A GOOD friend has lived in Troon for two years and she only recently discovered the delights of MacCallums at the Harbourside. If you didn't know this restaurant was there, you would never find it: indeed, Jo had tried on occasion to locate the famed eatery but with no luck.
You have to head past the marina and Scotts, pass through the housing area and head round the very industrial Harbour Road until at the very end you find red-brick MacCallums - and the shortest crossing to Northern Ireland.
When she was finally in the know, her first experience of the seafood sensation was the Wee Hurrie, the takeout chippy with a difference. No deep-fried Mars bars here, only the best seared scallops (£9.50), grilled langoustine and sea bass with beer batter, although favourites such as cod and haddock are also on the menu. The king prawn tempura, at under £6, is deliciously crisp and served with sweet chilli sauce, although admittedly it's not your average end-of-the-pier fodder.
Safe in the knowledge that MacCallums did indeed exist and even the food from the takeaway lived up to its reputation, we booked for a special joint birthday occasion. Reserving an early table - 6.30pm when the restaurant opened - seemed like a good idea at the time, but pesky pre-dinner drinks and chatter meant all our watches seemed to tick a little slowly, so a mere five minutes away (and already 15 minutes late) and the restaurant was on the phone chasing our booking.
When we arrived we realised MacCallums runs a very tight ship (with the sailing decor and memorabilia to match) and we were quickly seated, with menus thrust on us. A bottle of Pinot Grigio started the celebrations.
Looking around, we realised its fine dining reputation did not translate into a stuffy atmosphere. The dress code was distinctly informal and the wooden interior warm, cosy and inviting. The waiting staff also had a nice manner, a balance between laid-back and efficient, affecting a deaf ear when our conversation rose in decibels.
To start, both Jo and Ros ordered the langoustine. Recently back from Skye, Ros said it equalled anything she had tasted on the seafood-famed island. For me, there was just a bit too much work cracking and picking the langoustine, so Ash and I opted for the seared scallops and black pudding combination. This was fresh and totally delicious, but what made it stand out was the perfect seasoning, the minimal cooking and the mouthwatering flavours of the drizzled sauce.
The main event was a soleful one: sole paupiettes served with a creamy risotto for everyone else and lemon sole for me, both options off the specials board. We ordered some rocket and parmesan salads and were advised by the staff to get some chunky chips too, which we readily ordered.
When our meals arrived, the sheer size of the lemon sole was impressive but the zingy, herby smell was an absolute knockout. Needless to say, our plates were emptied speedily. Service up until this point had been superb but a lengthy wait for a second bottle of wine meant we were approaching our table deadline as we finished our mains, and we could see the staff starting to shiftily glance in our direction: time was up.
Wine at the bar seemed an unlikely option as the compact space was pretty much filled to capacity (about 40 people), but the staff cleared space around four bar stools and were sufficiently convincing that we didn't think we were getting in the way too much.
Watching the food emerging from the small kitchen space, and deftly served around the room, we couldn't help hearing that a fellow diner had ordered chips as a main course. The nice part about this admission to the chef was that it was an explanation of the order and not a food snob judgment.
So, tips for MacCallums: use satnav to find it, get there on time and try to sample more than the chips, although they won't mind if you don't.
And if you're Wee Hurrie bound, get there early, as the following sunny weekend we had to queue for an hour for our tea and the couple behind us had driven all the way from Glasgow for their fishy fix - a recommendation, indeed. MacCallums of Troon Harbour Road, Troon 01292 319339 Style: End of the harbour fine dining and oyster bar Food: Predominantly seafood Price: Around £70 for two people, for two courses and a bottle of wine Wheelchair access: Yes
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