Ireland: Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant

When I first booked our trip to Ireland, I was excited about our first Ritz-Carlton experience. I became EVEN MORE excited when I learned that Gordon Ramsay had a restaurant on the 3rd floor of the hotel.We first went into the bar area for a cocktail and were greeted and served by the most professional and helpful server staff that I have ever encountered. With our cocktails, we were served 3 (complimentary) different amuse bouche selections. Each was delicious and unusual - battered mushroom risotto cake, a phyllo dough square filled with pesto, and one that was topped with the yolk of a quail egg.

Upon arriving to our table, we were served (complimentary) mini, deconstructed versions of French Onion soup. Absolutely delicious. The dinner menu was amazing. The 4 of us each ordered something different - John Dorey; Pork chop, cheek, belly served with delicious mashed potatoes; Sea bass with roasted eggplant; and my dish - Braised Halibut with saffron risotto and crab and sesame seed croquettes. We also received sugar snap peas and green beans in a light pesto; and a creamy potatoes au gratin.

After dinner, we were served (complimentary) pre-dessert which was a parfait with pear and a light chocolate mousse. Being the dessert connossiuer that I am, I ordered dessert (I ordered dessert before I knew there was a complimentary pre-dessert). I chose a sugar-glazed gingerbread option with baked apples and gingerbread ice cream. This was a really tasty and light dessert to finish out the meal. Or so I thought. We were next served a round of (complimentary) petit fours, including mini key lime pies, super chocolately bon bons, chilled banana ice cream coated in white chocolate, and a cordial-soaked cherry surrounded by shortbread. This was an amazing experience and by far the best meal I have ever eaten.

After dinner, we were given a private tour of Chef Ramsay's kitchen. It was the biggest, cleanest, and the most efficient place I have ever seen.

Eating and drinking through Ireland

Well, we made it back to the States safe and sound! What an amazing trip. A week was not nearly long enough to see all that needs to be seen, but we saw some amazing things within the week.

I was a little nervous about Irish food. I had heard and read about horror stories, but surprisingly, it was very good overall. Here's a run down of the good and bad:

The Bad
-To our surprise, Irish "bacon and cabbage" is nothing like the American version of corned beef and cabbage. The "bacon" is more like spiral-cut ham, the potatoes are pureed, and there is a parsley sauce (similar to a white gravy) served on top. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it was not what I was expecting.

The Good
- Guinness: tastes better in Ireland
- Malt vinegar: I used this on many dishes and really grew to like it.
- Guinness Beef Stew: Jim ordered this. It had a delicious flavor and was served with a puff pastry on top. The beef itself, however, was really fatty.
- Fish and Chips: This is served everywhere and is extremely delicious.
- Shepard's Pie: Perhaps naive, I thought I would be eating beef... turned out to be lamb, which I usually do not eat. Overall, it was delicious though.

The Great
- Jameson and Ginger Ale: In the land of Jameson, I found a way to really enjoy this delicious Irish whiskey. Some would say it should not be mixed... oh well!
- Bulmers Cider: The most delicious and refreshing alcoholic drink I've ever had. It's called Magner's in the States. This will be a summertime staple!
- Tartar sauce: Every pub/restaurant made their own.. it was so fresh and tasty.
- Baked brie: This appeared on many pub menus. Big fan.
- Tea: I already loved tea before the trip, but I loved the wide variety of options served everywhere - even at the pubs!
- Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant: Review in a separate blog entry...