Chapter V
5 Killyman Street
Moy
Co Tyrone
028 8778 4521
chaptervrestaurant.com
HERE you go. You can have this one for free. If you’re planning on going to Chapter V, make sure you book first. Firstly, I shouldn’t need italics to make the joke clear. Secondly, this is both hilarious and true, as it was full the day we were there.
Right. Our happy family Sunday jaunt was put in jeopardy by my daughter’s sudden illness. Also at risk was my tilt at the Husband of the Year title, as I said, Are you sure? just the once to my wife’s offer to stay at home and look after her, before heading out of the door and dashing to the car with my brother.
Moy is miles away. Probably not from everywhere, but certainly from Derry, and the journey was made even longer by our mad satnav, which took us there via the narrowest tracks in the Sperrins. Fastest route my foot!
But no matter how long it takes to get there, just go. This place is elegant, sophisticated, cool, warm, composed, and very good at what it does. Everything I aspire to be, in fact. And stylish, too.
You enter after climbing a flight of stone steps from street level, and are seated in the bar to look over the menu. This part of the restaurant is low, blue, and muted. As you go to the dining area, towards the rear of the building, the space opens out to a light and airy double-height room, with high wooden beams.
Despite having a devoted wife nursing a sick child at home, I decided we should have all three courses, convincing myself it was what they would have wanted.
The St Kevin’s brie was gently warmed and just starting to melt inside its wrapper of crisp pastry strands. A beautiful, oozy texture and a sweet, mild flavour, the cheese was then elevated by the addition of the sharp beetroot jam.
I ordered the wild boar bon bon, attracted by the clanging juxtaposition of words as much as anything else. The meat was blended with a gently peppery black pudding, and the two tastes played nicely together. The celeriac and apple added sweet and sharp, while the toasted hazelnuts gave bonus texture and a sense of the autumnal.
I asked for horseradish mash with my beef cheeks, rather than the mustard mash on the menu, and was delighted I did so. The meat was soft and melting, having been slow-cooked overnight, and the horseradish within the creamy mash really shook it awake. The cavolo nero was crisp and lovely, while the shallot puree provided a nice hit of onion and the stout added a pleasing, mildly bitter aftertaste.
Like the beef cheeks, the pork had been pressed and rolled. Also like the beef cheeks, it was deliciously moist and tender and full of flavour. The potato slices were crisp and well seasoned, and the apple and thyme lifted and enhanced the flavour of the meat delightfully.
The puddings were absolutely spot-on. I have never been a fan of white chocolate, so I wasn’t looking forward to trying the crème brulée. However, if the Milky Bar Kid had been peddling this stuff I would have been sold long ago. It was just gorgeous – sweet and creamy, simultaneously light and deep, I could have eaten a bucket of it.
But, it wasn’t as good as the lemon posset. What a way to finish a meal – light as you like, the sharpness of the lemon cleverly controlled with just the right amount of sweetness, with delicious biscotti for crunch. I mustn’t forget the lovely, gooey, rich chocolate brownie, that I got to take back for my wife, although I probably shouldn’t have eaten it on the way home.
The restaurant’s location is lovely, the set-up feels both relaxed and special, and the cooking is seriously good, with a clever consideration of flavours and textures. Chapter V should definitely be in your good books.
THE BILL
Starters: Wild boar bon bon, BBQ glaze, celeriac, apple, toasted hazelnuts; St Kevin’s brie, kataifi pastry, candied hazelnuts, beetroot jam
Mains: Crispy beef cheeks, puy lentils, shallot puree, horseradish mash, cavolo nero; Andral Farm pork, roast cauliflower, boulangere potato, Armagh apple, thyme jus
Puddings: Lemon posset, berries, meringue, biscotti; White chocolate and blueberry crème brulee, shortbread.
Three courses for £21.95
Sides: Buttered carrots £3.50
Cauliflower cheese £3.50
Chocolate brownie to go £5.95
Diet Coke £2.30
Total: £59.15
