I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I called into The Blazers Bistro in The Ardilaun hotel. I normally think of many hotel bistros as serving food that has been cooked since early morning with the sole objective of profit without worrying about the quality. This is not always the case, but very often is.
On reading the lunch menu in Blazers I was immediately impressed by some of the detailed descriptions in the small print. The country terrine was described as smoked ham knuckle and duck confit served with frisée leaves, celeriac, and apple roulade, beetroot, and caper and dill dressing, €7.50, while the Ardsallagh goats cheese was described as black pepper and honey Ardsallagh goats cheese with caramelised pears, asparagus, ciabatta croutons, rocket, toasted pine nuts, and aged balsamic, €8.75. I reckoned that if the actual dishes lived up to these words I might be in for a treat.
I ordered the country terrine, and that confirmed there was more than just fancy words on the menu. It was really excellent and enough of a portion for a middle of the day snack, it was served along with the good selection of home made breads. Along with beef cheek I am starting to see ham hock make an appearance in some menus and it is a welcome addition to some of the more tired dishes out there. These cheaper cuts mean that the chef can be creative without the accountant cracking up.
I was intrigued by the chowder description — smoked haddock, clams, corn, and sweet potatoes, so I asked for a small cupful, wow, it was as good as the best New England clam chowder. Even if there was no fish in it I could have scoffed a large bowl of the creamy liquid on its own. If you have ever had New England chowder and you can never get it on this side of the Atlantic, this is for you. The price for a normal serving is €5.50, The Ardilaun also offers the choice of a smaller bowl for €4.50, all served with a good selection of breads. I reckon it is the best chowder in the west of Ireland, and it is suitable for vegetarians (at least those who will eat fish )
The mains had a tempting sounding dish of gnocchi in a tomato sauce, served with pine nuts, slow roasted vine tomatoes, parmesan, and fine beans for €12.50. However I decided to try the Ardilaun beef pie, which is gluten free, it was described as braised beef, sweet potato, tarragon, and forest mushrooms, topped off with piped champ, plus a green salad and toasted breads, €13.50. I love beef pies, however I seldom order them as the beef is often chewy and what initially looks tempting is often only half eaten. I reckoned if the chef could do such a good job with the chowder and terrine, he might wow me with the pie. It looked good and it tasted great, the beef had been slow cooked for three to four hours, then picked off the bone and then the pie made up. It is a long time since I had such melt in the mouth beef, and the sauce was spot on. The salad was really fresh and the dressing tasty. I am not sure about the serving of toasted breads, but all in all a great dish.
The dessert menu looked pretty average until I read the details in the small print. Pavlova, small print read, ‘Pavlova, topped with rich berry and Cointreau compote with condensed milk ice cream and praline crisp’ for €3.75. It is vegan and coeliac friendly. I chose the dessert titled Chocolate, the small print read, ‘dark chocolate and rum and raisin slice with honeyed mascarpone, Grand Marnier ice cream, and pistachio anglais, €4.50’. The chocolate slice was a bit dry, but the Grand Marnier ice cream was super and along with the honeyed mascarpone was really delicious. To sum up, I was really impressed not by just one of the dishes but by all four, well done to the chef, who obviously has had some pretty good experience in restaurants that have very high standards. This menu is available from 12 noon until 5pm every day of the week. There is also a loyalty card system that can get you a free lunch.
There was another menu on the table that detailed a two course special with a glass of wine or a pint of your favourite beverage for €24, or three courses with a glass of wine or pint for €27.50. This menu is available from 6.30pm to 9pm every day. Visit www.theardilaunhotel.ie or telephone (091 ) 521433
