Quinlan’s Fish Always Impresses.
Fresh fish delivered directly to the restaurants. It shows your plate. And palate!
On the spur of the moment, I decided to have lunch at Quinlan’s Restaurant in the heart of Cork City, and I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent meal. The restaurant invites you in with the promise that “The Freshest Seafood in Cork City is calling your name.” On a cold and dreary day, I heeded that call and went to Princes Street, where this family-run business first established itself in Cork in 2016.
We enjoyed a delightful meal in the beautifully renovated and expanded location, which now boasts an additional entrance on Oliver Plunkett Street, as well as the original one on Princes Street. It was a busy time and the hard-working staff maintained a high standard of service with time for a little chat and a big smile.
I chose the Pan Fried Fillets of Hake, served with forestière potatoes, mushrooms, smokey bacon, and caramelised onions in a lightly creamed apple and cider sauce (€18). It was quite a dish, and the sauce truly enhanced the flavours. On a previous visit, the hake was served with tomato chorizo, spinach, and bean cassoulet alongside herb potatoes, which was also very good.
CL ordered the Pan-Fried Fillet of Salmon, which came with Lyonnaise potatoes, a Greek-style tomato, feta, and olive salad, as well as Fred’s Mediterranean vegetable salsa (€19.00). The salsa was delicious and would complement several other dishes nicely. The salmon was a generous portion, perfectly cooked, and the dish was neatly presented, as was also the case with the hake.
She had been hoping that her salmon would be served with Lyonnaise potatoes, asparagus, carrot purée, and basil pesto, as it had been during her previous visit. However, we were both quite pleased with our meal this time. We started with a shared bowl of Cromane mussels served in a delicious white and garlic cream sauce (€14.95). We appreciated that they provided two spoons, which made it easy to savour the sauce after we had "demolished" the mussels!
This was one of their specials on the day. Also included was a Triple AAA Grade Tuna dish that we enjoyed here on an earlier visit and found it amazing! They also offered Vanessa's Warm Cookie Skillet as dessert and other options. Regular highlights on the menu include squid, crab, and sizzling prawns, which are often served as appetizers or main courses. The menu is offered throughout the day and the daily specials are based on the selection of fresh fish that has been landed the night before. If you happen to see them available, I highly recommend trying the Sizzling Portmagee Crab Claws and, a personal favourite, the Portmagee Crab Bake!
The Quinlan family seafood business is located in Caherciveen, County Kerry. Kerryfish was founded by Michael Quinlan and has now been passed down to the second generation: Liam, Ronan, and Fintan. The Quinlans always have expansion on their agenda, and they operate shops and restaurants all over Kerry and beyond!
Most of the fish are sourced from the nearby Atlantic coast, with much of them caught by Quinlan’s own boats. Quinlan has been in operation since 1963 and exports fish worldwide. In 2011, they were recognized as National Seafood Specialist of the Year. The fish is fresh and delivered directly to the restaurants by experienced professionals who know what they are doing. And it showed on our plates!
No comments:
Post a Comment