29th October 2013,

Situated in Dublin’s inner city just off Parnell Street and fused together alongside the striking gothic Findlater’s church, lay the Dublin Writers Museum. Evidently mounted across the red bricked wall, unknown to the group, there was the grand yet indistinguishable Chapter One Restaurant tucked away underneath.

The cold and bleak sky lingered above as we made our way in the direction of the glossy black and gold painted railings where the rest of the foodies waited patiently. Some dressed to impress and some evidently not. I caught myself looking up at the oval yet mysteriously black coloured sign saying Chapter one, cleverly depicted with a symbol of an open book in the middle of the sign. The book was almost giving us an open invitation to come inside.

Down the steps and greeted open heartedly by a gracious gentleman known as the maître‘d, we entered into a sense of upper class. On entering what struck was that our coats were immediately taken care of, one by one, followed by another welcome at the reception desk. During our gracious and generous welcome we were chaperoned to our table leading through to one beautifully laid out area. Whilst passing by smartly dressed business peoples I noticed the fireplace brightening the room complimenting the men with its smart homely effect.
We were guided into the reserved yet calming atmosphere. The high anticipation and expectation instantly satisfied our senses whilst being lead into another calming but bold dining area where we were to be seated. No noises were heard from the kitchen and a lack of music was notable. Although the lighting, alluring us, giving off a dimming effect, setting the mood even further and relaxing the group as we took our pleasantly comfortable seats. Stuck in beside the radiator, space was tight but distracted by the excitement of my fellow diners as they were anticipating what was about to be served.

The hustle and bustle of the group settled as the maître’d once again welcomed us to the restaurant. The menus resting in front of us, he then executed the courses faultlessly also elaborating on the soon to be had meal experience also mentioning the Irish coffee demonstration which was to be held at the end of the meal. He exited to the left under an archway leading into the decorated marbled topped bar and contemporary lounge.
A basket of deliciously displayed bread was placed on the table, instantaneously awakening our taste buds. The waitress smiling as she poured each glass of water. Up next was the ordering, the waitress, once again being polite, took our orders quickly and professionally by repeating each order back. At this stage we were all waiting impatiently for each course to take to the stage. The starter arrived promptly however there were five tables, the first table being served, followed by the next in a clock wise direction, unfortunately leaving our table to be lastly attended to. It was excruciating to watch my fellow college mates tuck in before we could but enthralling at the same time to see their reactions as to what took hold of their eyes.

As chatter echoed throughout the room, waiters filled our wine glasses less than half full, many of whom lacking in affability. I opted for white and red being indecisively discreet. Having had only 3 choices per course it was somewhat difficult as it all sounded so delicious. I began by selecting the cured herring with crab mayonnaise, apple and onion relish, smoked potatoes and pickled Atlantic seaweed. Eye-catching and an interesting display, I nibbled away slowly noticing the lighting wasn’t so appropriate after all, I couldn’t see my plate unlike my classmate, who was digging in next to me. The herring was beautifully cured and was complimented by the smoked potatoes and crab mayonnaise. However, I found the saltiness of the quenelle of crab meat overpowering.

Next I had the cheek of beef, never tried anything like it before, it immediately caught my attention on the menu. The beef was so tender, it just melted in the mouth. The appetizing acidulated onion and mushroom casserole resting below together with the scrumptious roast pumpkin and smoked buttermilk champ potato, a performance in itself. The colour of the pumpkin and champ potato stood out the most, contrasting the dark meatiness of the beef. Much preferred to the starter.

Up next was dessert consisting of Irish blackberries with baked custard and gingerbread crumb, lemon curd and black berry bombe which should have been the berry on top of my evening, sadly not. It looked strikingly good but felt the custard lacked flavour however, I did find the bursting of the berry bombe quite amusing. The show wasn’t over yet; dessert was followed by tea and coffee and to accompany the hot beverages, a selection of crispy caramelised biscuits and milky mouth feeling chocolates.
As the evening was brought to a close, the Irish coffee demonstration took place to wow us all and making the experience more personal. The flambéing held our interest, a perfect end to the meal. It was obvious that each dish had been extremely thought out. Each course was so marvellously presented, plates of excellence I didn’t want to disturb.
However, I felt the time spent there wasn’t enough, it was like a big rush of expectation and towards the end I wasn’t fully won over. There was something missing. Maybe it was to leave us wanting more.

To our surprise, we were obliged to check out the kitchen area which was hidden away behind the reception desk. This really won me over. The head Chef, Ross Lewis, took to the limelight showcasing his idea of what a kitchen should really look like and his opinion of how a kitchen should be designed. It was divided into different sections including hot starters, cold starters, bread, meat, and dessert. He explained there should be no walking around and four people cooking at a time. Each chef having an area to work in confined in space but highly efficient. While mentioning the cook book to be released in the coming days, he showed us the touch screen located on the right side of the wall including over 2000 recipes. It really was precise and inspiring and utterly thoughtout.

Impressed by the hospitality of the staff, Chapter One’s reputation had boosted likeability in my mind with its modern Irish cooking and its mastered exceptional practice. Chapter One is restaurant that may have truly deserved a Michelin star and will more than likely to continue its highly rated performance of food very well presented. An experience not to be missed, an act every culinary enthusiast should experience.

xxFGxx