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| Stockholm 866 |
There is definitely
something different about the brunch available in Söder + Ko which has been
open since the beginning of May 2015. Housed in an impressive building which
was previously home to the Dragon Bar, Söder +Ko is located on South Great
George’s Street - a street that seems to be shaking off its air of downtrodden
shabbiness and, as evidenced by the amount of top-notch dining venues to be
found there, is rapidly becoming the centre of Dublin’s culinary scene!
I was recently invited to
TheTaste.ie Bloggers Brunch launch in Söder + Ko where I and the other
invited bloggers were treated to samples from the menu which were served to us
in platter form. I was really impressed by the food that I ate that day and was
keen to visit again. I was pleased to have the opportunity a couple of weeks
later.
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| Pot Stickers |
Söder + Ko styles itself
as a Scandi-Asian restaurant/bar and whilst the food is quite obviously Asian
inspired, it would be fair to say that the Scandinavian influences are more
evident in many of the drinks and cocktails that are offered. I have adopted
what I consider to be a very sensible rule regarding brunch; namely that
cocktails are mandatory (ahem) so I ordered a Stockholm 866 which is a
Nordic Negroni of sorts. Containing Aquavit, a caraway flavoured liqueur,
Campari, grapefruit juice and garnished with fresh dill this was a refreshing
drink. The Söder Sura which my dining companion Erica ordered was
similarly invigorating and the two of us happily sipped away at our drinks as
we examined the menu in greater detail and considered what to order.
As often happens when I
am presented with a new or interesting menu, I found it hard to choose just one
dish to order but luckily many of the brunch dishes in Söder + Ko are
specifically designed for sharing so we decided to order a couple of these
between us to sample together. Although we were tempted by the Steamed
Pork & Shrimp in Wonton Pastry and the Squid Tempura and also toyed with
the idea of ordering the Hot & Sour Chicken Wings Sharing Platter, we
finally decided to go for the Pot Stickers and the King Prawn Dumplings.
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| Steamed Brunch Bun |
I absolutely loved the Pot
Stickers which due to having been pan-fried possessed a slightly crispy exterior
which screamed ‘eat me’. The filling of chicken and scallions was surprisingly
light and although there were six of them, I will admit that I felt slightly
resentful that Erica assumed that we would divide the portion equally. I could
have eaten them all by myself! They were served with a simple but incredibly
delicious umami-rich dipping sauce.
The steamed King Prawn
Dumplings were served in a bamboo steamer and were also delicious. Beautifully
plump and generously packed with prawns they were hard to resist and we gobbled
them up quickly.
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| Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs |
Erica was feeling rather
peckish so decided to order one of the Steamed Brunch Buns choosing one
that contained a Hash Brown, Fried Egg & Sausage and arrived
smothered in a piquant Hollandaise Sauce. A drizzle of a fiery, almost neon
green-coloured dressing completed this dish which Erica tucked into with great
enthusiasm. I had eaten this at the Bloggers Brunch and had enjoyed it
tremendously so could completely relate to Erica’s purrs of satisfaction. I
loved this dish and thought it was an interesting variation on the breakfast
roll theme.
Our next dish the Chinese
BBQ Pork Ribs was absolutely wonderful with meat that melted in the mouth
and fell off the bone. Erica declared them to be amongst the best ribs that she
had ever eaten and with the wonderfully rich but extremely well-balanced sauce
they were cooked in, I have to say that I’m inclined to agree with her. This
was a hearty dish but we still managed to finish it.
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| French Toast |
With my slightly sweet
tooth it was inevitable that I would have to try the French Toast + Smoked
Bacon + Maple Syrup which was very good. This was a classic interpretation
of the dish which suited me fine as I truly believe that there are certain
dishes that shouldn’t be tinkered with! The slight saltiness of the lightly
smoked bacon was wonderful against the fried eggy bread and the rich and
unctuous sweetness of the maple syrup – it really is amazing how a dish which
has its origins in frugality and was designed as a way to use up stale bread
can taste so unbelievably good and in Söder + Ko it was delicious.
Under Culinary Director Kwanghi
Chan the Söder + Ko brunch brings something different to the Dublin dining
scene and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kwanghi previously worked under Martijn Kajuiter in the Michelin-starred Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore,
County Waterford and before that in The Wineport Lodge, L’Ecrivain and Chapter
One so has formidable cooking credentials.
There is something very
cool and contemporary about the bar and restaurant in Söder + Ko with its faux
baroque décor. As you enter the building
you walk into a space which has a double height ceiling and feels vast. As you
continue on through the restaurant and bar you pass by the open kitchen where
the chefs are busily working away. There is more seating upstairs on a
mezzanine balcony and a very trendy outside smoking area. This is a beautiful building
which doesn’t distract from the food but rather complements it and adds to the
whole experience of dining there.
Some of the dishes on the brunch menu
may seem a little on the expensive side, but not particularly out of kilter
with prices in other brunch establishments around Dublin. Portions are generous
and I really enjoyed my meal.
Brunch is served 12pm -4pm on Saturdays,
Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Söder + Ko
64 South Great George’s Street
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-4781590
Website: www.soderandko.ie
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