Edith Piaf was belting out her classic Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, over a speaker, as MasterChef: The Professionals runner-up Brian McLeish was surveying his kingdom from a quiet corner of the Moonfish Cafe.
It’s unlikely that Brian has any regrets after his exploits on the TV show, where he was only beaten to the crown by another Scot. Far from it, he was doing a roaring trade on a Saturday night when we visited.
Piaf was known as “the Little Sparrow” and I would not have been in a flap to find one on the menu, such is our host’s mastery of innovation, but it was not to be.
As we entered, he was gazing thoughtfully from his vantage point, not directly at us, I don’t think, unless he smelled an undercover restaurant reviewer from a mile away, but perhaps he was just weighing up a busy night ahead.
Things have snowballed since MasterChef, where he blew the judges away with his innovation, style and quiet confidence.
One of the waiting staff confided that, on their return after Christmas, and Brian’s television success, there were 450 e-mail bookings waiting for them.
It’s quite an accolade and a reputation to live up to, with diners expecting something special every night. They won’t be disappointed because there is something special about Moonfish Cafe every step of the way. “Expect the unexpected,” as they say.
From unusual photographs of Icelandic landscapes for sale on the walls, to exquisite food and excellent service, there is nothing boring or predictable about this restaurant. It also offers a dazzling array of gins.
It has “special night out” written all over it: even the restaurant looks dressed to impress, sporting a set of “earrings”, which are actually giant hanging baskets, outside and inside.
The two waitresses were slick and efficient and gave us a warm welcome. They also obliged with our awkward request to be moved to another table, away from the front door.
They knew their stuff, too: they were extremely knowledgeable about the preparation and cooking times of dishes, as when we asked about venison, for example.
With 11 tables, there is a cosy, relaxing conviviality about the place, but remember, book early because Brian’s reputation goes before him: we had to wait two weeks to secure a Saturday slot.
Moonfish Cafe occupies a spot just off and below Union Street, which oozes with history: it is in the old Merchant Quarter of the city, with a narrow, winding cobbled street outside and a high wall bordering St Nicholas Church.
Once settled in, we were served an amuse-bouche, that iconic free nouvelle cuisine bite-size dish, which offers an introduction to what the chef is all about. Ours was a delicate, tasty piece of cod, with a crispy strip of skin. Simple, but exquisite.
Don’t let the word “fish” in the name put you off, if you don’t like fish: there was also venison and pork during our visit. On that note, our starters were with us and I was delighted with mine: sea bass escabeche, which was a first for me.
This was richly marinated fillets of fish, with shallot, dill, sweetcorn and sour cream. It was superbly presented, bursting with great taste combinations and came with a generous portion of fish, which almost passed for a main. For my wife, pheasant terrine, strong and distinctive, with flavours of carrot, raisin, almond and sorrel.
Our mains were pork done two ways for me and venison for my wife. The menu was very direct on the matter. Mine was simply described as “pig, veg a la grecque”.
The flavours spoke volumes, however: rich pork belly and fillet combined with crisp Greek-style, marinated vegetables. The chunks of venison were cooked for longer than normal, at my wife’s request because she preferred not to have them pink, but they were still rich and full of taste. Both dishes were packed with flavour and style.
So were the puddings: beautifully presented liquorice, apple and vanilla passion fruit, and ricotta cheesecake with clementine and chocolate.
It was all a cut above what you normally encounter and full of nice surprises.
It was a fascinating glimpse of a master craftsman, and an artist for that matter, at the peak of his powers. Brian offers a stand-out experience and sets a benchmark for others.
A memorable comment about Brian from MasterChef was bouncing around in my head, as we left. In the quarter-finals, he made a dish which a judge said was one of the very best they had ever eaten on MasterChef. That says it all and he had just pulled off another stunning performance for us.
- MOONFISH CAFE, 9 CORRECTION WYND, ABERDEEN. PHONE 01224 644166.