Life

Eating In: Take-out from The Hoose Bistro makes for a fabulous Friday night treat

The Hoose Bistro on Belfast's Upper Newtownards Road is now doing great take-away food and delivery within the local area<br />&nbsp;
The Hoose Bistro on Belfast's Upper Newtownards Road is now doing great take-away food and delivery within the local area
 
The Hoose Bistro on Belfast's Upper Newtownards Road is now doing great take-away food and delivery within the local area
 

Hoose Bistro

52 Upper Newtownards Road

Belfast

BT4 3EL

028 9065 8216

thehoosebistro.com

THERE are two types of lockdown people. The learn a new language, landscape a garden, write a novel, crochet a 10-person marquee-type people. They’re the kind running a mini-marathon between a healthy breakfast and lunch before launching into the next, ever so productive task.

And then there’s the rest of us. The comfort-eating, wine-drinking, Netflix-watching type.

At this stage of the crisis I’ve learned a lot about myself. Mainly that my life was perfectly fine as it was and if or when I ever get it back to it I shall be very grateful.

I had my children young, and so at this stage of life I was free to come and go as I pleased, and by heck was I making the most of it. I love to cook, but I love having skilled people cook for me more. And so apart from the obvious things I miss – hugs, human contact, social interaction – I miss eating out.

I miss Friday nights spent over tapas and wine, I miss looking through menus, I miss restaurant-quality food.

My mate Joris Minne has been providing a public service by compiling a list of restaurants which, having now accepted restrictions could last for some considerable time, are looking at inventive ways to keep afloat in these troubling times.

Among the places in Joris’s list was Hoose Bistro, in east Belfast. I didn’t even know this little gem existed, but I sure do now.

The problem with working from home is one day seems much like the next. So as a Friday night treat, a night that prior to the crisis I would have been happily eating out, I ordered a take-away meal from Hoose for the family.

The menu is simple but mouthwatering, with something for everyone. The process is easy: I emailed my order through and then rang with payment, but you can simply look at the Hoose at Home menu online and then phone your order through.

For anyone living within three miles of the restaurant there is delivery at a small charge, otherwise you order, get an allotted time and pull up outside; the lovely staff will bring your meal out and place it in the boot of your car, so social distancing observed.

Starters include salt and chilli beef, ham hock and pea fritters or an apple brandy, chicken liver parfait. We ordered the baked goat’s cheese with a walnut crust and balsamic onions and the Cajun spiced squid to start.

The squid was perfect and, remarkably, despite being transported, still crispy, the goat’s cheese soft and moreish offset by the sharp onion marmalade. The only negative was that it came with a small salad that didn’t quite make the journey.

Mains were a feast. A Fermanagh beef burger with bacon, tobacco onions, hickory smoked cheese in a brioche bun with triple cooked chips was a massive success, all still warm and fresh, tasty and well prepared, full of flavour as a good burger should be.

The daughter had beer battered scampi with the same bad boy chips and tartar sauce, I was sceptical that you can make good scampi to go but this was done right with a sharp homemade tartar.

After much debate about my own choice of main I ended up fork deep in salt and chilli beef with udon noodles and a sriracha mayo dressing. Listen when I tell you it was delicious, there was too much for one sitting and I saved the leftovers until later that night when I’d a bottle of wine in me. It was tasty and hot and sent happy endorphins coursing through my body.

Before you all rush to your phones to get your order in, I’m not done yet. We had a lemon meringue and a sticky toffee pudding to finish. Packaged up as pretty as they would be in the restaurant, I had a wee taste of both with no complaints.

The wee woman got a children’s chicken tenders – the kids meals include a healthy sweet potato and chickpea curry.

And if all that sounds too good to be true wait until I tell you how much this lockdown feast cost. £59.50 for the lot, insanely good value and really helped break up the monotony of a long week which is pretty priceless in this current climate.

These are tough times for so many people, don’t forget the importance of self care and a wee treat now and then. Stay safe and take care.

THE BILL

Starters £5 x2

Burger £11

Scampi £13

Salt and chilli beef £12

Pudding £5x 2

Children’s meal £3.50

Total £59.50