Peony Courtt Chinese Restaurant, Bunclody, Co Wexford

Carlton Hotels have been doing some great deals lately, resulting in us spending one night at the Millrace Hotel in Bunclody, Co. Wexford. After driving down from Dublin in some beautiful Friday evening sunshine, we decided to walk through the town and perhaps find somewhere for dinner.

Bunclody is a lovely little town, with the real vibe of a little Irish town. As we wandered around, we came across the local dancehall which promised a teenage foam disco later that night. Truly scary stuff. In fact, as we strolled the streets, we could in fact sense the hormone level rising as gaggles of teenagers started to gather. 

There isn't a lot of dining choice in Bunclody, but we were swayed by a review from Paulo Tullio (link) in the window of the Peony Court, the local chinese restaurant. By the way, a word of warning, Peony Court is located near the most free-for-all crossroads I have ever encountered. 

Peony Court is small and dark inside, but very nicely decorated. The menu is extensive, offering both Thai and Chinese dishes. However, like a lot of small local restaurants, prices are steep. We shared a bowl of thai soup to start (delicious) while we waited for our mains of scallops (with lemongrass and thai herbs) and salt & chili seafood.

The first thing that struck me when the mains arrived was the size - and not in a good way. There were about 6 scallops spread thinly out on a large plate. My salt & chili seafood was only slightly larger. Considering that both courses were costing in excess of €22, this felt more than a little miserly. However, to be fair, both dishes were pretty damn good, with my salt & chili being the best version of this dish that I've tasted to date.

However, any good feelings I had about the food were completely ruined by the bill. One soup, two mains, two portions of rice and a few drinks came to approx €80. The rice portions alone were €4.50! If you are already paying over€22 for a main, being charged another €4.50 for rice really hurts. It's kind of equivalent to dropping a bar of soap in the shower when in prison.

We did ask the hostess why the rice was so expensive but all she could tell us was that the price was the price. Not really good enough.  Given the small portions, I have the feeling that the Peony Court could be economising in an effort to stay afloat. Right now, people just don't have money to spend on €4.50 portions of rice.

Peony Court, 3 Irish Street, Bunclody, Co. Wexford. 053 937 6924