Delicious little secret.It is but a short journey from my home in battered Barry to "Dinky Pooh," but the two are really worlds apart. Dinas Powys Dinas Powys is a large village, a community and a refortified hill fort in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. It is on the outskirts of Cardiff, about 5 km from the city centre on the A4055 road from Cardiff to Barry. , or Dinky Pooh as it is affectionately known to many in these parts, is posh. Barry, on the other hand, isn't. Tucked away behind the Star Inn, in the heart of the old village, The Huntsman restaurant is exactly the sort of place you might expect to find in such a place. It's discreet, elegant and quiet. Established in 1993 and run by Hilary and Peter Rice, one has the impression that it is a place for discerning diners who would prefer to keep it their own little secret. Arriving at Dinas Powys train station from Barry, we took the short walk to the restaurant. The menu, which changes fairly regularly, is not extensive, which in my view is always a good sign. Having a short selection of starters and main courses means the chef, who in this case is Hilary Rice, can concentrate on making each one perfect. We started by sharing some beautifully presented pan-fried scallops on a bed of salad with crispy bacon and lemon vinaigrette. The scallops were plump and succulent. The crispy bacon bits Bacon bits are condiments frequently used to enhance the flavor of salad or potatoes. They are a common element of salad bars. Bacon bits are made of either small, crumbled pieces of cooked bacon or, more frequently, textured vegetable protein artificially flavored to resemble in the salad really set them off and added to the taste of the entire dish. For my main meal I chose pork tenderloin, pan-fried with red pepper, leeks, brandy and double cream. Again it was well presented and piping hot. For my taste, there was not quite enough salt or spice in the dish, although it still tasted good. My wife chose the salmon and monkfish monkfish Any of 10–12 species (genus Squatina, family Squatinidae) of sharks having a flattened head and body, with winglike pectoral and pelvic fins that make them resemble rays. The tail bears two dorsal fins, and behind each eye is a prominent spiracle. bake in a cream sauce with breadcrumbs. It was an interesting combination of fish with a delicate flavour. The meals came with side dishes of roast potatoes, garlic and cream potatoes and a choice of fresh vegetable and crispy salad.. The roast potatoes were a bit of a disappointment, lacking the crispness and taste I had expected. But this was more than made up for by the garlic and cream potatoes which were absolutely delicious. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and the salad was indeed crispy. Mention must be made of the house red wine. We chose a Malbec from Argentina which was full-bodied, smooth, delicious and reasonably priced. It was the prefect prefect or praefect (both: prē`fĕkt), in ancient Rome, various military and civil officers. Under the empire some prefects were very important. The Praetorian prefects (first appointed 2 B.C. complement to the food. We finished by sharing a homemade bread and butter pudding Bread and butter pudding is a traditional dessert popular in British cuisine. It is essentially a baked form of French toast. It is made by layering slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins in an oven dish into which an egg and milk mixture (sometimes with vanilla or which was substantial without being overpowering. It was an old fashioned comforting end to the meal. Heading for the train back to battered Barry we agreed that The Huntsman is a credit to Dinky Pooh. The Huntsman Restaurant, Rear of the Star Inn, Station Road, Dinas Powys CF64 4DE. Tel: 029 2051 4900 |
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