FANTASY MENU

from GNI MAG ISSUE 41

by GNI MAG

SLEEPOVER - AC HOTEL BELFAST

OUR APRIL FANTASY MENU

THE GOURMET BOYS

Here’s our April 2020 Fantasy Menu.

STARTER SEAFOOD GUMBO CYPRESS AVENUE, BELFAST

Starter Seafood Gumbo: Cypress Avenue (Ballyhackamore, Belfast)

The menu pricing here offers the opportunity to mix and match “small plates”, as many of the dishes are either around £6 for a small portion or £11 on average for a large, so we prefer to order a number of smaller dishes rather than a starter and a main. That way we can sample a variety of dishes from the menu, which works out brilliantly.

The vegetarian menu is particularly good, giving a lot of choice. As mentioned, we were dining with friends, so we really didn’t eat all of these dishes between the two of us - honestly!

Roast gnocchi with vegetables, Hoisin mushroom pancakes, Goats cheese bruschetta, Kimchi

cabbage dumplings, Smoked seafood gumbo and Crispy Cajun squid

“Double starters” is a great way to sample the excellent food at this busy East Belfast bistro! And we also had some of their delicious artisanal bread, perfect to soak up the fabulously smokey gumbo sauce.

We simply couldn’t find fault with any of the food but, without doubt, our two favourite dishes were the smoked fish gumbo (terrific value for £6) and the hoisin mushroom pancakes - a vegan take on hoisin duck, and just as tasty.

Main Smoked Cod Fillet & Poached Egg: North Down House/TT Bistro (Comber)

Two of the starters of particular note were the crispy duck spring rolls served with a hot and sour sauce, and a deliciously unctuous smoked cod, pea, and prawn risotto.

MAIN SMOKED COD FILLETT & POACHED EGG NORTH DOWN HOUSE / TT BISTRO (COMBER)

The main courses included a wonderfully rich mushroom and spinach vegetarian lasagne with strong flavours of tomato and smoked cheese, and our star dish, smoked cod fillet on a bed of champ smothered in a white wine sauce, and topped with an oozing, perfectly poached egg. Comfort food at its best! We’ll certainly not leave it as long before our next visit to the TT Bistro.

Dessert Churros with Dolce de Leche: La Taqueria (Castle Street, Belfast) We started with drinks; a very VERY hot margarita caliente (not for the faint-hearted),

Prosecco, and a mezcal-based cocktail. From the regular menu we ordered a selection of dishes, and we were also tempted by some delicious sounding specials. In La Taqueria, food arrives at your table when it is ready. DESSERT CHURROS WITH DOLCE DE LECHE LA TAQUERIA, BELFAST

Firstly, came a dish of guacamole especialé (delivered to our table with a little Latin shimmy courtesy of our wonderful waiter - it’s a 10 from us!) and some citrusy ceviche accompanied by tortilla chips and refried beans.

This was followed by a selection of Tacos; the crispy prawn special, oyster mushrooms, and fried cauliflower with a portion of papitas fritas.

We finished our evening with some sugary fried churros served with the most delicious salted caramel dipping sauce we’ve tasted in a long time, and I’m ashamed to say that one of us drank the remaining sauce after the churros had been eaten. No names mentioned!

Follow the @thegourmetboys on Facebook and Instagram

Email - thegourmetboys@gmail.com

See you in the next issue. If you have any requests for restaurant recommendations send us a message and we’ll get right back to you.

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