Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Mount Juliet, to my mind, is the quintessential country house and I never fail to be impressed by its Georgian wisteria clad portico and frontage. It’s grand in a sense, but it’s not so big or overtly ostentatious as to be intimidating and, although a hotel for many years, it’s never lost the feel of being still almost a home, a rather posh home. It’s a real life Downton experience where solicitous members of staff look after you, just as they might have in the days when it belonged to the Earls of Carrick and subsequently the McCalmont family.  Now owned by Tetrarch Capital, who number The Marker, Mount Wolseley and the Powerscourt Hotel, amongst its portfolio, the house has had a superb refurbishment while a development of 80 extra bedrooms is planned, and work is under way at the Golf Club House.

I’ve dined in the beautiful Lady Helen Room on many occasions and the food was always good, however, three or four years ago there was a noticeable drive and ambition emanating from the kitchen under the baton of then Head Chef Cormac Rowe and Sous Chef Ken Harker, and their efforts were acknowledged in 2014 with their first Michelin Star. Rowe departed Mount Juliet for the bright lights of Dubai and Ken Harker is now Head Chef.

Not having visited since the star, it was very clear recently that the Lady Helen was on point on all levels from service, led by Eoin maintaining the right balance of professional friendliness without being obsequious or haughty, to the food, which was exquisite. A Signature 7-course Tasting Menu with optional wine pairings was available, as well as a 9-course Surprise Tasting Menu. We chose instead from the Table d’hote menu, which included scallops, veal sweetbreads, and quail starters, plus mains of rabbit and langoustine, rose veal, and Challans duck. Mind you, we were spoiled with so many little ‘amuses’ and ‘finishers’ it was a tasting experience in itself. A delicate little creamy cheese cracker was followed by a sublime sweet and ‘foresty’ textured white onion pannacotta with Asian beech mushrooms, and by crispy toasted sourdough cubes. My king crab starter, a picture of summer in two elements, had the Alaskan delicacy contrasted with colourful fine fine ribbons, spools and blobs, involving fennel, tomato, yuzu, cucumber and radish, with a yuzu pouring sauce. A second plate played on clear delicate textures having more crab encased in a tomato jellied essence. Foie gras for Brendan was equally beautiful with blobs and tweaks of apple and almond and a Pedro Ximenez jus. Ace. I followed up with elegantly textured rolls of black sole, little gnocchi lozenges, brown butter, caper emulsion and chicken jus, each element meticulously embossed or browned to within a millimeter of the desired shade of perfection. Brendan’s suckling pig, was a vision of browns, caramel and cream, with pork belly, charred octopus, soya apple balls, shitake mushrooms and folds of dark green cabbage leaves. I rounded off with knock-out plate of ‘citrus textures’ involving all manner of avocado, Champagne, Essencia Tokay and Orange Muscat, by way of foams, sorbets, and ‘lacquered’ pannacottas.  

Would we have coffee and petit fours? Of course we would. More heavenly artistic treats by way of a gold chocolate bar, a pink marshmallow knot, studded nougat, lime jelly, a red macaron…

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