Situated at the tip of Loch Rannoch, the new Monadh restaurant at Dunalastair Hotel Suites has announced the appointment of head chef, Simon Kelman.
Their new employee, originally from Kirkcaldy, has experience at one of the capital’s most popular and long established bistros, Howie’s.
He’s also spent time at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, and was head chef at the four-star Db San Antonio Spa & Resort in Malta.
Now he’s taken over this five-star hotel’s restaurant, previously Edina’s.
As is suitable for a restaurant whose name has been changed to the Gaelic word for hill, at a hotel that has views out to the craggy bluff that is Craig Varr, Kelman has redesigned the menu with a focus on outdoor elements. Its sections include “the land”, “the sea”, and “the garden”.
“This country has the best larder in the world which has been my primary inspiration for the Monadh concept”, he says.
“The new menu has been inspired by my love for Scotland, which, in my opinion, produces some of the finest produce in the world.
"I favour locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to really make the most of flavours, selecting local suppliers who are masters of their art.
"From Macdonald Brothers Butchers in Pitlochry to Simpson Game in Kincraig, every effort is made to support our local farmers and fisheries.”
Monadh offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and “light bites”, with a menu that includes, in Kelman’s “from the sea” section, a “surf and turf” of 8oz sirloin and half a garlic lobster, or the lemon sole, squid ink pomme purée, butternut squash, samphire and mussel sauce.
While, his “from the land” list features dishes such as Scottish lamb rack, mint pomme purée, cherry tomatoes, fine beans and venison haunch, dauphinoise potatoes, baby vegetables, kale and pink peppercorn jus, and “from the garden” offers vegan Wellington, pomme purée and bechamel.
In contrast to the relaxed vibes in Monadh, Kelman is also looking after the menu in their fine-dining restaurant, The Library.
They offer a seven-course tasting menu, which includes a dish of wild mushroom, truffle and chicken terrine, piccalilli and crostini and is rounded off by a vanilla poached pear, walnut and spiced ice-cream pud.
