A new Stringer to James Street’s bow

Ryan Stringer is returning to Northern Ireland to put on the Executive Chef’s hat at Niall McKenna’s beloved James Street.

After more than a decade in Dublin as Executive Chef overseeing the renowned Ely group of wine bars and restaurants, Ryan is moving back to Belfast where he last last worked as head chef at Deanes.

Ryan – who in 2016 served a chef internship at the world’s best restaurant, Noma in Copenhagen – brings with him some fantastic touches to his new menu with dishes like Jacob’s Ladder, a deliciously tender slow-cooked beef short rib which can take up to four days to prepare.

A “no waste” ethos in the kitchen is evident in dishes like the side dish of roasted carrots with Labneh (a fresh Middle Eastern cheese made by hanging whole milk yogurt in muslin until it becomes like cream cheese, but with a tangy, lightly salty flavour) which is made in the kitchen.

He then uses the leftover whey to create a caramel which has been crafted by the in-house mixologists to make a spectacular cocktail to whet the appetite.

His new James Street menu has been influenced by his experiences in kitchens in some of the world’s best restaurants,includings stages in Raymond Blanc’s Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and at Copenhagen’s 108, the sister restaurant to Noma.

But Ryan won’t be forgetting about the legions of loyal customers who are so important to James Street and beloved classic dishes like their  lip-smackingly fresh squid starter, comforting crab linguine and the outstanding steaks are still on the menu.