Just Ask Resturant of the Month for February - Oscars Seafood Bistro, Galway

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for February is Oscars Seafood Bistro, Galway

Just a couple of minutes’ walk across the bridge and away from the bustle of Galway’s Spanish Arch area, this theatrical restaurant was set up by husband and wife team Michael O’Meara and Sinead Hughes in 2000.

Since then it has earned a loyal following of diners who love Michael’s originality and verve – and who appreciate that this Euro-Toques chef’s adventurous cooking is always based on the best of local ingredients.

Menus at Oscars offer a wide range of dishes that invariably amaze and delight, with the common denominator that they are based on local seasonal foods as far as possible.

Michael is proud to credit his chosen suppliers – currently in dishes ranging from starters such as Clare Island salmon tartare; crisp potato skins “Oscar’s style" (with Collerans of Galway bacon and Killeen Cheese, made near Portumna, Co Galway); and Barbecued Collerans pork ribs – to mains like roast chump of Conemara lamb; free range Irish chicken stuffed with local goat’s cheese and McGeough’s air dried ham; or ‘market seafood catch’: “You never know what seafood will be best on the day, so at Oscars we will always have a selection of seafood specials available which depends on what’s best at market.”

An impressive roll call of suppliers includes two ACBI (Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland) members, Collerans Butchers of Galway and McGeough’s of Oughterard, the famous Connemara butchers/speciality meats producers; fish comes from Gannet Fishmongers (who source most of their fish locally from the Galway and Aran Fishermen's Co-op in Rossaveal); vegetables are mainly supplied by Beechlawn Organic Farm (Padraig Fahy and Ùna Ni Bhroin’s National Organic Demonstration Farm at Ballinasloe, www.beechlawnfarm.org) and free range eggs are from local Galway supplier, Ernie’s.

Michael O’Meara also visits both the Moycullen and Galway farmers’ markets to take advantage of the best possible seasonal ingredients – and regularly supports some outstanding local products, including Killeen Cheese (CAIS member Marion Roeleveld’s gouda-style cheese, made near Portumna; www.irishcheese.ie) and the multi-award winning Clare Island organic salmon (www.marineharvest.com), which is widely regarded as Ireland’s best alternative to wild salmon.

Michael O’Meara adds, “We hold full records on all our meat sourcing (beef is Irish Hereford Society); the free range chicken can originate from different farms in order to obtain a consistent supply (Just Ask on the night) but they will always be Irish.”

Michael O’Meara’s personality and wide-ranging interests add a lot to the pleasure of a visit to Oscars, which is a friendly place where good service goes hand-in-hand with exciting food and an inventive interior.

He was one of the local Euro-Toques chefs (members of the non-elitist international chefs’ organisation dedicated to safeguarding culinary heritage) who got together to celebrate the food of the area - and the very successful Volvo Ocean Race stopover a couple of years ago - in a DIY recipe book, The Galway Ingredient.

Teagasc gave some welcome support, but it was produced on a tight budget and the standard was a credit to all, notably the editor, Gerry Galvin (former chef-patron of the famous Moycullen restaurant Drimcong House, now a food writer, consultant chef and poet) and Michael O’Meara, who is as handy with a camera as a set of knives (www.foodandwinephotography.com).

The ten contributing chefs gave widely varying recipes using local ingredients, and Micheal O’Meara’s evocative images conveyed a real sense of place (Limited availability from local tourist offices).

SAMPLE MENU

Oscars Starter selection board €16.50
A tasting selection of six tapas style dishes which may include Barbeque tenderloin pork ribs, Clare Island salmon tartar, seafood terrine, prawn pakora, green chilli chicken wings and seafood croquettes, which serves two

Lamb sweetbread beignets €9.50
With Japanese Panko crumbs, fried until golden and served with homemade organic relish

Local seafood croquettes €7.90
A selection of today’s catch, bonded with potato, leek and dill weed coated with Ballybrado organic oatmeal and gently fried, served with a lime and French tarragon Aioli

Clare Island Salmon Tartare €9.50
Clare Island salmon diced and bonded with scallions, lemon and wasabi, served with sour dough crisp bread and a fresh yogurt and cucumber mousse

Crisp potato skins ‘Oscar’s style’€8.50
With Collerans of Galway bacon crisped on the BBQ, bonded with Killeen Galway cheese and flavoured with organic mint

Tiger prawns sautéed in garlic and lemon butter €9.50
Plump prawns are rubbed with fresh garlic and lightly salted, quick fried in butter, infused with lemon and Italian parsley and served with basil marinated tomato salad

½ dozen Pacific oysters €10.50

Barbequed Collerans pork ribs €8.50
Lightly cured tenderloin ribs, cooked to order on the BBQ, basted with our smoked Spanish paprika barbeque sauce.

Organic seasonal soup of the night €5.50

Seafood soup €7.50

Red basil water-ice €4.50

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Grilled Supreme of Clare Island salmon with dillisk potatoes €19.50
Served with tonight’s vegetables and a yellow pepper sauce

Monkfish €25.00
With Chorizo Sauté potato, seasonal greens, tarragon and pistachio pesto

Fish and chips of the day €14.50
Using and Indian style pakora batter, served with Morris piper chips accompanied with sun dried tomato and caper mayonnaise, our fish is sourced from a number of fishermen and fishmongers in Galway and we will often have a selection of fish if the catch is good

Crab claw and prawn melt €25.00
Prawns and crab claws are poached in a white wine sauce, served on champ with local Killeen cheese melted on top

Fish Pie €15.50
A rich creamy pie made from the freshest catch, hand-picked by our chefs daily

Prawn & Chilli Samble €25.00
Tiger and Dublin bay prawns are marinated with garlic & olive oil, finished with a Malaysian style selection of vegetables in a coconut and chilli sauce, Thai jasmine rice

Market seafood catch; You never know what seafood will be best on the day so at Oscars we will always have a selection of seafood specials available which depends on what’s best at market.

Roast Chump of Connemara lamb €25.00
Local lamb, roasted with traditional Irish herbs and sliced potato, served with wild crab apple jelly

Free range Irish chicken stuffed with Local goat’s cheese and McGeough’s Air dried ham €19.50
Served with champ and local vegetables

Prime aged Irish Hereford Society Sirloin steak 9oz €23.50
With creamy mashed potato and garnished with crispy onion rings, served with a mushroom peppercorn sauce

Rabbit Saddle €24.50
Stuffed with apricot and plum and roasted with root vegetables, served with champ.

Indonesian style vegetable curry €16.00
A selection of vegetables & fresh soya beans cooked in an infusion of spiced coconut milk. Infused with lime leaf, coriander and saffron and served with Thai Jasmine rice

A selection of seasonal vegetables €4.00
Organic tossed leaf salad €3.50
Sauté mushrooms €4.00
Sauté onion €4.00
Onion rings €3.50
French fries €3.50
Mashed potato €3.90


Suppliers: Collerans Butchers, Gannet fish mongers, Beechlawn Organic farm, Killeen cheese, Clare Island salmon, Irish Hereford society beef, Galway free range eggs, Ernie’s, McGeough’s of Oughterard,We also visit both the Moycullen and Galway market to take advantage of the best possible seasonal ingredients

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VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

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“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we always enjoy reading menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests. 

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted for our ' “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month Competition', menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.