John Kelly is a man on a mission. Having retained a Michelin star this year at the Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny – first awarded in 2014 when his predecessor, Cormac Rowe, was executive chef – Kelly is batting for a second star.
Over the years, I’ve dined many times in the Lady Helen – from way back when it was good, country-house cooking, and when culinary ambitions began to rise. I remember being invited to a dinner that was cooked by the late, great French chef Albert Roux, and which included the Queen Mother’s favorite soufflé. Roux gave us a night to remember and, on my latest visit, so did John Kelly.
Mount Juliet is one of myfavorite places. While it may be a hotel, it still retains a very personal feel with wonderful staff, some of whom have been there for years. There’s a gracious elegance here that hasn’t been lost since it was home to the Earls of Carrick and subsequently occupied by the flamboyant Major Victor McCalmont and his wife Bunty, who were well-known figures on the Irish social scene.
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Jerusalem artichoke custard with pickled mushrooms, hazelnut and chervil, part of the seven-course tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Lady Helen Restaurant, Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny. Photo: Lucinda O’Sullivan
Jerusalem artichoke custard with pickled mushrooms, hazelnut and chervil, part of the seven-course tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Lady Helen Restaurant, Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny. Photo: Lucinda O’Sullivan
Now part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of hotels, an impressive new leisure area has been added, along with a clubby-style bar and a superb, plush, grown-up cinema.
Having enjoyed a Piaff Champagne cocktail with raspberry and Chambord (€ 19.50), while my friend Mary savored a booze-free pomegranate nojito (€ 6.50) as we sat overlooking the River Nore, we then repaired to the refined environs of the beautiful Lady Helen room.
Tasting menus are the thing here, with a seven-course menu at € 110 per person, or nine courses at € 130 per person; in my view, both are good value for the experience. Wine pairings (which we didn’t have) are available for both menus – € 52 per person or € 72 per person, respectively.
Conscious that generally an amuse bouche or some hipster snacks accompany tasting menus nowadays, we decided on seven courses; our choice was also influenced by the fact that the dishes on that menu also seemed slightly lighter.
The amuse bouche duly arrived: two mini feather-light cones filled with purée of smoked mackerel, horseradish and lemon, along with scrumptious gougères (baked savory choux pastry) of blue cheese and parsley, liberally topped with truffle.
“You have to hit people with a good, strong flavor initially,” Kelly said to us afterwards, and he certainly achieved this with a divine Jerusalem artichoke custard with sharp pickled mushrooms, hazelnut and chervil.
With our palates more than amused, our first course per se was a stunning seared scallop in a sublime chive beurre blanc, with seaweed and lime. This was followed by wild sea bass with carrot, violet artichoke and rockfish sauce.
Mary’s ‘main course’ of Tipperary organic veal, cooked pink, with asparagus, morels, and wild garlic, was fabulous. They kindly allowed me to have west coast turbot with celeriac, lovage, pickled gooseberries and chicken jus from the nine-course menu, so we could experience both dishes.
Bittersweet forced-rhubarbmousse with sour cream and bee pollen brought us gently towards the dessert end of the menu, which was a glorious passion fruit ring, hazelnut and chocolate sorbet, followed by some delightful petits fours. These included a cranberry macaroon; bergamot tart; and pistachio and white chocolate.
As you might expect, there’s an extensive wine cellar, with prices from € 40 right up to € 699 for Château Lynch-Bages Grand Cru Classe Pauillac 2000. There was so much choice that I faffed for ages, probably driving the helpful sommelier crazy, but then I spotted a dry, citrusy, biodynamic organic wine by Dominique Belluard Les Alpes 2019 (€ 69) from the Savoie region of France, which proved a perfect choice. Made from the gringet grape grown in rocks on the foothills of Mont Blanc, it is a cracker and a wine I will be looking out for again.
The Lady Helen is undoubtedly at the two-star level. All it needs is for the pesky Michelin people to give it the imprimatur!
Lady Helen Restaurant, Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, What Kilkenny. Tel: (056) 777-3000 mountjuliet.ie
