SunÂday Times MagÂaÂzine â AA Gill
2014-11-23
A restauÂrant rooted in good things and fine tastes, all served with pleaÂsure and good nature
So this weekâs review is going to be an unexÂpected treaÂsure: the FarÂmÂgate CafĂ© in the EngÂlish MarÂket in Cork.
This is the best covÂered marÂket Iâve come across south of ScanÂdiÂnavia and west of France, sellÂing locally landed fish and the many, many Irish iterÂaÂtions of pig, plus marÂvelÂlously smoked beef. In the gallery above it there is a long cafĂ© that uses the marÂket ingreÂdiÂents to furÂnish a short but bounÂtiÂful menu. I started with packet and tripe. Thatâs bleached tripe cooked in milk with onions and dasheen. Itâs a fine, almost tasteÂless blood pudÂding, most like a blood jelly I once found in Hong Kong. This is a dish so blissÂfully bland itâs like eatÂing a waterÂcolour: a pale palette of flavours drift over your tongue.
Iâm chamÂpiÂoning bland bleach-âblonde food at the moment. Itâs such a relief and a genÂtle pleaÂsure after the punÂishÂment of crammed heat and spice in shouty food. My piquant Blonde and the twins had very good plates of smoked fish, then we all ate a heroic beef stew, with mashed potaÂtoes that deserved their own gold medal from the PhiloÂsophÂiÂcal Society.
The room has queues at the door and the tables are full of famÂiÂlies and couÂples who have come to shop and to eat and to gosÂsip. Itâs truly soft and genÂerÂous, honÂest and deliÂcious. A restauÂrant rooted in good things and fine tastes, all served with pleaÂsure and good nature.
As a waitÂress gave me the bill, she said: âWeâve always dreaded that one day you might come in, then we dreaded that you never would. Is this busiÂness or pleasure?
Well the best thing about this job is that I can make my pleaÂsure my busiÂness. And if all that werenât perÂfect enough, it is garÂlanded with handÂwritÂten poems from Irish writÂers â they call it the Great Wall of Cork. I was sitÂting underÂneath SeaÂmus Heaney and the poem For WednesÂday, which, as so often with him, catches you as if by serendipÂity to say exactly the right thing: âAs big soft bufÂfetÂings come at the car sideÂways. And catch the heart off guard and blow it openâ.
Read the full review and errata on thetimesâ.coâ.uk (subÂscripÂtion required)