Corinna Dunne

Welcome to the Forum Bails... great to have a leveller. If you knew what crap we talk, you'd be glad to have us get back on the subject of food What did you think of your meal in Mint? And Gastronomes... you are not allowed to give up eating! If you are looking to balance your top end experiences, you should get in for a shawarma in Fayruz

Wow... that's a bit scary for Thornton's, considering the publicity should at least have aroused a curiousity factor. Chapter One is a phenomenon, for all the reasons you say. In terms of what works in Ireland, they really have the whole package: it's a nice, but not overwhelming room, the service (I have found) is very friendly, and Martin Corbett the co-owner who works front of house brings a very personal touch to the restaurant, and the food, which makes strong use of seasonal ingredients and local produce is good... though certainly not beyond 1*. Mind you, I have heard reports that it even "feels" a bit busy now, so the additional popularity is perhaps not doing it any favours (it was always booked up for at least 6 weeks on Saturdays). I think though, I have found equal measures of conservativeness and price sensitivity (wait until your pals have kids and have to pay babysitters etc), and on this basis, Chapter One wins hands down for a large swathe of diners over the small portions in L'Ecrivain (unless you fill up on the plain boiled spuds which are served in a bowl!) and the more expense accounty atmosphere its had in the past few years (this place used to be much more like Chapter One in food and feel quite a while back). Thornton's and Guilbaud's were always seen to be more formal, and as you say Irish people just don't like this... and in many cases it's not because they find it overwhelming, it just feels like a work dinner, and not as you say... craic. A crowd of Chapter One fans that I know well dined in Mint last weekend (on my advice... you must go there), and for them, their loyalties have not been swayed. They liked the food, but felt that there was too much of it and the service seemed to be uncharacteristically off that night, and for that money (which is about the same as a meal at Chapter One, not forgetting that Mint has a "discretionary" service charge of 12.5%), they felt the room should be more comfortable. I find this worrying, because they are exactly the type of diner that Mint needs and it they're not buying in, I know of plenty more conservative palates that won't even give it a shot. But to balance that, I have met others who just go "Wow", so probably a very polarising experience. I think the thing with Fire and Roly's is that they are great places for a crowd, and Diep, yep, in fashion (undeservedly) and costing quite a bit if you have a cocktail. Places like Town Bar (good food but a bit snotty to civilians), Peploes (comfort food) and Bang (young and trendy) are hugely in fashion too and do a roaring trade... and maybe this is just where the guts of the market spend is. I would expect that Ramsay's new place in Wicklow sees itself as being supported primarily by guests and beefed up with destination diners. Simon, maybe you're right, Dublin/Ireland just isn't traditional "Michelin" territory.

Hi Brian B - Good to have more comment from the Irish side of the Forum. As Hazel and Simon said, comparing Dublin prices with the rest of Europe, particularly Spain, is enough to make you weep. But I think this very uncompetitive pricing for lunch is a big mistake for Thornton's. I'm also not sure that his desserts are 2*, but the balance of everything else being up to scratch - and it sounds like the room is a much better space since the refurb - should see him reunited with the second star. There has been some interesting discussion on the Critics and Food Writers thread about price positioning and I think whatever about Thornton's, the advice applies in a huge way to Dylan McGrath in Mint who is certainly charging 1* prices for dinner (the lunch is a steal). The more I think about what he's trying to do in that small room, the more I worry that he is going to leave the place on a stretcher some day. I agree that he's the most exciting chef in Dublin at the moment, but space is so tight not only in the kitchen, but also in the room, that for him to get a star, it's going to be all about the food... which is definitely at 1* level. It would be great to see him move to a better room like One Pico... and change the name of course because it carries too much baggage.

Sanghay ← It's interesting that Adria picks a Chinese restaurant. I read somewhere recently that he is most excited about Chinese cuisine at the moment, as well as Middle Eastern.

Hmmm.... I think he should be working the room. Certainly the last time we were there it seemed to go down very well, and he seems to be a decent guy, despite his propensity to veer into ascerbic mode the minute the media is around... famously on TV on No Experience Required and more recently with his sniping at Richard Corrigan in the Sunday Indo article.

Thanks so much Bar Juan Frau looks cool.

Another great Gastronome report. Thanks so much for being so speedy with it. But... ehem... you still haven't mentioned what you can get for €3.50 in the canopy bar. I would expect the portions to be small but am now even more intrigued that this appears to be the cost of all the plates and not just a token cheapie. Did you notice if the bar filled up over the course of the evening? This is potentially a nice little earner if it catches on. I'm dying to give it a go. Also, do you think that your meal was worth €180, which is a fair wad of cash? And do you think he's being a bit bullish charging 2* prices when he's technically (although maybe not deservedly) a 1* restaurant? And (nearing the end of my questions)... was the dining room full and did Kevin Thornton do the rounds of the tables at the end of the evening? Nice touches on the service and the attention to detail. They're obviously pulling out all the stops. And the big question, how does it compare to your recent meal in Mint?

Thanks for the list Rogelio. Are any of these in Barcelona or San Sebastian?

About your Philip Treacy creation... or is that a bag over your head?

Thanks for this Caitriona, I missed picking up a copy of the SBP on Sun. I see he mentions that there are €30 and €40 lunch menus (which are on the website). Maybe these are in addition to the €55 one he had posted outside... but still, that would mean that coffee and petits fours are €15, which sounds a lot. I think he would be wise to keep the lunch menu at the great value level. Dying to hear how the Gastronomes get on this week and really hope for Thornton's that this is a success.

Here's the link to Docsconz's Rafa's thread (probably makes sense to merge them?). I'm a huge fan of Rafa's too. We had dinner there last year and lunch the previous year. The lunch was incredibly cheap, but dinner, which had larger helpings was considerably more expensive, although still excellent value for money. I've no idea if this was a change in direction from one year to another, or a case that the approach at lunch time differs from dinner. Zoticus, do you know of a Rafa's type place in Barcelona?

I just walked past Thornton's after lunch and had a glance at the menu. The lunch menu is now €55 for 3 courses and coffee, with no 2 course option, so starting to look a bit expensive, since there used to be a €30 and €40 option (Mint is much better value, and very representative of the ALC). The surprise menu is still €125, and the chef's 13 course tasting menu is €175 (this was the cost of the white truffle menu before Christmas, I'm not sure if there was always a menu at this price point). So basically, there's not much change in the menu at the restaurant with prices definitely at the 2 star level. Really looking forward to hearing how you get on Simon and Hazel, but particularly interested in getting the scoop on the new bar and hearing what you can get on a plate for €3 in Thornton's!

What do you think of this? The Irish News (in Belfast) has been successfully sued for defamation by a restaurateur (link here}. The review, the restaurateur claimed, was defamatory, damaging and hurtful and he said that the Irish News had failed to apologise or print a retraction. The damage is £25,000 plus costs. I didn’t see the piece, but based on what was printed today, it seems unbelievable. The publication has launched an immediate appeal, but does this open the floodgates?

I only caught yesterday's programme. Thought they sounded a bit Trinny and Suzannah when they were having their "analysis" chats. No kid appeal in our house, loyalty to Gordon remains... the Simpsons won hands down.

Hi Suman - Thank you so much... you're making me go red... it's all very new to me (note, first use of a smiley, and probably the wrong one)... and to be honest, I think I was just lucky in terms of media timing; there really wasn't much going on so I filled a gap. Ian Dempsey is a total pet and could broadcast in his sleep, so the interview with him was really enjoyable. The producer for Ireland AM heard me on his show and talked me into doing TV, about which I was a bit apprehensive. I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a go. I just made up my mind not to be nervous, and it paid off. Hey... my 15 seconds of fame! To put others in the picture (and show that this is actually on topic!), Mint is one of the restaurants that was featured during the interview on Ireland AM (which a surprising amount of people watch, there's too much pandamonium in our house in the morning for TV!). They asked me to pick a few restaurants, and shot footage of each of them. Mint was an obvious one to choose, because it's new and quite different from anything else in town. I also chose Chapter One for its focus on Irish produce and incredible service, commented that I expected Michelin to totally ignore it once again, and then was so delighted to be wrong when they awarded it a star a few days later. I also chose a liitlle family-run Chinese restaurant in Parnell St that reflects changing Dublin, and La Cave, not for the food, but for the ambiance, and because it is heroically untouched by the Celtic Tiger and about the only Bohemian place left in Dublin. Initially Fayruz (my much loved shawarma place) was to be included, but the owner wasn't around so they coulldn't get in to film. On the Eat Out guide, I was delighted to see that it actually sold out (the power of the media), and there's going to be a reprint for Easons and Newsprint (the distributors). Again, at €4.99 and in magazine format, the guide is targetting a different spend from the traditional guidebook market, so it has proved to be a nice little gap in the market. BTW, re link, I didn't write the zebra etc intro on the Today FM website!

It's also worth checking out hotwire. It's a bit of a gamble but generally pays off with a good rate. You select a city, it's divided into zones, you select the zone(s) you are interested in and enter the dates you wish to book. It will list the options available, give no names, but loads of details and most importantly, give a rate. The only catch is, you don't know what hotel you're getting until you've booked (and there's no pulling out then), so you have no idea of how big the discount is. You never end up paying over the odds, and will always get a good, if not exceptional rate.

← This is interesting, because it was exactly my take on their approach to Ireland this year. There's something very Irish about Chapter One in Dublin, which they have ignored in the past and just awarded a star (open 15 years), and I was even more surprised to see how quickly Aldridge Lodge in Wexford was awarded a Bib. Total speedy Gonzales compared to their usual time frame. Hopefully this won't be their only criteria/focus. I would like it as an additional string to their bow.

Jon, the cookbook only arrived a few days ago (pretty cheap on Amazon now!), so I've just had a quick look through. This may sound picky, but I hate grey type, a real form over function style mistake in my book, so that put me off immediately. At a glance, it looks like pretty straightforward stuff; it sounds from your comments above like it's dumbed down... and well... not revealing too many secrets. Since you mention cassonades, could you tell me what consistency they should be? For instance, should they be the consistency of Japanese savoury custards (which I've had on quite a few occasions) or more liquid? There was one on the tasting menu at Mint last Fri and it reminded me of the Japanese approach with little surprises hidden in the middle. However, it was a bit looser than I've had before. Re Essence, Santa brought that one and I agree, it's a fabulous book.

Who’s cooking in the kitchen there if he’s busy empire building? His former head chef Dylan McGrath is running Mint in Dublin since early summer (pretty impressive in a torturously small kitchen). He said that Aikens was very hands-on during his time there. I recently picked up a copy of his book as I’ve never eaten in his restaurant and was interested to see how it compares with what’s on the menu at Mint. He’s a good looking guy, but why so many “achingly cool” B&W reportage shots? Tom wrapped up in a snuggy jacket out walking, Tom on the phone, Tom reflected in the mirror…

Hi Bryan, I've seen your threads too, and second all the recommemdations for Can Roca. It's a train journey out of town, but well worth it. Exceptionally good value for money too. You will probably be very full after lunch there, so following it with Quimet i Quimet that evening - a tapas bar that Silly Disciple recommends regularly - might be a good idea. Very inexpensive top quality tapas made primarily from canned goods (don't underestimate this factor) in a really cool little spot. We loved it. I preferred Hissop to Cinc Sentits (although in fairness the latter was for a private function, so there were some menu constraints), and Sauc and Colibri are spots I'd love to try. They get plenty of favourable mentions from trusted palates on this board. Alkimia appears to be not so popular, and for that reasonl I skipped on it. We enjoyed Comerc 24, but there are better places. On Cal Pep (famous for its fried fish tapas), I really enjoyed it, although many on this board feel it is over-priced and over-rated. It would be interesting to get a recommendation for a more off the radar place that does the same type of food because the experience is certainly a good one. As menitioned by posters above, the Iberico ham is wonderful and also look out for pimientos de Padron, a tapas plate of green chilli type peppers, which are mostly mild but with a few fiery intruders to keep you on your toes. The markets are well worth a visit, and in the old quarter, look out for shops that sell turron, a Catalan nougat made from almonds: the blanco is like French hard nougat, but the turron blando is quite soft, made from crushed almonds and honey... just incredible.

The Thornton's publicity machine is in action. There was a piece in the Evening Herald about 10 days ago talking about the re-vamp, by David Piscuskas of New York based design firm 1100 Architect (celebrity clients include Jasper Johns, Christy Turlington and Liam Neeson), and more detail in the Irish Times on Saturday. They found that "there wasn't any 'there' there", so we'll be hoping for plenty of 'there' there when it opens on Friday. The main room will continue to be a formal dining room with tasting menu, ALC and a new addition of a low-calorie lunch time selection (so I expect he'll be hoping to regain his second star). The oppressive ceiling has been raised, the windows opened up to reveal the view of St Stephen's Green and a "rich chocolate colour" carpet has replaced the awful ochre-red one. The canape bar to the left will be "like a garden" with silk and wire leaves behind a light-difusing material canopy. Canapes, we are told will start from as little as €3, which is great news (interesting that he's avoiding using the tapas word). So possibly more of a Conrad Gallagher trendy mood about the place... which is obviously the definition of "there". Sounds very interesting.

We had a great dinner out with the Gastronomes on Friday. Did the tasting menu with wine pairings. Some very good dishes: scallops, lamb and a rhubarb pre-dessert with the gentlest hint of lavender oil (inspired). Unfortunately, a teensy bit of truffle oil made an appearance in two of the starter dishes. I told chef later about AA Gill's opinion on truffle oil - that a bicycle chain is about as high as it should ever aspire - and suggested he bin the offensive item. So glad to see that AA has taken up this worthy cause. Will post in more detail when the fondue-filled Gastronomes return from yet another of their holidays!

I'm sure you've heard the saying: "Pride come before a fall"... I think you're right to start looking at the omens on this one. But here's a suggestion, why not take a trip to Oman? Most of the Gulf states are very boring from a landscape POV, but Oman is quite spectacular, and the people there are absolutely lovely. As it happens, quite exotic looking too; the nearby Indian influence seems to creep in (Sultans, turbans, very Arabian Nights looking). Again, it's a long time since I was there, and I didn't venture further than Muscat, but it might be an option.

Couple this with the fact that restaurants are already booked up for Valentines night, some are offering 'Valentine's Week' bookings and all are offering shite set menus and restricted sittings. I reckon London restaurants are only going to bother opening to the general public on designated days. They'll offer a restricted prole menu, canteen style, mop the place out once hoi polloi have gone their smelly way and reopen to the discerning and rich for the rest of the year. ← Add the abominable attitude at Christmas to this list. Two sittings and a limited menu with the most simple dishes "cooked" shabbily. Oh yeah, and 12.5% service charge automatically slapped on for parties of over six people who will be booted out unceremoniously when the bell tolls.

As Simon said in the post above… Mint in Ranelagh is a very different place under Dylan McGrath. Oliver Dunne revolutionised the neighbourhood restaurant concept in Dublin, doing very good food at a great price, turning the tables and keeping the place full, but Dylan McGrath is chasing the top-end spend, and this chef is looking for a star… which is not surprising since he was head chef at Michelin-starred Tom Aikens in London. (Ironically, this is what Oliver Dunne is attempting in the equally affluent neighbourhood of Malahide, but more of that later). So the room is still small, but better laid out than it was before, with a particularly awkward table by the kitchen/bathroom disbanded, so just 40 covers, doing the best value lunch in town, and dinner with just one sitting. This guy needs bums on seats to make it work. The whole foam thing which is mooted “passed its sell-by” in some gastro hot-spots, is relatively new on our shores, and the little introduction we’ve had of it to date has given it a seriously dubious name. Up to now it’s been… have siphon, will foam… and not surprisingly, it’s been panned by the critics and viewed suspiciously by the “ye wha?” public. At this point, it’s important to establish that I’m not a foam disciple; I don’t think it’s the new mother sauce and I don’t have any particular culinary allegiances. I enjoy good avant garde cooking along with just about every other type of cuisine done properly. If anything, I miss the hugely out of fashion heavy French food, the butter-mounted sauces, the cream and Michelin quality demi glace, and by the same measure I also adore really simple, pure food. Interestingly, all the critics, many of whom would normally put themselves on the conservative side of the avant garde fence, have rated Dylan McGrath’s cooking at Mint and are clear that it isn’t gimmicky. I had only ever had dinner in Mint before, so when I had lunch a while back, I was surprised to see how nice the space is in the daytime. Light floods in and somehow the little square room works very nicely (ask for one of the round tables for two). Celine, the maitre d’ is absolutely lovely, the perfect combination of French and gentle touch Irish, and the young sommelier who Simon talked about seemed to be fine (I only had a glass of wine, well advised and very nice for €7, so minimum contact but all went well). I absolutely loved the amuse bouche. It was in one of those trendy, tall, round white pots with the lip dipping down to meet you. But what was inside was not “made-y-uppy I can do a foam” stuff, it was so resolved and deliciously creamy that I was quite taken aback, and yes, seduced. I can’t describe it fully, but it was primarily sour cream with a fragile cauliflower foam, and creamy avocado with a touch of lime and quite a bit of sweetness on the bottom layer that worked surprisingly well. The starter was large (but I had said I was hungry when I was asked!), and Dylan McGrath has gained quite a reputation for his generosity as a chef. Essentially, it was a grilled cod, softly poached egg and chicken wing dish, with leeks and roasted hazelnuts. The only foam on this plate was the cappuccino froth type which I prefer to have constrained to a shot glass as an amuse rather than wandering forth on my plate, but this is just a personal thing. In its defence, it was intense and flavourful, and it actually played the chicken role more comfortably and subtly than the wings, which I felt were unnecessary. The John Dory main course redefined generosity, and again, I felt that it was a bit busy. But there were some unbelievable strong points to this dish. The fish was served with a sheath of carrot, cut meticulously into an opaque slice measuring about 4” x 5” (much like the Japanese cut daikon) and it was the most beautiful carrot I have tasted in a long time. But better still was the carrot sauce that was poured from a little jug onto the plate at the table. It was deliciously creamy and beautifully balanced, with a touch of star anise and tarragon. To me, this sauce sums up Dylan McGrath’s potential, his sense of texture and the way he can layer flavours. It’s way more than just technique. He’s got religion. But… another sauce – coriander yoghurt – was poured into the transcendent carrot sauce, and for me it was one jug too many. I also didn’t quite see the role of the deep-fried battered prawn which was perfectly cooked but too sweet for my taste and a little dish of crème fraiche, which I presume was for the prawn (I don’t know), but I didn’t think went with it. There was some beautifully braised chicory, some orange segments and a very sticky demi glace artfully strewn on the outer rim of the plate. When I talked to him later, and mentioned “possibly a bit too much happening”, he flinched ever so slightly (yikes) and explained that his approach is intentional, that he views his dining experience as “eating across the plate” and didn’t think there was a need to make one ingredient the hero. It’s a valid point. His desserts are very strong… something that is a bit of a weak spot around town. He wasn’t busy, so he treated me to a bit of a selection. One of them was a coconut foam with lime jelly… again top marks for the trendy stuff. I don’t really like coconut that much but it was beautifully delicate and the jelly was so cold that it was a stunning contrast, again, working wonderfully on the senses. A mille feuille idea using fine triangles of caramel and divine lime ice cream was another winner and the ginger pudding with saffron had a lovely grown-up quality. So, where does that leave us? Well, I think Dylan McGrath is the most exciting chef in Ireland at the moment, and I am dying to see how he develops. He has something really different to offer, it’s not “foam” gimmicky (as some detractors would like to imply), and I think that people know it. He uses impeccable ingredients which aren’t over-manipulated, and even on his busy plates, they manage to make their provenance known (which is no small feat). Personally, I think he needs fewer components on his plate, and I find parts of his savoury dishes a little too sweet (the sweetness is intentional, it is one of his things). He could probably save himself a bit of money by reducing his portion size and he would still remain well ahead in the generosity stakes. His effusive approach is not a mistake, it’s a decision, and the efficacy of it remains to be seen. I think he is missing a trick by not pinning his colours more firmly to the avant garde mast because he seems to be the only one on this side of the sea who understands the nuance of this different approach. He has a great sense of texture and tension, and I do think that people will “get it”. It would be his clear (and very delicious) point of difference in the battle for the top-end spend. But maybe… and I don’t know the answer to this… the people who can afford to eat top-end are too conservative for anything more adventurous, and the people who would love it would find it too steep for their pockets. Testing the waters on this may be just a bit too brave. His location in Ranelagh is a bit of a disadvantage for lunch trade as the expense account money is typically spent in town; he is about a mile out of the zone. A “Kitchen Nightmares” marketing promotion targeting all the ad agencies, law firms and big wigs in the city should sort that. If he sent that amuse bouche or something similar into some of the gatekeepers, with info on his great €36.50 lunch (3 courses which includes coffee and great petits fours, or 2 courses for €29.50, but it would be a shame to miss the desserts), he would quickly change the established lunch pattern and get himself in the repertoire. There is no doubt that this is the best lunch value around. He’s an intense, dedicated guy and he is determined to succeed. There’ll be more to report soon as we’ll be going to Mint this weekend for our first Irish dinner out with the country’s leading gastronomes… Simon_S and Hazel (hannabannana)!!! The tasting menu beckons. Should be fun! But back to Oliver Dunne (former Mint chef) and his new endeavour at Bon Appetit in Malahide. I can’t start a new thread on this yet, as so far, the eating here has only been done by my twin palate Steve on 3 or 4 occasions, and it’s been downstairs in Café Bon, the more casual bistro part of the enterprise. Upstairs is what Oliver Dunne calls his “Michelin contender”, and Tom Doorley, food critic for the Irish Times (who I rate), was less than favourable in his review on Saturday. The perfectly seared scallop starter was presented on a roofing slate, he recounted unenthusiastically, a heavy hand with the salt was noted on two occasions, and the over-priced “weedy wine list” made him feel “tetchy”. He was disappointed that he was offered bread only once, but this I’d imagine is just a Michelin affectation where all bread is removed from sight after the starter (would sully the palate, I presume?), which is a shame because I remember his bread as being very good and would be surprised if it is stinginess. And the main course he described as follows: Oliver Dunne had his positioning spot on in Mint in Ranelagh. What he is offering in Malahide is a two-tier approach, with a lesser bistro version downstairs (which by all accounts is quite good: French onion soup, moules, steaks etc, wine starting at €26, and it’s a pity that this wasn’t included in the review), but perhaps the formal restaurant upstairs is a bit of a reach and is just not his thing. But this is just conjecture. I’m sure he’s feeling a bit deflated after the very positive reviews he got in Mint. It is just one review… but I can’t help thinking that what he was doing in Ranelagh would work perfectly in any affluent suburb, and maybe he should stick to the knitting, which he had off pat.