Fine dining and me have a bit of a love-hate relationship - I love good food but wouldn’t be as big a fan of paying through the nose for it.
You’re more likely to find me scoffing down a bacon bap on a Saturday morning rather than sitting down at a Michelin star on a Saturday night.
But I swapped the butties for the white tablecloths on a recent visit to Strabane, a town perhaps not exactly on the map when it comes to fine feasting.
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Being from the opposite end of Co Tyrone to the border town, my knowledge of the food scene in the area wouldn’t have been the best.
But I had heard plenty of good things about Oysters on Patrick Street, following a number of recent award wins celebrating its food and customer service.
Being a Thursday lunchtime, I wasn’t expecting the place to be heaving with customers, but I was surprised to be literally the only person in the restaurant the entire time.
That said, it certainly was nice to essentially have a private dining experience all to myself!
A look through the menu initially sparked my interest due to the prices - I had heard such good things about this place and was expecting slightly more inflated prices.
The menu ended up being totally useless to me as when my personal waiter announced one of the specials my mind was made up.
‘A pan roasted chicken with lyonnaise potato and a wild garlic veloute’ - sure I could hardly be ordering chicken goujons and chips after he says that?
Despite not being sure what exactly a veloute was, I can safely say I’ll be ordering plenty more of them in future if it was half as good as this one.
Presented beautifully, the dish arrived looking like a work of art and it was almost a shame to get stuck into it.
Almost - the chicken was cooked perfectly and the chorizo went really well with the lyonnaise potatoes. The bright green veloute just brought it all together as well as making the whole thing look pretty.
I was a little embarrassed when the bill arrived and such a beautiful dish cost me less than a £10.
When you consider the amount of overpriced ‘gastropubs’ charging £15 for a burger and chips these days, I reckon I’ll struggle to beat that for value anywhere in NI.
There was plenty on the menu as well for those who may not wish to be adventurous about their choices - and I'm sure if you take a trip on a Friday or Saturday night you may even have a bit of company!
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