Restaurant Review - Canteen at the Market
Tuesday 11 February 2014
Love is in the air this week, and one place you can't help but feel the love is at Canteen at the Market, owned by young couple, James Sheridan and Soizic Humbert.
The tiny 20-seater is totally charming in its romantic simplicity; it's the complete antithesis of big, flash 'see and be seen' restaurants, yet this new cafe bistro in Blackrock Market has a style and exclusivity all of its own.
The menu is written confidently on a brown-paper roll that hangs from whitewashed walls; the tabletops are covered with brown paper and there are bentwood chairs. On the table, there's a fresh flower in a little glass vase, sugar in a preserving jar, milk in a 'milk' bottle, and, to complete the scene, a no-choice, four-course dinner menu at €35.
During the day, they serve great-value French bistro classics; at night it's more like being invited into something akin to TV chef Rachel Khoo's Little Paris Kitchen, as James and Soizic greet you with big smiles and cook away in the corner. Both are high-end chefs, who met when they worked together in Residence on St Stephen's Green. Sheridan has also worked in Thornton's on St Stephen's Green and, subsequently, at Gidleigh Park and The Bath Priory in the UK. Humbert, who is from Brittany, France, has also worked at Thornton's.
I have always maintained that, if you offer good food at good prices, you will do business, and it certainly proved to be the case here, because it took me four weeks to get a seat for their end-of-week dinners.
Gorgeous French breads arrived at the table in a mini aluminium milk pail, into which we dived, while lapping up the aromas and atmosphere. It had already been discovered by a couple of arty types, while the familiar voice of a female TV journalist rang from a nearby table. But, our attentions were really on the food, and it was even better than anticipated. To kick off, a generous rondelle of mi-cuit foie gras terrine was as rich, dense, silky and luxurious as the most dedicated of foie gras aficionados could desire. Lightly glazed, it was sprinkled au naturel with strips of green beans, hazelnuts and wild mushrooms – a veritable little forest of goodness.
This was followed up by what was simply listed on the brown paper as "hake, fennel, ketchup sauce", which, to give it justice, was really playing it down, but that's the way things are described nowadays. Picture a piece of pert hake sitting on fennel, flanked by two scallops and dried cherry tomato halves. Each had been seared to perfect caramelisation and the dish was drizzled with the divine 'ketchup' sauce. The whole visual and taste effect was superb, and it was hard to believe we were getting this superbly cooked food at such a price point. "Did you like the ketchup sauce?" laughed Sheridan. "It really has tomato ketchup in it. It's a Joel Robuchon recipe and that's good enough for me." It was good enough for us, too – now I have to try to find it!
Next up was an equally perfect specimen of pheasant breast, with seared, crispy skin glistening above flesh as tender as a whisper, resting on lentils, a slice of luscious browned pumpkin and sprinkled with a couple of leaves of Brussels sprouts and the cooking jus. Ace.
We finished with passion fruit, mango and coconut parfait – again, absolutely superb. The wine list is appropriately short: a couple of reds, a couple of whites and, with a bottle of Cotes de Duras Domaine des Allegrets Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (€23), a brace of Americanos and optional service, our bill for an exceptional evening came to €110. It's not often that I advocate a price rise, but I more than understand why the four-course dinner has just increased to €42.
Canteen at the Market,
Blackrock Market, Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Tel: (086) 061-4637
www.facebook.com/marketcanteen
www.lucindaosullivan.com
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT