Messy-Chef

Image via MunsterPubs

Ireland 3 - New Zealand 22 was the final score as the All Blacks removed our rugby self-belief in an awesome display. We took solace in having a table for five at The Cornstore. A few beers and a nice dinner and sure it will all be forgotten about.

The Cornstore is a newish, buzzing restaurant on Cork’s Coal Quay (opposite TK MAXX). It certainly looks lovely, the imposing limestone outside gives way via velvet curtained doors to an atmospheric cocktail/wine bar. I was informed by Mrs Messy the Cosmopolitans were very quaffable at €9.50 each, luckily the rugby fans weren’t too late and we were seated before the girls could down more than one each.

The upstairs is big and airy and on a Saturday night pretty noisy with the chatter of other diners echoing off the walls and hardwood floors. The dining tables are simple, reminding me slightly of something from my school days. The kitchen is at the back and done in a “Hell’s Kitchen” style where you can see right in and watch at how busy the chefs are as the plates are delivered quick and fast to the staff at the pass. Impressive stuff, watching the clatter in the kitchen and the staff come and go added to the sense of hustle and bustle and how busy the place was. However this did take away from the intimacy and gave the impression of a grill more than a restaurant, nothing wrong with that I guess, maybe that is the intention but with Lobster an option at €50 a plate I wonder.

Service was efficient. Drinks orders were filled while we looked at the menu and the starters arrived pretty quickly. Deep Fried Brie, Duck Liver Pate and Prawn Cocktail gave the menu a bit of a retro feel, the Brie was pretty nice, three large chunks with some tasty salad and a dash of Cumberland sauce. Duck Liver Pate was nicely served but the Goat’s Cheese Crostini looked a little basic with an upturned round of Goat’s Cheese looking rather intimidating.

Mains followed quickly. Crisp Duck Confit Leg for me which was excellent although the bed of pak choi and butternut squash had a bit too much of a garlic hum to it, a couple of Sirloin steaks and two pasta dishes completed the set. All were well received with no complaints. The maitre’d stopped by half way to make sure we were happy which is always welcome and sadly neglected many restaurants. The only let down came at the end where we had to wait for dessert. After 20minutes of no show we inquired where they may be, the waiter came back to report the fondant had not cooked properly and needed to be redone. Another 20minutes passed while we waited. During this time the place became extremely busy with the changeover from early to late diners but this is no excuse for a 40minute wait. When it finally arrived our diner was disappointed with the fondant, maybe the expectation had been too much. A couple of coffees to finish and off we went.

The bill came to €215 (excluding service) for five starters, five mains, two desserts, two coffees, four beers and two bottles of Pinot Grigio. Excluding the wait for desserts it was an enjoyable experience in a pretty nice setting, those who prefer a more intimate dining experience should request a table downstairs.

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Cornstore, Rating=3, Review

Here’s a quick wine review done in my “I like wine but don’t know anything about it” style. Dunnes Stores have been flogging this on the cheap for quite a while now, I think they advertise it as €14.99 reduced to €7.99 and there is a good reason. Lacks depth, nose and body. Fails to mention on the label what type of grapes were used in the blend preferring to say “Its unique character (!) comes from a combination of various types of grapes and the sea”. First wine I’ve had that cites its flavour from the sea. Arrrgh maties! I drank it anyway.

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Drink, Dunnes Stores, Rating=2, Review, Wine

Fresh prawns are always a treat to have. At about €12 per Kg these days they are not cheap, usually somewhere between €6 and €10 for a dozen depending on size, but they are oh so tasty. My preference with prawns is less is more so there is not much extra added after cooking. Not even a slice of lemon. In any event there is a recession on and Messy Towers are balancing the books by removal of all unwanted rocket, Parmesan shavings, cherry tomatoes, cucumber foam and other stupid finicky nonsense that gets in the way of the real food.  We’re taking the ‘no frills’ model and applying it to food. Actually a lot of Irish Restaurants would be well advised to take their heads out of their asses and use a similar approach: Just the food please, keep your foam.

Unlike their frozen Vietnamese or North Sea cousins fresh prawns are tender and sweet, not tough and flavorless. This dish is just some garlic butter and a light crumb on the outside. The saltiness of the Parmesan works with the sweet prawns. Usual disclaimer with the photos applies viz.  I am not a food photographer.

Ingredients (for 2)
12 prawns (shells and intestines removed)
Breadcrumbs from 1 slice of bread
Small handful of grated Parmesan.
1 knob of butter, about 50g.
1 clove garlic crushed.

Method
Add the grated Parmesan to the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Toss the prawns in the mix making sure they are fully coated (the crumbs will naturally stick to the prawns). Put the butter and garlic in a dish, place in the oven at 180c until the butter is melted. Add the prawns, lightly cover with any leftover breadcrumbs and cook for 10-12 minutes. Serve as is.

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Breadcrumb, fresh prawns, Garlic, recipe, shrimp

This is a great dish, it’s a bit of a pain in the ass to make but it’s nice and savoury. If there is stuffing mixture left over paste it onto some crostini, serve with salad and you have an excellent starter, without the salad it will works well as a canape…jeez I used “crostini” and “canape” in the same sentence, watch out Doorley. Let’s move on before I bust out a “hors d’oeuvres”.

Ingredients (for 2):
2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons goat’s cheese
A good handful of sun dried tomatoes
6-10 fresh basil leaves

Method
Place each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and flatten by hammering with a rolling pin, you will see from the photos below I’ve hammered mine into the shape of Africa, that’s purely optional. Put the goats cheese, tomatoes and basil into a mixer and whizz it up. Season to taste. Spread the mixture into each of the flattened chicken breasts and roll up in the cling film into a sausage shape. Wrap in foil and leave to set in the fridge for 30mins+. Place into a pan of simmering water and poach for 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. When done unwrap, slice and serve.

Now, lets get something clear before we move on. My photos suck. No excuses. They don’t do the food justice or make it particularily appetising but I’m not in this for the photography, I like eating, writing and talking about food, I don’t enjoy taking pictures of it. I’m not selling it so I don’t have to fancy it up, these are just regular photos taken with my N95.

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Chicken, recipe

Taking a break from the kitchen on Friday evening we decided to take the messy-miniatures (4 and 6) to the local Chinese. Being a typically wet and windy October night we opted for the safety of the nearest to us which is Wao’s, attached to The Grange pub, right next to Aldi. In Grange.

The restaurant itself is small enough, I suppose typical of a suburban Chinese it plies most of its trade as a Take Away and boy was it busy with a steady stream of people in and out collecting bags of food. Wao’s also have the advantage of having a direct link to a pub, at 6pm we were a bit early for the Friday night curry brigade but it’s a great ‘one stop shop’ if you enjoy a few pints and a curry.

What I liked most about Wao’s is Joe. Joe (above) is the front of house guy and is eternally cheery which is a welcome breath of fresh air in today’s po-faced service industry. Joe makes the kids feel welcome and holds conversations with the adults as they wait for their take aways. He checks diners have what they need and checks the kitchen is keeping up. There should be a Joe everywhere. There should be a Joe in my local service station and there should be one at the checkout in Dunnes Stores. As for the food, it was average. The Won Tons were short on filling, the chicken curry was nice, the roast pork was plentiful and the rice was a bit sticky. Simply put it was a sit down take away. Joe visited during the meal to make sure we were OK and to steal some of the kids noodles, he told them if they finished their dinner he would give them ice cream and the deal was held up on both ends. The kids got their ice cream which was followed by lollipops and the promise of more ice-cream if they finished their dinner the next time.

The meal of Won Tons, Chicken Spring Roll, Chicken Curry, Roast Pork in BBQ Sauce, Two Fried Rice, a portion of Noodles, two cokes and a Bottle of Sauvignon Blanc came to €65. Eating out is not all about the quality of the food, its about the overall experience and what suits your needs at what time. Wao’s isn’t fine dining and nor is it advertised as such. No problems with Wao’s at all. Thanks Joe.

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Chinese Grange, Grange Bar, Rating=3, Review, Wao's Chinese