Rustic Stone, Dublin 2

If you know anything about the Irish food scene, then you will know about Dylan McGrath, once the Michelin-starred chef at Mint in Ranelagh, and now the chef at Rustic Stone on Georges St.  I'm a bit late on the scene in visting Rustic Stone which is shortly celebrating its first anniversary. Still, better late than never.

We visited Rustic Stone as a party of four using the Irish Times reader offer, which consisted of a special menu priced at €25 per head. This menu offered a selection of bread'n'dips to begin, followed by a starter and pasta dish, then a main course with a side and finally, a dessert. This seemed like a fantastic offer, and it was clear from the packed restaurant that we weren't the only diners to think so. Arriving at 19.30, all the tables were fully occupied and waiting staff were zipping around resetting tables and dealing with customers. Clearly McGrath is doing something here that people like. 

So what does an ex-Michelin chef do to keep his creative juices flowing? It seems that McGrath has chosen to go down the route of healthy, lifestyle-inspiring dining. Quoting directly from the Rustic Stone website

Rustic Stone’s philosophy is simple: tasty, nutritious, innovative cuisine that is accessible to all. Simple and scientific techniques are used to release the maximum flavour. Rustic Stone only uses the best of local produce, sourcing our ingredients from local producers.

So the word "simple" is mentioned twice in the blurb. However, when presented with a Rustic Stone menu, simple is not the word that jumps immediately to mind. It's jammed with little coloured dots, representing  concepts such as gluten-free, wheat-free and super food. It's like a polka dot kaleidescope at times. In addition, each dish is accompanied by a verbose description that takes time to read. In fact, it might be an idea to order a glass of wine and kick back in your seat before you start to read the menu.

Our waiter took all our order, including dessert, in one go and following that, a wooden stand arrived quickly at the table, with a selection of breads, cumin-scented hummus and baba ganoush. Breads were ho-hum but the dips were tasty variations on the normal versions. Very quickly afterwards, our starters and pasta dishes arrived at the same time. In the space of about 10 seconds, our table went from empty to heaving, as each of us had two dishes placed in front of us.To be honest, although it may have made life easy in the kitchen, it felt over-whelming.

I had chosen a starter of cold marinated prawn which came served on little boats of scooped out cucumber. Despite the weird appearance, the cool, fresh flavours were very welcome on a hot sticky evening. My penne pesto was rich and very tasty with marinated tomatoes and black olives. I'm a massive cheese-fiend (my favourite dish could be described as grilled cheese served with grilled cheese) but even I half-baulked at the amount of parmesan on top of this little bowl of pasta. A special mention has to be made for the chicken wings, which were coated in a sticky, sweet soya sauce with sesame seeds and were utterly finger-lickin' good.

At this stage, we were all feeling pretty full. Two quick courses had dampened our appetites and any questions we had about limited portion size on this special value menu had disappeared. Thankfully, our main courses did not appear for quite a while. We had all chosen the meat for 2, cooked on a lava stone for our mains. Two lava stones were deposited on the table, covered in a selection of beef cuts. We could immediately feel the heat off the stones, and temperatures in our local vicinty rocketed up a few degrees. When combined with the smoke streaming off the stones, it felt as if we had been transported to a sauna where the naked inhabitants had a fetish for BBQ.

Meat on the stone

Overall, the meat cuts were excellent quality, but I really can't see much point in cooking the meat myself. The smoke and heat at the table is an unwelcome distraction in a restaurant like the Rustic Stone which is already warm and busy. My accompanying side of pesto chips were fabulous - four big fat chips, skewered and served with a dollop of pesto. It was the spot-on carby accompaniment to the steak-fest. Another side, green relish with peas, broad beans and spring onions was surprisingly rich and buttery, and definitely didn't feel as healthy as the name suggested.

Finally, we were ready for dessert. All four of us had chosen the Brulee Pain d'Epice, which was a baked, spiced low-fat custard served with a pear sorbet. Desite the low-fat tag, I found this to be an indulgent dessert with the pear sorbet cutting through the gently sweet creaminess. The portion size was quite generous, meaning that I left half of mine unfinished.

Brulee Pain d'Epice

By the end of the meal we were absolutely stuffed to the gills. But we were also hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. We called for the bill, which came to a very pleasant €130 for 4, people with €100 of that being for food, and headed outside to the fresh, sweet air of ... well Georges Street. 

As an aside, Rustic Stone continues to offer a very similar €25 menu all day on Sunday, and between 18.00-19.30 Monday to Thursday. It must be said that this represents stonking value for money and is probably the way I will return in future. I cannot fathom why people would pay the same amount of money (or even more) for a single dish from the main menu. Next time however, I'll be looking for a table outside, or in a well-ventilated spot.

Rustic Stone, 17 South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2. 

Tel: +353 (0)1 707 9596

Twitter: @rusticdublin

The Port House Ibericos, Dundrum

Earlier this year, I received an invitation to attend a session of the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail which included a pit stop in the excellent Bar Pintxo in Temple Bar. This is part of the Port House group of venues, all of which are cosy, darkly romantic and very tasty. After this visit, I had marked my to-do list with the name of the latest Port House venture - the Port House Ibericos, located in the busy and movied-heaven of Dundrum Town Centre.

Despite being part of the newest and shiniest shopping centre in Ireland, the Port House Ibericos is housed in the Pembroke Cottages, which were a series of 3 developments built between the 1870s and 1880s by Lord Pembroke as part of his philantrophic efforts to provide housing for his estate workers and labourers. These charming cottages have been carefully restored under strict guidelines from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, providing a relaxing contrast to the glass and steel of Dundrum Town Centre.

Inside, the Port House Ibericos follows the same guidelines that have proved so popular in the other locations. Lighting is low, with fat candles providing most of the ambient light. Tables are small and cosy, nestled into nooks and crannies. Romantic and cosy is the vibe here. When we arrived (approx. 21.30 on a Friday night) the restaurant was just at capacity. We were invited to take a seat at the bar, but thankfully, we were quickly seated. Other later arrivals weren't as lucky as us, with many having to wait for longish periods.

The menu is a double-printed sheet of A4 paper, which later doubled up as a mat to absorb all the  inevitable oil and foodstuff spillages. (In case you didn't know, my enthusiasm for my dinner often leads to "incidents" - I shall say no more). We were unsure as to how hungry we were, so we decided to order just a few tapas, promising ourselves that we could order more later. 

Service proved to be quite slow, although we received our drinks quickly enough. He chose a bottle of Estrella (expensively priced at €5.00), while I chose a glass of Vina Esmeralda Gewürztraminer (€5.60). This was a really refreshing, light wine with delicate floral and honey flavours. Between the tasty wine and the long wait for food, my glass was bordering on empty when we finally got our food. 

Our tapas selection

Starting from the bottom and moving clockwise, our tapas were as follows:

• Garbanzos - chickpeas with black pudding (€5.35). The black pudding crumbs added a gentle warmth to the bulk of the chickpeas, which did require some additional salt. 
• Gambas Pil Pil (€7.25) came in a dish of garlickly oil, which still had the light flavour of green olive oil. Very moreish! 
• Patatas Mojo (€3.85) - The potates had a light golden crust with a fluffly inside, and the paprika-alond mojo sauce made for an interesting alternative to aioli and bravas sauce. 
• Caballa - makarel fillets on toast with tomato (€6.30). This was last, but most definitely not least. The mackarel was outrageously fresh, with juicy flesh and full of sea-flavour. A little dish of these would make for a fine lunch any day of the week. 

Despite our original thoughts to perhaps order more tapas, we found ourselves quite full after these dishes. The carby nature of the chickpeas and potatoes provided enough bulk, while the rich oil of the prawns filled us up. Slow service aside, the tapas were excellent and the best part of the night came with the bill. Our total for the night was just €33.35!

The Port House Ibericos, 5-6 Pembroke Cottages, Ballinteer Rd., Dublin 16.

Tel: +353 (0)1 216 6133

A Ginger Beer Tasting

I've always loved the taste of ginger. I think it comes from my mother who uses lots of it in her baking and and makes incredibly delicious ginger bread (see here for my mother's Ginger Nut recipe). I love the spicy warm taste of ginger when used in baking, or the bite that it brings when used fresh in curries. So the idea of ginger beer naturally intrigues me. It appears that the alcoholic ginger category in the UK is currently worth £21.8m and growing. So it seems that I've hit on a current trend, without even knowing it.

I've been seeking out different brands, and I've found that there are some big differences out there. Here are my thoughts on what's good, and maybe not so good.

Stone's Ginger Joe

Bottom of the pile was newcomer Ginger Joe (4% ABV), launched recently by Stone's. I loved the ginger tache on the bottle as well as the catchy name, but the drink itself was syrupy with no ginger bite or tang. I guess that it's ginger beer for the young or the alcopop generation. I've seen this drink in some specialist beer venues (Bierhaus Cork, I'm looking at you), and I am disappointed that it is taking shelf space from other, better ginger beers. (Available at Redmond's of Ranelagh)

Crabbie's Ginger Beer

Also sitting at the bottom of my taste test is Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4.0% ABV). Like Ginger Joe, this drink comes from a long-established producer of ginger wine. And like Ginger Joe, it suffered from too much sweetness and not enough ginger. It would probably be good over ice on a hot summer's day, but it just isn't enough for beer-loving taste buds. Not one I'm going to buy again. (Available at Redmond's of Ranelagh)

Williams Ginger Beer

Things improved dramatically when I tasted Williams Brothers Ginger Ale (3.8% ABV). This had a proper beer taste, but with buckets of ginger warmth as well as slight citrus. It has the lowest alcohol content of the all the beers that I've tasted, but it tastes the most beer-like. A definite favourite. (Available at Redmond's of Ranelagh).

M&S Ginger Ale (Courtesy of the Beer Bunker blog)

Marks & Spencer Ginger Ale (6.0% ABV) features a lovely hen motif on the label, but the label mentioned both Fentiman's and Robinsons. Confused, I was, so I turned to Google, where I learned that this is a blend of Fredrick Robinson’s Dark Ale and Fentiman’s Traditional Ginger Beer and is bottled exclusively for M&S. The fact that this is ale-based is easily determined upon tasting, and the ginger flavour is weak and doesn't linger on the palate. This retails at €3.09.

John Hollow's Ginger Beer

Top of my pile was John Hollows' Superior Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4.0% ABV). This was launched in 2010 by soft drinks manufacturer Fentiman's and I loved the warming tingle that it left my tongue. Despite this, it's a refreshing, crisp drink, probably helped by the fact that it contains pear juice. I've found it in Dublin at the Bull & Castle, but if anyone knows any other stockists, please let me know.

So there you go, that's my quick round up of ginger beer tasting. If you're sweet of tooth, you'll probably prefer my bottom two, but if you want more of a ginger hit, then I'd heartily recommend Williams Bros and John Hollow's.

Pork, Apple & Red Onion Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls are a guilty pleasure for most of us, right? I initially made sausage rolls in the mandatory Home Economics class in my first year at secondary school (I switched to Technical Drawing once I was given free choice). We made simple rolls by either wrapping sausages or sausage meat in pastry, and we were damn proud of them!

Fast forward to my early student days when Campbell's Catering had the catering contract at UCC. Despite the dubiousness of the daily "Student Special", they had fine sausage rolls which I enjoyed at the trestle tables of the Kampus Kitchen, located in the bowels of the Science Building. I loved these rolls, despite the fact that they were pale and flaky, with a very generic pink "meat" filling.

These days, petrol station or convenience store hot counters are usually another good source for a cheeky sausage roll. I often sneak a sausage roll from Centra into the cinema for a cheeky snack. It smells and tastes a damn sight better than that putrid popcorn they serve. 

But can a sausage roll be made into an artform? I definitely believe so, and I found one such location when I lived in Amsterdam. I was lucky enough to secure an apartment just around the corner from Patisserie Holtkamp on Vijzelgracht. Holtkamp is a treasure, and I urge you to visit it if ever you find yourself in Amsterdam. It produces fine patisserie, chocolates, croquetten (a favourite Dutch snack) and finally, saucijzenbroodje (sausage roll to you and me). I would hop out of bed on Saturday morning, and hurry to the little shop, lined with dark wood and glass display cases, so that I could beat all the other locals and grab the best goodies. The sausage rolls were a wonderful combination of dense, flavoursome veal, mixed with spices and herbs, and wrapped in a thin, slightly flaky butter pastry. Absolutely fantastic.

Lately, I've been working on homemade sausage rolls and I think that I'm getting close to a great recipe. For convenience I'm using ready to roll pastry, and the last step in this process will be to make my own pastry. I also use good-quality butcher sausages as my meat source, but if you can get sausage meat from your butcher, then feel free to use that. Anyway, here's my favourite attempt to date (makes 8 sausage rolls).

Homemade sausage rolls

Ingredients

1 pack of good-quality butcher sausages (I used M&S Pork and Herb sausages 400g)

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and finely ground

1 packet of ready to use puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg

Salt & pepper

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 170 Celsius and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.Prepare a little bowl of eggwash by breaking an egg and mixing with a fork.

Gently sautee the red onion and garlic in a little oil over a low heat, until soft and sweet. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Squeeze out the sausage meat from the packet of sausages into a bowl. Discard the sausage casing. Add the spices, onions, garlic and apple along with some salt and pepper. Using either your hands or a spoon, mix thoroughly so that the ingredients are well distributed throughout the meat.

I used Jus Rol puff pastry to make these previously, and I found that it was easiest to divide each of the 2 sheets into quarters, giving me 8 sausage rolls in total. Take a sheet of the pastry, and brush with the eggwash. Cut into quarters. In the middle of each quarter, place a thick "pipe" of the sausage meat and then roll up in the pastry. Place each completed roll on the baking sheet. Make 2-3 shallow diagonal cuts in the top surface of each sausage roll and then generously apply a coating of eggwash.

Place the tray into the oven and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes before applying a second coating of eggwash. Multiple coatings of eggwash allow for a deep golden colour (like a varnish) to develop, making the end result all the more attractive. Bake the rolls for another approx 20 minutes, until golden and cooked. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before gently transferring to a wire rack to cool thoroughly. 

Best served with a pinch of salt and perhaps a fine relish or chutney!

The Fatted Calf, Glasson

The Twitter machine is a weird and glorious thing. When I started out on Twitter back in 2008, I couldn't see the point, or how it was going to work. Fast forward a few years, and I simply love Twitter. By carefully choosing who I follow, I have gleaned lots of valuable foodie information & tips. I've gotten to go to free food events and film screenings courtesy of several PR firms. I've also entered and won several cool competitions. 

The Irish food community has really taken to Twitter, with many food bloggers, restaurants and producers actively participating. It has produced some vibrant and interesting discussions, and Twitter is now my number one resource when I need suggestions or information. And so it was last Saturday when journalist Clare Kleinedler (@clairekleinedler and author of the blog An American in Ireland) tweeted that she was heading to the Fatted Calf in Glasson for dinner. This was a new venue to me, so a little bit of Googling informed me that not only was Glasson about 20 minutes from my hotel, but more importantly, it was run by Feargal O'Donnell (along with his wife Fiona), who was previously head chef at the nearly Wineport Lodge. Feargal is also currently Commissioner General for Euro-toques Ireland, so he is a man in the know when it comes to food. 

Glasson is a postcard-pretty little village (you will think Tidy Towns when you see all the flower baskets!) and the Fatted Calf fits in beautifully on the main sign. The sign outside promises BBQ and smokehouse, two words which always leave me in a state of breathless excitement. As we were a little early for Sunday service, we walked around for a few minutes. This lead us to the cosy outside eating area at the rear of the pub and the gorgeous Tamworth (and perhaps Saddleback?) pigs busily eating in a small paddock. Pigs, BBQ and smokehouse... this was starting to seem like a little piece of heaven.

Inside, part of the old pub lounge has thankfully been left intact, but with the improvement of cushions and dancing cow ornaments! A larger and brighter dining area is to the rear which allows the venue to cater to different audiences. If you want to dine at the bar, the snacks menu offers tasty sounding onion bhajis and buttermilk-fried spiced chicken. (Makes a pleasant change from King crisps and Pringles).

The bright rear of the Fatted Calf

As it was Sunday, the menu on offer was a bit more traditional in style than the food still listed on the board from the previous night's specials. I was a little disappointed at this as I wouldn't be someone who goes out looking for a Sunday lunch. Too many bad carveries have left me with what borders on a pathological fear of lamp-lit roasts. Check out the photo of the blackboard below for examples of evening cooking - I think that I could have happily ordered every dish on that menu.

Evening specials

There was plenty of choice on the Sunday menu, which also listed the main suppliers used by the Fatted Calf. No messing around here when it comes to provenance. I decided to go for two starters so that I could sample a little more of the menu, while he opted for a main course only. I apologise for the lack of photographs, but the photos I took in the restaurant weren't really good enough quality to do justice to the food. While waiting for the first dishes, we snacked on some of the homemade bread left on the table, including a fruity brown Guinness & Treacle bread.

Our Sunday menu

Our courses were as follows:

• Starter 1 - Warm salad of McGeough's black pudding, new potatoes, buffalo mozzarella and smoked tomato dressing (€8). The mozzarella was fresh and creamy smooth, the black pudding was smooth and spicy, but the real star of this show was the smoked tomato. It tasted as if it had been dipped in a turf fire and made a wonderful addition when chopped up and mixed through the salad.
• Starter 2 - Barbecued pork terrine, celeriac remoulade & toasted sourdough (€8). I received two pieces of bread, topped with generous scoops of pulled pork and a quinelle of celeriac remloulade. The pulled pork was mixed with a sweet BBQ sauce, and combined brilliantly with the mustardy, sharp celeriac. I love pulled pork, but it's not something that appears on Irish menus very much.
• Roast rib of Donald Russell Irish beef with pearl onion and rosemary jus (€15). This came with a Yorkshire pudding with a roast potato cheekily ensconced in the pudding. Himself also ordered a side of the ahdn-cut chips (€3) to round out his dinner. This was an awesome plate of roast beef - it was very tender and tasty (despite being cooked through) and the decent hefty slice satisified his appetite. The accompanying roast potato was nearly as good as my mother-in-law's (trust me, she makes amazing roast potatoes) and the whole plate was cleaned down to the last crumb.

I was in a state of bliss leaving the Fatted Calf. I wouldn't call it a gastropub, as I sometimes think that that particular title implies a sense of pretension or fanciness that is gladly lacking at the Fatted Calf.  It's simply a bar that serves really good, creative food. Our total bill, including 2 coffees and 2 soft drinks came to €43. I'm already looking for an excuse for a return visit.

The Fatted Calf, Glasson, Co. Westmeath
Tel: (090) 648 5208

Camden Kitchen, Dublin 2

I first visited Camden Kitchen just over a year ago (blog post here) shortly after it had opened. At the time, I had liked my food, but felt perhaps that prices were just a tiny bit on the high side. Recently, an offer came via Boards Deals to purchase a Sunday lunch for two for the sum of €32, with a quoted value of €77. The voucher covered a 2 course lunch, with Bellinis and tea/coffee. 

So it was that we arrived for Sunday lunch on a wet & dreary lunchtime. However, once inside the door, we were warmly greeted and quickly given our two included bellinis. This might be the time to share a little fact about me: I love bellinis. If you're ever serving them at a wedding or event at which I am a guest, then make sure to stock up well. One of the things I must do before I'm too old is to visit Harry's in Venice (home of the Bellini) and indulge while sitting on the waterside.

The menu is full of seasonal dishes, with 5 options available per course. Daily specials were chalked up on the board behind us, and I really felt as if I had plenty to choose from. For starters I chose the confit duck boudin (€10.00) while he went for a special of French fish soup, with bright yellow rouille and croutons. The boudin was spiced, soft and crumbly, and partnered very well with the sweet apricots. Two decent chunks made for a good starter, though I didn't find any benefit from the harsh taste of the toasted walnuts. His fish soup was creatively served in a mason jar, which looked great, but posed difficulties when it was time to float the croutons in the soup. However, this was an authentic fish soup, rich and flavoursome, and I especially loved the bright orange-yellow of the saffron-flavoured rouille.

Confit duck boudin, poached new season apricots & toasted walnuts

Fish soup with rouille and croutons

For mains I chose the pea risotto (€14) while he went for another special, rare-breed pork chop served with the spanish flavours of roasted peppers and chorizo. My risotto was nothing short of spectacular. It was a bright green colour, which I can only assume came from the peas being pureed and added to the cream and parmesan when cooking. The consistency was creamy and rich (as a risotto should be) but came topped with a pile of crunchy green vegetables, including asparagus, salty samphire & pea shoots. This was a wonderful dish of summer cooking and I revelled in every mouthful.

Fresh pea risotto, summer vegetables, sprouting broccoli & pumpkin seeds

His pork chop came served with a pile of rich, stewed peppers & chorizo. The chop itself was thick and juicy, cooked perfectly. For some people though, the lack of further accompanying vegetables (requiring the addition of a side order) would be a bit offputting.  Lack of additional veg aside, this was a substantial and tasty piece of meat and the spanish flavours were well-judged

Rare-breed pork chop with red pepper & chorizo

We declined dessert, as we simply too full to consider eating any more.One note - our coffees came served with warm milk, which wasn't pointed out to us, or noticed until we had poured in the milk. This wouldn't be to my taste, and I think it's a bit unfair of Camden Kitchen to assume that we'd like warm milk in our coffee.

Overall, I think that the cooking at Camden Kitchen is pretty damn good. It's casual and relaxed in atmosphere but the food is definitely good enough to feature in more prestigious establishments. (In fact, my confit duck boudin reminded me of a similar boudin enjoyed on a recent visit to Chapter One). In fact, the fabulous green pea risotto has inspired me to cook a version at home. So hats off to Chef Padraic Hayden.

Camden Kitchen, Grantham Street (off Camden Street), Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 476 0125
Twitter: @CamdenKitchen

[Review] Cafe Paradiso, Lancaster Quay, Cork

Not many good things come from Macroom, possibly bar the road to Cork. Now, before anyone gets a bit snotty at this statement, I am nearly a Macrompian, coming as I do from the nearby village of Cill na Marta. Road to Cork aside, probably the only other good thing to emerge from Macroom is the amazing talent of chef Dennis Cotter.

Cooking from Cafe Paradiso on Lancaster Quay in Cork, which he established in 1993, Cotter has firmly proved to many sceptics and carnivores that vegetarian cooking can be as high-end and as satisfying as any other cuisine. A meal at Cafe Paradiso is a true pleasure and immensely soul-warming.

We used to live to the rear of the restaurant, in a little flat on Dyke Parade while we were both PhD students and in those days, our budget didn't extend very frequently to Cafe Paradiso. On a recent visit however, we treated ourselves to an indulgent lunch, kickstarted by two glass of prosecco with raspberries (€7).

Prosecco & raspberries to start

For my starter, I chose baba ganoush with tomato & avocado salsa, red pepper & cashew dip all accompanied by plenty of oiled, grilled sourdough bread (€7.50). My plate arrived with 3 little bowls of deliciousness - the baba ganoush was spicy with that lovely warming texture that comes from aubergine. It was balanced with by the sweet red pepper dip and the cool tomato flavours of the salsa. Best of all, there was more than enough of the tasty bread to scoop it all up.

He chose a starter of grilled halomi with gooseberry chutney and a warm salad of purple potatoes, summer beans with a citrus and herb dressing (€8). The grilled cheese had a wonderful buttery flavour which layered amazingly well with the sweet, spiced chutney. Although not tasting any different to regular potatoes, the purple potatoes added incredible vibrancy and colour to the plate. The citrus dressing provided a tangy counterpoint to the sweet, sweet chutney and the soft flavour of the cheese.

Baba ghanoush with salsa and red pepper dip

Grilled haloumi with gooseberry chutney and purple potatoes

Our starter plates were cleared away, giving us a chance to look around the restaurant and into the kitchen. What stood out about the restaurant was the amount of young people dining there. Given that most of the tables were occupied by couples, I'm guessing that a fair few of the men had been dragged their by their vegetarian other halves. An American family was seated at another table, who were on a return trip to Cafe Paradiso for the second year in a row. Immense praise indeed, that a family would cross the Atlantic for this cooking.

His main was aubergine involtini of spinach, almonds and Knocklara sheep's cheese with fresh cherry tomato sauce, green chili pesto and coriander crushed potatoes (€14.50). 3 aubergine parcels were dense and meaty in texture while the accompanying roasted cherry tomatoes provided sweet, intense pops of flavour. (If you want to try this dish at home, the recipe features on the Cafe Paradiso website here).

I had chosen a corn pancake with black kale, leeks, walnuts and Hegarty's cheddar (€14.50). Again, the clever combinations of dense green vegetables with cheese provided a denseness to the vegetables that would sate the most meat-loving of cavemen. Also on the plate was a tasty, juicy medley of baby courgettes, cumin, sungold tomatoes and new potatoes.

We declined dessert as we were teetering on the edge of a vegetable induced afternoon nap, but we did have two excellent cups of coffee (but priced at a steep €2.80 - possibly the worst value on the menu). The total bill for our lunch came to €64.60. Without the afternoon glasses of bubbles, this would have cost approx. €50 and to me, it really represents an excellent price for what is unique and fantastic cooking. The cooking is creative, fresh and light. It really shames the nuts & lentils brigade of vegetarians showing, as it does, how vegetarian cooking can be elevated to polished heights.

Aubergine involtini of spinach, almonds & Knocklara cheese

Corn pancake of black kale, leeks, walnuts & Hegarty's cheddar

Cafe Paradiso, 16 Lancaster Quay, Cork
Tel: (021) 4277 939
Twitter: @paradisocork