Culinary Fun and Games in Belfast and Galway

Barbara Collins looks at the way trends are going, as seen in two very different - but equally popular - restaurants…

It’s a case of one extreme to the other when it comes to what two eateries are doing to drum up business this month. Simply Crispy Café started as a joke on a website, but when people started asking where they could get crisp sandwiches in a Belfast café it became reality.

The idea started on a spoof website, www.theulsterfrycom. They created a fictional restaurant “Simply Crispy” parodying the Cereal Café in London. According to the Ulster Fry article, this new café would offer a menu of gourmet snacks such as Tayto Cheese and Onion on sliced pan with Flora, or the more exotic Thai Sweet Chilli on Italian Granary with a splash of balsamic vinegar. The story went viral.

Within hours the story had spread across Facebook and Twitter, even attracting the interest of the BBC and Guardian food critic Jay Rayner, with many asking “is this a real thing?” Andrew McMenamin, owner of That Wee Café in Belfast City Centre, thought that it could be, and contacted the creators of the website to ask if they’d be interested in teaming up?

“When I read the article I immediately thought, we could make that joke into a reality, and got in touch. The lads at the Ulster Fry thought it would be fun, so we rebranded the café under the name ‘Simply Crispy’.”

Diners can build their own crisp sandwich and enjoy it alongside a perhaps more nutritious side order. However even those will have a Simply Crispy twist.  “If you order our soup, you have the option of Monster Munch Croutons” says Andrew, “and we’ve been working on Cheesy Wotsit infused chips…” After a month-long trial, they’ve decided to keep it open.

Meanwhile, over in the west, JP McMahon and Ultan Cooke of the Michelin-starred Aniar restaurant have decided to offer a cheaper Tasting Menu to entice those who might be put off by Michelin prices.

The new menu allows for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 courses, with a starting price point of €35 without wines. They have also extended their tasting menu to 10 courses. Two people eating together can also order a different amount of courses.

“The menu is the interface between the customer and the kitchen. Our new format allows the guest to create their own unique dining experience. This is a huge step in a new direction and it's very exciting” says Ultan Cooke.

“Aniar is an open and welcoming space and the menu and food reflect that openness. The innovation that goes on in the kitchen dictated by the produce we receive each day is reflected in the ever-changing dishes on the menu” says JP McMahon

“So while pushing the boundaries and delivering a formidable full 10-course Tasting Menu, diners choosing the 2 and 4 courses will also have the same experience with wine pairings. We are seeing more and more international restaurants adapting this type of model".

North for a witty crisp sandwich or West for the excitement one of the country’s most forward-looking Tasting Menus? The choice is yours.

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Barbara Collins is a BBC journalist and freelance food, travel and agricultural writer. She contributes regularly to Countryfile magazine, the Farmers Guardian, the Irish News, FFT and the Irish Mail on Sunday. She was Chief Food Writer for Flavour magazine. She is a member of both the UK and Irish Food Writers Guilds and splits her time between Belfast and Galway. Barbara also does menu consultancy and copywriting.

@thegoodchinaset