Saturday 25 January 2014

WEEKEND IN DUBLIN, PART 1: TRADITIONAL IRISH CUISINE

What can you eat and drink in Dublin? It was my first thought when I started preparations for our weekend in Ireland. Of course the trip was also full of cultural activities: admiring Old Masters' paintings in the National Gallery of Ireland, visiting Trinity College or watching “Pride and Prejudice” adaptation at the Gate Theatre. But the culinary aspect was equally important to me. That's why with some help from my Dublin-based friend, Kasia, and an Irish follower of my blog, Gary, I've decided to prepare for you a short summary of the best Dublin goodies.


Most of the traditional Irish dishes consist of potatoes, meat, and vegetables so they are quite rich and hearty. We had our first Irish lunch at Quays Irish Restaurant in a lively neighbourhood of Temple Bar. We found the restaurant by chance but it turned out to be a great choice: the interior was cosy, the food tasty and the service friendly. In fact, all the Irish people we met were really nice and genial. :)


Being so close to Guiness Brewery, we had to try the slow cooked beef and Guinness stew (EUR 10.95, lunch special). It was thick and aromatic, perfect for the rainy weather that greeted us in Dublin.


I also wanted to try boxty, or Irish potato pancakes, served at Quays with dressed leaves and a yummy sauce (EUR 6.95). Boxty turned out to be absolutely delicious – I especially liked the combination of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes, meaty pieces of bacon, and crunchy breadcrumb coating. I think it was the best dish I tried during my whole stay in Dublin.


Unfortunately, fish and chips I ordered as the main course wasn't the best choice (EUR 10.95, lunch special). The chips were very good but I hadn't expected the fish to be so soaked in grease. Now I know why some people pack it in a newspaper... Finally, I managed to eat only the chips with lots and lots of ketchup to hide the oily aftertaste. Well, maybe it was my punishment for ordering an English dish in the country that doesn't really love England? ;)


As to other Irish specialities, such as black pudding (blood sausage) or Skirts and Kidneys, their very names and list of ingredients were enough to put us off. Sorry, Ireland! :)


But we did want to try fresh seafood, which is an important part of Irish cuisine, and to have a beer or two in a tradition Irish pub. So if you want to read about our restaurant adventures in a quaint town of Howth and about the drinking tips from a genuine Dublin taxi driver, please check my blog tomorrow. Stay tuned! :)

Quays Irish Restaurant
Address: 10-12 Temple Bar Square, Dublin 2, Ireland