As we enter the long restaurant, we are instantly met by a great waft of smoke. Not the kind of unpleasant smoke you get from those Halloween Bonfires – but more like that which you get from a raring hot grill at the summer barbeque. “I’m really looking forward to this”, says my friend, before we are met by a smiling waiter who tells us we can sit anywhere along the wall.
It had been a long day, and we were starving. Mister S is a restaurant for those kind of days – no-nonsense, simple but stunning food in a casual setting. With the same team that’s behind Featherblade on Dawson St, an establishment that many a Trinity student has breezed past before, Daniel Hannigan, former sous chef at Richmond and founder of Food for Thought, leads the kitchen team.
The restaurant layout is certainly unique. All the seating is organised as twos on the left and booths on the right, with a small flight of stairs going to the open-plan kitchen. It’s like the emperor’s booth in the colosseum, giving the chefs a prime view of their guests. We are given menus and offered tap water, which comes promptly in a large jug with a few sprigs of rosemary. Overleaf I see the list of suppliers, with all the fruit and veg coming from Hussey & Sons Fruit and Veg, a prominent supplier in Dublin.
The menu isn’t split into “Starters” and “Mains” like a traditional one, but, more like modern-day restaurant menus, it is divided into “Nibbles”, “Smoked & Grilled”, “Sides” and “Sweet”. I opted for the Smoked Chicken and Romesco while my friend chose the Charred Mackerel with Herb oil to start. When the starters arrive, I am taken aback by the smell – it’s immensely enticing and I start salivating.
The chicken is perfectly cooked and moist, and the skin is supremely good. It is crispy and sweet from the glaze, the hint of oak during the smoking process lending itself to the skin. The almonds provide a good crunch on top of the chicken and the romesco sauce brings balance to the palate. There is not too much olive oil and it is served lukewarm to contrast the hot chicken. The mackerel is a very fresh and light start to the meal. It’s just about cooked and even a touch raw on the inside, which makes the fish tender but gives it some structure without it coming apart from the skin. Paired with the goat’s cheese and herb oil, it’s a really refreshing start to the meal.
When the starters arrive, I am taken aback by the smell – it’s immensely enticing and I start salivating
The main took a lot more thought because all the options sounded delicious. I eventually got the Marinated Pork Tomahawk supplied by Andarl Farm, and my friend went with the Dublin Bay Skate with lemon beurre blanc. The marinated pork chop arrived quickly and did not disappoint. The subtle spices of paprika and cumin had me salivating again, and the small lagoon of resting juices looked like prime dipping material for my miso roasties.
The skate came smothered in a lemon beurre blanc – the cartilage just about popping through the sea of marigold and green. The tomahawk had already been cut for me and I internally squealed at the clear separation of fat and meat and how they were both so perfectly cooked: mostly white with a slight rosiness. The spice from the marinade is enough to send a tingle and the pork is seasoned expertly – it’s almost like these guys know what they’re doing. The skate is fall-apart tender and melts in your mouth.
The best thing about that dish is the balance. You see this lovely slab of skate on your plate drowning in a butter sauce but it not only tastes delicious, it’s not fatty and claggy either. One doesn’t overpower the other and they work together in harmony.
As our plates are taken away from us and we bask in post-meal bliss, we get chatting to our waiter, Dave. After complimenting me on my shoes (best way to my heart), he offers to bring us to the kitchen for a little tour. Not thirty seconds after that exchange occurs, Dan Hannigan himself comes down and brings us up to the “Emperor’s Booth” for a tour.
He proudly displays the Country Fire Kitchen grill where they cook nearly all their food and he points at the two most useless fixtures in the kitchen – the gas hobs. We are in awe of the operation he has going on and he humbly mentions that they’re still getting things going and on their feet. I gawk at his admission and tell him I can’t wait for when they’re in full flow.
We return to our table and as the menus are offered to us for dessert I request the elderflower and strawberry dessert and the viral bubble pudding. The two desserts arrive at the same time. The elderflower foam covers the cold cake and strawberry layer and we devour it so as not to let the bread pudding cool too much.
The brioche “donuts” are baked and then covered in a caramel sauce and allowed to bubble on the fire before being topped off with roasted banana ice cream. There is nothing I can say other than you need to try it. It is the perfect autumnal dessert, with rich, warm caramel and the bitter but comforting banana ice cream acting like a blanket for the soul.
Although we did splurge on our meal a bit, it was well worth it and we had to be practically wheeled out of the restaurant. That being said, I encourage anyone with a penchant for good food, from local producers utilising sustainable food sources, to try out Mister S. I have no doubt this business will blossom and I truly can’t wait to return.
