Kinsale's Latest Bastion of Culinary Excellence

A Bastion of Culinary Excellence

Kinsale’s Latest Restaurant

Tuna & Apple

No shortage of restaurants in Kinsale but Bastion, the latest, seems to have found a niche of its own. You’ll find it on the corner of Market Street and Main Street in the town centre and inside you’ll find great local produce, cooked and presented with some style. Bastion may not be out of the way but it is certainly out of the usual.

You walk into the first room, with tall tables and seats, and here you can sip some of their fine wines and nibble on tasty Bar Bites including Marinated Olives and Serrano Ham. The interior room, normal level tables, is where the serious eating takes places and here you may choose from selections of Small Plates and Large Plates.

Scallops

We were there at the weekend, celebrating a significant birthday (they are all significant at this stage!) and didn't get any further than the Small Plates. The selection was right up our alley and we shared no less than six of the plates before moving on to dessert.

Our choices - they were brought to the table in pairs - were Wild Mushroom Orzo (7.50), Charred Quail (9.00), Ham Hock Croquettes (7.50), Char-grilled Scallops (12.00), Tuna and Apple (12.00), and Smoked Salmon and Beetroot “Cannelloni” (7.00). All were excellent, well cooked, well presented and made for a very exciting meal indeed.

Wild Mushroom Orzo

My favourite was the Scallops, with cauliflower purée, chorizo, panagratta and parsley. CL was thrilled with the Tuna & Apple, charred, tartare, saffron pickled fennel, apple variations and blueberries. And another that really excited the taste buds - we both agreed - was the Wild Mushroom Orzo: Forest Mushrooms, caramelised onions, chive butter sauce and truffle.

The same high standard prevailed when the desserts arrived. My delightful bowl contained their Irish Coffee Crème brûlée (6.75), a clever (the brûlée was hidden half-way down) and lovely combination of whiskey jelly and anglaise foam. The other dessert, Toasted Apple (6.50), may not sound great but it too was a delightful mix of textures and sweet flavours with Burned caramel mousse, pain d'epices, apple and ginger custard.

Smoked salmon

A couple of cups of the excellent Badger & Dodo Coffee finished off the evening. Earlier we had been sipping two of their white wines, the Butterfly Ridge Riesling Gewurztraminer (5.50) from Oz and the Senorio de Ayud Chardonnay (6.50) from Spain. Very Highly Recommended.

Bastion

Market St/Main St corner

Kinsale

County Cork.

Tel: 0214709696

Email: helenbastion@hotmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BastionKinsale/info

Ham Croquettes, Toasted Apple below and, bottom Quail

See also: Black's Brewery, Kinsale
My Kinsale Guide

Black’s Brewery of Kinsale. Up and Away on a Rocketship.

Black’s Brewery of Kinsale

Up and Away on a Rocketship
Or maybe a Model T

It was a “productive January” for Sam and Maudeline Black, the lively friendly couple behind the fast growing Black’s Brewery in Kinsale.

“It’s a good month to try things,” added Sam, when I called there at the weekend. And they've added a few to their already popular range, including the Model T Stout. Love the name. Henry Ford, maker of the Model T motor car, went on to sell 15 millions units. Reckon Sam and Maudeline would settle for 15m pints over the next few years!

It was one of the beers we tasted at their little bar in the brewery. The other was the Rocketship IPA. Sam has been surprised by the reaction to this one. “Not everyone likes it but those that do are fanatical followers.” He knows a bunch of fellows that will drink nothing else now!

I asked Sam what was his own personal favourite. A tough question, a bit like asking a parent if they have a favourite child. The baby of the family always gets the attention. Sam started loving the Kinsale Pale Ale, then drank the Session for a long time and then came that Rocketship. Now he’s singing the praises of Hi Viz. “This has extra hops and is the best we’ve made..very pleased with it”. 

He’s not the only one. The Hi Viz won a Silver Medal at the recent Alltech Brews & Food Festival. There was silver too for the Black IPA and a bronze for the Rocketship. 

You must be wondering now where you can find all these smashing beers from Kinsale. Well, in the space of just over two years the Blacks, who have given major attention to distribution,  now have a long lost of stockists.  You’ll see their products in lots of restaurants as well.

Not too many guys get a home-brew starter kit as a Valentine's Day present. But that’s exactly what Clonakilty girl Maudeline presented to Sam some years back. “It was the best present ever,” said Sam and that started the road to the current Kinsale operation on Farm Lane.

I asked if they saw any trends on the near horizon. “There's always trends. Saison had its run. I think collaborations, between two breweries, will be the next one.” Already, there has been one between Cork’s Rising Sons and Beara Brewing in the US.

The busy Blacks are always looking ahead, always planning for their customers. And those customers come from a large range of ages and backgrounds. “All ages, male and female. And great to see young people now going for quality.” 

Rocketship and medal!

Great too to meet and chat with the enthusiastic Blacks. Delighted to be a customer. Spent the following 24 hours in Kinsale and had no bother finding their products. Local places to note for craft beer are Malt Lane in the town and Monks Lane in nearby Timoleague.

* Tours of the brewery will start soon. Keep an eye on the website and on their Facebook page for updates.

See also: My Kinsale Guide
Bastion, Kinsale's latest restaurant

Amuse Bouche

In this spirit I launch my enquiry into the disappearance of the small and wiry Londoner. The jockey-shaped Cockney, he of the fast fingers and the pipe-cleaner limbs, is an endangered species. Bottoms, and breasts (bristols, boobs, knockers, etc.) are growing unchecked. Londoners are eating McDonald’s, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken. They live entirely on these protein-packed foods with the consequence that they are becoming bulky. The little pickpockets, purse snatchers, chimney sweeps, and sneak thieves have vanished in one generation.

from City-Lit, London, this from an extract from Look At It This Way by Justin Cartwright

Commons Express Inn. Lovely Meal. Great Buzz

Commons Express Inn

Lovely Meal. Great Buzz

Enjoyed a terrific dinner at the Commons Express Inn at the weekend, the best of local produce washed down with some excellent local beer, including Kinsale Pale Ale by Blacks and the Stag Ban from 9 White Deer in Ballyvourney. Great buzz there too as we were guided to our table in the very comfortable dedicated dining area.

Had a look at the specials on the blackboard - you'll also see them on an insert in the main menu. The new chef here is from Canada so we decided to try out a couple of his specialities and I was soon tucking into the BBQ Slow-roasted Baby Back ribs with Bourbon sauce. Despite the messy fingers, I certainly enjoyed those “melt-in-your-mouth tender morsels of pork”, enhanced by that special sauce and also by the sweetcorn salsa.

It was a little less messy (just a little!) at the other side of the table where a quiet CL was enjoying her Spicy Buffalo Wings, “exactly like the Frank and Mary’s originals from Niagara Falls N.Y. right down to the special cheese dip and the carrot and celery sticks”. 

Brilliant starters then and the mains were on a par. I had been looking forward to the char-grilled lamb but that had run out so I picked the 8 oz fillet instead. All their steaks are aged to 35 days and this was char-grilled to perfection. I had requested Medium and that is what I got along with crispy onion rings, sautéed mushrooms and, on the side, there were fresh cut chips and a crispy salad.

CL had picked one of the specials: Pan-fried Cod Fillet with a herb crust and roasted vegetables and, on the side, she had mashed potatoes and vegetable selection, all very good and all for €15.95!

There was a bit of a debate about dessert before the decision to share their splendid Sherry Trifle and soon two happy customers were walking out into the misty evening, well fed and heading for the fire at home.

 New Food Offering at the Commons

They start early at the Commons Express Inn. Residents can have breakfast in the lovely Bailey Restaurant from 7.30am until 10.00am. But don’t worry if you sleep late. In a new departure, breakfast is now being served in the bar from 10.00 until noon and is open to residents and walk-ins alike.

The big bar has been the beating heart of the Commons for close on thirty years now but, under new chef Arthur Van Leeuwen, the food offering is becoming more and more important. Indeed, Arthur and his team will feed you all day long.

As soon as breakfast is over in the bar, the carvery lunch kicks in, as it has for the past 27 years! It is a very popular lunch with many customers coming from the nearby business parks. And you won't get bored with the menu; it has its regular favourites of course but do watch out for the variations, including tasty items not often seen in a carvery, such as ham hock, beef stroganoff, and braised lamb shoulder chops.

Later, the evening menu draws the customers to the dedicated dining area in the spacious lounge. Jason Sleator, Sales and Marketing Manager, tells me the menu is evolving under Arthur who describes himself as “a Canadian backyard boy”.

The chef uses local meats and is “very fussy on quality”. Using his experience, he often chooses the cheaper cuts, briskets and ribs for example, and loves marinating them and especially char-grilling. And the dishes, including Spicy Buffalo Wings (exactly like Frank and Mary’s from Niagara, New York) and Back Ribs with Bourbon Sauce, Char-grilled Rack of Lamb, and Char-grilled Burgers, are increasingly popular. 

“We are still on a journey,” Jason told me as regards the regular menu and hints of where they are going can be gleaned from the weekly specials. One of this week’s mains sees Chicken Supreme served with chunky butternut squash and a Cajun jus, the jus a contribution from Arthur’s repertoire.

The Commons, now part of the Great National group, are lucky in the continuity of management and staff. Myles O’Neill is the General Manager while brother Greg is Food and Beverage Manager. That have been there since day one and quite a few of the staff also have impressive long serving records, all of which helps the Commons run smoothly.

They have many functions here, social and sporting celebrations, and all kind of family occasions. Many of these are held in the Bailey while the Roebuck Suite is an impressive ballroom style hall for the really big occasion, including weddings, although there is also a trend currently towards restaurant weddings. The Bailey too, by the way, comes into its own as an impressive Sunday lunch venue and is much demand for private dining. 

The Bailey

Taste of the Week. Cully & Sully Lentil & Smoked Bacon Soup

Taste of the Week

Cully & Sully Lentil & Smoked Bacon Soup

The latest Taste of the Week is packed with flavour and makes for a great lunch after a rainy midweek morning. Full of goodness too as Lentils provide “plenty of protein, cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre and about twice as much iron as other legumes”. Cully & Sully provide lots of information on their packs and even a recipe on this one where you can combine chickpeas with the soup.

Cully & Sully have a big range of soups and also do Hot Pots and Pies, all widely available. Check it all out here, either before or after enjoying our Taste of the Week!

Clonakilty Chocolate. From Ghana to Clon.

Clonakilty Chocolate. 
From Ghana to Clon.

Allison (centre) in Ghana with farmers

Allison Roberts of Clonakilty Chocolate held a very enjoyable and informative chocolate and tapas evening in Molly’s Bar last week. She is treasurer of the town’s Fairtrade Group and has been active in that role too as Clonakilty recently highlighted its commitment to the Fairtrade idea. Read all about it here.   

Clonakilty Chocolate import their beans from Ghana and owner Allison, who has visited her suppliers there, started the evening by explaining where the chocolate beans come from and the importance of the fairtrade idea. She explained about the hard work in producing the crop, the cacao pods, the hand-harvesting. 

By going through the Fairtrade route, and Clonakilty town is the leader here, the profit-taking middleman is eliminated and the producers get a fair price for their hard-won produce. Read here to see how the interaction between Clonakilty and Ghana plays out.

The new bars

Once the chocolate beans are in Clon, Allison has some hard work to do herself and she took us through the technical aspects of producing chocolate and the different types. The hard work though is well worth it: Cacao is an amazing product…highest concentration of antioxidants in any food..gets our blood flowing better…make us feel happy……a life giving treat..it is a powerful aphrodisiac..a gift of love… food of the gods…”

Everybody in Molly's seemed happy enough and with women making up about 90 per cent of the audience, there must have been some surprised stay-at-home husbands in Clonakilty beds last Thursday night when the wives came back!

The evening began with a welcome Prosecco and some shards of 65% Chocolate with Puffed Brown Rice. Some we were into the Savoury Spread:

Bluebell Falls Goats Cheese with 75% chocolate, honey, garlic and thyme;

Roasted fennel Dip with ground Cacao nibs;

Aubergine Caponata with 100% chocolate;

Spicy Mixed Bean Mole with 100% grated chocolate;

Puy lentil Toasted Tomato Salad with Raspberry Chocolate vinagrette.

They had some suggested drinks and I was happy to go with the Mountain Man Hairy Goat beer. The Aubergine was perhaps my favourite from the list, though the goats cheese and Rosemary Tartlet were pretty close to the top as well.

 Goodies at the tasting and, bottom right,
a conche to grind beans "into Fairtrade silky velvet".
Top right is my favourite, the Aubergine caponata.

Then a break for music before heading into the Sweet Selection:

Dark Chocolate Beamish Cake with mascarpone icing;

Chilli espresso cake with 75% dark chocolate with coconut sugar;

Beetroot Chocolate Brownie with fennel seed glaze;

Orange truffle cake;

Black-eyed bean dark chocolate loaf;

Hazelnut rum raisin and Honey sage truffles.

I think we were all feeling happy at this stage!

Hard to get the Irish away from their milk chocolate but one of Allison’s new products could well do that. She also loves goats and her new chocolate with Coconut Sugar and Goats Milk went down a treat at Molly’s. It is really excellent and she herself is also very happy with it. 

So look out for that Milky Milk and also for other new products including Seriously  Minted, Decadent Dark, Chai Chilli, and Wild West Salty with a pinch of Irish Salt & Seaweed.

Allison, who works out of her own home (the back has been converted into a chocolate factory), had help on the evening from Kate of flavour.ie. who handed out her recipes for the Rosemary Tartlet and also the Beetroot and chocolate brownies. Home-cook Kate already runs supper clubs and you’ll see details and lots of recipes on her blog flavour.ie. Soon too she’ll be running Food Tours in and around Clonakilty for visitors.

From Chennai to Cork. The Superb Annam Supper Club

From Chennai to Cork

The Superb Annam Supper Club

Mango Tango!

Isn't great to eat out with a group of friends? But how about eating out with a group of strangers? No problem. Especially if the strangers share your love of food and soon they are not strangers at all.

There were nine of us "strangers" at the Annam Supper Club in Douglas the other evening and it turned out be a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. The Indian food was cooked and served by Banu and Ruth who run the supper club and its associated Cookery School.

We introduced ourselves and the ice was soon broken — the gorgeous Mango Tango cocktail (mango with vodka and more!) was undoubtedly a help — and soon we were telling about food experiences, all the while nibbling from the bowls of Turmeric popcorn.

Starter

It is also a BYOB club, so we were soon indulging in our favourites tipples, mainly beers and wines. I had stopped at the Cotton Ball on the way and picked up a few bottles of their own Indian Summer and, though the Indian in the title had little to do with the country, the beer paired quite well with the various dishes.

Starter was a delicious delight. It was Vadai Thengai Chutney and that translates into Deep Fried lentil dumplings served with a coconut chutney. We slathered on the chutney, under advice from Banu, and used our fingers to speed the dispatch of the tasty dumplings.

On then to a very impressive main course indeed, quite a few elements here. The main part was Chicken Biryani with three supporting dishes in Yennai Kathirikkai, Salna and Vengalya pachadi. Many of you will have come across Biryani, basically rice cooked with spices and meat.

Biryani and friends!

There are many different kinds of Biryani and you may read about the main ones here. This particular version though is Banu’s signature dish.

The Yennai Kathirikkai is Aubergines in a spicy tangy sauce, Salna ( a traditional accompaniment to Biriyani; ours was a light curry sauce with some lamb pieces) and Vengalya pachadi (a cooling onion raita). The trick here is not to eat any element in isolation. Mix and match the textures, the flavours, the heat and the coolness. Superb!

The dessert was another delight, served in a small earthenware pot. It was named Badam Kheer, an almond saffron milk pudding. Loved every little bit of it. Then we slowly sipped the rest of drinks and finished the various conversations before saying goodbye to these friendly strangers!

The club is run by Banu and Ruth and the cooking veers "towards South Indian most of the time with inspiration from Chennai a good deal". Why? Because Banu is from Chennai and she can best cook and teach the food she knows best.

And Banu is not the only one with a high regard for her area.  Food in Chennai is very popular and rather unique. The city regularly features in top ten food lists by major publishers such as Lonely Planet, National Geographic and the BBC’s travel section. More details on the city and its food here.

Ruth and Ban are busy girls. Their next event, a mix of movies and food, is coming up this Friday at the Beggarman and you can see the details here . Their next Supper Club is on Friday April 17th. You’ll get all the details, plus info on cookery courses, on their Facebook page.

Farm Restaurant, Clonakilty. Well Worth A Visit.

Farm Restaurant, Clonakilty.

Well Worth A Visit.

Clonakilty’s Farm Restaurant has made a big impression in less than six months. Produce from the local seas and farms features strongly on the menu in the Ashe Street venue, right in the middle of the town. Comfortable seating and friendly service, along with top class cooking, makes for an excellent dining experience.

We were in last week and, with a chocolate tasting coming up immediately afterwards, decided to go for two courses of their early bird menu. While reading the menus, we got a cone full of pop-corn and a basket full of gorgeous breads (including a particularly delicious one with onions and Dubliner in the mix - what a tasty crust this had).

Delighted to see so many local names listed, including Clonakilty, Staunton’s, Dan Moloney, Caherbeg, Skeaghanore, Toons Bridge, along with craft beer by Dungarvan and cider from Stonewell.

The Clonakilty Black Pudding featured on my starter, served with Crispy Pancetta salad with celeriac, Pear and Apple Coleslaw. Delighted with that opener, excellent flavours and textures, and CL was more than pleased with her Crisp vegetable and chicken confit spring roll with Szechuan Dipping sauce, another tasty combination.

 It just got better after that. My mains was the Pan-roasted free-range chicken wrapped in Clonakilty Bacon and stuffed with Caherbeg Sausage meat. There was an explosion of flavours here, including a great sauce, and the sausage meat added a bit of herby spice.

The other mains was Skeaghanore confit duck leg with marmalade sauté potatoes and that had CL purring. Another empty plate. Oh, by the way, the included sides of creamy mashed potato and vegetables were also cooked to perfection and very much appreciated as well.

Must call back some day when we have no other eating commitments and get stuck into the A La Carte! 

Amuse Bouche

A-  A happy group of us drank our Patrick’s Pot in Fr Seamus Hennebry’s, the parish priest’s house. We had fresh cod’s head, salted marinated ling, smoked salmon, and fresh trout, with green cabbage and fragrant cheese with our meal. We had white wine, port, whiskey and punch in plenty….

B- We have ‘cobbledy’ for dinner today. It is not right to call it cál ceannann (white topped kale) for there is neither kale nor white cabbage in it, but white potatoes, fresh milk, good salted butter, salt as well, and pepper and onions warming it up. Myself, my children and my poor dear wife are gobbling it up - we have plenty of it, but not too much. 

 from The Diary of an Irish countryman 1827-1835 by Humphrey O’Sullivan. 

Cork International Airport Hotel. Enjoyable Meal At New Yorker

Cork International Airport Hotel

Enjoyable Meal At New Yorker 

Outside the mist-laden wind was blowing and the famous (notorious) Farmer’s Cross fog was making ghostly shapes in the car park lights. But inside at the New Yorker restaurant of the Cork International Airport Hotel, it was a different climate with warming fires and diners tucking in to some lovely food in a very comfortable room indeed. We revisited last Friday and absolutely enjoyed our dinner as we had on previous occasions.

We were soon seated - not too far from one of the fires - and studying the menu, quite an extensive one, based on local produce and geared for locals and travellers alike. We picked from the main menu though there is a very good set menu on offer as well.

They had three specials on the night and CL went with one of those, Smoked Salmon with avocado, for her starter, a superb choice as it turned out as this was a very successful pairing indeed.

And I too was off to flier with the Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, served with an Asian style salad with sweet chilli dipping sauce. This was a delightful combination, light with gorgeous contrasts of flavours and  textures. One to watch for in the future.

The starters had certainly brought the taste buds to attention and two excellent main courses maintained the standard. Moroccan Spiced Lamb Rump, served with Couscous, steamed broccoli, and a Lamb Jus was CL’s choice and soon she was singing its praises, delighted with all the parts.

Mine was the Pressed Slow Roasted Pork Belly and that came with Celeriac potato puree, rhubarb and ginger compote, glazed carrots and red wine jus. The pork had been pressed into a kind of roulade with a herby skim in between. Quite  serious eruptions of flavours here, excellent textures too. Perfect overall, another superb example from the repertoire of chef Hugh Bailey.

The mains had been accompanied by wine from their short list.  The Marques de Plata, Tempranillo/Syrah/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Valencia, nice and fruity, went well with the lamp while my Chianti Colli Senesi from Tuscany, aromatic and well balanced, did the job with the Pork Belly.

Service was friendly and excellent. There was a delay with our shared dessert - a Lemon Mousse Tart - but when we pointed it out (no complaint) it soon arrived to smiles all around and indeed we were pleasantly surprised to hear our server say there’d be no charge for it. Good PR for sure and much appreciated, as was the experience overall.

Your Weekend Whites. Trio with Brio!

Your Weekend Whites

Trio with Brio!

Georg Muller Stiftung, Edition PW Riesling trocken, Rheingau 2013, 13% €19.40 Karwig Wines

Colour is a very light gold and there are fruity aromas. On the palate you’ll find concentrated fresh fruit (nectarines, apricots), a slight tingly mouthfeel. Superb, this well balanced wine needs to be sipped and a sip will go a long way! Very Highly Recommended. 

This has the VDP eagle displayed on the neck, “a guarantee of pure wine pleasure”, not a bad start. The stiftung means a foundation and for many years the winery was a foundation for the benefit of the town of Eltville in the Hattenheim region. In 2003, it came back into private ownership. Peter Winter, a one-time boss and long-time friend of Joe Karwig, is the new owner and kept the existing name.

Hugel Gentil 2013, Alsace, 12.5%, €13.99 Bradley’s

This gorgeous wine, an “assemblage” of all the local grape varieties, is Hugel’s best seller, available throughout the world. The grapes are hand-picked and the blend is 15% Riesling, 19% Gewürztraminer, 2% Muscat, 24% Pinot Gris and 40% Sylvaner & Pinot Blanc. Closure by the way is also rather unusual as they us the DIAM method.

Not strong on colour, a light silver and traces of green, and there are attractive aromas (including fruit and floral elements). On the palate, is has a soft and supple feel, is full of flavour, dry and with a great finalé. The well balanced gem is “a delicious bargain” according to Hugh Johnson. Very Highly Recommended. 

Mas Peuch Picpoul de Pinet 2013 (Languedoc), 12.5%, €10.00 SuperValu

Light gold in colour, this aromatic wine, a refreshing mouthful, has white fruit and good acidity. Tart enough but no sign of the lip-stinging. Excellent as an aperitif and fine too with this evening’s sea-bream from Ballycotton Seafood in the English Market. 

Picpoul means lip-stinger in the local dialect and refers to the zestiness and almost salty tang. The grape is often blended to moderate the sting! I have come across some strongly acidic examples but there is nothing extreme in this one; it is moderate and is Highly Recommended.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Hassett’s Coffee Mocha Mousse Cake

Hassett’s Bakery, already in Carrigaline, Crosshaven and Adelaide Street, have recently moved to the city centre and you’ll find them in the middle of the English Market, right across from the Chicken Inn.

Lots of good things in this little stall, including a big range of breads (sourdough, spelt, rye and more) and chocolate truffles and, of course, their famous pastries. Their small cakes are a huge temptation. Couldn’t resist this little Coffee Mocha Mousse number at the weekend and it is our Taste of the Week.

Top Posts for last 18 months.

Top Posts for last 18 months

Coqbull

Coqbull, with close to 5,000 hits, is the most popular post on this blog over the last 18 months. New restaurants always seem to draw attention and this is reflected in the list below. My own choices may be seen at No.13.

1 Cork's Coqbull On An Early Charge

2 Happy Gaggle of Wine Geese

3 Aroi. Asian Street Food in Cork City

4 Huguenot. New French Bistro

5 The Square Table - Great Addition to Blarney

6 The Sultan of Penrose Quay

7 Happy New Beer at Cotton Ball

8 Island of Asian Street Food at Phô

9 Electric. Easy to Book. Hard to leave.

10 The Chapel Steps Celebrates

11 Taste of the Week: Baklava

12 Dining in Style at Pier 26

13 Top Ten Dinners, Top Lunches

14 Top Wines 2014