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 THE
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
TABLETALK - LUCINDA O'SULLIVAN
 Les
Gourmandises restaurant in Cork is a Franco-Irish operation; Soizic
Kiely from Brittany being the 'Franco' half, her husband Pat, from
Cork, the Irish bit.
Pat and Soizic are not newcomers to the restaurant scene. Pat worked
in John Burton-Race's Michelin-starred L'Ortolan restaurant in England,
and then at Dublin's Michelin-starred Patrick Guilbaud for quite
some time.
John Burton-Race is the double-Michelin-starred chef who did a
television programme recently on his year out with his family in
France and has just produced a new cookery book on the subject -
don't they all?
The Kiely team then moved to Kish in Dalkey, which I wrote about
following an expensive and not great experience there a couple of
years ago, although the one thing I did refer to positively all
through the article was Soizic Kiely's professionalism.
Not only are they both well known on the restaurant scene, but
they are now familiar faces as reality television performers - having
taken part in the RTE series Plan B last year, which focused on
the opening of their own restaurant in Cork.
We watched them suffer the catastrophes of bread-making ovens and
the joys of getting a business off the ground.
Located in a section of the former Halpin's premises in Cook Street,
the restaurant has had a stylish, understated makeover; Cook Street
now is a veritable hive of restaurants from many parts of the world.
They have retained old features like the stained-glass door panels
and high glass ceiling, which is a little reminiscent of the old
Turkish bath premises occupied by Jacobs on the Mall.
The front section has a little seating area beside the reception
desk where you can have an aperitif or digestif, close to an open
fire.
There's crisp white napery, clean lines, and fresh flowers on each
table. The walls are white, broken by modern paintings, topped as
it were with a vibrant red floral work of art at the far end of
the room under which we were seated on a little banquette just outside
the kitchen door - deja vu: "I've been here before."
I couldn't resist thinking back to the Wicked Witches Castle seating
outside the kitchen door of Kish.
We were brought three slices of freshly cut bread by the young
Russian waitress - and like Oliver we quickly asked for more.
 The
menu was short and compact, with main courses consisting solely
of fish and fowl - not a viande in sight, which might be a bit confining
for the man who likes his boeuf rare or his agneau pink.
However, what might have been lacking in the viande field was more
than compensated for in the sublime and confident food which ensued.
Eschewing French onion soup and a tasting platter (which looked
very interesting: three little white ramekins on a rectangular plate
of fishy fishy ingredients going out to other tables), Monsieur
chose Dublin Bay prawns (€10.50), which were coated in a mere
whisper of crispness, stacked, and accompanied by a tangy mango
mayonnaise emphasised with sharp fried capers.
Madame found her substantial tranche of terrine of braised ham
- a sort of jambon persille - served on a board with a parsley cream
mustard and pieces of warm toast (€9.50), to be quite delicious.
Tian of crab (€9.50) with creme fraiche was quite a picture.
(Oh, the joy of camera phones, they were invented for people like
me. Now not only do I have the talking handbag but the camera phone
as well to freeze for ever the joys or horrors of what's on the
plate in front of me!)
Anyway, no horrors at Les Gourmandises, because it just got better
and better; this beautiful crab came with apple puree and lemon
dressing.
"The pheasant is simply roasted," said Soizic I wondered
briefly would I switch to the duck breast glazed with shallots and
an olive jus, which sounded divine, but I stuck with the faisan
(€24), feeling confident that here it would be good.
"How many times have I had the poor roasted bird dried out
of existence" I thought. "I hope I am right." I was,
and Pat Kiely was, which 'Each dish was beautifully presented with
little details - nothing over-fussy, just really good food elegantly
presented' is more to the point. A moist pheasant breast and leg
came with beautifully prepared Savoy cabbage with smoked bacon,
a pomme fondant topped with a little dried apple ring hat and a
sage jus. Monsieur fancied a little poulet and went with breast
of chicken (€19), which came with a delicious thyme pomme puree
and a hazelnut and parsley dressing, and it was absolutely superb.
Chicken with flavour is not a thing we come across very much any
more, but this just had it.
 Madame
considered whether she might have sea bream, which was with a celeriac
and balsamic dressing, but the roasted aubergine which came with
the John Dory (€24) swung it for her and she was ecstatic.
Each dish was beautifully presented with little details here and
there - nothing over-fussy, just really good food elegantly presented.
Puddings were €6.50 and were divine: a prune and brandy parfait
came with poached plums and a caramel syrup; vanilla creme brulee
and lemon tart with raspberry sorbet - each perfect.
Our bill, including a bottle of red wine and optional service,
came to €161. I am not going into the wine in detail because
we flinched a bit when tasting it and Soizic said, "It will
soften down."
It didn't, and we probably should have drawn her attention to it
(it would have stripped yacht varnish), but we didn't.
Les Gourmandises is a rare delight.
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