Growing up in London, the closest we came to Paul Rankin’s cooking was watching him tackle bags of mystery produce on Ready Steady Cook. Later, we heard good things about his Belfast restaurant, Roscoff – the first in Northern Ireland to win a Michelin star – which was later closed and replaced with Cayenne.
Rankin and his wife Jeanne promised that Cayenne would be more dynamic, with the focus shifted from fine dining to ‘hot and funky food’, so the restaurant is designed with a younger gastro-crowd in mind. It’s a modern, minimalist space, warmed up with dim lighting and shades of chocolate brown and burnt orange. There are some low-key artistic flourishes like Northern Irish surnames carved into the walls and dark curtains shield diners from the urban decay outside. On a bitterly cold Thursday evening, the place was already buzzing at 7pm, with smart, clued-up staff moving unnoticed between the dining room and bar.
The menu takes full advantage of Northern Ireland's bountiful larder, with each dish elevated above the ordinary by exotic ingredients and culinary twists inspired by Rankin’s Far Eastern travels. First to arrive at our table was a fragrant seafood soup with the slow-burning heat and rich earthy flavour of a Thai red curry. In the centre, a delicate prawn wonton yielded to the lightest touch of the fork. Next, a vibrant duck salad – crispy skin and tender meat resting on a bed of shredded leaves and coriander, spiked with red chilli, pickled ginger and thinly sliced pickled plums. Best of all was Rankin’s signature dish of salt and chilli squid, lightly battered and utterly delicious dipped into spiced mayo and even spicier ‘nahm jim’ chilli sauce. Interspersed with mouthfuls of zingy napa slaw, we could left happy having eaten just this.
According to my Ballycastle-born dining companion, the Irish aren’t big fish eaters (unless you count Friday night chip shop visits) so it was unusual to see so much seafood on Cayenne’s a la carte. With the exception of one diner who ordered the Szechuan peppered venison, most tables had skipped land in favour of sea and we decided to follow their lead. The roast monkfish was well-seasoned and meaty enough to stand up to the piquant chorizo, while the accompanying smoky mash was served French style, whipped into buttery submission and topped with strands of saffron.
My soy glazed halibut was lighter and more delicate, served with more of that zingy Asian-inspired ‘slaw’ and a saffron risotto cake. Flaky white fish with a sticky-sweet soy glaze may not be ground-breaking but I’ve eaten less interesting versions in London which were let down by clumsy cooking and heavy-handed seasoning. With its subtle lemon dressing, this was an exceptionally elegant plate of food.
After a flawless fondant and crème brulee at The Ginger Bistro the previous evening, we were hoping to finish on a similar dessert high at Cayenne. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. The sugary top of my crème brulee failed the two-tap test and the chunks of Zinfandel poached pear reminded us of wine gums. The passion fruit pavlova looked the part and we liked the cubes of citrusy jelly but it was a struggle to cut through the meringue and we eventually gave up. Maybe Rankin doesn't have a sweet tooth?
On our return to London, a bit of Googling revealed that not everyone enjoyed Cayenne as we did. Were we just lucky that Rankin was in the kitchen that evening or has the kitchen simply taken time to find its feet? In any case, Cayenne doesn’t promise culinary fireworks – just bold, fresh flavours and a confident, fuss-free approach to fusion cooking. Rankin’s love of south-east Asian food shines through and he’s certainly not shy with the chilli, but his passion for local ingredients is evident throughout. Ingredients from afar are used only to highlight and breathe new life into home-grown produce. Perhaps those who were underwhelmed first time round should give Cayenne another chance to impress.
The seal of approval for us is that we would happily return to and recommend Cayenne – not to those looking for fine dining flourishes or a true taste of Ulster, but to anyone looking for creative platefuls and well-spiced forkfuls to warm up a night in Belfast.
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