Whoever says that the cuisine of Ireland and Britain is boring must have some other deep-seated issues they need to work through. Irish Heather Gastropub, on Carrall St. in Vancouver, has a menu and overall feel that is strongly inspired by these locales, and the food is anything but bland.
While the menu is not fully Irish or British — it features an amazing perogie poutine — the influence can be felt throughout. This came through strongly in their charcuterie board. Featuring both local and imported meats and cheeses, along with warm crostini, fresh baked bread, and a perfectly cooked Scotch egg, the overall feel of the board was that of the traditional ploughman’s lunch.
The size of the board may have been smaller than that of the traditional ploughman’s, but the flavours were not lacking. The condiments, while bold, did not dominate, they worked to create balance – something I always welcome with any charcuterie board. Aside from the Scotch egg, the Irish sting and duck prosciutto were standouts on the board.
An Irish sting is a toast point — made of the same fresh baked bread — that has a white Irish cheddar drizzled with truffle honey. While the truffle flavour of the honey was not strong, it kept the honey from dominating the medium flavoured cheddar. Proscuitto is typically made from pork, but the decision to make it using duck breast is ingenious. The lean meat of the breast coupled with the fat cap makes for an improvement over the traditional pork.
While some restaurants only have either a strong appetizer or entrée section, Irish Heather has both. The entrees are just as diverse as the appetizers and the influence of Irish and British cuisine is prevalent in the selections of a steak and ale pie, fish and chips, and bangers and mash.
I knew that these menu items would be amazing based on how delicious the appetizers were, so I chose the mac ‘n cheese with pulled lamb. I will be the first to admit that I am insanely picky when it comes to mac ‘n cheese. The toppings are either too soggy or a brick-like layer of cheese, the sauce is never cheesy or creamy enough, and the pasta is often overcooked. Irish Heather addressed all of these issues to create hands down one of the best mac ‘n cheeses ever.
The bread crumb topping was made using the same fresh bread that was feature on the charcuterie board. It was crunchy, buttery, and tasted like bread instead of sand like most bread crumb toppings. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was cheesy and creamy without being too much of either. It didn’t overpower the bites that had lamb, but held-up solidly on it’s own.
The Irish and British inspiration could be felt in the overall decor of the restaurant and food menu, but also the drink menu. They feature one of the best offerings of cider that I have come across — including BC’s own Left Field Cider Co.’s The Bunk House dry hopped cider — as well as one of the most comprehensive whisky offerings that I have seen.
Irish Heather Gastropub does all that it can to dispel the myth that Irish and British food is bland and boring. It is one of the best restaurants that I have been to in Vancouver, and as a bonus to the amazing food, it features friendly and knowledgeable staff to round out the dining experience.
