Check the Daily Specials when visiting the Malthouse Café in Midleton

Check the Daily Specials when visiting 

the Malthouse Café in Midleton

Super Stir Fry

I could have missed out on a stunning dish at the new Malthouse restaurant at the distillery in

Midleton. The daily special was the Crispy Chicken Szechuan Stir Fry, and it was a gem. But I might have given it a skip had I read about Szechuan before the visit.

Quiche

Szechuan is a regional style of Chinese cooking that is spicy, oily, and especially peppery! Not just peppery. It has a bold spicy flavour and a distinct numbing sensation thanks to the Sichuan (the Chinese spelling) peppercorns. Numbing? Who eats to get numbed? You get enough of that at the dentist!

The Midleton special was moderately spicy - no danger of me doing the Shimmy Sham Shimmy to Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Pepper Stomp. 

No shortage of peppers in the Malthouse dish, with red, yellow, and green peppers scattered throughout, along with other vegetables like red onion, all beautifully cooked in the Asian style. Very appetising and with a lovely crispness. Smothered in the sauce itself was the key ingredient: small pieces of delicious, crispy chicken. 

And there was a generous helping of rice as well (all for less than 16 euro). The combination was moderately spicy, sweet and flavourful, not overly complex but still quite intense and sweetly delicious with no danger of any numbness setting in.

Our other dish was the Quiche of the Day (c €12.50). Not your classic Quiche Lorraine but a moist and pleasing mix of Smoked Salmon, peas, cheese and the usual eggs. Pretty well made and fresh too, and your choice of two salads from the counter.

The menu is not very expansive here, but also includes soup, chowder, salads and “rustic” sandwiches. No shortage of teas and coffees, and these may be enjoyed with scones or pastries. The breakfast offering is also on the short side and features the Jameson Breakfast and also sausage rolls.

Welcome to the distillery in Midleton

The Malthouse is part of the Midleton Distillery complex, but no entry fees apply to the café (which has an outdoor patio), the bar or the shop. If you are on a tour here, the cafe makes a handy stop either before or after. Order at the counter, pay, take your food, and pick your seat. Special orders of hot food, such as the dish of the day, will soon be on your table.

The distillery is a popular stop for tourists and there were five buses there last Monday at noon. Like the cafe itself, the tour experience has been impressively enhanced. The distillery is home to six iconic brands and offers a variety of tours, All include a tasting, so leave the car at home!

Breakfast?

A brief slideshow from the Malthouse.