Ah man, it’s great to be back in the saddle.
After over four months of restaurant closures, I’ve been itching to get back to eating out.
Whilst the boom in at home restaurant kits has been a real source of joy, there’s nothing quite like taking a load off in a restaurant and putting your dinner in the capable hands of hospitality professionals.
So, where better for our first meal back out than Tommy Heaney’s Uisce, his cracker of a small plates restaurant in Pontcanna?
Their outside seating area wraps around the entire front of the restaurant alongside their impressive tent. So there’s plenty of room for outdoor diners looking to make the most of any fleeting glimpses of sunshine.
Golden orbed croquetas (£4) were filled with silky bechamel.
Crisp crusted and tangy crumbed sourdough (£3.50) was served with Heaney’s signature Marmite butter with a big whallop of umami and dairy creaminess. The mound of butter had doubled in size since our last visit so we of course had to order some more bread to go with it.
Meaty slivers of raw bass (£9) were bathed in a summery dressing of cleansing orange, quality oil and warming stem ginger. A version of this dish was a highlight of our Heaney’s lockdown meal kit.
Barbecued lamb was treated with reverence (£14). Blushing pink and gorgeously tender with a lick of smoke and crisp well-rendered fat, it was joined by the glossiest of sauces, verdant cavolo nero, potent wild garlic salsa verde and the tempering creaminess of goats curd.
Wye Valley asparagus (£8) had also been licked with the flames of a BBQ. It’s accompaniments of salty, smoky, creamy cods roe and the crunch of hazelnut were bang on.
Uisce’s crumpet (£10) has changed topping with every visit. This time their crisp yet squidgy crumpet was topped with yielding pork belly slices dressed with XO butter sauce thrumming with savoury shellfish. Coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime added levity and a south east asian twang.
Desserts were refined riffs on two of my favourite puds - profiteroles and lemon meringue pie.
A choux bun (£8) was filled with a rich chocolate cremeux and topped with lighter hazelnut mousse. Contrast was provided by a sharp citrusy gel and the crunch of hazelnut but the star of the show was a compelling banana miso which was intensely fruity, salty and a little savoury - I just wanted a lot more of it.
A choux bun (£8) was filled with a rich chocolate cremeux and topped with lighter hazelnut mousse. Contrast was provided by a sharp citrusy gel and the crunch of hazelnut but the star of the show was a compelling banana miso which was intensely fruity, salty and a little savoury - I just wanted a lot more of it.
Creamy and citrusy lemon posset (£8) was topped with a buttery crumbly shortbread and peaks of Italian meringue. The masterstroke was a basil puree which provided an aromatic herbal hit to balance the sweetness.
We had a belting meal at Uisce, as expected. Everything was on point from the slick and friendly service, to the delicious wines by the glass (we had Austrian and Argentinian Gruner Veltliners) and technically accomplished small plates which seem to get better with every visit. It’s great to be eating out at restaurants again.
The Details
Telephone - 029 2034 1264
Address - Uisce by Heaney's, 4 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna CF11 9NR
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