On the 28th September, I was kindly invited to the Porterhouse Steakhouse at Thainstone as a guest for their Gourmet Menu night with Thainstone Events. It was my Mum’s birthday, so the perfect excuse for us to celebrate, and what a night it was!
Proper, Scottish food will always have my heart. Porterhouse Steakhouse does our cuisine impeccably, taking our vast larder and transforming it into creative, delicious food. Special thanks must go to Porterhouse assistant manager, Dean and trainee manager, Mikael who successfully delivered a fantastic and memorable night for a room full of hungry guests.
“The finest meat and local fresh produce from the North-East of Scotland under one roof”
The restaurant is situated within the Thainstone Centre complex in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. Ask anyone in and around Aberdeen; the first thing that comes to mind when the word ‘Thainsone’ is spoken is unlikely to be ‘delicious food’. Since 1990, Thainstone has hosted Scotland’s largest livestock auction. Over 100,000 cattle and 300,000 sheep are sold every year- even inspiring a BBC documentary ‘The Mart’. Non-farmers will more likely associate Thainstone for Sunday car boot sales where 6am starts are the norm. I hope in years to come Thainstone will be also known for the delicious, local fare from Porterhouse Steakhouse.
Gourmet Menu Night
So on a late September evening, we arrived at the relatively hidden entrance to the restaurant and were greeted by Kay. Handing us a glass of prosecco and conveying her excitement for the evening ahead with friendly chat, I was immediately impressed and felt welcomed into the Porterhouse family. The restaurant is cosy, intimate and comfortable with thistles on the tables, tartan furnishings and highland coo art. As the room got busier, things began to feel really special. Staff chatted to guests, topped up our glasses and served tasty canapés – Chicken Empanadas, Langoustine Veloute and Cheesy Polenta Chips. The canapés made us very excited for the food ahead and I was so inspired by the polenta chips, I went out and bought some polenta the next day!
The Menu
The menu was inspired by Scottish produce with innovative influences from around the world. The seven-course gourmet menu was specially created by Head Chef, Victor Garcia. Additionally, for those of you interested in wine pairings there were perfectly matched wines with six of the seven courses – and we were reminded through the meal to ask for more at any point, continuing the excellent service.
The dishes were some of the most interesting I’d ever had and certainly some of the tastiest in Aberdeen. Scottish ingredients of the highest quality shone through and the expertise of the chefs crafted tastes I had never had before. I often go to restaurants and think ‘I could do this better at home,’ however, this was not a thought I had during the experience at Porterhouse. The thing that impresses me the most when dining out is if I would have no idea how to recreate dishes at home and this happened with an element of almost every course. The highlight in innovative and intriguing tastes was a sweet, white shard served with the beef course. The three of us agreed that it complimented the beef, but could not think what it could be. Luckily, in one of three informative speeches, the manager Graham Fryers served our curiosity. It had been a pumpkin cracker which had taken three days to make. This kind of intriguing, inventive cooking made for one of the most memorable meals I’d ever had.
An experience, not just a meal.
A special mention must be given to Graham, the manager of Thainstone Events. A chef himself, Graham manages the restaurant with a knowledge and passion for food as it should be at every restaurant. He really knows how to entertain and his affection for Scottish produce and his guests is admirable. Although the night is all about food, he created an intimate and exciting atmosphere. Graham could be found throughout the night interacting with guests personally, or speaking confidently to the room about the food and wine. His presence made the night what it was.
Our favourite dishes
Every dish impressed us and none scored lower than a 7/10 during our chats. I could easily devour over every course, but instead I’ll pick out the best. To really experience the quality of cooking, you need to visit yourself.
Around our table the three of us, and as it turned out the majority of the room, enjoyed the beef course most. The beef shin fell apart beautifully; a taste of Autumn arrived with carrot and pumpkin textures and the spiced jus brought something completely different to a classic beef dish – and then there was that pumpkin cracker!
Another favourite of mine was the starter. Duck Breast Salad with Coconut, Pineapple, Pecans and Citrus Dressing. The flavours and skills on show made for a very interesting and tasty dish- the thinly sliced duck breast was inspiring. It was extremely fresh tasting and a perfectly light start to a long meal.
The Ratatouille Risotto with Red Pepper Pesto and Parmesan Crisp was as rich as it sounds. I loved that the flavours of a simple ratatouille had been transformed into an elegant risotto and for me, a crunchy parmesan crisp goes with everything.
The meal ended with Mignardises and an espresso martini. A lot of the time, the fancy small sweets you get with coffee and tea aren’t very impressive but of course, the Porterhouse chefs attention to detail extended to these. Three individual petit fours – macaron, fudge and meringue – were as delicious as the seven courses preceding them.
A special evening
If you’re looking for something memorable, where the experience is given as much attention as the food itself, you need to highly consider the Porterhouse Gourmet nights. Currently, the restaurant hosts a couple of the evenings a year and I know I won’t be missing the next. Sign up for email updates to be kept informed. However, the restaurant’s usual menu cannot be ignored and can be found here. As a first timer at the restaurant for this event, I can’t wait to return to sample this menu. This menu continues their contemporary Scottish theme with enticing dishes such as Strawberries, Figs, Pistacho and Goats Cheese Toast. Obviously not to be missed is their 28 day aged steaks including a 20oz Chateaubriand that I will be sampling on my next visit!
From arrival to departure, I felt impressed, excited and extremely welcomed to this intimate and special evening. Porterhouse deserves all the praise it gets and I hope that it becomes one of your new favourites too.
