Perfect pork as Millar brings Midas touch to Hillsborough

When Danny Millar first told me his new restaurant venture would be named the Parson’s Nose, I?d half a mind he was pulling my leg. Naming a restaurant after a chicken’s rear might be seen by some as risky, but not for the North Belfast man.

His cheeky chappy on-screen persona witnessed by millions on the BBC’s Great British Menu is exactly what he’s like in real life, so it?s not a huge surprise that he opted for a humorous name for his new restaurant.

Opened in late 2009, the Parson’s Nose replaced the Marquis of Downshire in Hillsborough. Before opening, Danny told me his aim was to create as a place offering “good, Irish pub food” similar to the downstairs area of his other restaurant, Balloo House.

On last week’s showing, he’s created another winning formula. To call it “pub food” would be to underestimate the man from the New Lodge ? the lunch I had in Parson’s was as good a feed as you’re likely to get in the North.

The building feels like it was designed by rabbits ? move up the stairs from the small bar area and you’ll find little interconnecting burrows filled with tables with the plum positions at the back window overlooking the water.

Staff at Parson’s are well trained, highly efficient and very friendly. It’s the service you’d expect from a Millar restaurant, but of course it’s the food that really shines. Walking to our seat we passed the open kitchen with  loaves of home-baked bread just out of the oven and ready to perk up the appetite of anyone in for lunch.

It doesn’t take long after a selection of the home baked bread, along with butter and tapenade, is set down for it to disappear.

I started with Strangford Mussels in a white wine, garlic and parsley cream and whilst some were quite small that’s what you get with mussels sometimes. They were sweet, plump and the accompanying sauce was the tastiest I’ve had in a long time.

My dining companion tried out the Strangford Lough crab cakes, which were accompanied by an avocado and tomato salsa and by the time I’d looked up from my bowl of mussels to ask for a taste, he’d already gulped the whole lot down. Serves me right for not asking for a bite straight away.

We’d been told about the crispy saddleback pork belly by someone who’d already been to Parson’s and after some debating in my head about trying the Dexter beef shin, oyster and stout pie (one of Millar’s Great British Menu dish) I decided to follow advice after noticing the pork came with something that had astounded me during my last trip to Balloo House ? a beetroot and potato gratin.

It’s hands down the nicest potato dish I’ve ever eaten and it swung us both towards the pork belly. The main came nestled on slow cooked red cabbage, topped with an apple sauce and two slices of bacon with the gratin in a side dish.

Millar’s food is not for the faint hearted. It may taste like fine-dining, but the portion sizes are more rustic? or in plain English, bring a pair of elasticated trousers so you don’t feel like you’ll bust out when you finish. But when the food tastes as divine as this, it’s hard to care that you’re bulging.

When even my elasticated trousers were at full stretch I gave in and left a small bit of gratin, though the rest of my plate nearly got the licked clean treatment.

The tender pork worked great with the cabbage and apple and if I thought it wouldn’t have turned me the colour of an Oompa Loompa, I’d have taken a swim in the beetroot and potato gratin.

We baulked at the thought of dessert, simply because our stomachs couldn’t face any more food at lunch time, though secretly on the drive back to the office I was dreaming about the sticky toffee pudding with Bushmill butterscotch sauce.

Just like an artist bringing out that important second album, a second restaurant is always a tricky move for a chef whose establishment is visited by many because of the name above the door. Millar, however, seems to have been able to make the leap thanks to a backbone of great staff and the Parson’s Nose is already gaining a reputation of having the best ‘pub grub’ in the North.

The Parson’s Nose, 48 Lisburn Street, Hillsborough, BT26 6AB.

Tel: (028) 9268 3009

Web: www.theparsonsnose.co.uk

Crab Cakes £5.50

Mussels £4.95

Pork Belly x 2 £25.90

Drinks £4.50

Total £40.85