RESTAURANTS AND FOOD: Ali’s Kitchen. Pleasures of the Bakehouse

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Ali’s Kitchen. Pleasures of the Bakehouse

Ali’s Kitchen

Pleasures of the Bakehouse

It is a bakehouse, a café. And a pleasure to visit. It is Ali’s Kitchen, newly opened and right smack bang in the middle of Cork city. Ali Honour has long been renowned for her baking skills and they form the tasty basis of the menus here.

The menus change regularly and so too does the array of tempting cakes and loaves on the counter. Loads of choices, generous sizes, amazing sweet things and you may wash them down with the excellent Cloud Picker coffee - new to the city.

Ali’s is in the old Connolly Bookstore. Those of you who title by title trawled your way through the packed high shelves and stacks of books will hardly recognise the place, now complete with a pair of very attractive metal gates, made locally.

About half of the former bookshop is now filled with a spanking new kitchen where Ali and her crew make and bake and display their wares. The other half, with exposed brick and stone walls, is all ready for you. Would you like a table for two, with chairs? A seat by the wall, with cushions? Or if you're a group, maybe six, get one of the high tables and a bunch of high stools to go with it.

We called in for lunch last week and were well fed indeed. If you're in town early you can have breakfast here, a breakfast that will keep you going when other’s batteries have run flat. And if you need a pick-up at anytime, then pop in for a coffee and a cake! Can’t make it during the week? Then Saturday brunch is made for you!

We loved our lunch. Especially the Black Pudding Brioche, with fried egg, cheddar, tomato and rocket (€6.95). And, no less especially, Chorizo (piquant yes, and pleasantly so), Avocado and Tomato on toast, topped with fried egg and Harissa (€9.95). We could also have had the Coughlan’s Corned Beef, salsa verde, Hegarty’s Cheddar, leaves and slaw. And another tempting one the list was the Lime Halloumi and Puy Lentils, organic leaves, walnuts, pickled red onion, croutons, roast tomato and toasted seeds. Wow! Well made, well priced.

And then it was time for some coffee and Ali introduced us to her “bunnage”. No shortage of choice but do remember that she bakes everyday so the list is always changing. But we were extremely pleased, CL delighted with her absolutely delicious and amazingly moist Flourless Apple with Almonds while I concentrated lovingly on my Lemon Curd and coconut crumble brioche (each at €3.75).

If you don't have time to sit down and enjoy, there is good news for you: everything on the counter is for takeaway so that means all the cakes, scones, breads, brioche and buns! And the soup and sandwiches are also available for takeaway!

Wouldn't you love to be able to bake these gorgeous creations yourself? Ali has thought of that too and the master-baker has arranged some “buntastic” courses beginning February 25th, then 3rd March, 10th March, 15th March, and 24th March. Contact infoaliskitchen@gmail.com for more details.