Flying Clipper Restaurant Asylum Road, Derry (North West Regional College) Phone 028 7127 6409
IT'S quite the norm these days, for further and higher education colleges to have their own restaurants, so the students taking courses in cookery and food and drink service get the opportunity to put their skills to the test in real life situations. The Flying Clipper is the restaurant of the North West Regional College in Derry, and my brother and I headed there for dinner the other Thursday.
I know nothing about food preparation.
Up until the third series of Masterchef, I thought a sous chef was a Native American cook. I do know about eating, however, and I can safely say this was the best meal of its type that I've had in Northern Ireland, and as good as I've had anywhere else, come to think of it.
By "of its type", I don't mean made by students, or for the money. Yes, £14.95 represents fantastic value, and yes, the meal was made and served by students under their tutors' supervision. But I don't care about that. Bad food is bad food and bad service is bad service, no matter how little you pay for it. Besides, I have high expectations of everyone except myself.
No, what I mean is fine dining, because that's what the Flying Clipper offers. Now normally, I'm as comfortable in a fine dining experience as I am in a pair of skinny jeans. I'm more chicken-in-a-basket and an elasticated waistband. Think Scouse Homer Simpson. Not the case here. From the off we were put at ease, and guided through the meal by David, our warm and knowledgeable waiter, of whom more later. First up was an amuse bouche (David's words) of cauliflower and curry soup, drizzled with honey. This was smooth and creamy, with a lovely crunch from the cauliflower and bite from the curry, beautifully complemented by the hint of sweetness.
For starters, my brother chose the dim sum, a terrific combination of sweetness and punch, wrapped in a crunchy coating. Elegantly presented, too. Dainty almost.
Or, as our kid put it, "just the right size for your gob". See what I mean about fine dining and the Kearney boys?
I had the roast quail. The meat was moist and tender, and the bacon gave a lovely contrast to the delicate gaminess of the quail.
My cod was perfectly cooked - soft, delicious flakes of fish - and the accompanying sauce was gorgeous. The crust had plenty of flavour, although could have done with more texture, I'd say.
As nice as mine was, once again I found myself wishing I'd ordered the same as my brother. He had the beef. This was so succulent it came apart with just a touch of the knife. The potato maxim was a lovely crisp frisbee, the parsnip puree was sweet and earthy, and the port sauce...Wow. This was big and beefy, bags of oomph without ever being overpowering.
Dessert. I'm sorry to say Lent ended early this year. Or took a brief holiday. I'm not proud, but it was David's fault. Or should I call him Satan, because he got thee beside me with this fantastic assiette (more fine dining lingo) of irresistibilities. I know that's not a word, but it should be.
Quiet descended on the table, apart from the crunch of the cheesecake base and the clash of spoons as my brother and I duelled over the chocolate pave. That's pronounced parvay, incidentally. I won't make that mistake again.
To be honest, the only criticism I have concerns the opening page of the menu, which describes the Flying Clipper as one of the city's best-kept secrets. That's nothing to boast about. They should shout about this place from the rooftops. I will.
* Open Wednesday and Thursday for lunch and Thursday evening for dinner, term time only. See www.nwrc.ac.uk/ flyingclipper for further details and booking.
THE BILL
Starters:
Roast quail with turnip and black truffle, crispy quail's egg, Glebe Wagyu bacon Carrot, leek, and ginger dim sum, scallion and wasabi, Asian dipping sauce
Mains:
Poached cod steak, with chervil, parsley, and fennel crust, chive butter sauce Beef rump, with port, parsnip puree, roast garlic, potato maxim, braised shallots
Dessert:
Assiette of: Baked passion fruit cheesecake, honeycomb parfait, Italian meringue, verbena and raspberry puree Belgian chocolate pave, spiced poached pears, pistachio brulee, raspberry sorbet Apple tart tatin, vanilla crème pot, apple puree, crumble, milk ice cream Coffee, with a selection of petit fours Set price: £14.95 per person
Total: £29.90