much better!

Suitably relaxed and refreshed from our journey to the sea-side town, the Maitre D took us to our table, handed around the menus, and the real work began..

The Starters

The menu isn’t vast, but all the better for it. There’s clearly been a lot of thought around the choice of dishes and flavours – there’s definitely something there to tantalise even the most jaded of taste-buds.

After a lot of horse-trading to make sure that no-one ordered the same dish (so we could get a taste of everything, between the four of us!), Kelly settled on the Foie Gras with Date and Pear Chutney and Toasted Brioche, while I thought I’d break from the norm and went for the Warm Onion Tart with Pickled Walnuts and Cress Salad.

It has to be said that Kelly’s starter was sublime – not too much butter in the parfait, so the delicious, mild flavour of the Foie Gras and chicken liver was allowed to come through. The consistency was like silk, absolutely smooth and meltingly creamy which, with the jammy chutney, made a very pleasingly start to the meal.

My own choice was just as good, as it turned out. The onions were caramelised but still delicately flavoured, without any acidity from the onions or harsh sweetness from the cooking. The pastry was perfect – there’s no other word for it – not too crisp, and crumbling to butter-y pieces at the touch of the knife. The fresh, pepper-yness of the cress and the nuttiness of the walnuts were well chosen additions too. The dish was one of competing but complementary flavours and textures – well-rounded and very tasty.

The choice of “best starter” has to go to Paul, though. The Wood Pigeon with Carrot Salad, Orange Viniagrette and Nibbed Cocoa was so vibrant and full of flavour – I was only sorry that I just managed to finagle a single forkful from Paul’s plate. The pigeon was served quite rare, wonderfully meaty and gamey, the meaty savouriness of the pigeon enhanced by the slightly bitter cocoa. As with all the starters, Derek took the dish on a bit of a rollercoaster ride of flavour – first came the savoury depths, then the highs of the thick, wafer-thin slivers of sweet carrot and piquant citrus dressing. Wonderful.

The Mains

Kelly’s Emyvale Duck with Creamed Savoy Cabbage, Root Croquettes and Cherries was an absolute work of art on a plate – thick, pink slices of duck on a bed of verdant cabbage, and dotted with glistening red cherries. The flavours were just as vigorous. The duck was delicious, the skin crisp and the meat succulently medium rare, fatty and rich against the vegetal cabbage flavour. The cherries and jus were sweet, another counterpoint to the rest of the flavours in the dish. There was a final touch, some fancy saucing, a sauce that tasted like gingerbread spread on the side of the plate. The one talking point during the meal was whether the root croquettes “fitted in” – tasty as they were, they provided just a little too much sweetness, together with the gingerbread and cherries.

I chose the Roast Chicken, Truffled Macaroni Gratin, Wild Mushroom, Celeriac Puree and Bordelaise Sauce. Just reading the menu it was clear that this was another of Derek’s well-conceived dishes, with a mouth-watering combination of classic flavours and different textures. The “roast chicken” might sound mundane, but it was far from it – aside from being free-range, the meat was so moist and full of flavour, just incredibly well prepared. I’m really unsure how he managed it, but the flavour of minced wild mushrooms literally sang and, together with the creamy, delicately flavoured celeriac puree, made for a very tasty, well-balanced dish. The macaroni was an interesting inclusion, and a nice alternative to the ubiquitous “creamed potatoes”. However, I thought the sauce was slightly stodgy – not a major complaint (or a complaint at all, to be honest), but a lighter sauce would have helped the pasta.

Once again, special mention has to go to Paul’s choice of the Black Angus Rib-eye, Buttered Green Beans, Chips and Duck Egg Bearnaise. There is nothing so pleasing as the sight of a well-cooked steak, and this rib-eye was glorious. A thick wheel of char-grilled beef, wonderfully blackened on the outside and perfectly pink within, was served on a bed of crisp and fresh green beans, with a glass of richly yellow, aniseed infused sauce on one side. The meat simply fell apart in your mouth, and was full of flavour – absolute dining heaven.

The Desserts

As you may already know, I’m not one for desserts, but I’d already seen several other diners receiving their Valrhona Chocolate Pot with Banana Rum Parfait, and I just had to have it! The dessert is served in a squat kilner jar, a thick layer of dark, unctuous chocolate at the bottom, and topped with a melting square of parfait (which, for all the world, looks like a wonderfully decadent marshmallow). The flavours are in perfect concert, again: the intense chocolate is lifted by the sweet banana, and a slightly alcoholic after-taste leaves a delicious, lingering memory. What was a surprise is that the Chocolate Pot is topped with (what I assume is) popping candy! A great twist, and one that put a smile on everyone’s face.

Kelly ordered the cheesecake, which was a bit of an adventure, as it turned out. Derek has “de-constructed” the cheesecake and taking the components literally. The “cake” is a light, melt-in-the-mouth sponge, while the “cheese” was a layer of almost savoury creamed cheese. Last of all, the dessert was crowned with marble-sized scoops of milk ice-cream, which provided some subtle sweetness to the dish. Kelly is still in some doubt whether she liked this take on the classic cheesecake or not – it really got her thinking, though!

Our verdict

The Salty Dog Hotel is a wonderful find – not too far from Belfast, but far enough to make you wish that you’d booked a hotel room so you could stay that bit longer.

We could happily have stayed for a few drinks in the bar, a comfortable and relaxed spot – particularly when the acoustic music started later on in the evening.

As welcoming as the bar is, though, it’s the restaurant that steals the show.

Someone had recently asked what our favourite place to eat in Northern Ireland was and, difficult as that question is to answer, The Salty Dog is right up there vying for first place.

The dishes are well-conceived and well-executed, with enough creative twists and quirks to make you think about what the chef is doing, and to make you smile. If every component doesn’t quite hit the mark, it’s more than worth it in order to get the inventiveness of Chef Derek Creagh – an approach to cooking that is rare in Northern Ireland. You can tell that Derek and his team are constantly thinking about the dishes, tweaking and improving them.

The commitment to buying organic and buying local is just as pleasing, and another reason to eat there.. if you needed one.

If you haven’t been to Bangor recently, Kelly and I would recommend you make the trip ASAP.

Other information

You can contact the hotel at:
The Salty Dog Hotel
10-12 Seacliff Road,
Bangor,
County Down,
Northern Ireland
BT20 5EY
T: 028 9127 0696
E: info@thesaltydogbangor
W:www.thesaltydogbangor.com
FB: www.facebook.com/thesaltydoghotel

You can also find The Salty Dog Hotel on Google Maps.

Jamie's Italian, Westfield Shopping Centre, London

I was in London for the week and met up with my friends Nicky and Elham, who I hadn’t seen in months. We decided to eat in Jamie Oliver’s Italian in the Westfield Shopping Centre, London. Due to Jamie being a ‘national treasure’ and the fact that I love Italian food, my expectations were high.

When you arrive at the restaurant you walk past a gorgeous 1950′s style ice-cream van parked outside which has been lovingly restored, and which sells ice-cream to passers-by.. just a pity it was a cold and rainy night!!

Once you enter the restaurant you’ll notice a few unique designs inside, like a whole wall made up of Vespa headlights, large cured hams on display and lots of fresh herb-plants decorating the al fresco area. The restaurant is beautifully lit with candles and down-lighters – this might sound like an odd thing to say, but one of my pet peeves is a stark, brightly lit restaurant.

As it was a girls night out we were quite giddy and in great mood. The atmosphere of Jamie’s Italian is perfect for this sort of night-on-the-town as it’s loud and vibrant, and the staff were up for the craic.

After a glass of wine at the bar and the best olives and tapenade I have ever tasted (more on that later), we were shown to our table by our lovely waiter – cue more chatting and banter.

We were shown the wine-list which was compact, although the range of wine-styles was quite good, and there was something for every palate there providing you favoured Italian wines (which I suppose is a given, seeing that you are in an Italian restaurant). The great thing about the wine was that you could order by the glass if you and your friends can’t agree on a particular bottle and want to do your own thing.

Looking down the menu, there seemed like a lot to choose from: plenty of fish-, meat- and pasta-based dishes. I wasn’t in the mood for a starter (suprise, I know), so the girls decided to order some olives to share.

Appetisers

Now, I’m usually quite adventurous and love all types of foods and flavours, although I have the odd Achilles’ Heel. Mushrooms were a particular problem – but someone once told me that if you eat the food you have a dislike for 40 times you’ll grow to like it, so I persisted.. and “hey presto!”, I now i love most mushrooms (although I still cant bear the thought of those button mushrooms *shutters at the thought*).

I had the same aversion to olives. Every time I am out and people order them I taste them because they look so good, but I invariably hate them… until now!!! Maybe it’s the “40 times” rule kicking in, or maybe it’s because these olives were touted as ‘the best olives in the world’, but I thought they were just that!

Grown in Puglia in South-East Italy, the Bella di Cerignola are enormous and a vivid, luscious apple-green in colour.  They arrived on ice, which I’ve never seen done, which made for an impressive spectacle, and were accompanied by a homemade anchovy tapenade and ‘snappy music bread’.  I loved the dense texture and the mild, slightly sweet flavour – so much so that Niall and I have sourced them so we can buy them for the house!!

The mains

Onto the mains, Nicky and Elham both ordered the Mushroom Panzerotti – delicate pasta shells stuffed with nutty porcini mushrooms and ricotta sauce.  It really was delicious – I managed to get a taste – and I loved how the fragrant gremolata and crispy, fried sage complimented the rich and creamy mushroom stuffing. Real melt-in-the-mouth stuff, even if the portions were on the small side.

My main was the ‘South Coast Fritto Misto’, which was the waiter’s recommendation.  When the dish arrived it was an impressive sight, and we let out a collective ‘wow’ – there was a wonderful collection of fish and shellfish in a light, golden batter just waiting to be enjoyed. This sense of wonder was short-lived, however: all of the fried fish was slightly greasy, which wasn’t very pleasant; even though there was a great range of fish, from whitebait to prawns, it all had the same bland flavour; and the tartare sauce was also a disapointment, lacking the the tangy, piquant flavours I had expected (Italy also produces the most fantastically sharp-tasting capers).  The Fritto Misto was served with fried cracked wheat which was delicious, and probably the nicest part of the meal – which says everything about how much of a bust the rest of the meal was, considering there was so much fresh fish on the plate.

Dessert

Nicky bowed out at this point, but Elham and I soldiered on and ordered the Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie for dessert. 

I think that a good brownie can make for the most satisfying end to a meal – the rich chocolate lingers long enough to remind you that you’ve just enjoyed a delicious treat. The reverse is just as true – with so much expectation, a poor brownie can leave a bad taste in your mouth, in more ways than one.

When ours arrived, it really looked the part – a thick wedge of dark chocolate cake topped with glistening fresh raspberries and ice-cream. With my spoon poised above the brownie, my mouth was watering.. only to find that it hadn’t been warmed. Infact it was so cold it was difficult to get my spoon into. I did manage to lever some of the cake away to taste but, well, all I can say is that it was OK, an average chocolate brownie with nothing really to rave on about.

Our verdict

Jamie’s Italian was a bit of a let down.

We had a fantastic night but, if I’m honest, that was down to the great company, the great wine and the great service – the food just didn’t make the grade.

I wouldn’t be in a hurry to rush back to Jamie’s Italian. There are lots of other options out there – and, thinking about it, Niall and I can cook a far better Italian meal in the house!

Other information

Jamie’s Italian – Westfield
Unit 1078, Westfield Shopping Centre,
Ariel Way,
London
W12 7GB
T: 02080 909070
F: 02082 429145
W: www.jamieoliver.com/italian/westfield

You can also find Jamie’s Italian, Westfield on Google Maps.

Boojum Mexican Burrito Bar, Chichester Street, Belfast

If you’re not familar with Belfast’s Botanic Avenue, the name Boojum might mean nothing to you.

Ask a student, however, and I can guarantee that they’ll know it, and not just because it’s right beside Queens University – the Mexican Burrito Bar is loved as much for it’s large portions and great prices as for their tasty wraps.

While the service has always been surprisingly fast in the Botanic Avenue outlet, the popularity of the place does mean that you probably will be standing in a queue before you order, although not for any great length of time.

Help is at hand for the queue-averse, however. The next link to the growing Boojum chain opened on Chichester Street in December 2010, and it seems to be a bit of a well-kept secret – so far at least.

With the kick-off for the Friday night Six Nations match only minutes away, we needed our fix of Mexican, spicy goodness in a hurry – so Kelly and I thought we’d venture a little further afield and try the new restaurant in Belfast city centre.

Ordering, the Boojum way

The first step towards Boojum-bliss is in deciding between a burrito (a tortilla filled with coriander-and-lime flavoured rice and black or pinto beans), a fajita (another tortilla filled with rice and sauteed peppers and onions), or tacos (a choice of 3 small flour tortillas or hard corn tortillas).

Next comes the main event, the filling for your wrap. The vegetarian option always seems very popular, and Kelly loves the spicy chicken.. but I have to go with a new choice, the “carnitas”: slow-cooked, shredded pork with a hint of lemon and thyme.

Finally, there’s the garnish and salsa. There’s a good range of salsa sauces to flavour your wrap, from the mild sweetcorn salsa right up to the “salsa roja” (a fiery little number, especially if you decide to splash out and add some Jalapenos).

Our verdict

Whenever we’re writing these reviews and thinking about the food, the ambiance, the staff and so on, something usually rears it’s ugly head to take the sheen off what might otherwise have been a very enjoyable evening. It’s a pleasant surprise to find that this just wasn’t the case with Boojum!

Boojum isn’t a fine dining establishment, nor a restaurant, for that matter. It’s more of a “cantina”, and they get the recipe right: no frills, no fuss just remarkably quick service; friendly, chatty staff; monstrous, delicious burritos and fajitas; and all at a fantastic price.

They certainly don’t scrimp on the fillings either, with one wrap being enough for an evening meal all by itself – foolishly, I tried to eat two burritos in one sitting in the past and ended up in a burrito-induced semi-conscious state, albeit a very happy one.

Billy Connolly has joked that Mexican food is all the same, the only difference between them being the way they’re folded. I don’t know about that but, whichever way you fold it, Boojum has good Mexican food all wrapped up!

You can see the photos here:

• see more photos here
• Image 2
• Image 3

Other information

Boojum
Chichester Street,
Belfast
You can also find Boojum – Chichester Street on Google Maps.

Boojum
73, Botanic Avenue,
Belfast
BT7 1JL
You can also find Boojum – Botanic Avenue on Google Maps

Boojum
Millenium Walkway,
Dublin 1
You can also find Boojum – Dublin on Google Maps.

T: 028 9031 5334
E: info@boojummex.com
W: www.boojummex.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/boojumbelfast

Building our burrito in Boojum, Chichester Street, Belfast

The Parson's Nose, Hillsborough

It was one of those Sundays.

After a well-deserved lie-in, a quick inspection revealed that the cupboard was bare, and neither of us were in the mood to face a trip to the shops.

Why is it on days like this you can’t stop thinking about food?

Just then, inspiration struck: we’d driven past The Parson’s Nose in Hillsborough only the day before. Surely they could squeeze us in!

As soon as we opened the door Kelly and I knew we’d made a good choice. The bar on the ground floor feels like the sort of place in which you could spend a few happy hours – furnished in dark wood and with a roaring fire in the corner, the comfortable armchairs were looking very inviting. Walking in to the warm fug from the crisp January day outside was heaven.

The restaurant on the next floor is brighter and more airy in comparison, with some nice views from the large windows.

The A La Carte menu was fairly impressive too, with plenty of satisfying, homely dishes – just right for a cold Winters’ day. Although we didn’t intend to, the dishes that Kelly and I wanted were all on the “Specials” menu – a fantastic £16.95 for two courses, or £19.95 for three.

So, rightly pleased with having saved a penny or two, we placed our order..

The starters

We both chose the creamy smoked haddock, bacon and scallion chowder to start, but before they arrived we were served with a selection of home-made breads.

They are, without exception, superb: the moist, dense wheaten bread, the fluffy focaccia and the delicately salted traditional soda bread are delicious. Don’t deny yourself, if you visit – tuck right in.

A good bowl of chowder is, quite simply, a thing of beauty, and the chowder at The Parson’s Nose is a very handsome dish indeed. Although there is plenty of potato in the chowder, they don’t skimp on the fish or bacon. The creamy, rich chowder is balanced with the sharp acidity of the scallions to produce a very tasty, very filing entree.

The mains

A good Sunday Roast Dinner is the sign of a good restaurant, in my opinion. It’s easy to advertise that you do a Sunday carvery, and entirely different matter to do one well.

When our waiter asked whether Kelly would prefer the roast beef to be pink or well done, we expected great things, and weren’t disappointed. Kelly’s roast beef was tender and succulent, and was complemented by some of the best champ I’ve ever tasted, and a selection of vegetables.

My order of Crispy saddleback pork belly, with black pudding croquette, cauliflower puree and Armagh bramley chutney was equally good. The pork, in particular, deserves special mention: an inch-thick wheel of sticky, moist meat which melted in my mouth, slow-roasted to perfection. The creamy cauliflower and zingy chutney were really good alongside the pork, making a most enjoyable mouthful.

Don’t get me wrong, everything wasn’t perfect: The gravy had a little too much tomato, so it was just a little too rich, too cloying; the Yorkshire pudding was dry; and my black pudding croquette didn’t have the flavour I’d hoped. That said, our quibbles were just that, and certainly nothing to detract from our over-all enjoyment.

The dessert

At this point, with the buttons on my shirt straining, I gracefully bowed out.

When we first looked over the menu, Kelly had spotted her favourite dessert right away, sticky toffee pudding, and she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity.

The Parson’s Nose serve theirs with Bushmill’s butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream and, if Kelly’s beatific smile was anything to go by, the combination is a winning one. I did manage (or was allowed) the smallest piece of the pudding and, although I’m not the greatest fan of desserts, I can safely say that this one is bordering on perfection. The dense “cake” is so rich and dense, the sauce so decadently sweet that you’re left in no doubt that you’re spoiling yourself.

Our verdict

The Sunday menu at The Parson’s Nose is excellent: plenty to choose from, and at a great price.

Our meals were really good: well-devised, well-balanced dishes, and well executed too. They’re not going to set the world of gastronomy alight, but they’re good, hearty fayre and served in quite large portions too – so be careful ordering those side dishes!

The staff were very friendly, attentive, and game for a little banter which made for a very enjoyable atmosphere.

There were a few minor points that could be improved upon: the gravy wasn’t perfect, and the Yorkshire pudding was dry – but nothing to dissuade us from going back again!

About The Parson’s Nose

The Parson’s Nose is the latest venture for Northern Ireland Chef Danny Millar.

On the site of the old Marquis of Downshire, Danny’s restaurant opened in 2009 in the picturesque village of Hillsborough, County Down.

The contact details are:
The Parson’s Nose
48 Lisburn Street,
Hillsborough,
County Down,
Northern Ireland
BT26 6AB
T: (028) 92683009
W: www.theparsonsnose.co.uk

Wagamama, Victoria Square, Belfast

January is a horrendous month. Cold, dark, and blustery.. And it didn’t help matters that on this particular Thursday night I only finished work at 8pm! Needless to say that the thought of cooking when I finally made it home really didn’t fill me with glee.

I was in the mood for something hot, spicy and above all quick – but I wasn’t ready to entirely abandon my New Years Resolutions just yet, so a greasy take-away was definitely out. Niall and I decided on Wagamama: we’d already talked at length about their opening in Belfast, and their healthy ‘positive eating’ mantra meant we could have a hearty dinner without the guilt (well, that’s the theory.. if you skip dessert.. which, for me, is unlikely!).

The restaurant is modelled on the ramen noodle bars of Japan, with their long communal tables and the busy, chaotic atmosphere. There are no reservations at Wagamama – you literally can be seated anywhere, beside anyone. It makes for a strangely friendly and informal experience. I’d imagine that it’s a great place to go with a crowd of friends for a loud, enjoyable night out.

Our waitress on this night was Niamh, she was really lovely, very chatty, friendly and certainly knew all about the menu, which is always good. Niamh did remind us that all the food at Wagamama is cooked to order (you can see the cooks working away behind the long bar which runs the length of the restaurant), which means it is fresh and can come down to your table in any order. For instance, Niall and I got our 3 starters and my main straight away while Niall waited 5 more minutes for his main.

After much deliberation we placed our order..

The starters

Sitting at our communal bench, we thought we’d follow Wagamama’s example and order entrees to share between us, rather than one having just one dish each. We went for some ebi katsu (deep-fried prawns in panko, a Japanese breadcrumb, and served with a spicy chilli and garlic sauce) and some chilli squid (deep-fried squid in a light tempura batter and served with a chilli, garlic and coriander dipping sauce).

Both of the starters we so more-ish. I particularly liked the ebi katsu: it’s always been my favourite starter in Wagamama and it didn’t disappoint me this time. The prawns were still meaty, delicate and slightly sweet, while the panko was crunchy and provided a wonderful contrast of textures. The squid was excellent too, the flesh tender and the dipping sauce was so flavoursome and picquant.

I also gave in and ordered some edamame, which I can never resist. Now before you order the Edamame beans just be aware that they are totally, totally addictive, it is kind of like when you open a packet of pringles – ‘Once you pop…’ The only saving grace is that they are very low in fat and apparently very good for you! Rumour has it that Victoria Beckham swears by them for speeding up weight loss… apparently!

A small bowl of the steamed green soya-beans promptly arrived, lightly dusted with chilli and garlic salt. The flavour of these beans is so fresh and “clean”, they make a great accompaniment to any meal. There’s also something quite satisfying in seeing the mountain of shelled bean-pods sitting in the bowl afterwards too.

The mains

I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry for my main course, which involves thick slices of chicken breast covered in more panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried, served with a thick, hot curry sauce and sticky white rice.

Niall choose one of the dishes for which Wagamama is rightly famous – a steaming bowl of Chilli Beef Ramen. A huge bowl was set infront of Niall, and I could smell the fragrant broth straight away: coriander, lime, chilli, red onion. A delicious “asian” aroma.

As you may have read before, Niall and I always have a childish competition to see who ordered the best starter and main.  The starters here couldn’t be marked as we (as we always do in Wagamama) shared the starters like a Japanese Tapas.

I will however admit defeat when it comes to the main, Niall’s main of Chilli Beef Ramen won hands down.  This wasn’t to say that my Chicken Katsu Curry wasn’t delicious, it was!! It’s just that Niall’s big bowl of Chilli Beef Ramen was everything you could possibly want in Asian food, just enough heat with the chillies, just enough sourness with the lime and just enough freshness with the spring onions.

The dessert

To end the meal we shared (I know I am embarrassed) a dessert of creamy white chocolate and stem ginger cheesecake on a crunchy biscuit base, topped with more white chocolate.  This dessert is a must when you are going to Wagamama, so make sure you leave room for it!  It really is delicious, with just enough ginger to give a subtle flavour and a hint of heat against the creamily sweet cheesecake.

Our verdict

Wagamama is a real breath of fresh air for Belfast, a very different dining experience.

We certainly intend to visit again (and again, and again) – and the best of it is that all of the fresh ingredients and steamed cooking means that I won’t even feel guilty about it!

Fast service, friendly staff, good food.. Wagamama really is ‘fast food’ at it’s best.

Other information

Wagamama Belfast
1st Floor, Victoria Square Retail Park
Belfast
BT1 4QG
T: 028 9023 6098
W: www.wagamama.com.ni

For more news about the opening you can join their Wagamama Belfast Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wagamamabelfast.

Lastly, to get noodle news, competitions and promotions, you can become a member of Wagamama Belfast at www.wagamama.com.ni/members/register.