Monachyle Mhor, Balquhidder
Christmas Eve…
Presents wrapped, Turkey prepared, everyone else taken care of...
It was time for my Christmas present to me! The restaurant at Monachyle is legendary and I’ve wanted to go there ever since I tasted the utterly PERFECT marriage of meringue and rhubarb at their retro-tearoom in Balquhidder this summer.
We were greeted with mulled wine, a sheet of carols and the infectious smile of our host - local boy Tom Lewis, who truly understands the idea of hospitality. Resident in the glen for over 25 years, Tom has a string of awards to his name and having been brought up on a farm understands the fruits of nature. Most of the produce used in his kitchen comes from within a 30 mile radius and when planning a menu he begins with what’s in season and then considers the weather. Game comes from their own back yard and the organic kitchen garden provides herbs, soft fruit and vegetables. Tom even finds time to go foraging for wild mushrooms.
We were soon caught up in the festive 'glow' of Monachyle as neighbours, guests and staff all joined together in the candle-lit courtyard to imbibe a little bit of Christmas magic as the sensory and ambient equivalent ofan 'amuse bouche'. Carolling over, we retired to the bar to enjoy our aperitifs and linger over the evening's menu. You know when you've come to the right place when the moment of deciding and the period spent anticipating making that decision are equally pleasureable and exciting - and we definitely felt both...
Chatting with the owner on a busy Christmas Eve at 7.30 ish was not something I'd thought likely, although I'd heard tell of Tom's down-to-earth geniality... It was lovely therefore to have the chance to chat with him about Christmas Eves he'd enjoyed 'back in the day' when all the young folk of the glen would party together in one of the barns till the wee small hours - It really felt like friendly bar chat in rural Scotland rather than the owner coming to 'grace us with his presence' and in terms of feeling welcome and relaxed, really made us feel at home as Tom's guests, rather than his customers.
If the atmosphere in the courtyard had whetted our appetite for the ambience at Monachyle, then the canapes served in the bar performed the equivalent magic for our mouths. Scottish flavours of haggis and salmon presented simply on a slate and performing a wee reel on the taste buds made the idea of dinner all the more tantalising; but the dark panelling, blazing fire and good chat in the bar meant that we were content to linger there awhile, before being led through to the conservatory dining room.
When I mentioned going to Monachyle Mhor on Christmas Eve, friends commented that we'd miss one of the most fantastic things about dining there: the perfect views of dusk falling in the glen as you linger over dinner. All I can say is that the feeling of being held in the darkness inside a warm and glowing dining room meant that the 'sense' of the outside was still there, contributing to the feeling of being in a real 'hideaway' and making the occasion feel all the more special.
Our amuse bouche was Oyster with sherry and shallots. The perfect freshness of the sea-taste being mellowed rather than tempered by the delicate almost garlicky flavour of the shallots and not spoiled by any over sweetness from the sherry. It performed its task wonderfully, leaving us in no uncertain terms about the quality of the fresh ingredients here and the clean, true ring of confident cooking. We couldn't wait for the starters to arrive...
Unusually we both chose the Wood pigeon to start with (although I could see himself feeling tempted by the Halibut Carpaccio with fennel & truffle) I defintely felt like the first rule of dining 'In the Glen' should be to eat something that felt like we were dining in the glen: and I wasn't disappointed. The flesh was supple and luscious, enhanced by the earthiness of the beetroot it was served with. The winter sprouts added a festive note whilst taming the sweetness with a touch of something fresher and the light as a feather 'bacon crisp' perched on top truly was a feather in this dish's cap.
The soup here at Monachyle is renowned; our waiter told us that the chef in charge could make 'anything' into good soup and he wasn't wrong. Courgette isn't generally a favourite of mine but the soupcon of this delicious silky brew that we were served in espresso cups certainly left me wanting more. The clever hint of kalamata olive at the heart of the soup nicely blended the 'green-ness' of the courgette with something fruitier and more substantial and paved the way deliciously for the main course.
Again, I felt like I should follow my instincts about Glen-Dining and ordered the venison which was definitely local. I have sometimes been disappointed with venison, even in the most likely places, as it has often been a let-down in terms of either texture or taste. This dish however was an absolute triumph of winter flavours which all blended together to make each mouthful a differently delicious sensation. The smoked rooster potatoes were a perfect foil to the venison which was served two ways: a perfectly cooked fillet, accompanied by a meltingly... yieldingly tender shin. It really merited the term unctuous, in the best possible way and the accompanying Sancerre rouge was light enough to highlight the meat's richness, without being too insubstantial and getting totally overpowered. The addition of sweet parsnips was juxtaposed with hispi cabbage, rather than the ubiquitous red cabbage and its springy crunchiness provided a textural contrast enhancing the overall confidence and balance of this perfect winter treat.
The balance of the whole dining experience has been perfectly considered: you know that because you get to this point in the evening and the idea of a dessert seems like a perfect finale rather than a bridge too far. My sweet tooth is legendary and my anticipation of this point in the evening had been sparked by the excellence of sweet treats on offer at the tearoom in the village, all made here and all unified in their deliciousness. I eventually decided on the Dark chocolate and orange tart, whilst himself veered towards the white chocolate parfait. I was none-too-secretly delighted but not too surprised as he knows the score...he thoughtfully never orders the same dessert as me so that I can get the oportunity of tasting BOTH.
The next moments were spent in devotional silence as I absorbed the rich depth of chocolate orange, spiked with a masterful mandarine reduction. A gorgeous flavour equilibrium that teetered between sharpness and richness in a way that effected much head nodding and appreciative 'mmmmm'ing from me, and a few strange looks from the very smart lady opposite. The red wine poached plum served with himself's parfait added a grown up sophistication to the creamy sweetness of the dish but - as is my preference - made me happy that I'd chosen 'right' again!
The only things amiss as we lingered over our coffees, enjoying the twinkling lights and sense of the vast outdoors were ultimately connected: that we had to set off for home along the icy glen road soon and that the other diners were there for three nights of Tom's hospitality and delicious food. I was mollified by promises of a return soon to enjoy lunch and see the wonders of the conservatory by daylight, which took the edge off a little - our determination to return as soon as possible was firmly cemented by the sight of host Tom running out to the car park as we navigated the snow and ice outside to wish us a Merry Christmas and a safe journey home. It's the wee things as they say and the wee thing that I'd like to say about dining at Monachyle Mhor is 'Do it. Soon'
Truly Unforgettable *****
Eat Scotland Gold Award Winner
