I don’t know if Vincent Crepel believes in manifestation, but displaying his personal collection of Michelin guides in Restaurant Terre’s dramatically lit preservation corridor is certainly a statement of intent. You pass the (oddly dowdy, considering what lies ahead) salon on the way from aperitifs – “The start of your journey!”. the restaurant manager tells us excitedly – into the dimly lit open kitchen, where the air smells irritatingly of smoke.
Here the brigade greets you unanimously. ‘Welcome!’ they scream, looking up from the tasks (many with tweezers) they are busy with. They sit on stools at a high table so you can watch them at work while the waiters bring the entertainment. Luckily, the chefs seem like a happy bunch, so their occasional “yes, chefs” in response to a question or instruction from Crepel doesn’t have the creepy, menacing feel that they do The menua flawed film – also with a “journey” by the way – but one worth watching for its testing of the absurdities of fine dining.
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Veau Parisian: smoked milk veal, Kalamata olive, piquillos, anchovies escabeche, white mushrooms and sea fennel
Veau Parisian: smoked milk veal, Kalamata olive, piquillos, anchovies escabeche, white mushrooms and sea fennel
The meal begins with three small crunchy rice tarts in a row filled with smoked veal, sweet Youghal prawns and Ballycotton blue lobster. The food is good, each includes a variety of other ingredients — far too many to list here — and the perfectly calibrated sips are simply stunning.
The next leg of our “journey” takes us just a few steps through the kitchen to a display of some of the luxurious ingredients from Crepel’s culinary arsenal. There are hand-dipped scallops from Norway and finger limes and French caviar and lovely truffles from Périgord. And then we get a bite of A5-grade Miyazaki Prefecture Wagyu beef with barley koji, hazelnut, nori and yuzu-kosho. It’s possibly the most delicious thing I’ve tasted, rich and smoky, subtle and sublime.
Our waiter asks, would we like grated truffles with it? For €48 each. We are amazed as the additional costs should have been cancelledback to the kitchen as we were shown these beauties
We go to our table in one of several interconnected dining rooms overlooking the gardens in Castlemartyr’s original mansion. The walls are dark, the tables are well spaced, the soundtrack features Lou Reed.
The following dishes are simply exceptional: Crepel’s style is unique, the result of French training and time spent in the Basque Country (in Arzak) and with André Chiang in Asia. A beautiful jewel-like dish of tuna belly with trout roe and dulse, an exquisite chawanmushi with smoked eel, foie gras, Wagyu ham and 48-month aged parmesan, and scallop with king crab, lobster, hamachi and lardo in a macrut lime broth.
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Turbot in miso vermouth with jasmine caviar, rose oil and artichokes
Turbot in miso vermouth with jasmine caviar, rose oil and artichokes
Turbot in miso vermouth comes with loads of creamy jasmine caviar, and then comes the only blip — not a food blip, but a service blip — in the form of venison with endive, chanterelles, Albufera sauce, and smoked porcini oil. Our waiter asks, would we like grated truffles with it? For €48 each. We are amazed as the additional costs should have been cancelledback to the kitchen as we were shown these beauties. But we go for it. Honestly these are the best truffles in the world and the shave is really generous. But I’m sure without her the dish would have been delicious – if not quite as delicious. There’s brioche to mop up the sauce and you’d be a fool not to get every last drop.
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Pineapple Sundae: Zacapa Rum 23, Vanilla and Seaweed Caramel
Pineapple Sundae: Zacapa Rum 23, Vanilla and Seaweed Caramel
We now relax with a granita of ginger, lemon, jasmine and lime zest and a gorgeous pineapple sundae with fancy rum and seaweed caramel. I love the way the savory courses far outweigh the sweet ones.
Then it’s back to the saloon for after-dinner drinks and petit fours. Our “Petit Accord” wine pairing bill focused on natural wines from small producers (€110 for six 100cl glasses of wine and a cup of chai), a glass of champagne before dinner and a glass of red wine after dinner, each wine plus Water is €778 before tip (no service charge).
That’s a huge sum. Fine dining is undoubtedly an elite pursuit, but the price of the tasting menu itself (€180pp before the truffle ambush, which has since been fixed so guests are warned of the surcharge in advance rather than being asked on the spot) is good value- value for money for food of this quality. The wise choice might be to order wine by the bottle rather than opting for the pairing.
There is an expectation that Terre will gain two stars on the new one Michelin guide will be released on March 27th. Bookings will be hard to come by then and prices may go up, so if you’re intrigued by Vincent Crepel and this very special Irish/French/Asian experience (let’s not call it a trip please), my advice is, get the case sharp to tackle
budget A shorter tasting menu for €110 is served for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays.
blow out The 12-course tasting menu with the “Grand Accord” wine pairing costs €800 for two people.
The rating 10/10 food 9/10 ambience 9/10 value 28/30
earth, Castlemartyr Resort, Castlemartyr, Co Cork. terre.ie
https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/food-reviews/restaurant-review-terre-is-tipped-for-two-michelin-stars-next-month-but-was-our-778-dinner-bill-worth-it-42334459.html Restaurant review: “Terre’s getting two Michelin stars in tip next month – but was our €778 dinner bill worth it?”
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