“A new chapter begins at Mr Fox.” That was the heading on the email that landed in my inbox, and it was enough to pique my interest. It had been a long time since my last visit – years, in fact – and the chef taking over as chef patron alongside founder Anthony Smith – who opened the restaurant almost a decade ago, and more recently D’Olier Street in Dublin 2 – has an impressive CV for somebody many of us might not have heard of.
Backstories generally lead with the highlights rather than following a strict chronology, but for Jordan, it’s a fine-dining trajectory from the get go, starting with three years at the K Club in Co Kildare before moving to The Greenhouse in Dublin 2 under Mickael Viljanen, a period he describes as the most influential of his career. From there he joined Ross Lewis at Chapter One in Dublin 1 for three years before heading to Vancouver to work at AnnaLena, where the restaurant earned a Michelin star.
Back in Ireland, he worked in D’Olier Street under James Moore, again when the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, before moving to Terre in Castlemartyr in Co Cork. A return to Dublin saw him join Library Street in Dublin 2 while he waited for the right head chef opportunity. Then Anthony Smith came knocking.
The diningroom is in the Georgian basement of this Parnell Square, Dublin 1 restaurant, divided into two connected spaces with a convivial bar to the left of the entrance. It has changed little over the years: sage-green walls, charcoal timber panelling, navy velvet curtains and a patterned tiled floor that gives way to timber floorboards in the second room, where we’re seated at a square oak table. There are no tablecloths, just white linen napkins.
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Mr Fox has offered a tasting menu for some time – €73 for five courses – but an a la carte option returned last summer, offering a broader choice. Despite that, most of the people in the room appear to be on the tasting menu, tourists and locals enjoying a pre-theatre dinner before Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband at the nearby Gate Theatre.
Opting for the a la carte, we start with three very good slices of 48-hour sourdough (€7) accompanied by a generous mound of cep butter and a piped ribbon of Parmesan custard, scattered with crispy pieces of onion and pickled onion.
A langoustine tail wrapped in golden toast (€4) is fresh and sweet, with dots of yuzu koshō adding a whisper of citrus heat. The toast, however, is softer than I would have liked. An open-faced snack would allow the crustacean to shine. A bottle of trebbiano from the Falerio region of Italy (€48), from a wine list that in effect starts at €50, works well with our meal.
Moving on to the starters, I’m expecting the macerated tomatoes (€17) to bring a fresh burst of summer, but the inclusion of semi-dried tomatoes takes the dish in a sweeter and slightly dated direction. Crispy croutons add texture and smoked Gubbeen brings contrast in flavour, but the slivers of Iberico ham are too fine to register.
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Kicking up the fun quotient is the buttermilk fried chicken (€16), a juicy piece of chicken inside a craggy, crispy coating. Togarashi mayonnaise adds a gentle warmth, while large curls of pickled carrot bring acidity.
Rabbit (€32) is not a dish you see too often on menus, and here it arrives rich and deeply savoury, tossed with girolles, house-made trecce pasta and grapes in a buttery, tarragon sauce. The grapes are a clever addition, bringing bite and a burst of sweetness.
The seared halibut (€35) is cooked beautifully, golden on top, giving way to pearly flakes of flesh, sitting in a buttery lemon sauce flecked with herbs and finely chopped braised kombu. Peas, romanesco and summer greens bring freshness, with a few mussels adding a briny note.
Of the three desserts, the citrus posset with matcha namelaka and strawberries (€11) sounds the most adventurous. It certainly is the most striking, topped with a honeycomb-shaped tuile, but somehow the posset doesn’t quite chime with the matcha-flavoured white chocolate ganache and diced strawberries in syrup.
Mr Fox feels like a work in progress, with Jordan adding dishes that reflect the techniques and flavours he encountered during his time in Vancouver – ingredients such as kombu, bonito and togarashi. At the same time, the pre-theatre tasting menu remains hugely popular, so there’s a delicate balance at play. It will be interesting to see where he takes it next.
Dinner for two with a bottle of wine and filtered water was €172.50.
The verdict: There’s talk of Michelin ambition at this much-loved restaurant
Food provenance: Glenmar, Artisan Foods, McLoughlin’s Butchers, Keelings, Caterway
Vegetarian options: Separate vegetarian menu
Wheelchair access: No accessible room or toilet
Music: Jazz and background music
