Review: The Morrison Room, Carton House
A star in the ascendant
Disclaimer: I dined at The Morrison Room, followed by an overnight stay, as a guest of Carton House and Host. As usual, I accepted this invitation without accepting any obligation, and as always, all opinions remain my own. Writing a review on the foot of a complimentary meal is far from my usual modus operandi, but in this case, I felt like breaking the rules.
One of the benefits of staying at Carton House is that it is dog-friendly, and Clara is a dog who has become accustomed to the finer things in life. Hence I found myself accompanying her merry sniffing around the immaculate, fog-wreathed lawns of Carton House. At this time of year, night draws in by the literal minute, and what started as a pre-dinner walk in early dusk finished in full darkness.
As night falls, the house is gently illuminated, shining out across the dark lawns. Commissioned in 1739, it was home to the then Earl of Kildare, who later received a royal glow up to Duke of Leinster. I thank Bridgerton for teaching me that a dukedom was the highest rank of the peerage.
But then you also learn that this one man was sufficiently wealthy to also build Leinster House a mere 6 years later. For me, this wealth is best displayed in two rooms; the gorgeous cream and gilt Gold Salon, used now for afternoon tea, and the Morrison Room, with its knockout ornate ceiling.
Up until recently, the Morrison Room has lacked a chef of sufficient calibre to truly do justice to this unique room. But in one of those decisions that just screams of rightness and destiny, local man Adam Nevin was appointed head chef.
Now to be fair, using the phrase ‘local man’ doesn’t do justice to Adam. In typical Irish winning fashion, he took a bit of a detour to London where he worked at The Westbury, The Hand and Flowers before ending up as head chef at The Grill at The Dorchester. Then he decided to come home.
And did I mention that he achieved all this by the tender age of 28 years old? He recently marked his 30th birthday by winning Best Chef in Leinster and Best Restaurant in Leinster at the recent Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year Awards, and reckons he was only just about recovered from the celebrations by the time we dined.
Our signature tasting menu (€140) starts with a flurry of little canapés. A series of crisp light pastries play host to creamy aged cheese and chili, potato and smoked mackerel, then finally unctuous foie gras with sultana. A solid start.
Then matters start to escalate in the best possible way. Sweet Union Hall crab with cucumber is followed by an immaculately crispy veal sweetbread, which comes with Serrano jelly, tortilla and a single bright Gambero Rosso. The dish is anchored by a gloriously bright and slightly sweet sauce Jacqueline. After being poured over the plates, the little sauce pots are left on the table along with generous chunks of bread. I love generosity like this. It’s a mark of a kitchen that truly wants the diner to enjoy themselves.
Great sauces are one of the marks of a great chef, and Nevin delivers another powerhouse display with a precision cut diamond of delicate black sole, paired with fresh truffles, chanterelles and a dark, glossy sauce meurette. Fellow guest Marcus O’Laoire points out that it’s possible to see the reflection of the ceiling in the sauce.
Achill lamb is cooked over a small Japanese grill, supported ably by humble turnip three ways, a rich dense little chou farci, and a clever, lighter sauce that doesn’t overwhelm the unique Calvey family lamb.
We’re in the home stretch now, and we are refreshed by a plate of what is essentially foamed jasmine rice covering incredibly fresh pineapple, enlivened with zesty kaffir lime. It’s followed by spheres of Valhrona chocolate paired with a cinnamon ice-cream and a gorgeous little dab of sweet sharp syrup made with Ximinez-SpÃnola brandy.
Over the course of the meal, we enjoy the paired wines (€95) which range from Spanish Verdejo, through Californian chardonnay to 10 year old Madeira. It’s a fun mix, and a nice counterpoint to the more traditional main wine menu.
Simply put, everything is at the right level. The five criteria used by Michelin when assessing a restaurant are (1) the quality of the ingredients, (2) the harmony of flavours, (3) the mastery of techniques, (4) the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, (5) consistency both across the entire menu and over time. Based on this visit, and the impressively competent and assured cooking on show, it’s hard to see how Adam Nevin can miss the mark.
A little encounter with Adam outside the dining room reveals that he is currently living with his parents, although hoping to move out soon and his parents are regular visitors for Sunday lunch, a little touch of family normality from this refreshingly down to earth young man.