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Joris Minne: Del Toro
Holy cow! Lisburn’s new Del Toro ‘urban grill’ is a rare find in these difficult times
Friday, 6 May 2011
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As the economic smog chokes the weakest businesses to death, those that remain struggle on valiantly, cutting costs and hoping for the best.
The restaurant business is particularly hard hit, with five restaurants closing in Ireland every day. Nonetheless, an estimated 40 new restaurants and takeaways have opened in the last 12 months across Northern Ireland.
A little over a year ago, a new restaurant opened in Lisburn and not a whole lot of fuss has been made over it since then. Yet Del Toro and its modern woody interior, fabulous little roof garden dining area and the quality and inventiveness of its meals, is top class. Don’t take my word for it, it’s this year’s Taste of Ulster best restaurant in Northern Ireland.
In the kitchen is Nicholas Reid, an awardwinning seafood chef who has turned his attention to beef, as the name of the place might suggest. His steaks have developed such a reputation that the hunt is now on to reveal his supplier. But the only thing I could determine was that the beef was local. He keeps this information secret.
Before having the steak, a quick run through the daily specials shows del Toro is far from a one-trick pony. It includes upside down fisherman’s pie with crisp pan-flashed seabass (£9.95), fresh grilled sardines with a Greek salad and warm charred olive bread (£6.25), pan-roasted Toulouse sausages with a warm beef tomato and buffalo mozzarella stack, balsamic reduction and basil pesto (£8.95).
It’s mouth-watering stuff and there are starters here too. My minder, let’s call her Grainne, has pan-flashed sticky chilli squid with soy, pak choi, sake and lucky boat noodles. It’s a bowl full of colour and texture with a pair of crispy sesame seed straws to provide some crunch. It’s light, the soy is not overbearing and the sticky chilli squid is a welcome change from the conventional crispy kind.
My crab, pea and prawn pastie with fries, lemon and watercress mayo is a meal in itself. The pastie, a kind of fishcake in which the component parts are clearly intact, is deep-fried and golden. Slicing it open reveals a fresh potato mash studded with the prawns and peas but of the crab there is little evidence. It’s still good, especially dipped in that lemon and watercress mayo, which is light and summery.
But the show has only just got off the ground, because the rib-eye that follows is so spectacularly good that it goes beyond eating — it’s sensual, disturbingly pleasurable and engaging, like a new-found love.
The rib-eye, rare and charred, was wonderfully salty — the crystals of seasalt and rough crushed black peppercorns embedded in the flesh like Swarovksi crystals. It had been left to rest and was at peak condition when it was delivered.
The meat was not so tender as to give in easily but had strength and character without being anywhere near tough either. The flavours were marvellous, blending the charred, dark burnt bits with the soft irontinged red meat within.
Simply served on a plate with trimmed asparagus spears, grilled peppers, some broccoli flowers and snow peas, it was a reminder of just how lofty and high-reaching a simple meal can be without the assistance of any complicated sauces, constructions or concepts. And it only cost £16.50.
Grainne’s open prawn sandwich was another simple composition: moist, dark wheaten bread chunks, lots of prawns in a mayo and a bit of smoked salmon for luck. It cost exactly half as much.
Del Toro is a great little restaurant. It’s far too good for Lisburn and deserves a place of its own up in the capital. Only kidding, Lisburn. The town is starting to develop its own little culinary portfolio. The Chilli Limes cafe is simple and good, the Café KoKo is funky, Yellow Door is here too and there’s a new place called Burgundy something. With a leader like Del Toro, here’s hoping diners will make the trip to the dormitory town to get a proper taste of Ulster.
The Bill
Crab pastie....................................£6.95
Sticky chilli squid.........................£6.95
Rib-eye ........................................£16.50
Open prawn ..................................£8.25
Diet coke x 2.................................£3.60
Large sparkling water.................£3.00
TOTAL £45.25
Address
19 Antrim Street
Lisburn, County Antrim BT28 1AU
028 9266 8755
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