Due to the availability
of ingredients, the menu changes regularly and is constantly evolving but this
along with the some top-notch cooking under Head Chef Tim Daly is what makes
the food so exciting to eat. I was really looking forward to dining there.
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| Irish Orchard kir Royale |
The dining room is
spacious and decorated in rich dark colours which are surprisingly soothing. A
dark mirrored ceiling makes the room feel even larger but despite this, the
overall atmosphere is relaxed and intimate. There are two menus – an à la carte
evening menu and a 9-course tasting menu which I decided to go for.
A selection of Warm
Breads was first to arrive and came swaddled in a linen napkin to preserve
their heat. Brook Lodge is renowned for its brown soda bread and it isn’t hard
to see why as it was wonderful. Bread rolls were flavoured with cheese and a
wild garlic pesto and were also delicious, especially when liberally spread
with soft, salty butter.
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| Ireland's Youngest Cheese |
An Irish Orchard Kir
Royale made from single reserve cider using Dabinette apples and
homemade blackcurrant liqueur opened proceedings and was a perfect way to kick
off the meal. The slightly effervescent but mildly flavoured cider was a nice
alternative to the more commonly used sparkling white wine or Champagne and
resulted in a drink that was very Irish.
Next up was the
intriguingly entitled Ireland’s Youngest Cheese. Here soft curds which
had been made only 90 minutes beforehand were served with an oat-flake tuile
and dressed with a drizzle of rapeseed oil and nasturtium leaves. I was
completely smitten by the simplicity of this dish and loved the contrast of the
crisp tuile against the soft cheese which possessed a subtle sweet flavour.
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| Duck's Yolk |
Similarly, the Kale
Nero Laverbread with Crispy Duck’s Yolk was simple in concept but used
ingredients in innovative ways. Laverbread is a traditional Welsh delicacy
which is made using seaweed. It is often served as a thick purée and is
considered an acquired taste. Here black kale was substituted for the seaweed
and it was made to a firmer consistency than would be the norm. This
contrasted wonderfully with the crispy duck’s yolk with its runny centre
.The egg yolk had been gently pre-cooked and was then lightly covered in
breadcrumbs before being deep-fried. As you cut into the yolk, it oozed out
creating a lovely rich sauce. A piquant hollandaise which served to cut through
the richness of the overall dish finished everything off perfectly.
 |
| Wild Pigeon |
I am a huge fan of wood
pigeon so was delighted to see Seared Wild Wood Pigeon, Pearl Barley, Burnt
Katy Apple Purée on the menu. This was a wonderful autumnal dish where the
pigeon had been flawlessly cooked. The accompanying ‘ragout’ of pearl-barley
and apple purée was deliciously rich and satisfying to eat. This was followed
up by a creamy Smoked Potato Soup, Poitín, Bacon Foam. I particularly
liked the inclusion of poitín which accentuated and highlighted the potato
flavour but didn’t overpower the dish.
The meal then changed
direction with the arrival of a Rhubarb Sorbet. However, this was more than
a mere palate cleanser as the rhubarb was presented three ways – as a fiery
compote flavoured with chilli; as a refreshing sorbet and finally, as a
soothing drink. Our waitress advised that this was the order in which each
should be consumed and we obediently followed her instructions. It was like
taking my palate on an adventure where it was challenged and stimulated but
where the flavours of rhubarb still managed to shine through. I loved it and
felt ready to continue with the rest of my meal.
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| Beef |
35 day-aged seared Beef
Sirloin, Slow Cooked Shin, Celeriac Purée, Glazed Shallot, Full Bone Gravy was
a mouth-watering dish which showcased the quality of the beef that had been
used. The sirloin was melt-in-the-mouth tender but the true stars of the dish
were the shin of beef croquette with its robustly flavoured soft meat and the
outstanding bone gravy which was unlike any gravy that I have ever tasted
before. A generous portion of extra gravy was served in a jug and I am a little
embarrassed to admit that I finished off every drop!
An Orchard Fruit Soda
was lovely after the rich and unctuous beef and came humorously presented in a
small bottle with its own straw on a bed of real grass in a mini-apple crate. I
loved the fun of this and enjoyed the Alice in Wonderland feel of the dish.
 |
| Orchard Fruit Soda |
A stunning Blackcurrant
Panna Cotta & Pickled Pears was the final dish of the Tasting Menu. The
panna cotta was perfectly set and with its silky texture and intense
blackcurrant flavour was heavenly to eat. Thankfully it had not been
over-sweetened so the fruit flavours were not dulled in any way and worked
wonderfully against the pickled pears and shortbread crumb that accompanied it.
I couldn’t fault anything on the plate and can still vividly remember every
spoonful.
After finishing my meal
my waiter asked whether I would like to take a look at the walk-in Wild
Foods Pantry which adjoins the dining room. I jumped at the chance and was
highly impressed with the great selection of cheeses, charcuterie and preserved
goods contained therein.
At €75 per person, the
tasting menu isn’t cheap, but for the quality of the food and the journey you
are taken on during your meal, I think that it is well worth every cent. A
couple of glasses of house red washed everything down and added to my enjoyment
of the meal.
The Strawberry Tree at
the Brook Lodge & Wells Spa
Macreddin Village
County Wicklow
Telephone: 040236444
Email: info@brooklodge.com
This review first appeared in TheTaste.ie
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