The Return Of The Restaurant

Tonight sees the return of The Restaurant. Airing on TV3, this  brand new six-part series is bigger and better this year having been extended to a full hour and the first episode is sure to whet viewers’ appetites with former Justice Minister Alan Shatter taking to the kitchen.

Alan will have to impress resident food critics Tom Doorley and Paolo Tullio along with this week’s guest critic, celebrity chef and writer Rachel Allen. Tasked with creating a top-class three course menu using the finest ingredients from Aldi along with complementary wines, also from Aldi, Alan is hoping to tickle the critics’ taste-buds in the hopes of being rewarded with a five star seal of approval.

As diners take their seats in the stunning Wineport Lodge in Glasson, Co Westmeath, Alan gives them a choice between Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls or Prawns Konikam for their starter. The prawn dish was inspired by Alan’s favourite restaurant, Ananda Restaurant in Dundrum. Ananda’s Head Chef, Sunil Ghal even gave Alan a cooking lesson so he could recreate his favourite prawn dish. For his two mains Alan chose a succulent Duck a l’Orange and Grilled Black Sole on the bone. Diners were spoiled for choice for the dessert menu with a Sherry and Rum Trifle and Zobaione.

Each week during service, the celebrities will get instant feedback about their menu from remote cameras and microphones covering the dining room. The identity of the celebrities will remain a secret to the diners and the critics until service is over, at which point the celebrity will step out of the kitchen and face the critics in front of the diners to find out their star rating (from 1–5).

Voiced by well-known presenter Sean Moncrieff, this is the tenth series of The Restaurant, but the first time it will air on TV3.