A delightful duo
Restaurant Nº 35 Kenmare
Mairead Robinson continues her trawl around Ireland in search of great food and comes up with two great restaurants in Kenmare and Galway
Galway city is home to some great food, but The Matz at The G Hotel has carved a special name for itself, located as it is within one of the most contemporary of Ireland’s hotels. I have visited The G several times over the past five years, and it has always made a strong impression. While the décor is stunning, to be honest for me it was always about the food. I headed over there recently with somebody who had never eaten there before and is a more conservative diner than I am, and we were both thrilled with the experience.
First of all we had the obligatory aperitif in the chic Cocktail Bar which put us in the perfect mood for the meal to follow. If you have never been there before, the ambiance of the dining room – where breakfast is also served – will certainly impress you. The colours, fabrics and decadent “plush” are quite unique and you are cocooned in comfort. But to the food – the menus are well presented with producer details and good choice balance. We ate from the A La Carte and I opted for a baked lamb Fillet in Filo Pastry with a sweet pepper relish cream cheese – it was a most unusual starter and quite delicious. My companion had a Savoury Crème Brulee of local Goats Cheese, another winner. There are eight choices in the starters and mains, with both meat lovers, vegetarians and fish fanciers catered for. From the fish choices I opted for the John Dory with a Risotto of Pancetta and Pumpkin – there was also a Cod and Crabmeat dish and a Monkfish Cutlet with Saffron Chicory. All sounded tempting, as did the various meat dishes from which we chose the Beef Fillet with some Truffle Potato and Girolles Mushrooms.
If you would like to sample the great food and ambiance at The G, you can always opt for the excellent value Dining at Dusk Menu where you can have two courses at €29.50 and three for €36 - and this includes one of those great cocktails! There is also a lighter menu at the Lounge which offers great value. More on www.theg.ie
Now down in Kerry, in the gourmet town of Kenmare is No 35, a Café restaurant which models itself more bistro style than fine dining. While it is totally different in ambiance from our Galway choice, chef Joe Ryan comes from the hallowed kitchens of the five-star Park Hotel. So we knew the food was going to be good. It was busy and buzzing the night we came, but service was helpful and attentive, even when we spent the first fifteen minutes chatting before ordering and our server had to come back to us three times! It was my fault then that I missed the last the of the starter specials, a Crab & Prawn Risotto Cake with curry and coriander sauce. Instead I chose the delectable St Tola Goats Cheese gently warmed on a bed of Mediterranean vegetables, while my friend raved over her starter special of Seafood Gratin which was served in a lovely little copper pan. It is worth noting when visiting No 35 that there is an A La Carte Menu that contains burgers, pasta, chicken and fish and chips – but there is always a Specials Menu which is where chef Ryan really shows his talents. We stuck with that menu for the night which offered a Roast Barbary Duck Breast with Pickled Ginger; Baked Cod with a herb crust and leek and smoked haddock cream. I had a very generous portion of Roast Monkfish with a tomato and caper vinaigrette – while my friend loved her succulent steak and we had al dente seasonal vegetables with creamy mash potato and a portion of home chunky fries.
They do say that the best way to get ourselves out of this recession is to go out and support our local restaurant. You will be keeping so many people employed, from the producers to the cooks, servers and washer-uppers. I definitely feel that those of our restaurants that are working hard at providing a great dining experience at a reasonable price do deserve our support. So now that Spring has Sprung, perhaps it is time to get out and treat yourself to a special evening out and enjoy a great meal while supporting one of our Irish restaurants and food producers. Until next issue, Bon appetite!
