Hot Flavours: Our Tastes and Tipples of the Fortnight

Hearty Hot Flavours congratulations to the holy triumvirate of Cork restaurants who’ve won coveted Michelin Stars.

First to be announced last week online was ichigo ichie, the city-centre shrine to fine Japanese dining presided over by the remarkable Chef Miyazaki’s. The menu, which changes with the season, includes a stunning King Crab, Cepe, Ginko Nut, Mitsuba & Sudachi Lime creation, which is the best thing we’ve tasted all year. No less evangelical about their food are Rob Krawczyk, the former Tankardstown man who’s turned Ballydehob’s Chestnut into the most gastro of pubs, and Mews in nearby Baltimore where Ahmet Dede gets up to his Tasting Menu magic.

Reservations at all three are likely to be rarer than hen’s teeth, but give it a go!

The DublinTown Food & Drink Festival transforms the city-centre into a massive dining-room from October 15-21 with the emphasis on ‘experiences’ like the French Cooking Demo at Le Petit Parisien (15); Opium Pan-Asian Cookery Masterclass (16); Cooks Academy’s Lunch And Learn: Spain (17); Asia Market presents Shop & Cook with Kwanghi Chan (18); Bewley’s Grafton Street Coffee Brewing Masterclass (18); and The Mercantile’s Whiskey Tasting Masterclass (18).

And that really is just for starters! See the full line-up and book tickets at foodanddrinkfest.ie.

Aldi are debuting their limited-edition McQueen Forest Fruits Colour Changing Gin in Ireland on October 15.

Distilled using Asian Butterfly Flower petals, its colour morphs from a pale sapphire to a soft pink when tonic water is added, Retailing at €19.99, it manages to taste as good as it looks.

Available again at Lidl for a limited period is their €15 Belgian box, comprising of two beers apiece from Piraat, Bornem and Gulden Draakranging, which, muscular fellows all, weigh in at between 7.2% and 10.5% ABV. It’s tremendous value for bottles that usually sell here for upwards of €4.50 each. WARNING: Don’t imbibe the complete set whilst watching Barcelona spank Spurs 4-2 unless you’ve the constitution of an extremely resilient ox.

If you fancy a pre-Christmas boutique hotel splurge, look no further than The Lodge at Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo, which is celebrating Thanksgiving with a room, dinner and breakfast package starting at €249 for two people sharing. Commencing November 22, guests will be treated to warming pumpkin soup, perfectly roasted turkey and sweet and sticky pecan pie just like Mom used to make. With their resident mixologist creating a Fall Cider Cocktail and Spiced Pumpkin Eggnog to wash all this deliciousness down, a trip out west seems to be in order. thelodgeac.com.