Gourmet Times Imminent In The Herbert Restaurant As New Head Chef Cormac Vesey Takes Over at Cahernane House Hotel.
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| These Winter Chanterelle mushrooms were excellent with the Dry Aged Beef. |
Killarney and visiting diners are in for an exciting and tasty future. That was the message from Cahernane House Hotel last Friday when new head chef Cormac Vesey’s 8-course tasting menu gave a tantalising hint of what’s to come in the months ahead.
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| New chef Cormac with Maurice O'Connell of Wayward Irish Spirits (right) |
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| Venison |
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Ireland’s Blue Book, Cahernane House Hotel is already well known for its stunning food and classic Irish hospitality. Cormac's meal indicated that it will be even better in the future.
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| Monkfish |
It won’t be for the want of skill or the lack of effort. The detail in preparing these eight courses, the amount of attention to the small things and the amount of work in sourcing the produce (back-breaking when it came to foraging a large selection of mushrooms hiding among fallen Autumn leaves) was quite phenomenal.
Cahernane will inevitably have venison this time of the year and it was especially good when paired with a lovely red from the Rhone. And the well-paced meal just got better with a superb Poached Monkfish with an old vine Chablis and then the spot-on Dry Aged Beef with a Haut Medoc.
Then onto the lingering sweet offerings, one featuring a Killahora Pom’ O Sorbet, another the very local Liberator Peated Whiskey, before finishing off with some delicious Petit Fours, all the while sipping the luscious Seifried “Sweet Agnes” Late Harvest Riesling.
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| Apple Terrine |
No doubt that splendid meal made a big impression. Indeed, we had nothing but good impressions during our visit, starting with the long tree-lined drive from the Muckross Road down to the late 19th century building in its superb location near the lakes.
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| Not your usual sauce decanter! Decanter designed and made by Irish tableware and cutlery brand, Newbridge Silverware |
Just before dusk and just after sunrise, the native red deer pass slowly beneath your windows. In the nearby fields, horses and sheep and black Kerry cattle graze. Peace and quiet and just a few minutes drive from the town centre; indeed, you'd walk it in about 15 minutes.
Like all the rooms here, our Albericci* Room has been recently renovated. It is spacious, comfortable, beautifully decorated, with great views, well-heated too, especially the bathroom (hard to beat hot tiles and hot towels in the morning!). And of course it has WiFi and TV as well. All in all, the Cahernane is a great base for Killarney itself and for Kerry in general.
And if you are heading out for the day, you’ll need a good breakfast. And you’ll get just that in the Herbert Restaurant. Just like the night before, the morning staff were all friendly, chatty and efficient.
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| One of the Petit Fours |
Here, everything is brought to your table. You may have something from the Continental Menu: Juices, Fresh Fruit Salad with a Rose & Lime Syrup, Prunes & Earl Grey Infusion, Apricots with Cinnamon & Orange, A Selection of Charcuterie, Yogurt, Farmhouse Cheeses,
Cereals, and Breads & Pastries.
Or something cooked from the Hot Menu: Irish Oatmeal Porridge, Traditional Full Irish Breakfast, Smoked Potato & Fried Egg, Manor House Omelette, Salmon & Egg Bagel, Buttermilk Pancakes, Smoked Kippers, or the Eggs “Cahernane" special.
Lots of choice there! My picks were Apricots with Cinnamon & Orange and the Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Egg Bagel (something of a staple here). Both were superb and I was immediately fuelled for the day ahead.
That day began with a very enjoyable visit to the Lakeview Estate, home of Wayward Irish Spirits. Check it out here.
* In or about 1940, Vincent Albericci, the former proprietor of the Continental Cafe, 23 Patrick Street, Cork, bought Cahernane House. The death of his wife Mary (Foley) in May 1945 may have caused him to withdraw from the business.
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