Tuesday, 26 November 2013

James Street South - Belfast - Part two

When we came back to James Street South and had a second experience not only as good as the first one but maybe even better, I decided to write about it again. It was only fair to give the restaurant another review it clearly deserved.
This time around, we had booked a table on a Sunday night and were warmly welcome back by the manager as we walked in. He directed us to the bar and handed us the wine list so we could order drinks while our table was getting ready.

We ordered a bottle of French wine “Rives-Blanques” which I highly recommend! It is so good to find a place like this where the wine selection actually matches the quality and refinement of the food.


For starters, we couldn’t resist the temptation of the fabulous truffle and Parmesan homemade fries. No disappointment there, they were as fantastic as the previous time! We also shared Stilton fritters served on cured beef. There are no words to describe the combination of flavours, textures or the skills and creativity that were demonstrated in this beautiful starter. The contrast between the cured meat, sliced as fine as a carpaccio and the hot fritters was magical. The blue cheese accompanied perfectly the slightly smoky and salty taste of the beef. We simply couldn’t have enough of it.


After such an exciting start, we were impatient to sample our main courses. I wanted to have the mushroom risotto again so that Damien could try it too. You can trust me when I am saying that it was even more sublime than the first time I had it. Between the abundance of gorgeous chunky wild mushrooms, the velvety consistence of the rice, the delicately creamy sauce and the touch of truffle oil, each mouthful was heavenly.


Damien had chosen the ham hock parpadelle. The richness of the large stripes of home made pasta lightly coated in a flavoury sauce, was incredible. The ham was meaty and fondant, cooked to the perfection. The addition of fresh parsley and breadcrumbs gave a nice kick to the dish, smart association of simple but interesting and powerful ingredients. It was unreal!


We were both blown away. James Street South has everything you wish in a restaurant: talented chefs, inspiration, warm and efficient service but more importantly beautiful and carefully selected produce…

You would be a fool not to try it!

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