Koto Lunch Fills You With That Come Back Again Feeling

Koto Lunch Fills You With

 That Come Back Again Feeling

Yaki Soba, with chicken

Was in town last Friday for lunch. Looking for something different, I remembered previous meals in Koto and that was where we ended up.Very happily, as it turned out.

I also remember previous occasions in the building, particularly when it was known as Gambieni’s. We were regulars here for their Italian cuisine, counting Pollo alla Piccata (light tangy lemon sauce) and Pollo alla Romano (a tomato based sauce) among our favourites.

Plenty of chicken there now also but under a different cuisine. Jeffrey Safar Hamidi, son of the Gambieni owner, opened Koto as an Asian restaurant in 2017 and has now a solid 5 years behind him. 

Gambieni’s itself had been replaced by the popular Aroi, also Asian cuisine, but an unfortunate fire was one factor in halting Aroi’s Cork march. Aroi continues strongly in Limerick and there is also an outlet in Kilkenny.

Anyhow, back to Carey’s Lane. They have a terrific helpful staff in Koto, on the ball, checking every now and then without being at your shoulder all meal long. Good at front of house and pretty good in that kitchen as well as was soon confirmed after a warm welcome.

Teriyaki Chicken stir fry

There is a huge choice here, so much so that they have a short list, a handy list, of Koto favourites. The main dishes are divided under various headings: Curry, Noodles, Stir Fry, Soups, Salads, and there is also a section of sides.

There are eight starters, including a couple of vegetarian. We guessed from previous experience that the mains would be sufficiently large enough for us this lunchtime.

CL picked hers from the Favourites. It was the Yaki Soba Organic buckwheat noodles, Koto spices, mixed veg, egg, sesame, pickled ginger, crispy onions; her choice of meat was Chicken (17.5); other options were Tiger Prawns (18) or  Tofu (17.5). I got plenty of "samples" from this plate and it was really excellent, enhanced by all the bits and pieces including the ginger and the mild house spices. No wonder it is on the Favourites.

My order was for a stir fry: Teriyaki Chicken stir fry, onions, scallions, peppers, carrots, sesame - jasmine rice (17.50). I could have had Tofu instead of the chicken. Amazing aromas and flavours here, thought I was in foodie heaven. Very Highly Recommended if you get the chances. And I scored on the double as non-Favourite dishes attract a weekday discount and my dish was reduced to €13.90. How about that?

Sticky Toffee

We weren’t all that keen on dessert but decided to splash the savings on a shared Sticky Toffee Pudding, one of the better ones of the type as it turned out! 

Back to the menus. They offer a Vegan Menu, a Gluten Free Menu and a Children’s Menu (some special kiddies dishes but they will also do half portions of most of their adult dishes). 

A bit too early for us to go on the alcohol but they have no shortage of drinks here including wines (almost all available by the glass), cocktails, spirits, beer and soft drinks. No Irish craft beer though but Irish tea (Barry’s) and coffee (Maher’s) are on the list.

Sugarloaf Beverages Release istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka

press release

 Sugarloaf Beverages Release

 istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka

Sugarloaf Beverages are proud to share details of their first release, istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka. Produced in a traditional copper pot still, but made to be enjoyed with thoroughly modern serves.

 

istil 38 Irish Vodka has three expressions in its range. A classic vodka and two flavours, Pink Berries and Vanilla. Each one is specifically designed to be mixed into long drinks and into some of the world's most loved cocktails.

 

It is slow distilled four times thus leaving the vodka so pure that it needs no further filtration, leaving istil 38 with a highly finessed quality of liquid. This distillation process also gives the vodka a softer, velvety mouthfeel.

 

The classic istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka is smooth and rich enough to enjoy neat but also works wonderfully mixed with soda and fresh lime.

 

istil 38 Pink Berries is flavoured with Irish berries to give it a fruity sweetness that pairs wonderfully with citrus tonic waters.

 

istil 38 Vanilla is crafted with Madagascan Vanilla and its recipe was specifically formulated to be the ideal vodka for two of the world's most popular cocktails - the Espresso Martini and the Pornstar Martini.

 

The brand's management is composed of lifelong drinks industry veterans, Shane Davey who works as managing director and co-directors Niall O'Dwyer and John Reynolds. They are also joined by business woman and lifestyle guru Pippa O'Connor Ormond. She has invested in the brand and taken on the role of creative director.

Pippa O’Connor Ormond istil38’s creative director states, 

"I'm very excited about the prospects of being a brand owner and creative director of istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka. In terms of sales, vodka is the biggest spirit in Ireland. With istil 38, our ambition is to show people that we have a premium Irish alternative to the industrially produced multinational vodka brands. We make it in traditional means, but our sensibilities for the serves are firmly in the modern era."

 

Sugarloaf Beverages Managing Director Shane Davey adds,

 

"We wanted to create a forward thinking Irish vodka, for people who always seek the best. They know life is short and our time for pleasure and indulgence is even shorter. So we’ve dedicated ourselves to handcrafting this ultimate vodka. For those whose time is at a premium, we feel istil 38 is the perfect premium spirit to enjoy it with."

 

Another key element behind istil 38, is their environmental and sustainability policy. They are proud to be officially partnered with Hometree with whom they are working to establish and conserve permanent and native woodland in Ireland. 5c from every bottle will be donated to Hometree. And istil 38's actual bottle was chosen due to its shape and weight, which meant less CO2 emissions when transporting. As a brand, they have committed to being a carbon neutral company from the very start of their journey.

istil 38 Key Facts

- istil 38 is produced in Meath with grain spirit in a 500 litre copper pot still.

 - the ABV is 38%

- 5c from each bottle sold in Ireland will go towards Hometree for planting native Irish trees.

- RRP is €38

- Available nationwide to the on-trade from distributors such as Comans and Classic Drinks. It can be picked up in all independent off licenses.

- It is also available online with home delivery from https://www.istil38.com/shop/

WhistlePig Single Cask Rye 11 Year Old “Rutland Barrel”. A Whiskey from Vermont.

Vermont's WhistlePig Single Cask Rye 11 Year Old  “Rutland Barrel”

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WhistlePig Single Cask Rye 11 Year Old  “Rutland Barrel”  56.9%, €490 from the Single Malt Shop.

(Volume 1 in "The Library Series”)

In the first of a collection of five single cask bottlings from the WhistlePig Distillery in Vermont, comes Volume 1 in "The Library Series."  "Produced to celebrate the ultimate in aged Rye whiskey, each annual edition comes in a leather bound Encyclopedia so that with every Volume, the collector will be building their own library." 

Volume 1 was aged for 11 years in virgin American Oak and was named "Rutland Barrel" in honour of a local Vermont township. Every other Volume will also carry that feature.

This 11-year old whiskey comes into your glass with a warm and deep amber hue. On the nose there’s sweetness and distinct mint notes. The palate is complex, built on a sweet caramel foundation; spice too of course as you’d expect from the rye. 

The toffee and spice stay right through the lingering finish, right down to a prickly pear back note. I didn’t notice that on the first swallow but there’s so much going on in this hyper-local whiskey that, like the whiskey itself, the drinker needs more time. A fantastic tribute to the qualities of rye and indeed to the man, the late Dave Pickerell, that brought it all together with his team in Vermont.

A few years ago at the tiny Micil Distillery in Galway, Pádraic Ó Griallais told me the three conditions needed to become a proper drinker: É a ioc, é a ól, é a iompar  (Pay for it; drink it; carry it.) When it comes to the Rutland Barrel, I could well fall at the the first! Still, very glad I got my chance to sample it.

As this has a 56.9% ABV, the advice is to use a drop of water. I’m always amazed at how well, and consistently, that wee drop does its job. Here the water opens it up beautifully, revealing more of its soft mint notes not to mention the toffee apple as layer after layer of tempting flavours and aromas drift in. 

The entire Vermont project was initially commenced under the late Dave Pickerell's stewardship. Known worldwide as the Founding Father of the American Craft Distilling Movement, Dave was master distiller and blender in WhistlePig before he sadly passed away in 2018. Together with his colleague Pete Lynch, who has become his successor, he decided that they needed to set aside some of their precious rye stocks and allow them additional ageing and care. 

But before that, in 2007, a group of people decided to buy a farm in the idyllic surroundings of Shoreham, Vermont. Inspired by the wonderful nature all around them, they started conjuring up plans of making a hyper local Vermont whiskey.

In 2015, it all became a reality when Pickerell ran their first distillation in a copper still he specifically made and customized for them. His WhistlePig mantra was soon born, “Our grain. Our water. Our wood. We call it the Triple Terroir."

After a meticulous cask selection, they settled on virgin American Oak with the sole aim of capturing the very essence of rye whiskey. As one of the final projects for Dave to have worked on, The Library Series stands out as one of the last opportunities to embrace his remarkable legacy. And with the whiskey itself bottled at the cask strength of 56.9% ABV, this is rye that is not just supremely crafted, but captured in its purest form. It is available exclusively from The Single Malt Shop.

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Method and Madness Rye and Malt 46%, 700ml bottle, RRP €95.00

Just thought I‘d try a drop of this local whiskey with the WhistlePig. And the Rye here introduced itself immediately with clove and spice on the nose. The malt led on the toasty palate, a peppery spice also. And spice still there through to the finish, the perfect balance tellingly and delightfully illustrated from start to finalé.

The mini-tasting started with the Rye and Malt but the Midleton bottle wasn’t exactly in the same league when the Vermont came onstage. That probably had something to do with expectations. When the Vermont had sadly departed, the Method and Madness, this time, with a drop or two of the “magic” water, was competitive, maybe not in the same division but perhaps a cup upset could be on the cards from an accomplished underdog.

Bottled at 46% ABV, the limited-edition Method and Madness Rye and Malt Irish Whiskey is available in Ireland, the UK, Dublin Airport and online at the RRP of €95. 

Double distilled in ex Bourbon casks.

Non chilled filtered.

The Method and Madness Tasting Notes: 

Nose: Lemon Balm, Floral Lavender, Clove Spice

Taste: White Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Toasted Wood

Finish: Fading Fruits, Lingering Spice, Cereal Malt & Barley

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IRELAND’S PREMIER HORSE RACING TRAVEL COMPANY BOOKS OVER 4,000 ROOM NIGHTS IN 2022. RACE AND STAY COUNTS DOWN TO PUNCHESTOWN

press release 

RACE AND STAY COUNTS DOWN TO PUNCHESTOWN

-IRELAND’S PREMIER HORSE RACING TRAVEL COMPANY BOOKS OVER 4,000 ROOM NIGHTS IN 2022-

Martyn Pipe Race and Stay and Conor O Neill Punchestown 

 

Race and Stay, Ireland’s premier horse racing tour company recently signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Punchestown Racecourse which will see Ireland’s premier national hunt flat race going to post under its new title, The Race and Stay at Punchestown Champion Bumper.

 

This new multi-year sponsorship deal kicks off on day two of the 2022 Punchestown Festival, Wednesday 27^th of April.  Up to 130,000 racegoers are expected to descend on the Kildare track during the festival with thousands of people expected to visit from the UK alone.

 

Established in 2012 by Martyn Pipe, Race and Stay is now the largest horse racing tour company in Ireland and since its inception, has had over 36,000 people booking racing breaks with them.  The company is the official guest partner for Punchestown and many Irish Racecourses and offers guests a complete solution for horse racing breaks including hotel accommodation, tickets, racecourse transport, airport transfers, hospitality and added value ‘money can’t buy’ added experiences such as private stable yard visits and access to leading stud farms, trainers and riders. 

Martyn Pipe, CEO of Race and Stay said, “The UK is our biggest market, and we will bring over 3,000 UK visitors to Irish hotels and racecourses this year.  The demand is very high for horse racing experiences in Ireland, and bookings are very strong for all big race meetings throughout the summer and into early autumn.  This year we will fill over 1,000 room nights for the Punchestown Festival alone and we have well over 4,000 room nights booked in total for the season making us one of the largest inbound travel operators in the country.”

 

The company prides itself on its horse racing expertise and its invaluable connections which allows guests the option to choose even more exclusive and bespoke packages. “Quite often we will have a group of guests who want to see more than what’s at the track,” said Martyn. “They might want to see how a horse is trained at home or they might want to visit a stud. It’s these experiential activations that make our packages memorable and add real value to the visit.  We see ourselves more than just a travel operator, and no matter your budget we can provide high end concierge style travel experiences and working with our hotel partners we know and trust we make racing breaks in Ireland a memorable experience”

 

Race and Stay has also partnered with a number of golf and spa resorts to offer guests alternative experiences on non-racing days, “Sometimes we might have a group that wants to extend their stay, or they might not want to go racing every day so we can offer alternative activities for them to enjoy such as golf, clay shooting, spa or shopping experiences.”

 

Speaking about the company’s sponsorship at Punchestown this year Martyn said, “The Punchestown Festival is Ireland’s premier social and racing festival where some of Ireland and the UK’s equine superstars battle it out for a share of the €3.2 million prize fund.  It’s more than just a racing festival, it provides a massive boost to the local economy and is a big social occasion for many people.  We are totally sold out for 2022 and we are now offering great value racing breaks for the 200^th Punchestown Festival in 2023. We are delighted to sponsor the Grade 1 Champion Bumper, one of the season’s most prestigious races and look forward to an exciting and memorable festival.”

 

Conor O’Neill, Punchestown CEO highlighted the benefits of the partnership and said, “People make Punchestown.  We say it time and time again.  Our main aim is to make the Punchestown visitor experience as enjoyable and hassle free as possible.  We welcome a huge number of guests from all over Ireland and the UK and beyond. To team up with Race and Stay means that we can now provide an all- inclusive package solution for our customers so they can book, race, stay and return to Punchestown year after year.”

 

The 2022 Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 26^th to Saturday 30^th of April 2022. To view the Race and Stay Punchestown packages for 2023 please visit www.raceandstay.com/punchestown or call + 353 (0) 45 522795.

A Quart of Ale± #101. On the craft journey with Whiplash, Wicklow Wolf, Western Herd, Larkins

 A Quart of Ale± #101

On the craft journey with Whiplash, Wicklow Wolf, Western Herd, Larkins

Wicklow Wolf Tundra Tropical Pale Ale 5.6%, 440ml can Bradleys

This Tropical Pale Ale from the busy Wicklow Wolf comes in a cloudy orange-y colour with a white top. Aromas are more or less all tropical: pineapple, mango, papaya and grapefruit; there’s a hint of pine there also.

And those same fruits provide the flavours on the palate. Indeed the flavours have the run of it as there is just a modest bitterness. It is a smooth one, almost creamy. Very very drinkable though!

Geek Bits:

Style: Tropical IPA*.

IBUs: 30

Hops: Idaho 7, Mosaic, Citra & Sabro 

Malts: Pale, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Cara

*  The label also says New England IPA, and I’m inclined to go with that but I won’t be getting too hung up about it. As the Beer Bible says: “Styles trigger endless debates..across the planet. Approach them lightly.” 

Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils 5.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

This is how Whiplash introduce, sorry reintroduce, True Love Waits: “We’re taking it back to the very start of the Whiplash story today, to the halcyon days of 2016. Before we had a brewery, before 440ml cans & white labels. What we did have though was True Love Waits, a dry hopped Pilsner and our third ever release.”

And now it’s back. Clean and bright light gold with a foamy white head that lasts a bit. Aromatics are engaging, not at all heavy, light white/yellow fruits, citrus (including Bergamot). And that citrus influence is also strong on the clean refreshing palate, the unusual mix of the US Columbus hops (for the dry hopping) and their German lager yeast pulling it off to come up with a crisp, sessional, light and piney lager. Superbly balanced between malts and hops. Top stuff indeed.

Whiplash make as many beers as other prolific breweries but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dud from the Dublin based outfit. Quality control seems to be in-house here rather than putting the punter to the expense of finding out for him or herself. Kudos for that. The kind of brewery worth supporting.

Not the only one thinking that some breweries should hold off for a period of refinement before sending a new issue into the public domain. Here's part of a recent tweet by Jeff Alworth (@beernirvana): ..Breweries spin out so many IPAs that the vast majority taste like beta versions of a beer that might come into focus in another three batches... 

Geek Bits

Malts: Pilsner Malt, Carapils

Hops: Hersbrucker (German), Columbus (USA)

Yeast: WLP833

ABV: 5.0%

Format: 440ml Cans & limited kegs

Artwork: @sophie_devere

Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop Double IPA 9.45%

During a recent discussion online, the presenter said this was an absolute bomb of a beer and “has really put Western Herd on the map”. 

It certainly made a huge impression during its launch year of 2021 and the Beernut blog made it their Best Canned Irish Beer: “The apotheosis of the West Coast revival, this brought me back to a time when big and punchy American hops on a clean malt base, served brewery-fresh, was the most perfect thing ever produced for humans to drink.”

This can, marked #158, is from Batch No 4.  Last year's production: Batch 1 was 137, 2 was 152 and 3  was 154. Like the others, Batch 4 has ten hops but here they have dropped Strata for Galaxy. Brewer Bridger Kelleher says he wanted “to see how Galaxy played in there.” It is a limited release, mainly in Clare, with limited distribution outside of the Banner.

In the style of a West Coast DIPA, it is gold in colour and you can see zillions of micro bubbles rising through the clear juice towards the white foamy head. Aromas, with pine needles and pineapple prominent, are intense (some would say dank).

With the Strata hops (described as “Passion fruit meets pot”) missing from the current line-up, is it perhaps a little less dank? Maybe so but I’d need the two versions together to even hazard a guess. When not describing something as “moist” and “humid” like a basement, dank is a slang term describing something as “excellent,” especially marijuana.

Certainly, the impressive posse of tropical flavours remains strong on the palate. Such flavours often get lost when the ABV is high but that is not the case here so major credit to the brewery. And the umami just goes on, the hop-packed juice giving complex flavour right to the very satisfactory finalé. 

They say: ..we’ve packed in the largest number of hops ever into this Double IPA. Designed to let the hops shine through, we’ve built a complex and layered flavour profile.”

Eight of the hops listed below have been used in the kettle and then they double dry-hopped it “heavily” with Nelson Sauvin and (now) Galaxy. To be fair, the malts also keep their end up, even if outnumbered on the credits list.

Hops
Columbus, El Dorado, Cascade, Citra, Centennial, Nelson Sauvin,
Strata, Amarillo, Chinook. Galaxy has replaced Strata for Batch #4

Malts
Pale, Stout Mix

Adjuncts
Dextrose

Yeast
LAX

Original Gravity
1.075

% ABV
9.45%

Larkins Chocolate Passion Imperial Stout 8.5%, 440ml can Bradleys

This Larkin’s stout, brewed with “our friends @dot_brew", is as dark as can be with a quick-vanishing tan head. Best served warmer than chilled they said and that is what I did. Passion fruit purée is included as an ingredient and so too is vanilla and the dessert impression continues on the palate. Not for me, I’m afraid to say.

Full ingredients list: Barley, Lactose, Oats, Hops, Water, Yeast, Passion Fruit purée, Vanilla.

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Beer Bits!

Beoirfest and Barrels in Brewing:

Brian has been in touch about the latest online session: "I think I'm safe in saying that if you have any interest in barrels in brewing you'll want to watch this more than once. It's hard to imagine a panel with more expertise and passion for the subject than the one we were very luck to have; The Wild Beer Co., ASC Barrels, Zmajska Pivovara, and Brasseria della Fonte

If you haven't seen it yet be sure to make time. It's now available at BeoirFest.com"

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News from Cork, as reported by the ECHO, is that Elbow Lane Brewery is to double its tiny capacity. Small but the beers are excellent.

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Rye River have A little slice of sunshine just for you.

Wondering where you can find our latest Rye River Seasonal Kahuna Krush Tropical Sour near you? Check out our website here for a current list of stockists https://ryeriverbrewingco.com/introducing-kahuna-krush.../ We'll continue to update our list as it rolls out, so check back!

Rosti. Medjool. Boozey Tiramisu. Jack McCarthy Blackpudding All on the menu at Jacques where local gets an international twist.

Rosti. Medjool. Boozey Tiramisu. Jack McCarthy Blackpudding

All on the menu at Jacques where local gets an international twist.

Rosti featured on my lunch plate at the welcoming Jacques Restaurant in the centre of Cork City last week. I think the first time I came across the Swiss speciality was in Zurich in 2007, during a dinner at the Movenpic Airport Hotel. 

The hotel meal was Rosti and veal in a mushroom sauce and it was very enjoyable. That Rosti came flat from the pan and covered half the plate. But the Jacques version was in a high-sided wedge shape. And it was excellent as was everything else during our pleasant interlude.

It was lunchtime and in some ways, the Cork Rosti had aspects of a brunch dish based solidly, of course, on local produce. The Potato Rosti came with soft-boiled eggs, hollandaise, slaw and a choice of Jacques Ham, Portobello Mushroom or Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding (13.90). I never turn down a chance to eat McCarthy’s and that was my pick and the ensemble was a wondered mix of textures and flavours, everything perfect, including that finely chopped slaw.

It was well cooked, well presented and brought to the table at just the perfect temperature as was the case with our other mains, the eye-catching Smoked Mackerel Salad, roast beetroot, pickled egg, horseradish, watercress and crisp bread (14.90). Another combination to get the taste buds excited, with that pickled egg a tasty feature.

The Jacques Lunch menu allows the punter to construct his or her meal in a number of ways. For instance, you can pick from the selection of Nibbles: Marinated Olives, Salted Almonds, or a Selection of dips, crusty bread and sourdough crackers.

You could follow that up with your choice of small plate: Soup, Roast Beetroot and Beetroot Borani with Cashel Blue crumb etc; Arancini (West Cork Crab, Salsa verde) and a few more. 

Perhaps you’d like to share a board. They have a Meat and Cheese Board (includes Ham Hock Terrine and Drunken Figs) or go for the Cheese Board (Coolea, Durrus, Cashel and more Drunken Figs!).

Our two dishes came from the Big Plates. And there were quite a few others to pick from including a tempting Chicken, Leek and Mushroom pie; Steamed Mussels; Fresh Fish ’n Chips; and a Root Vegetable Makhani with rice Pilaf. A little list of sides also available from which we picked the Twice Cooked Chips to share.

Sometime last year, we missed out on the legendary Boozey Tiramisu here. It wasn’t going to happen on this occasion. And we shared one (7.50). I don’t know what booze they use but the moist dessert was made with generous hands and every bit as good as anticipated!

We’ve had some versions of the dates and blood orange dessert here too over the years and one of those was also ordered, also 7.50. The Blood Oranges, Medjool Dates stuffed with Mascarpone, with Pomegranate and flaked Almonds was another winner. The tangy citrus of the oranges goes so well with the soft flesh and mildly rich and pleasing flavours of the Medjool.

Also available were Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart and Caramelised Apples, Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnut Praline. Next time!

And Jacques is a great place to chat and hear what is going on around town. Culinary Chairs! Who is on the move from one restaurant/café to another? From Lancaster Quay to MacCurtain Street. From that street to Bridge Street. And from Bridge Street to MacCurtain Street.  And there’s someone on the move too from Oliver Plunkett Street to a happy retirement! Some of those moves are already made of course.

To stay up to date with Jacques  (menus, opening times and more), click their Facebook posts here.

Union Quay - ready for outside dining!