Review of 'Catch 22 Brasserie'
When we recently visited Anglesey, staying in Holyhead, we were somewhat disappointed at the “dining” options in the town which appeared to be mostly limited to either pubs or takeaways. A quick search on Google, however, revealed other options if we were prepared to hunt them out so we were very pleased we were able to arrange a Saturday night reservation at nearby “Catch 22 Brasserie” in “Valley” just on the other side of the causeway.
“Catch 22” is just on the main road through “Valley” just off of the A55 into Holyhead. Parking is a bit of a nightmare with only a small amount of space to park around the restaurant and around back. The restaurant itself is fairly easy to spot with it's two story contemporary grey and glass exterior with floor to ceiling windows, though it is behind a noise-blocking grey fence. We were slightly early for our 5 pm reservation entering behind a small queue of people waiting for the restaurant to open at the same time (Wednesday through Saturday they are also open for lunch between 10:30 am and 2 pm/2:30 pm Saturday, they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but open between 10:30 am and 8 pm on Sunday where they offer a set “Sunday Lunch” menu, 2 courses for £29, 3 for £35 or a single course for £23).
Our table was in the middle of the room beside a narrow floor to ceiling separator. The far corner of the room is the bar area with a series of booths along the side window. The rest of the space is filled with modern wooden tables and not terribly uncomfortable grey metal chairs on a wood-effect floor. The kitchen at the back is partly open to the space with a half-height wall with the occasional clank of dishes being heard throughout our meal.
The paper placemat is also the menu which regularly changes: One side food, the opposite drinks. The food menu is divided into “Breads & Nibbles”, “To Start”, “Kids Menu”, then a centre section of “Mains”, “Singapore Curry”, “C22 Burgers”, and “Pasta & Risotto”, then the final panel on the right “Sides”, and “Puddings”. There is also a small board containing specials for the day (though not marked as such).
From the “To Start” sectino we chose the “Welsh Cheddar & Leek Croquettes” (“Black garlic ketchup, 24-month Parmesan, chives”; £9.55) which were served piping hot. There were four croquette balls arranged nicely on the small plate with a small sprinkling of Parmesan on the top. They were quite mild but delicious with a lovely but not overpowering note of the cheddar.
For my main I chose the “Local Welsh Lamb Rack” (“fondant potato, Asparagus, roasted cauliflower puree, mustard an hazelnut dukka glaze, lamb jus”; £26.50), since I was in Wales and wanted to see what Catch 22 could do with it. A lot, as it turns out. The two small delicate chops of lamb, perfectly cooked in a delicate pink (no signs of blood), were arranged on top of a small fondant potato stack with asparagus laying here and there. A small jug of jus was provided on the side. The Asparagus was perfectly cooked, al dente and full of fresh flavour while the fondant potato was also perfectly cooked, full of butter and falling apart with a fork. I did not get too much hazelnut nor mustard really but it was not really missed with such excellent ingredients. Ok, the price did have me somewhat daunted but I was certainly not disappointed with the dish itself.
My companion had the generous “Fish & Chips” (“Crispy battered MSC sustainable 6oz haddock fillet, C22 chips, balsamic mushy peas, tartare sauce, burnt lemon”; £22.95). The haddock was perfectly flaky with a lovely crispy, almost powdery, coating that kept the juiciness in while the homemade tartare sauce had a delightful kick to it. The large, chunky chips were perfectly cooked - Not terribly crispy but quite fluffy in the middle and ever so slightly sweet.
All through the meal we had been intrigued by a dessert advertised on a board near the bar: “Snickers Trifle” so we had to give it a go. It turns out this is a favourite on the menu: “Our signature dessert - Malt pannacotta, peanut crunch, chocolate ganache & Halen Môn sea salt caramel” (£10.95). Though seemingly small in stature, this dish makes up for size with amazing taste - Layers of a slightly salty filling topped with the “peanut crunch” which, yes, tasted a lot like the eponymous chocolate bar. Though we savoured every bite this was very quickly consumed leaving us to scrape the sides of the glass for every last morsal.
Though the price of our meal was just shy of £100 (including a few drinks - I had some rather nice non-alcoholic cocktails) the food was very good indeed and the service quite friendly. Despite the restaurant being very busy the waitress and other staff were happy to talk with us during our visit. Indeed, they never seemed to be in a big hurry but delivered food to the tables efficiently and in a relaxed way.
A wonderful, if pricey, meal just outside of Holyhead. Worth seeking out. Reservations most definitely recommended.
Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”
Review Date: 2024-03-09
Cuisine: American/British
Address: London Road Valley, Holyhead, Wales LL65 3DP
Location: Anglesey (Wales) - Holyhead
Map:
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Telephone: +44 (0) 1407 238220
URL: https://www.catch22brasserie.co.uk/