Restaurant Review - Pygmalion Restaurant at Parknasilla Resort
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Parknasilla Resort on the Ring of Kerry has long been one of the jewels in the crown of Irish Tourism. Built in the mid 18thC on a sub-tropical 500 acre estate, overlooking an inlet of the Kenmare River, with the Gulf Stream nibbling at its toes, it has enjoyed a special place in the hearts of many Irish families as well as International visitors. Parknasilla became a hotel in the 1850’s and, with the advent of the railway folk would travel to Killarney and be ferried on by horse and carriage to Parknasilla. It has been visited by everyone from George Bernard Shaw to Charles de Gaulle, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to Princess Grace. I remember some years ago meeting an English lady who travelled over for 50 years, staying religiously 19 days with 19 ‘ballgowns’ for dinner, after which she sat in the hall, regaling everyone with her career as a former ballroom dancer. She was always so gently minded by Hotelier General Manager par extraordinaire, Jim Feeney, and the staff. Marvellous stuff, you couldn’t invent it.
In recent years whilst still retaining all its original charms in the great house, modern bedrooms, and suites, have been added along with a superb spa. They also now have lodges and villas in the grounds for self catering. We were there recently and dining in their famous Pygmalion Restaurant with its high ornate ceilings and palm trees.
The food is really good, with Executive Chef Peter Brennan, ex Mount Juliet and the Conrad Hotel Dublin, waving the baton in the kitchen. I have always liked Brennan’s food with its classy tweaks and this visit was no different.
Starters €8.50/€12.50 included grilled fillet of mackerel with foie gras mascarpone, pickled cucumber, potato gateau and dill vinaigrette. Homemade duck sausage comes with crispy leg, orange gremolata, and white truffle and Jerusalem artichoke veloute, whilst braised shoulder of lamb is paired with Feta cheese pannacotta, sweet beetroot confit, potato mousseline and wild garlic oil. I had sublime pan fried scallops (€12.50) with a fennel marmalade, cauliflower puree, and a great golden raisin and caper dressing, which added a really sharp sweet sour dimension. Brendan had a fine tranch of pressed ham hock terrine (€10) served with caramelised crisp tasting Granny Smith apple, pineapple puree, clove toast, and honey and mustard sauce, providing an aromatic symetry of flavours.
Mains €16.50/€28 included an interesting sounding “Pork Plate” which sported barbecue flavoured pork cheek, confit pork belly, pork cutlet, pork rillette, Sneem black pudding, caramelised shallots, and an apple, Calvados, and horseradish puree. Halibut was with a potato and onion cake, olive tapenade, tomato petals, asparagus, tips and a vanilla pod veloute, whilst monkfish tail was crumbed, baked and served with Parmesan mash, garlic, and saffron mayonnaise. I had delicious pink and tender Kerry lamb cutlets (€26) paired with soft and succulent braised shoulder, spiced aubergine caviar, minted pea puree and a wild garlic jus. Just superb. Pan fried fillet of turbot (€27) proved a fine chunk, moist and meaty, with stem broccoli, scallops, broad beans and tomato, and a white Balsamic dressing. Cracking.
A gorgeous bountiful blackberry sponge (€7.20) tall and elegant, with a shot glass to the side of aromatic ginger and chilli blancmange, and finally tweaked with a walnut tuille. Brendan had a lovely selection of Irish and Continental cheeses (€9.20) which came with cheese biscuits and an onion marmalade. With a bottle of a big fruity Veronese wine, Zeni, Costalago Ripasso 2008 (€33) our bill with optional service for dinner came to €139.90.
The Pygmalion man himself, George Bernard Shaw, said of Parknasilla "It is a place of long sea views and intricate walks between ferns and fuchsias, rock and rhododendron, to burnt-out castles lost within the woods and along the various fingers of land that point South West into the warm Atlantic. I tell you this place does not belong to any world that you and I have ever worked or lived in. It is part of our dream world.” So, go and fall in love with Parknasilla.
The Pygmalion Restaurant,
Parknasilla Resort,
Sneem,
Co. Kerry.
Tel: (064) 667-5600
53+
www.lucindaosullivan.com
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011.