I have been working
for the past two months on my project to open my own cake business in Belfast
and it has been so intense and exciting that I got slightly delayed in my usual
blog writing. Here I am though, ready to post about at least three of my most
recent culinary experiences.
I will start with 21
Social. As you know, I had been there before. However, a friend, as passionate
about food as I am, informed me that 21 Social had drastically changed their
menu for impressively higher standards.
As Damien’s brother
and partner were going to visit us, we couldn’t find a better opportunity to go
back and sample the new food.
It was on a Saturday
night, the restaurant was packed but the service as fast and efficient as I
remembered. The menu looked incredibly appealing and full of exciting promises.
Damien and his brother
started with the goat cheese fritters. These delicate crunchy bites were served
with paper-thin slices of white and red beetroot and a creative seasoning that
enhanced the rich flavour of the cheese. It was both surprisingly good and
artistically dressed on the plate.
Stacey picked the three-way
pork terrine, which came with a poached egg and a burnt applesauce. The texture
of the terrine was fabulous and the egg perfectly cooked. I thought the
combination of the runny yolk with the stronger taste of the terrine and the
acidity of the applesauce was magical!
As for me, I had opted
for the lemon and dulse crispy squid, following my friend’s recommendation. I
was not disappointed, the squids were coated in light, fluffy batter and
extremely tender. The nut oil seasoning was absolutely stunning and so
creative. I would have never expected it to go so well with the seafood.
For the main courses,
the men chose the pork belly. Again, the food was beautifully presented and
equally delicious. The truffle gratin was fantastic and the cauliflower puree
was perfect with the pork. The meat was fabulous, with caramelised edges and a
melting in the mouth, fondant texture.
Stacey had ordered the
chicken breast. I am usually not keen on chicken when I eat out. I tend to
think it tastes better when it is homemade but this time, the chef proved me
wrong! The breast was moist with a golden crispy skin, as it had been first
poached then roasted. The same gorgeous goat cheese fritters we had had for starters
and some braised gem hearts elegantly complemented the dish. I had never tasted
cooked lettuce before but I really enjoyed it.
I had asked the
pan-fried sea bass, which was a real epiphany. The fish was prepared on the
skin and was cooked to the perfection. It came with juicy, buttery scallops served on crispy slices of black pudding: heavenly combination! There also was
“cockle popcorn” and potato bread fries. Those two elements literally blew me
away. The cockles had an incredible texture and were presented in such a
creative way and the potato bread fries were gorgeous and such an original
alternative to regular chips. Finally, the béarnaise sauce was
sublime, the kind that brings you back to childhood and makes you want to lick
your fingers the way you did with the chocolate cake batters leftovers in the pan.
All in all, we had a
fantastic experience. We couldn’t fault the food. Everything was perfect:
presentation, flavours, and originality! I would highly and confidently recommend
it to anybody and I am planning on going back myself to sample more of this amazing food!
