Review: Sister7 @ Fidelity Studios
It’s not often that saying a dish is reminiscent of turnip cake earns you a big hug. But this is what happens to me when I tell Rob Hayes how much I enjoyed the lip sticks from the small plates section of the menu at Sister7. We had just smashed through a plate of these gorgeous fried little bites (€8, vegetarian and gluten-free to boot) and their lickable side of maple miso mayo.
In fact, we smashed our way through much more than just the lip sticks. The menu at Sister 7 is an evolution of that available at Rob and Alex Zhang’s Big Fan but the version here under chef Chung Lee is already diverging in the best possible way, and it is absolutely worth exploring.
Fidelity Studios is the extension to Fidelity, a collaboration between The Big Romance and Whiplash Beer. Like many, I mourned when the legendary Dice Bar closed its door, but in many ways, Fidelity is a worthy spiritual successor. By pulling in Rob and Alex of Big Fan to manage the food offering, Fidelity continues to build on its culture of collaboration.
The cocktails at Fidelity have always been on point, a rare thing to achieve consistently in a pub or bar setting, and I sigh happily over my basil & black pepper margarita (€13) as my muscles start to relax. I alternate with the delicious spent grain crackers (€5), made using leftover grain from the Whiplash brewing process. Later in the evening, Rob brings me out a test batch using a new recipe, and a new chilli oil which will use leftover beef trimmings from the beef bao. I simply love this clever and conscious way of using up leftovers and byproducts.
The whole place is hopping throughout the course of our visit, and it’s not just young folk either. There’s quite a decent mix of ages and styles, though I have to face up to the fact we were probably trending towards the top end of the age category. For time I’ve ever trended. To be truthful, I’ve never really evolved past 28 years old mentally.
In some places, the lighting is a just that bit too dark, although spotlights do softly highlight the custom sound system created by West Cork’s Toby Hatchett. This combo of a free standing speaker and two suspended speakers is beautiful, both visually and audibly, and the sound simply wraps around, silkily filling the spaces. The speakers seamlessly fit into the wooden decor, which transports you to somewhere reminiscent of a 1960s James Bond set. Thankfully there are no maniacal men petting cats, although dogs are welcome in Fidelity.
We work our way through a decent portion of the menu. Iberico char siu puffs (€7) are satisfying little bites, while sweet heart egg is a little salty bomb cured in soy and bonito (€5 or €13 if topped with Oscietra caviar). Dumplings such as the Toonsbridge scamorza wontons (€8 for 5) and 13 spice crayfish (€9 for 3) have travelled across the river from Big Fan, but there are also newly minted chun li (chicken and veg dumplings, €11.50 for 5).
One of the standout dishes is the cured white sturgeon with Sichuan three pepper, pickled white daikon and kumquat dressing (€14.50). My only prior experience with sturgeon had been eating their eggs (caviar), so I really didn’t know what to expect. The fish used at Sister7 is ex-dairy, to borrow a phrase, sold for meat after their eggs have been farmed. The firm texture stands up well to the punchy flavours and once again, I see the brilliance of the Rob & Alex duo shine out.
The other personal standout is the Fidelity fried chicken with a Blue Ghost and brewery grain batter (€7.80). Here juicy chicken thighs contrast superbly with the lightness and acidity bought by the honestly f*cking amazing honey mustard yogurt.
Fidelity Studios has truly hit the ground running. It’s a template business for future collaborations. Get people who know what they’re doing, whether it’s running a bar, a brewery or a restaurant, and let them create. The end result is immense fun. This is a place where I can absolutely see myself returning, perhaps for another margarita and little snack while on my way elsewhere, or for a meal with friends.