Stitch and Bear

A long-running Irish blog with reviews of the best restaurants in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Some wine and cocktails thrown in for good measure!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Chuan Chinese Restaurant - Capel Street

UPDATE: February 19th, 2012 - A new review of Chuan can be read here.

Chuan chinese restaurant is in the same location as one of my previously favourite chinese restaurants. I don't know if there has been a change of management, but the restaurant has been spruced up with a new decor. I ate there recently at lunchtime, and took advantage of their set lunch menu which costs approx E10.

It was a fairly disappointing meal and represented the backwards trend that I've been seeing in some chinese restaurants of late. It's back to the MSG and gloopy tasteless sauces that dominated Irish chinese restaurants for years in the 1980s and 1990s. I had spicy chicken shreds for starters which were fine, not very spciy but crispy. The set menu was overall bland with the usual culprits. I did however notice some chili and coriander dishes, so I ordered the lamb version.

It turned out to be flavourless meat (I can't even say for certain that it was lamb) in a gloopy sauce which had no discernible chili or coriander flavour. Looking at the diners around me, it seemed as if everyone was eating the same dish.

Given that the excellent Hilan restaurant is right across the street, and the hidden treasure of the Jade is just around the corner on Little Mary Street, there is absolutely no reason for me ever to visit Chuan again.

Chuan Chinese Restaurant, 120 Capel Street, Dublin 1. 01 - 872 0228
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1 comment

caite said...

It always amazed me, on my many trips to Ireland, that the tiniest Irish town will have a Chinese restaurant.
I am not sure why, by I find it funny.

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