Monday, 28 February 2011

The Mill at Lyons, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Kildare, Ireland 12.02.11

The Mill at Lyons, Lyons Estate, Celbridge, Kildare, Ireland 12.02.11



A wedding invitation from friends brought my wife and I to the Lyons Estate in Co Kildare just outside Dublin, I have never had a good meal at a wedding and would would normally not write about it, however this was different.
Our friends married in a small chapel a mile or so away at 1.30 in the afternoon so after the formalities of photos and general wedding stuff we arrived back at the Lyons estate.
The estate is a huge sprawling area of greenery with converted old mills and various outhouses turned into luxury hotel suites and restaurants. The place is very nice all be it a little over done in places.
After a collection of canapés ranging from goats cheese tarts to shots of white onion soup we were called to dinner in the down stairs dining room.
There was a fixed menu of 4 courses with a choice of fillet of beed or cod for the main course. The bride and groom arrived in the dining room to a cheer then the food was quickly served.
The first course of Hot and Cold smoked salmon with apple and lavender jelly was presented beautifully with the combination of flavours working really well. The lavender jelly added a floral note that brought the whole dish together.



Course two was a curried parsnip soup which turned out to be a pleasant surprise, the last time i had a curried soup it was like eating a bowl of curry sauce so i have never ordered it again. I am glad to say this was different there was just a hint of curry which allowed the sweetness of the parsnips to shine through making for a very nice bowl of soup.



Ten minutes later the waiters and waitresses appear en mass with the main course. I opted for the steak with my wife going for the fish, when they arrived I knew immediately I had made the right decision. The presentation again was excellent with a large fillet of beef served with piped mashed potatoes, root vegetables in a red wine jus. The steak was cooked medium rare to perfection and was excellent, the vegetables were al dente and the sauce was perfect, how the chef managed to do this for so many people at the same time is a real credit to him. This was restaurant quality food for over 100 people.



The desert was a plum crème brulee with shortbread which was a fine end to the meal.



A really good meal made even more special that it was prepared for so many people at once.
Rating Out of 100
79/100

Sunday, 13 February 2011

Merrylee Road Bar & Kitchen, Merrylee Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11

Merrylee Road Bar & Kitchen, Merrylee Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11



I had promised my good lady wife that we would go out but after my three courses at La Valle Blanche this very lunchtime i could see it far enough away.

However promises made and a quick nap later and i was ready to go for our 8.30 reservation.
Being the Saturday before Valentines Day i was expecting the restaurant to be mobbed but at best it was half full. This is a big restaurant so they need a lot of people in to make it look full. They have split the restaurant up into separate dining areas to make it more intimate but this is still a big place to fill.

The restaurant is laid out with crisp white tables and low slung lighting with dark wood features and gastro artwork adorning the walls.



We started off the night with a drink at the bar area where there are large leather sofas and chairs with a grand piano in the middle, sadly the only sounds this evening were coming from what sounded like the best of 80s volume 1.

After our drinks we were shown to our table in one of the raised areas in the restaurant and were presented with the menus for the evening. There are two menus to choose from with a sheet with the evenings specials. One of the menus offers a £8.95 two course set menu with a choice of three starters and three mains, surely this must be the best value menu in Glasgow on a Saturday night. The main menu offers a mix of dishes from around the globe, think Green Thai Curry, Smoked Haddock Risotto and Pork Belly with bubble & Squeek.

The specials menu harks back to the owner Gordon Yuills previous life in Rogano and Catch 22 with Oysters, Lobster and Sea Bass all making a show. I opted for the Mussels with white wine, garlic cream and herbs (£6.95) to start with my wife choosing the Scallops, black pudding and cherry tomato salad (£7.95).
For mains i ordered the Lobster Thermidor with Hand Cut Chips (£17.95) with my wife going for the Asparagus and Wild Mushroom Risotto (£6.50) from the £8.95 two course set menu. The wine of the month was ordered, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley (£15.00)
After a short wait our starters arrived, the mussels were big and juicy and went well with the delicate garlic cream sauce all i was missing was a chunk of bread to finish off the delightful broth. My wifes scallops were also cooked to perfection and the whole dish worked really well.


After a short wait the main courses arrived and did not disappoint, the lobster thermidor was excellent with the fresh taste of the lobster managing to shine above the creamy sauce. An excellent mix of textures and flavours.My only complaint was it was a little on the small side and i could have one with the other half, but decent value at the price. My wife had no complaints about her Risotto other than it was a bit to rich for her taste.


The desert menus presented and i really should say no but i am intrigued by the cheesecake of the day. A Black and White Russian Cheescake. After asking the waitress she explains to me that it is made with Coca Cola, Kahlua and Vodka. It arrives and i am pleasantly surprised , the top of the cake has a tiny lair of black jelly which i presume is the Coca Cola. I couldn’t taste the vodka but a slight coffee flavour coming from the Kahlua did come through and the whole thing was very good. The only let down was the ball of tasteless cheap ice cream served on the side of the plate.


I have read mixed reviews of this restaurant and have eaten here before with mixed results, however if Saturday was anything to go buy then they have finally got the kitchen in order, the level of service from the waiting staff on Saturday was also excellent.  Pianists apply within!!!
Total Price with wine & coffee £62.00
Rating Out of 100
80/100

La Valle Blanche, Byres Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11

La Valle Blanche, Byres Rd, Glasgow 12.02.11

Valentines weekend and i go for a late lunch in the West End with my friend Nick to a French Restauarant. How Romantic!!




As i expected the dark minimalist dining room was packed full of couples sipping champagne whispering sweet nothings to each other. We on the other hand were discussing a building project and the football results the previous weekend, much to the annoyance of the the courting couple at the table next to us.

The lunch/pre theatre menu offers decent value at £13.95 for two courses and £16.95 for three. With four starters five mains and five deserts to choose from there is enough to satisfy most tastes.

We both opted for the Ham Hough Terrine with Seared Beef, Roast Shallots and Parsley with Gribiche Sauce to start. I chose the Chargrilled Steak Frites with Horseradish, Black Pepper & Parsely Butter (£2.50 supplement) and Nick chose the Corn fed Chicken Breast, Sauteed Potatoes and Leek and Merguez Sausage for mains.

The terrine arrived and looked excellent with a piece of rare beef running through the centre of the pressed ham. Everything on the plate worked really well together with the pickled Gribiche Sauce cutting through the flavour of the ham and beef perfectly.



After a short while the main courses were served by one of the young waiting team and again looked very appetizing. Ok so it is only steak and chips but it was a very good steak and chips, the steak was seasoned and cooked medium rare to perfection with a great added flavour coming from the black pepper and parsley butter.



My friend had no complaints with his dish and polished it off in no time. The young waitress then returned with the desert menus. I ordered an espresso and we both ordered the Iced Banana & Hazelnut Parfait, Vanilla Chantilly & Hazelnut Tuille.  The espresso arrived shortly afterwards and was a distant memory when the deserts finally arrived at least fifteen minutes later.



The deserts were the only let down of the day, there was a one cm slice of banana with two chunks of the parfait and the tuille perched in the middle. Whilst the desert was presented well it failed to deliver on taste and i was bored half way through eating it.

The final bill was £51.00 which included a couple of wines and coffee.

Rating out of 100
78/100 

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Loch Fyne Oysters Restaurant, Clachan, Argyleshire 10.02.11

Loch Fyne Oysters Restaurant, Clachan, Argyleshire 10.02.11



After an unexpected morning trip to this restaurant i felt it merited a mention in my blog if only to buy some of the superb seafood on offer at the adjoining shop.

Leaving Glasgow at 7.30 am with a work colleague to a business meeting in Lochgoilhead i was not exactly filled with joy.

However the sun came up just as we were heading by Loch Lomond and i remembered just how spectacular this part of Scotland is.Its funny how even though it is 40 minutes away from Glasgow i very rarely visit.

Meeting finished early in Lochgoilhead and i was starving, with no sign of any life and an hour to kill we headed to Lochfyne.

The lochfyne restaurant sits right at the side of the loch with the mussel farms and fishing activity just in sight further down the loch.

As we walked into the restaurant the three staff were having what i can only assume was a very interesting chat as we were totally ignored. This promted me to ask if they were open to which the reply was yes!.

We were shown to a table in the sunroom at the front of the old building and presented with the breakfast menu. The menu had a good selection of kippers, mackerel and scrambled eggs etc.
We both chose the eggs bendedict with smoked salmon (£8.25) with a couple of coffees. As we sat looking over the loch drinking our coffees and chatting about the meeting we had just had the waitress delivered a basket of brown and white toast with butter and homemade marmalade. A welcome surprise givien my hunger.



A 20-30 minute wait before breakfast was served. A toasted muffin with their own smoked salmon and two perfectly cooked free range poached eggs smothered in hollandaise sauce. With these ingredients it is hard to go wrong and this was an excellent execution of this tricky dish.



A final bill of £22.50 offered reasonable value for the quality of food, a stop at the Loch Fyne shop attached to the restaurant and a dozen oysters and a some kiln smoked salmon purchased and we were on our way back to Glasgow.

Excellent unexpected breakfast in a wonderful setting.

Rating out of 100

Rating not applicable


Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Michael Caines @ Abode, Bath St Glasgow 09.02.11

Michael Caines @ Abode, Bath St Glasgow 09.02.11

Meeting an old friend for lunch brought me to Michael Caines @ Abode, I had never been here before even though it has been trading under this brand since 2005.

The lunch menu offers and “Amazing Grazing” Menu which gives you a choice of up to 5 courses (£18.95) from a choice of 9 dishes with wine pairing for £3.00 extra per course.

I was running late as usual so when i arrived my friend was already seated in the dining room, The dining room itself was very nice with modern lighting and mirrors making it seem much bigger than it actually was.




After having a look at the menu i opted for 4 courses (£14.95) paired with wine (£12.00)
A basket of bread was brought to the table by the bow tied waiter and the orders taken.
We both chose the same four dishes so it kept it quite simple.

To start Curried mussel soup with poached organic salmon. The soup arrived in a small white bowl with a lid on top. It reminded me of a sugar bowl. Inside was a beautiful light creamy broth with a couple of plump mussels and a chunk of salmon. The soup was excellent with just a delicate hint of curry.




The second course was Pickled Mackerel, beetroot salad, horseradish, capers and crispy shallot rings. This was probably the best looking of the 4 courses but didn’t deliver on much else. There was just too much going on and ended up a mish mash of flavours.





The third course was Risotto of confit duck leg with five spice jus. A risotto is a difficult thing to present in an interesting way and Michael Caines @ Abode proved this, delivering a bowl of rice that was reminiscent of ambrosia. The rice itself was perfectly cooked and the confit duck pieces worked o.k. The five spice jus didn’t work for me, the asian flavour coming through the dish just confused me. A play on an Italian classic perhaps but a classic is a classic for a reason.






On to desert, Ginger panna cotta, confit apples and  green apple sorbet.  I was expecting a grand finally but the desert was far from it, the sorbet was nice and refreshing but the mush of panna cotta and apples in a glass didn’t do anything for me. I failed to pick up any note of ginger in the dish and found the whole thing quite boring.
I have to mention the wines which were all excellent and the Maitre D explained them all in great depth and had a wealth of knowledge.

So my first visit to Michael Caines @ Abode in Glasgow, whilst the service was at a standard that outweighed the price we were paying, the food failed to deliver at this level. This restaurant has the highest score in the Good Food Guide of any restaurant in Glasgow, the head chef has had a plethora of awards in his time at the helm but i didn’t get it.  

Final bill with coffee and petit fours (12.5 % service included in final bill) £73.00.

The menu changes on a weekly basis dependant on local ingredients so maybe just a bad week at Abode.

Rating out of 100

65/100

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

L'Enclume , Cartmel, Lake District, Cumbria 05.02.11

L'Enclume , Cartmel, Lake District, Cumbria 05.02.11



Having been invited to my aunts 50th birthday in Barrow in Furness I came across this restaurant on The Good Food Guide web site. As anyone who has been to Barrow will testify this town is rough. Think working mens clubs, shipyards, pie and peas and not much else and you will have an idea of this place.

So how to make this weekend better. L,Enclume featured on the programme The Trip with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon and I had an idea that it was close to Barrow. A quick phone call and a 1.30 reservation for the 8 course tasting menu was booked in the medieval town of Cartmel. Only 22 miles from Barrow in Furness in distance. A million miles away in style.

L'Enclume is owned by chef Simon Rogan and has a Michelin Star and 5 AA Rosettes amongst dozens of awards for best chef etc etc etc. The restaurant is housed in an 800 year old blacksmiths shop. The decor in the restaurant is basic with whitewashed original stone Walls and the occasional painting and modern sculptures dotted around. The food definitely is the star here.




 We were greeted by the French Maitre d and shown to our table in the conservatory which overlooks the restaurants garden. Our table was sat right in the middle of the room which made me feel a bit exposed. A quick word with the waiter and we were moved to a corner table in the main dining room with no fuss.

On to the food, amuse bouche was presented on a small piece of slate which was described as black pudding with caramelised leek in fried bread parcels. They looked fantastic but I couldn't taste anything but the black pudding and fried bread.

The courses then followed shortly after.

1. Carrot sacks with ham and juniper fried cake and cress.
Like the amuse bouche these looked amazing but these definately delivered on flavour, it was like eating a cloud of sweet carrots with salty pieces of ham. The  sweet carrot disappeared in your mouth leaving the salty taste of the ham and juniper.



2. Fresh curds and oxtails, grilled lettuce and English mushrooms.
I probably am being biased about this course as I hate mushrooms but the oxtail and curds were perfect served in a consommé of mushroom essence. My wife loved it but the strong mushroom smell put me off.

3. Potted char, radish, fresh cream, dill and rye toast.
I was unsure what char was until this arrived, apparently it is a fresh water fish. This also looked beautiful and delivered in taste with the salty notes of the soft fish balanced perfectly with the cream and the crunch of the wafer thin toast. Perfect.



4. Roasted cauliflower with young squid and elderberry vinegar.
When I first tasted this dish I was amazed that a cauliflower could deliver this much flavour, the baby squid pieces were perfectly cooked and delivered on flavour. If I had a complaint about this course it would be that I felt the squid ink overpowered the delicate flavours of the other ingredients on the plate.



5. Halibut with razor clams, scorzonera and broccoli shoots.
Perfectly cooked fish and clams bound in a beautiful green sauce with exquisite presentation and worked really well with what I assume was the scorzonera. I wasn't sure what this was but it certainly tasted good with the fish and razors.



6. Regs duck and sweetbreads, mustard roots baked in salt, onion weed
This arrived and again looked like a work of art, being described by the waiter as been cooked in a water bath. To me this course never really delivered, my duck was very difficult to cut with pieces of sinue inside the meat. The vegetables and the light jus were wonderful but the star of the plate the duck didn't work for me.



7. Caramel mousse with honey wine, gingerbread caramel and yoghurt.
Served in a small pot this was probably one of the least glamorous looking of the courses but wow did it make up for that in flavour and texture. A sweet caramel mousse with little jewel like jelly pieces of the honey wine and the crunch of the gingerbread caramel. This was an absolutely genius concoction of flavours that worked and complimented each other perfectly together.



8. Poached and caramelised quince with buttermilk, damson and rosehips.
A picture on a plate arrived once again with delicate pieces of bright pink meringue resting on top of the quince with a delicate sauce with a sorbet and buttermilk custard, The last official dish of the menu all came together really well and again was perfectly balanced with sweet and savoury tastes with tiny licorice flavour herbs confusing your pallet once again.



Two and a half hours later and we had got through 9 courses when the waiter appeared with little parsnip and nutmeg flavoured milk shakes served with mini carrot cakes. Again confusing your mind as your drinking what is in effect a savoury drink which your mind thinks should be sweet.



The whole experience was superb, if I had a complaint it would be that near the end of the meal one of the waiters started to clean up and was rattling cutlery about preparing for evening service, i am being petty but in this standard of restaurant he good have waited until we were gone.

L'Enclume has been described as in the top 5 restaurants in Britain, the chef grows many of the products in his own small holding near by, he has a research kitchen down the road from the restaurant and has a bistro round the corner.

This was certainly gastronomy at a whole new level by a chef who is nothing short of a genius.

Rating out of 100

92/100



Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Recipe : My Version of Pasta Fagioli



Recipe : My Version of Pasta Fagioli

Feeds 4 as a starter 

This recipe was inspired by a starter i had in Piccolo Mondo Glasgow. How close this is to the authentic Italian version im not sure, but it is very tasty and could equally double as a main course.

Should take no more than 20 minutes from start to finish.

1 small leak 
1 carrot
2 cloves garlic
100 grams of any small pasta. 
1.5 litre chicken stock
100g Ham hock or bacon bits
3-4 sage leaves 
1 small can cannellini beans
Olive oil
Salt / Pepper to taste

1. Chop the carrots, leeks and garlic very finely and sweat off in a pot with a little olive oil until soft.

2. Finely chop the sage leaves and add to pot.

3. Stir for a couple of minutes.

4. Add chicken stock to the pot.

5. Add cannellini beans and pasta.

6. Gently simmer for around 10 minutes. ( if the liquid evaporates too quickly add a little water)

6. Salt & Pepper to taste. ( taste first as the ham or bacon can be a bit salty )

Serve with some crusty bread.

Perfect.