Our Latest Great Place To Eat - Pichet
Friday 17 April 2015
Located on Trinity Street, Pichet is a wonderfully modern take on the French bistro with great atmosphere and food to match, for which they hold a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Here, Denise McBrien and Head Chef, Stephen Gibson, consistantly provides patrons with not only a warm welcome but a superb menu, using only the finest seasonal produce, for which he draws on his vast international culinary experience. The result has been great food made from great ingredients.
To the front of Pichet is a bar with casual tables; a couple of steps up leads to the restaurant area with open kitchen, and a very nice long train-like conservatory dining area, where we sat on a sunny evening. One of the defining features of the décor are the retro style French ‘Gitane Blue’ leather chairs.
On my most recent visit, starters included citrus cured salmon with avocado, soy Mirin dressing, compressed cucumber, wasabi and radish; pea soup with ricotta, lemon and wild garlic croutons; not to mention their rabbit, smoked ham and foie gras pie served with pickled heritage carrots and sauce gribiche. One of their most popular items is their new season asparagus with crispy hens egg, broad beans and a truffle emulsion, which I have had on many occasions, so ended up going for their scallops served with chorizo, cauliflower, romanesco, and smoked almonds, which was just perfectly prepared and presented. Brendan decided on the crispy lamb breast which looked great accompanied by peas, aubergine, broad beans and a truffle emulsion. He was very pleased with his selection.
Gibson never fails to be innovative and on offer for the mains were dishes like roast monkfish tail with aubergine, chargrilled tenderstem broccoli, fried potatoes and smoked butter; as well as seabream served with fennel risotto, dill, brown shrimp and a cucumber vinaigrette. Roast potato gnocchi was with basil pesto, mozzarella, spinach and confit tomato whilst their lamb rump was being offered with green olives, violet artichoke, broad beans and grilled courgette.
Brendan went straight for their pork belly with barbeque glaze which looked, and moments later was confirmed to be, fantastic, as it arrived to our table with kohlrabi slaw and rosemary potatoes.