A tiny restaurant with big ambitions, The Street Kitchen was bravely opened by chef Marty McAdam in Enniskillen town centre in 2021, mid-pandemic. Yet, despite the challenges, it has not only survived but - thanks to quickly establishing a reputation for doing something different - it is thriving.
The setting is informal, as would be expected of a mainly daytime venue, and it's a hugely popular brunch and casual lunch destination. But Marty takes pride in aiming high all round, and they offer the only chefs counter and fully open kitchen in Fermanagh - something which not only makes for a very interesting meal as the chefs can be seen at work from every table, but it also opens up the small space and makes it feel like a bigger restaurant.
Appealing daytime menus change seasonally, and there's always sure to be a great range of everyone's brunch favourites, usually with a house twist - Eggs Benedict TSK style, for example, are Poached eggs with cured bacon loin, spinach, tomato relish, toasted soda farl, lime hollandaise sauce and pork crackling, while Toffee Apple French Toast is made with Fried eggy brioche bread, apple compote, toffee sauce, short bread crumble, meringue, while Boxty ('my dad's recipe') is Irish boxty potato with sugar pitted bacon loin, tomato relish, poached eggs & butter ("butter is a must for these bad boys"). With pocket-friendly treats like these - and many more - on offer, t's hard to imagine anyone walking out anything less than delighted with brunch at The Street Kitchen.
Lunch is served all day ("Feel like a taco at 9am? We probably would too.") and there's an international tone - Fish Taco baby, for example, consists of Cod and nori fingers, crispy iceberg lettuce, tomato salsa, smoked chilli jam, wasabi mayo served in in soft home made tortillas & Mexican rice, while From Thailand with Love is an Aromatic Thai broth with crispy chicken or spicy tofu, noodles, crunchy vegetables and crispy onions and The Street Kebab is offered for carnivores or vegetarians (Crispy chicken or spiced cauliflower) with beetroot hummus, asian slaw, chilli jam, curry mayo on a home made naan. Sides (including those Cod & nori fingers, and their trademark Risotto balls) are equally varied, and vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available wherever possible.
When it comes to the evening offering, a Small Plates menu allows Marty (a former Great British Menu contestant) to spread his culinary wings. The ambience is unchanged but there's a friendly, relaxed feel and the good service - which includes interaction between the kitchen and front of house as the chefs may serve your meal, and perhaps take orders too - adds to the sense of anticipation. The menu makes interesting reading with some ingredients and touches that are a bit unusual - braised pork cheek with pearl barley & celeriac porridge and pear, for example, or Boatyard cured and torched mackerel, prepared with the local Boatyard gin. Each diner is asked to pick two 'mini mains', so you'll have a chance to try several dishes plus a couple of sides, a dessert and cheeseboard. Specific provenance may not be given, but menus change seasonally and there's an eat local philosopy with suppliers including Lisgargan butchers in nearby Fintona and Gillens vegetables, about a hundred yards from the kitchen.
The main ingredients may tend to be bigger than expected for 'Small Plates' - a nod to local appetites perhaps; Flat iron steak marinated in chili is especially generous, for example, and sure to go down well with those big appetites. The international tone of the lunch menu is also continued in dishes like Prawns kataifi with wasabi and crushed pea, apple and mint, vinaigrette - an especially enjoyable dish, with the crushed pea, apple and mint working well - and Chicken wings on red cabbage with smoked pepper mayo also makes a successful mini main. Sides may include good flatbread brushed in jalapino and garlic, with a perfectly formed quenelle of miso butter and, as so often happens, the humble carrot - in this case Curry roasted with celeriac and parmesan, in a stack - could be a highlight.
The dessert course may well bring another highlight, including a bit of theatre at table: a bed of chocolate crumbs with a lemon parfait and a cremeux, for example, has the last minute addition of lemon sherbet added at table and it's not only visually attractive but well balanced, as in not too sweet and with a real tang of lemon.
Excellent cheeses (two, possibly both Irish) come with toasted sourdough (some crackers would be a nice option) and a soft quenelle of apple and fig chutney.
This is a small restaurant so don't expect a lengthy drinks menu, but a personally curated wine list is offered, and also a small cocktail, beer and spirits list to round out the evening and encourage a little lingering after your meal.
