So for Valentines Day/Night myself and Lauren, along with our great friends 'The Donnelly's' headed to Flax Restaurant at Turely's Bar! - Just a few miles beyond Dromara this now beautiful building stands on the former site of a 19th Century Flax Mill - hence the name. The Bar along with restaurant have gone under major reconstruction in recent years and now boasts a love of local produce, magnificent views of the Mourne Mountains and a splendid menu! Let's get to know a bit more...
I was delighted to be invited down to check out Flax at Turley's - if I am honest I had never heard of it before (luckily they have set up a Twitter now) but when I arrived I was more than surprised...in a good way; a lovely building with tasteful decor and wonderful views awaited me, I made my way through the downstairs bar with an open fire and upstairs to the main restaurant (you can eat downstairs if you prefer - good for anyone who can't take the stairs) When I got to the dining area I was blown away - I was not expecting it to be as modern - cool lighting fixtures, intimate booths and impressive art work surrounded us, my favourite picture was off the Old Flax Mill that stood on these grounds 200 years ago - and they have even integrated its orange brickwork into their aprons - nice touch!
The kitchen is run by Frank Lennon, formerly of the Belmont Hotel - who along with his family have taken over Flax and are bringing their own ideas - one of which is their affinity to local suppliers and produce - Frank has kept to his roots and continued using Father & Son duo, The Doran Butchers who are based in Hilden, he has been using them for over 3o years. Vincent and Frank Doran have a farm in Loughisland meaning that the Beef Flax use is extremely local. Likewise Frank has used Greengrocer Ken Perry to source all his veg - Frank talks highly of these two suppliers who he insists have been the backbone of his cooking life, have become lifelong friends of his and have helped him build his business.
To the food - it was a set Valentines menu which featured dishes including Chilli Chicken Boudin with Asian Glaze, Risotto with Chorizo, Coffee Rubbed Beouf, Chicken Supreme and wait for it...Ferrero Rocher Brownie (did your heart just skip a beat too) - our deal was £25 per person which included 3 courses, appetisers and a craft beer or prosecco - outstanding value considering there was no supplement charge for the Sirloin Steak!
Appetisers Valentine's Menu Craft Beer
We were seated at a booth - next time I go I am going to request that first table - the views from this place are incredible!
After menu browsing it was choice time - I went for the Ballybrie and Smoked Bacon Parcel for starter- crispy filo pastry stuffed with melted brie and smoked bacon pieces served with a cranberry jam on top, it was reminiscent of christmas day when you overindulge on cheese, cranberry and crackers, only this had a wee dash of elegance - the pastry was flakey, the cheese wasn't scalding and the cranberry jam was sharp - add in smoked bacon and, ding ding we have a winner. Lauren and Katherine both went for the Chilli Chicken and Asian Glaze - as always I stole a bit form Laurie - I think I'll get this next time - it was yummy - Shaun got the Soup - however he tucked in straight away ruining my chance of a photo - we are no longer friends, I think Katherine might leave him too, the Betrayal - doesn't he know the Food Blogger Etiquette? Only joking - Katherine isn't leaving him...yet ;)
For the mains I went for the Chicken Supreme - poached chicken breast with a fennel and aniseed sauce - I enjoyed this dish, I would have liked another colour to contrast the white on white - the poached chciken was so tender and succulent - melt in your mouth and the sauce was a great accompaniment, the fennel and aniseed weren't overpowering - I got almost like a sweet peppery taste from it - some people get a licourice taste from it! The other three went for the sirloin (with no surcharge this was a no brainer) it came with a choice of peppered sauce, bernaise sauce or garlic butter - I think they brought all three to the table! The Peppered Sauce was amazing - all dishes came with mixed veg and an assortment of potatoes - after I finished mine I took a whack of mash potato and a dollop of peppered sauce - I didn't speak for 5 minutes. Pure Contentment
After dinner we moved onto dessert - made by the Chef's wife these little bundles of joy were sensational - the menu offered four options - sticky toffee pudding, Peach and Passionfruit Cheesecake, Champagne and Strawberry Pavlova and Ferrero Rocher Brownie - I went for the brownie, Shaun allowed me to take a pic of his Pavlova - we're friends again! Check out my Brownie. WOW!
So - there you have it my visit to Flax at Turley's - I really enjoyed my visit, in fact I am planning on going don to try their a la carte menu - apparently the do a mean burger! On a final note- to the staff, they were great all night, a very young staff who dealt with a full restaurant on a very busy night (I'd advise calling ahead and booking before making the trip) I think Frank's son was working our table and I quizzed him on a few things that are included in this blog so if anything is wrong you can blame him...only joking, service was excellent, live background music from Finbarr was great & a nice wait between courses which can be rare on Valentines night.
