Bunnyconnellan is where world’s top food just got better. They simply added Irish lamb shank to Massaman Curry. We are all smiling now!

 Bunnyconnellan is where world’s top food just got better. 

They simply added Irish lamb shank to Massaman Curry. We are all smiling now!

Bunny's Pic of the Lamb and Massaman

You know Thailand is “the land of smiles”. "It's a result of being born in a land where the world's most delicious food is sold on nearly every street corner.”

CNN Travel regularly bring out a list of the world’s top foods and, yes, a food from Thailand, Massaman Curry, scooped the top spot in 2021. "Emphatically the king of curries, and perhaps the king of all foods.”

I didn’t know this when I arrived at Bunny’s in the middle of last week but when I ordered the braised Lamb Shank, Mashed Potatoes, Crispy shallots, Coriander and Massaman Curry, my server told me I was in a for a major treat.

The Monk

And she was spot on. It was amazing. The lamb, (off the bone and shredded) was part of an elegant pile of colourful food, standing like an island in the even more colourful “lake” of the curry. 

Just a portion of a generous
plate of calamari.

And what a combination, put together by a Thai chef in the Bunnyconnellan kitchen where the team is headed up by experienced Dubliner Adam Kavanagh. The curry is moderately spicy, coconut-ty, sweet and savoury to use CNN’s words and the match with the local lamb may not be made in heaven but could well get on the menu of the gods. Bunny’s may be in a cul de sac but this, and some other delicious food, makes it well worth the journey! Get on down.

You’ll be treated royally here and not just because they have the king of curries. Everyone we met here, without exception, was so friendly, so helpful, always with time for a hint, a chat, a smile. They are glad to have two weeks behind them after a winter of closure. Each and every one, including owner Paul and Chef Adam, is looking forward to bringing back evening service. And we wish them all the very best for the season ahead.

The Thais use rice, of course, to mop up the final drops and drizzles of the curry but we Irish have our mash potato and Bunny’s version is a good one for the purpose!

The view. Roche's Point is that white dot across the water, extreme right.
Quick shot, just after tables had been cleaned.

Our other mains was Pan fried Monkfish, Butter Bok Choi, Baby Potatoes, Mussel Butter Sauce. Another cracking dish that did honour to a magnificent piece of fish or pieces as it was beautifully arranged and presented, not to mention well executed! The Bok Choi was an excellent match, the beautiful ensemble enhanced no end by the sauce.

Our lunch had begun well with a Mixed Seafood Fritto Misto, Salsa Verde and Garlic Mayo and also ended well with their Spiced Apple Strudel (with clotted cream and butterscotch sauce) each shared.

As you know, the restaurant, a long time favourites of Corkonians, has a splendid location overlooking the mouth of Cork Harbour with the ocean to your left and right out front. We enjoyed those views too in the warm sunshine but will remember this visit for the lovely staff and the top food in the world! We are all smiling now.

Large ship exits Cork Harbour and is about to pass Table 103!

Beaujolais and Vouvray from Barton & Guestier

Beaujolais and Vouvray by Barton & Guestier

The company’s founder Thomas Barton left his native Ireland in the beginning of the 18th century and emigrated to Bordeaux when he was 30 years old. A true adventurer, he founded his wine shipping company in 1725. In 1802 Hugh Barton, his grandson and successor, teamed up with Daniel Guestier, a French trader to create Barton & Guestier, which is today the oldest wine merchant established in Bordeaux. With over three centuries of experience in the wine business, Barton & Guestier is the 1st French brand name known to millions of consumers worldwide.

From the Chartrons area in the center of Bordeaux, barrels and bottles were loaded on board of ships that sailed via the Garonne river to numerous countries, starting with Ireland, England, Holland and the USA to reach over 130 countries at present.

B&G releases wines from across France, produced in partnership with almost 150 winegrowers. It operates on a négociant basis and wines are made at various locations, and are overseen by B&G winemakers. They are very much hands on with their partner winemakers. B&G winemakers monitor all the steps of the process including pruning, harvesting, vinification, ageing, blending and bottling. Of course it has its own vineyards and makes its own wines, most notably at headquarters Chateau Magnol.

Geek Bits

Export to 130 countries;

Bottles exported annually: 16m

Over 150 partner winemakers;

Wines from 23 appellations;

From 20 grape types.

Barton & Guestier “Grand Bouquet” Gamay Beaujolais Villages (AC) 2020,

€16.95 (Findlaters are the importers, the wines are widely available including at Bradleys)

Colour of this Beaujolais Villages from Barton & Gustier is a mid ruby. Aromas are of ripe red fruit (cherry, wild strawberry) with hints of spice and violet in the background. It is also true to type on the palate, juicy and well structured, excellent acidity, those fruits flavours again, and a long finish with liquorice notes. Highly Recommended.

Serve at between 14 and 16 degrees and you’ll find it very versatile. The label recommends pairing with cold meats, grilled poultry and cheese, the winery goes for salads, cold meats, grilled poultry. Fine with steak too by the way. Wine Folly has “all manner of dishes from sweet and sour salmon to beef stroganoff or even sesame tempeh”, on its list.

Beaujolais is just south of Burgundy and the Gamay grape grows well on its decomposing pink granite soils. The crus share most of the granite and their wines (eg Morgan, Fleurie, Saint Amour) are normally best but Beaujolais Villages is often of a very good standard, as you may taste from this one. The fruit for our bottle is from Northern part of the Beaujolais region between Villefranche and Mâcon (about 35 minutes by car), more or less exactly where the crus are.

Barton & Guestier Les Petites Parcelles Vouvray (AC) 2019, 12%, 

€16.95 (Findlaters are the importers, the wines are widely available including at Bradleys)

Very light and bright yellow is the colour of this Vouvray; it is, of course, 100% Chenin Blanc. Delicate aromas of pear and apple as well as even more delicate floral notes. The palate, with fruity flavour (quince and pear), starts a little on the sweet side before finishing closer to dry and reasonably long. A refreshing wine and Highly Recommended.

The makers suggest it as an aperitif and pairing it with smoked fish, Asian dishes, creamy cheeses,  at a temperature between 8 and 10 C. By the way, Wine Folly endorse the Asian tip saying “you cannot failing pairing Chenin Blanc with Thai or Vietnamese cuisine”.

A vineyard in Vouvray (Clos d'Epinay)

The fruit comes from small plots (the parcelles of the name) located on the hillsides and plateau overlooking the Loire, long known as the royal river as the valley (and its chateaus) was a favourite of the royal family.

Quite a lot of Chenin Blanc its grown in Northern France (from Vouvray to Saumur) but South Africa (in Stellenbosch and Paarl) grows more than any other country with the French second and the USA third.

 

Killarney Park Hotel awarded membership of Exclusive AMEX Fine Hotel + Resorts Programme 2022

 press release

Killarney Park Hotel awarded membership of 

Exclusive AMEX Fine Hotel + Resorts Programme 2022

For immediate release: Wednesday, May 18th 2022: The Killarney Park Hotel, a proud member of Leading Hotels of the World ®, is pleased to announce it has been awarded membership to the coveted American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts® (FHR) programme in 2022, offering Amex Platinum and Centurion card members unmatched value and access to exclusive benefits from an elite selection of hand-picked hotels from around the world.

The first-class amenities and service offered by the hotel through their partnership include daily breakfast for two; room upgrades; early check-in where available; and late check-out. Also included is a US $125 credit for spa services in The Spa at The Killarney Park. 

Commenting on the exclusive membership, General Manager, Marcus Treacy said "As an Irish family owned and operated hotel, this is a milestone accomplishment for the entire team and testament to their dedication and commitment to providing five-star hospitality to our guests.  As the travel industry continues to recover, we are looking for every opportunity to surprise and delight our guests with our refined luxury, combined with a genuine warmth beyond the smile, within the special scenic beauty of our glorious location in the heart of Killarney and the nearby 26,000 acre Killarney National Park. We look forward to welcoming American Express Fine Hotel & Resorts guests to our hotel very soon”.

It has been an exciting few months for the much-loved five-star hotel, recently completing a thrilling new-look for its popular fine-dining restaurant, The Peregrine boasting, elaborately coved ceilings, with a gorgeous new contemporary look using mood lighting, soft fabrics and bespoke art pieces.  At The Peregrine, Amex Card members and patrons alike will enjoy a relaxing ambience combined with exceptional original cuisine that celebrates Kerry’s finest produce. The popular Garden Bar and The Terrace are local culinary hotspots, offering convivial hospitality with extensive food and drink menus (the Whiskey Bar boasts an enviable selection of the finest whiskies) and light entertainment each evening. 

The Terrace is the perfect spot for outdoor dining, overlooking the manicured gardens and complete with a heated patio to keep the evening chill at bay.  Hotel guests can enjoy The Spa and Wellness area at The Killarney Park which provides a haven of calm and relaxation featuring a 20m indoor swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, caldarium and of course may indulge in a specialist spa treatment from a menu of their own signature wellness rituals as well as a range of  luxury Elemis treatments. 

Beautiful flavours and delicious small plates at Nell’s Wine Bar. And a warm welcome too.

Nell’s Wine Bar: Beautiful wines and delicious small plates.

And a warm welcome too.

Nell's Wine Bar, one of two recently opened on MacCurtain Street, specialises in natural, organic and biodynamic wine as well as small plates. 

Some of these plates are an “expression of Cork’s local seasonality”,  others are not. We started our first visit with a little bowl of Fennel infused Nocellara olives (4.00) . These table olives are grown primarily in Sicily and have protected status in the European Union. And very nice they are too, slightly plump and soft. Not very salty at all and excellent with wine.

I should really say that we started with a very warm welcome indeed, especially from Aine who helped us with the wine. There is a huge choice here, everything from bubbles to rosé to orange, from white to red, and other drinks also.

Lynne Coyle who made
the Geal Albarino

She introduced us to Geal Albariño which is made on an artisanal scale by O’Briens Wine Director Lynne Coyle and the family owned Lagar de Costa winery in Rías Baixas, Spain. Most of these vineyards are very small and Lynne told us at a recent Albariño tasting that the Costa winery has 11 hectares and is regarded as quite large.

The wine was aged on lees in a single concrete egg for eight months bringing complexity and depth. Geal Albariño is dry, refreshing, and lightly textured with green fruit notes, a hint of white peach and a lingering salinity making it an ideal wine for seafood. 

Geal by the way is the Irish and Scottish (Lynne is Scottish) for bright. Most of you will have come across it in school; if you don’t remember, check out the pronunciation here. We took Aine’s advice and ordered a glass of the Geal (13.80). 

Alex Foillard is the son of the famous Morgon producer Jean Foillard and Alex is certainly making an impact in Beaujolais. Glad to pick his natural wine at Nell’s as it is an excellent match for pork products. It is just a straight out delicious wine, a terrific balance of red fruit and acidity and an outstanding smooth and accomplished expression of one of my favourite grapes, the Gamay (11.80).

Our food had arrived on two small plates. One was Saucisson & Coppa served with Nell’s own pickles (8.00). Coppa is a whole-muscle pork salume, dry cured, and typically sliced very thin as was the case here. 

The other plate was Fried Baby potatoes served with basil aioli and trout roe (7.50). Both dishes were very very tasty indeed with big thumbs up for the meat and those deliciously done potatoes. Small plates with big flavours.

They do desserts too, usually two on offer. Look out for the Salted honey ice cream with oats and poached rhubarb. An absolute treat, the combination really highlighting the humble rhubarb!

Next time, we may well start with the Garam Masala Almonds or the Savoury Cheese Doughnuts, continue with the Macroom Ricotta, Hegarty’s Cheddar and spinach dumplings and finish with Templegall with teabrack and whipped brown butter, though that Rhubarb would be well worth revisiting!

As you can see from some of the names on the menu, Nell’s are very much inclined to support local producers on the food side, including Hegarty’s Cheese and Macroom and they are quite proud that their herbs and edible flowers are supplied by Shannon at Mealagulla. Mealagulla’s apple juice, a favourite of mine, also features on the drinks list as do Killahora Rare Apple Ice-wine and Johnny Fall Down cider.

Aside from our two wines, they have pages of choices for you. Just one of three pages of red offers a Nero D’Avola from Sicily, a Tempranillo from Spain, a Syrah from the Languedoc, and a Romanian wine called La Sapata, just a small sample of what is on offer.

One of the white wine pages has a Verdejo from Spain, a Pinot Blanc from Alsace, a Vipava from Slovenia and an Assyrtiko from Greece.

Lots to choose from! It will take more than one visit.

Get your bookings in by messaging their Instagram  

 or Facebook page; food served until 10pm (from 4.30pm), Tuesday to Sunday.

A Quart of Ale± #105. On the craft journey with Wide Street, The White Hag, Whiplash, Larkins

A Quart of Ale± #105

On the craft journey with Wide Street, The White Hag, Whiplash, Larkins 

*********

Wide Street Vienna Lager 4.9%, 440ml can Bradleys

It’s a Vienna Lager, so it is from the darker hemisphere of the style, opaque orange with an off white soft slow-sinking head. Some rich malt in the aromas but spicy and floral elements from the hops also prominent. And so it continues, malty, floral, spicy, an engaging combo on the palate. But nothing extreme, all in moderation and the result is an excellent beer with great depth of flavour. It has perfect balance and a good finish.

Lip-smackingly refreshing, nice bit of cutting in this one. The medium bitterness comes from the Magnum hops while a finish of Saaz keeps it spicy and floral. The majority of the malt is Vienna and Pilsner with a tiny amount of dark crystal giving even more colour plus a slight malt richness. For all that, you don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that this is a lager.

Wide Street, who are Longford based, say they love experimenting with alternative and wild fermentation methods. “We use traditional brewing processes with open top-fermenters. Our beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised and can-conditioned which means that beers are re-fermented in the can with a champagne yeast strain. Most of our beers are very dry and fully fermented with a final gravity below 1.003.”

In previous Quarts, we have reviewed their Cashmere IPA here, their Peach Berliner Sour or Sweet here, and their Mills Pils Farmhouse Pils here. 

The White Hag Little Olcan Brett Session IPA, 4.2%, 330ml can Bradleys 

This little White Hag is a hazy light yellow colour with a soft slow-fade white head. Not too sure about the claimed “white wine bouquet” but certainly it is citrous, even a little on the funky side. And that funky bit continues on to the palate, nothing too far out mind you. Fruity, floral and herby and dry on the finish. A refreshing little number for sure..

They have put a lot of work into it: Little Olcan is the baby brother of our original brett IPA, Olcan. This Farmhouse-style session IPA is fermented with our house Brettanomyces blend, in French wine barrels specially sourced from the Bordeaux region. This beer is matured for up to 12 months to allow the Brett to develop its bright, unique character. Then, just before canning, we dry hop in steel tanks with Mosaic and El Dorado to further accentuate the complex and fruity character of the yeast.

Whiplash Got To Keep On Pale Ale 5.3%, 440ml can Bradleys

There’s a burst of aromatic hops as you pull the tab on this one. It pours a light hazy orange in the glass with a soft bubble-laden head that hangs around for a spell. Citrus (they suggest lemon drops and I could agree, no problem) leads the fruit in the aromas and turns up again on the palate which is beautifully balanced, no extremes whatsoever, just very smooth and extremely drinkable. Perfectly acceptable finish also with just enough bitterness to keep it on the rails.

Web: Our #IWCBD beer is here! Got To Keep On was brewed for #IWD and had input from the whole team – like all our beers. A beer created by a team that features our talented female brewers is not a special occasion, it’s any day of the week and any of our beers, and we wanted to highlight that as part of the Unite Celebration theme. We landed on a Pale Ale as we wanted something pint-able and crushable and we’re pretty sure we’ve done that!

By the way, #IWD stands for International Women’s Day. I’ll leave you work out what #IWCBD stands for, something to do as you sip this gorgeous beer! 

Geek Bits

Malts: Golden Promise, Oat Malt, Carapils, 

Hops: Aus Vic Secret (Passion fruit, resinous, pineapple), NZ Azacca (Mango Tropical Orange), USA El Dorado (Apricot, Tropical, Citrus).

ABV 5.3%

440ml cans and kegs

Artwork by @sophie_devere

Released: March 2022.

Larkins Judge Fudge Imperial Stout 8.5%, 440ml can Bradleys

Close to black with a tan head that stays around. A hint of nutmeg and cinnamon in the otherwise toasty aromas. Maple syrup steps to the front in the flavours where there is a lot going on, maybe too much. After all, ingredients include Barley, Lactose, Cinnamon, Fudge brownie, Oats, Hops, Water, Yeast, Cacao Nibs, Sea Salt, Nutmeg, and Maple Syrup. Much too sweet for me though.

The label says this is a “spiced salted maple fudge brownie imperial stout” and is best served warmer than chilled. They are obviously happy with it: “..feckin delicious! Not sure there's much more to say on this but when we sat down together with @dot_brew, we decided we wanted to achieve layers of flavours that balance where it's not overly sweet and no one flavour is overpowering.”

Blas na hÉireann, the ultimate Irish Food Awards, to be held again in Dingle this autumn. Entries for 2022 closing on 20th May

Blas na hÉireann, the ultimate Irish Food Awards, to be held again in Dingle this autumn.

Entries for 2022 now closing on 20th May

Entries for this year’s Irish Food Awards, Blas na hÉireann, will close on Friday 20th May and this year all roads lead to the pretty seaside town of Dingle as it gears up to host the first in-person Blas na hÉireann awards event in two years. Regarded by many as a key event in the Irish food industry’s calendar, Blas na hÉireann, like so many others, celebrated their finalists and winners online over the past two years leaving a significant gap in the food and drink calendar. This year will see the welcome return of this important weekend of celebrations, with the great and good of the Irish food and drinks scene descending on Dingle once more for the weekend on Friday 30th September.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be planning our awards in Dingle this year,” says Blas na hÉireann Chairman, Artie Clifford. “We were lucky to have been able to move quickly in 2020 and while we were in a position to run our judging throughout the summer months in the last two years, we weren’t able to welcome everyone together for the networking and awards. We are proud of the celebrations that we hosted online, and the awards were a huge success, managing to highlight the best of Irish food and drink during a really difficult time. However the one thing that was said over and over to us was that people really missed being in Dingle, so we can’t wait to welcome our Blas family home this year and celebrate our 2022 finalists in person.”

 

This year is the 15th year of Blas na hÉireann with last year seeing a huge increase in entries and many new producers entering the food awards for the very first time. The blind- tasting judging system which was designed by The School of Food and Nutritional Science at U.C.C. under the supervision of Prof. Joe Kerry and the team at Blas is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.

Winners are always the best Blas ambassadors. Something 15 years worth of small producers, farmers, growers, bakers and artisan food makers who have won Blas awards can attest to. Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition among Irish consumers and having the coveted winner’s sticker and award logo on products really does encourage shoppers to buy – it is a recognised guarantee of a top-quality Irish product.

"In 2021, Blackwater Honey won Gold in the Honey category of the Preserves competition. On receipt of our award, our business immediately noticed a huge spike in sales and online enquiries. We received a huge response from small, medium and very well known large retailers contacting us directly seeking to source and sell our products. The exposure we got through social media as a result of winning was massive. So much so, that our following online doubled in a week, as a result of the win. Winning Blas na hÉireann has been fantastic. It has opened many doors for us and helped create fantastic opportunities for our business to grow and expand. Customers and retailers really do take notice when you win the Irish Taste Award!" Andrew Shinnick, Blackwater Honey, Co. Cork.

Entries for Blas na hÉireann 2022 are open until 20th May. The entry fee is €80 per entry (ex VAT).

 

http://www.irishfoodawards.com

 

press release

Sicilian Parmigiana and Irish spuds the highlights of Marina Market visit

Sicilian Parmigiana and Irish spuds the highlights at Marina Market

Sicilian Parmigiana and Irish spuds were the highlights of our most recent visit to the Marina Market. The first came from Dario’s “Sicilian Delights” while the second was provided by Prátaí.

Dario Di Giandomenico is the driving force behind Sicilian Delights who also have a cafe on Magazine Road. He confesses to being a “perfectionist by nature” and that certainly shows in the absolutely delicious Parmigiana. It consists of shallow fried sliced aubergine with tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, then baked. Sicily is one of the southern regions claiming the origin of Parmigiana!

Two stages but fairly simple, yet simply superb. Quite an amazing experience for just eight euro. We just tucked into it, lots of oohs and aah, until the little beauty, with its incredible sauce, had totally vanished from its container. Then, we spoke properly!

You may taste more of these full bodied authentic Sicilian flavours at their market stall, including three versions of Tagliatelle, two versions of Fusilli (one spicy), plus Gnocchi Mushroom and Gnocchi Pesto, each around the eight euro mark. Well, worth a visit.

Read all about Sicilian Delights here, 

Tel: (083) 828 8014 |  Email: siciliandelights@gmail.com

*****

Prátaí

Prátaí mission statement: “Main aim is to celebrate such humble product and giving it a bit of a twist. It will be Baked - Coal Roasted - Smoked. Bringing Best of Irish Potatoes. Fresh cut Chips and Baked Spuds with seasonal toppings."

And they do it, with some style!

Our introduction came via the 10-euro Nacho Fries, vegetarian as it turned out. The base of the container, a generous sized one, is packed with fries and then loaded with Bean Chilli, guacamole, Salsa and Sour Cream. A delightful, slightly spicy, flavoursome package of different colours, tastes and textures and enough to keep you going for the rest of the day. A genuine big thumbs up for this one!

It comes under the Loaded Chips heading on the menu board. Other options in this section include Pulled Pork (Cajun Pork, Zesty Red Slaw, Crispy Onion) and Funky Shroom (Mushroom, Fresh Parsley, Chorizo and Mild Cheddar). Or maybe you’d fancy Crispy Duck (Malaysian Curry, Red Slaw, and Spring Onion).

Another section is headed Baked Potatoes (all spuds come buttered and with cheese). Here you may have Irish (Buttered cabbage, bacon, dill); BBQ Beef (corn, crispy onion, red slaw); Mexican (Bean Chilli, Crispy Jelapenos, Sour cream)

And more.

The basic section is Chips In Cone. Lots of choice here as regards sauces for your chips, cold such as Garlic, Samura and Chic A Fila or hot like Malaysian Curry.  No shortage of toppings either, Bacon Lardons, Chorizo, Parmesan shavings, and crushed cashews among them.

Best thing to do is to visit and check it out for yourself! They are there every day. More details on their Facebook here.  

Time for a coffee?