[Review] Klaw Poke, Capel Street, Dublin 1

Keeping on top of food trends isn't an easy thing to do in our Instagram world. And it's even harder to identify which trends will translate into long term market success. Here in Dublin, restaurateur and seafood lover Niall Sabongi has firmly gotten behind poke (pronounced POH-kay), a healthy Hawaiian staple that's been steadily growing in popularity across the globe. 

I first came across poke while watching Guy Fieri travel through Hawaii and I was intrigued by the simple, sushi-like concept of marinated chunks of raw fish served atop bowls of rice. Last year, while working in Amsterdam, I got the chance to try poke for the first time. And I've got to say that I liked it very much. It was both tasty and allowed me to pick and mix various poke ingredients to create varied, healthy lunches for myself. 

At Klaw Poke, Niall has created a selection of pre-defined poke bowls to help the uninitiated or undecided, or you can mix it up as you want. For my first visit, I opted for the Octopoke, a mix of grilled octopus, radish, macadamia nuts, samphire, salty pineapple and radish atop a mix of rice noodles and leaves, dressed with nam jim. Fresh, light and fragrant, it definitely ticked all the virtuous boxes. 

The octopoke bowl

[Review] La Paradeta, Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona

On our recent trip to Barcelona, I was starting to feel fatigue. Fatigue from trying to find the perfect restaurants, bars and cafes; fatigue from all the options available in Barcelona. Sometimes all you want is something straight up, simple and delicious. And then we came across La Paradeta.

We had passed by La Paradeta several times as we walked to and from our hotel, but I had never clicked what lay inside. La Paradeta is a chain of self-service seafood restaurants, which started out in 1994 and has now expanded to 7 locations across Barcelona and Sitges. The restaurant near Passeig de Gracia is a flagship location, with a large dining area simply decorated in a blue and white nautical theme. Burnished aluminium tables and chairs maintain the canteen vibe.

Langoustines 

[Review] Fishbone, Clontarf, Dublin 3

It's always nice to have a seafood restaurant actually located near, you know, the sea! Talk about a novel concept but seafood always seems nicer when it's eaten within a hop, skip and jump of the sea. New restaurant Fishbone is located on Dublin's lengthy, sea-hugging Clontarf Road, just opposite the Dollymount Wooden Bridge. While sitting inside, something immediately reminded me of the long-established Bay restaurant, so I wasn't at all surprised to learn that Fishbone comes from the same proprietors.

Fishbone is set back a little bit from the road, with a bright yellow exterior that immediately catches the eye. There's outdoor seating for those lovely sunny days while inside, it's bright and light, with a lovely modern atmosphere, tempered with a slight Moroccan feel. The chalkboard menu is wonderfully attractive, and packed full of daily specials and tempting dishes. As you look out the front window, another chalkboard menu entices you with the list of house cocktails.

The blackboard menu at Fishbone

[Events] Hooked by Aldi in support of Foodcloud

Over the last few years, Aldi Ireland have established themselves as a regular attendee at Taste of Dublin, which they cleverly use to showcase their range of Irish ingredients. Two years ago I dined on a steak feast inside a wooden hut, while last year's meal was enjoyed in a space decorated by Peter Kelly, better known as Weddings by Franc.

This year, the theme was Irish seafood, hence the moniker Hooked by Aldi, and the venue was a fun beach-style hut in bright blue and white. But the real innovation this year came in the form of support for Foodcloud. Established by Iseult and Aoibheann, Foodcloud is a social enterprise that connects businesses (like Aldi) who have surplus food to local charities. In other words, rather than throwing out unwanted or unsold food, Foodcloud ensures that it does not go to waste, but is used instead to feed people who need it.

I genuinely cannot stand food waste, and I feel terrible when I have to bin uneaten lettuce, veggies or meat from our fridge. Not only do I feel bad at the thought of throwing out food, and by default, all the effort that went into growing it, but I also hate the idea of literally chucking money in the bin. I suppose that I'm finally starting to take after my mother in earnest. (I'll be stockpiling jamjars soon). So it's a no brainer that I think Foodcloud is an excellent initiative and one that's well worth supporting.

[Review] Klaw, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Temple Bar isn't exactly the location that immediately springs to mind for Dublin's latest fish shack restaurant. Rather than being perched moodily overlooking the sea, Klaw is neatly tucked into a narrow space on the cobblestoned Crown Alley. Owner Niall Sabongi is on a mission to make diners fall in love with fun and casual seafood, and after all, Temple Bar is the party central of Dublin.

Once you pass through the open doors, Klaw is small and narrow, with customer seating to the front, and the wide-open kitchen at the rear. (In fact, to get to the toilet, you have to walk through the kitchen). The space may be tight, but if you're lucky enough to grab one of the three small tables, you can settle in nicely.

Interior at Klaw

[Review] Mourne Seafood Bar, Charlotte Quay, Dublin 2 - CLOSED

This current fine weather will forever be known in the collective Irish memory as "The summer of 2014" (as compared to  the "Floods of 1986" or the "Snow of 2010"). It will also be known as the year that hordes of aggressive seagulls descended on Dublin, terrorising the urban dwellers unaccustomed to malevolent birds. Anyone bought up in the country will be used to eyeballing gigantic rooks and crows, but no so for our city cousins. Queue obligatory evil seagull picture...

Invasion of the seagulls

Thankfully, my interaction with seagulls was limited during our recent visit to the new Mourne Seafood Bar, beautifully situated on a corner of Grand Canal Dock, with a fine view of swimming seagulls and bright yellow Viking Splash duck boats. In fact, Mourne Seafood Bar could be quite the spot for people watching, with views over Hanover Quay, the Marker Hotel and the dock itself.

A retro butcher's bike festooned with hanging flowers guides you down the quayside  but that is as far as the tweeness goes. Inside, there are no creels, ratty fishing nets or other cliched paraphernalia, but instead you find a bar and a beautifully bright restaurant, which instantly transports you away from Dublin to somewhere of perpetual light. 

Signposting the way on Charlotte Quay

This restaurant is unapologetically all about the fish. Given that Irish people have a fairly ambivalent relationship with fish, this might stop some people from ever dining there. More fool them is all I say.  It has a raw bar offering with oysters, langoustines, crab and  other delectable fruits de mer, with an all-day menu supplemented by daily specials. 

I started with a perfectly cooked seafood risotto, flavoured and coloured by rich saffron and scallop corals (€9). Nutty grains of rice and a wonderful texture put this firmly in contention for "Best risotto ever". A half dozen oysters, served on ice and gently swimming in their juices, were the epitome of fresh seafood (€12).

Seafood risotto

Half dozen oysters

A whole grilled split lobster (€28.00) served with fries and lobster and basil cream was silence inducing, apart from the sounds of claw crackers being deployed, plus my sighs of frustration when I failed to snag a last delicious strand with the winkler. I had dallied with the thought of the half lobster when ordering, but there is something wonderful about demolishing a whole lobster. 

Across the table, a large pot of mussels, classically steamed with white wine, garlic and cream (€14) was being decimated with equal silence. A side order of Tuscan fries (with salty black olives and Parmesan) seal the deal for us. Their rich salty flavour ensures that we eat every last one, ignoring their poor cousin regular fries. 

Whole split lobster with cream sauce

Mussels steamed with white wine and garlic

Delicious salty Tuscan fries

We decline desserts, as quite frankly, we are full to the brim. Another consideration is that we've also washed down this magnificent feast with a bottle of Finca Montepedrosa Verdejo (€28). Sometimes, it's good to admit defeat and we leave to seek fresh air and a little perambulation.  Our server for the night had been perfection itself, leaving us to our own devices for most of the meal. 

The total bill for the night, including sparkling water, is just shy of €100. If you're not of the gluttonous inclination, it's very possible to eat there for much less and still depart satisfied. The arrival of Super Miss Sue, and now Mourne Seafood, has heralded a change in Dublin dining tastes. Seafood or fish is no longer the minority crowd-pleasing dish on the menu, but sits front and centre. Mourne Seafood is simply "Brill-iant".

Mourne Seafood Bar, Millennium Tower, Charlotte Quay, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 668 8862
URL: www.mourneseafood.com
Twitter: @DublinMSB

[Review] Super Miss Sue, Drury Street, Dublin 2

The last time I was in Super Miss Sue was on their soft opening night, when the tables were turned over to press members and other people of food noteworthiness. It was a cold night in early January and the tall windows that are such a feature of this new restaurant were not much use. Glasses of fizzy prosecco and exquisitely fresh oysters with a wonderful ponzu dressing all went down with ease. It was all very good, but how would Super Miss Sue hold up when dining as a paying visitor?

We returned recently for a weekday lunch date. The tall windows along Lower Stephen Street that had looked out onto dreary darkness before were now filled with spring sunshine, lifting the entire room. The decor of ceiling fans, wood and brass fittings and backlit Campari bottles reminded me somehow of Spain and the finest tapas bars, altogether fitting for a seafood restaurant. The other end of the venue holds a posh fish'n'chips takeaway, which I've been informed is very good indeed. That, dear reader, will have to be tested another day.

Dining at Super Miss Sue

Classic interior of Super Miss Sue

There's an extensive menu with a two course lunch option for €25. Interestingly, the set menu is made up of the more higher priced items and I am nearly swayed by the sirloin flap steak with chimichurri and papas fritas. But we stick to our seafood guns. The Bloody Mary seafood cocktail is packed with mussels, clams, prawns and avocado and garnished with a rim of celery salt (regular menu price €14).  I can't abide celery, so I leave this dish to Himsef who polishes it off with delight. After all, it's rare that he gets a dish entirely to himself. Instead I dive into pan-seared scallops with sesame and honey truffle ponzu (€13). A little pile of seaweed salad and chargrilled lettuce are wonderful touches to the sweetly seared scallops. It's really really good.

Bloody Mary seafood cocktail

Scallops

Both of us choose grilled fish for mains, although the swordfish burger made a good showing. Himself chose mackerel "straight from the sea" simply grilled with olive oil, lemon and garlic (€12). In a miracle of fish preparation, there wasn't a single bone to be found. My choice of a whole grilled sea seabream was stuffed with lemon and herbs, and topped with crunchy samphire, garlic and capers (€18). After I deftly performed some surgery to remove the spine and head, I dove into the lemony, garlicky oil, crisp skin and soft flesh. It bought memories of grilled fish on the beach in Portugal whooshing through my head.

Grilled mackerel

Grilled whole sea bream

On our first visit, we had definitely enjoyed the hospitality offered by Super Miss Sue. Given that it's the latest venture from experienced Dublin restauranteur, John Farrell, it's no surprise that the whole thing has been well thought through. If you don't know who John Farrell is, he's the man behind Dillingers, 777 and the Butcher Grill. So therefore you can reasonably expect that Super Miss Sue will be cool, staffed with stylish people and doesn't take bookings for smaller groups. The current seafood venue is the first phase of the planned development with an upstairs restaurant and gin bar promised. 

The imagery of Super Miss Sue (featuring a sizzling Rozanna Purcell) is alluring. Miss Sue jumps off the page as a vivacious character in the mode of a bikini-wearing 1950's beach babe. According to her Twitter profile, she has a penchant for deep-sea divers and prosecco. All I'll say is that if a seafood and prosecco diet will garner me that voluptuous figure, then you can count me right in.

Super Miss Sue, Units 2-3 Drury Street Car Park, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 679 9009
URL: www.supermisssue.com
Twitter: @SuperMissSue

[Review] Electric Fish Bar, South Mall, Cork

I remember visiting ACC Bank on Cork's South Mall as a child, in tow at my mother's side. I was gradually beginning to cotton onto the fact that my mother was some kind of extreme saver (and couponer too, way before it was cool). For my mother, it's a case of neither a borrower nor a lender be, but instead be a saver. She did try to instill this worthy habit in me by signing me up for a Henry Hippo saving account in Ulster Bank which came with a suitably cool money box. It was a decent effort on her part, but you can only go so far with me.

Little did I know then what I know now. Over the space of 20 years,  I would acquire several novelty money boxes, proceed to spend my childhood savings in college and start my career, all while Ireland's banks would crest and crash. ACC has long been gone from their premises on the South Mall, which have been occupied by bar and restaurant Electric for several years.

For my first blog post about Electric, we dined outside on the upstairs terrace. That terrace is now closed up and remodeled into the beautiful Fish Bar. This dining room is a sharp, slick affair. Crisp blue glassware and stunningly white wall tiles cause the room to sing with light, but all attention is drawn to the open kitchen area.  It's all thoroughly modern Millie, but still reminds me of a long ago holiday eating tapas in ancient San Sebastian bars (thankfully sans napkins wadded on the floor).

The open kitchen area in the Fish Bar

Sharp touches - copper napkin rings, bone-handled knives and the iconic menu

We ordered a selection of small plates to start, perfect for sharing amongst friends. Ceviche, or a Peruvian dish of marinated raw fish, was light but substantial, served alongside sweet plantain chips (€8.00).  I would have preferred it to be sharper, but a squeeze of lemon fixed that nicely for me. A half dozen oysters were silky smooth, and while he likes his oysters au natural, I definitely appreciated the sharply sweet mignonette dressing (€10.00). Seared tuna was beautifully cooked, and had us running our fingers over the plate to get every last drop of the wonderful sesame ginger dressing (€9.00).

Our fishy delights were accompanied by two dirty martinis (€8.50). Some cocktail purists pooh-pooh the addition of olive brine to the martini, but I'm big fan of how the oily gin is transformed by the salty brine. It really is one of the best cocktails, and I've always thought that it suits me pretty well. Turns out that it also suits seafood pretty fine too.

Ceviche with cracked pink pepper and plantain crisps

Half dozen fresh oysters

Seared tuna with sesame ginger dressing

We decided to get in the mood for our upcoming Portugese holiday by ordering the whole grilled sea bream, which came with herb pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes (€16.00). Perfectly cooked, the flesh came away from the bones with little persuasion and was sublime when dipped in the cooking juices. I particularly liked the charred lemon, but I would have preferred to see the gills removed from the fish. 

Over the last few years, I've felt that the dining scene in Cork has fallen behind the vitality and pace of Dublin. Yes, there are some really good restaurants in Cork, but it's also felt a little staid at times. The Fish Bar is fresh like a brisk sea breeze, and a celebration of all things fishy.  The construction of the menu means that dishes can be shared easily between groups, or hoarded jealously by the gluttons amongst us. Word of warning, the Fish Bar does not take reservations, so get in early to get your seat.

Electric, 41 South Mall, Cork
Tel: +353 (0)21 4222 990
URL: www.electriccork.com
Twitter: @ElectricCork

[Review] Rock Lobster, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

As the past year drew to an end, I read many articles summarising the food trends of 2012 and/or looking to the future trends in 2013. One common theme from food journalists and bloggers from our neighbour to the East (i.e. England) was the emergence of "gourmet junk food", a phrase I borrowed from Marina O'Loughlin of the Guardian. London  has been innundated with burger joints, hot dog joints and fried chicken joints just to name a few. The latest and greatest trend to land on English shores involves ramen. At Bone Daddies, tonkatsu comes with pipettes of pig fat, allowing the diner to oomph up the fatty goodness of their ramen.

This trend of dirty gourmet dining has been a little slow to come to Dublin. The Crackbird, Jo'Burger and Skinflint group have done their bit for informal dining but it's safe to say that Dublin isn't knee-deep in sloppy-joe burger joints (much to my dismay). However, the lobster roll trend has finally made it over here, even if it is a little behind the London times. The international lobster market has collapsed recently, which means that lobster prices in Ireland are now far more reasonable.

Rock Lobster is a newly-opened cocktail, seafood and primehouse (aka steak) located about Kiely's pub in Donnybrook. I've eaten in several different restaurants that occupied this space, including a Japanese teppan venture and an Indian restaurant. Rock Lobster have made a serious effort to improve the space by hanging graphic prints and large bold butchers' diagrams. But under it all, there's still a discordant note that isn't helped by the fact that Donnybrook is one long string of constant traffic which is nigh on impossible to traverse.  

The Menu at Rock Lobster

The menu starts with a selection of titbits and we took advantage of the 3 for €10 offer (normally €3.50 each) to create a starter for two. Piggy puffs with apple and ginger puree were light and puffy, but could have benefited from more salt. Posh fish fingers were satisfyingly meaty while a chicken liver brulee was delicious, but quite hard to get out of the small jar in which it was served. Each of these titbits came on a separate plate, so by the time 3 had arrived, the table was dangerously full to overflowing. The same plate size was used for all, which meant that the posh fish fingers looked rather meagre due to the large amout of white space around them.

3 titbits for €10 - piggy puffs, posh fish fingers and chicken liver brûlée

Steak tartare came redolent with the scent of truffle and with a tiny egg (quails?) sitting on top (€7.00). Himself took an alternative starter route and ordered two portions of mac'n'cheese, normally available as a side (€1.00 as upgrade, €3.00 as side). We were both enchanted by the fact that the mac'n'cheese had been shaped into bricks and fried to a crispy crust. This would be a perfect bar snack.

Mac'n'cheese and steak tartare

The star of the show at Rock Lobster is their whole split lobster served with fries and salad (€20), which I had with a sauce Bearnaise upgrade (€0.50). I'm not a massive fan of melted butter with lobster, but I can never say no to a good Bearnaise and I would happily cross many lanes of traffic to get to the version served at Rock Lobster. Armed with my claw cracker and pick, I searched out the chunks of sweet, succulent lobster flesh, depositing the shell and other bits in a little bucket. Despite being the destroyer of several crabs, this was my first time tackling a lobster. However, the people at Rock Lobster have already thought of that, with an infographic printed on the back of the menus.

Himself went the easier route by ordering a Maine lobster roll also served with fries and salad (€20). It came served in a toasted brioche-type roll packed with chunks of meat. The fries at Rock Lobster also deserve a mention, being properly skinny and soft-fried, perfect for dipping in Bearnaise.

Whole split lobster with fries and salad

Lobster roll with fries and salad

I sampled one cocktail, a New Old-Fashioned on the Rocks (€9.50) and thought that it was excellent; a really well-made drink with a good balance of flavours.

Rock Lobster is cracking (groan!) good value - a whole split lobster for €20 will catch my attention any time, and it's even served on greaseproof paper to capture that gourmet junk food vibe. But Rock Lobster is not a junk food venue; instead it's a weird mix of trying to be hip (cool graphics) and staid (over a rugger-bugger pub in Donnybrook). I really hope that it will not be a victim of its location. If Rock Lobster was just a little closer to town, it would be heaving every night. But then, the prices would probably also go up.

It's worth mentioning that there's a lot more on the menu at Rock Lobster besides lobster. There are several steaks that I have my eye on for future visits, especially a porterhouse for 2 that I saw listed once. It's definitely one to revisit.

Rock Lobster (above Kiely's pub), 22-24 Donnybrook Road, Dublin 4

Tel: +353 (0)1 202 8585

URL: http://rocklobster.ie/

Twitter: @Dublinlobster

[Review] Ouzos Bar and Grill, Blackrock

There are some people in this world who simply don't let barriers get in their way. My own father is one such person. When he wanted a camper van, he simply built one. As a result, I spent the summer between my Leaving Certificate examinations and results learning to how stick aluminium skins to wooden frames. It's a measure of my father that he doesn't give in. Instead he thinks about problems, and proceeds to figure it all out.

I felt a chord of similarity when I recently met Padraic Hanley, owner of the Ouzos group of restaurants. In order to ensure a steady supply of fresh seafood, he went out and bought a trawler based off the West coast. The resulting catch was transported up to Dublin and served fresh in the Ouzos restaurants. Since then, the trawler has moved to the East coast, it's been traded in for a bigger model, it's been sold on, but Ouzos still retains a share. The devotion isn't limited to just seafood, as Ouzos also offer a fine selection of aged beef.

I recently found myself gathered around a table in Ouzos Blackrock with Rachel (one half of Gastronomic Girls), David (The Silver Chicken), Julie (Shananigans Blog) and Sarah Ryan. It was a chance to solidify our Twitter relationships and get to know each other. We had all been invited by Padraic to sample the seafood and beef on offer, and provide some feedback. The restaurant at Blackrock has a cream and wood colour scheme, which when lit by candlelight, was warm and welcoming on a cold winter night. The menus are a little awkward, printed as they are on large cards, but there's a good choice and it took me some time to choose my meal.

I started with a half dozen Irish queen scallops, served in the shell with a mornay sauce (€9.95). Simple, but so sweet with lashings of sauce. This was followed by grilled organic Irish salmon with crab crust, served with roast potato Provençal (€19.95). Once again, there was sweetness, due to the  thick layer of fresh crab meat on top of perfect salmon. 

Irish queen scallops

The scallop aftermath

Grilled Irish salmon with crab crust

Despite protestations of being full, we still all managed to find room for a dessert. I chose the simplicity of a vanilla creme brûlée (€5.95), which was spot on. 

Vanilla creme brulee with shortbread

There really wasn't a single thing that I could fault throughout the meal. The seafood was superb, cooked simply with a minimum of fuss and service throughout was wonderfully friendly. I'm always partial to a bit of value, and Ouzos offers two fixed price menus (The Early Bird and The Crab & Lobster Feast) for €21.95 and €24.95 respectively. That alone will guarantee a return visit to Ouzos.

FYI, I didn't return to making camper vans with my father.

My meal & drink at Ouzos Blackrock was complimentary.

Ouzos, 39 Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin
Tel: + 353 (0)1 210 1000
URL: www.ouzos.ie/blackrock
Twitter: @OuzosDublin

[Review] Oysters, Clarion Hotel, Cork

There was some sadness in Cork when chef Brendan Cashman decided to close down his popular restaurant Augustine's, which was located in the Clarion Hotel. As a regular guest of the hotel, I watched the empty space with curiosity, wondering what type of restaurant would open in its place. Eventually, renovation works started and signs appeared promising Cork's first ever dedicated seafood restaurant. 

It turned out that the man behind Oysters is Donald Morrissy, former deputy general manager at the Clarion. Given that the dining room doubles as the hotel breakfast room, there is some clever concealment of the hot counter and other permanent fixtures. Some of the tables have been removed from the dining room, thus creating a little more space which definitely gives the room a slightly more refined and comfortable feel than it had before.

We were dining from the €35 Table d'Hôte menu, which offers 5 courses. A little plate of bread along with a fresh fish pate and some quite bizarre vanilla butter arrived, followed by an amuse bouche. My starter of crab with pink grapefruit, asparagus, radish and dill mayonnaise was clean, light and simple. He chose the half dozen local oysters served simply with shallot vinaigrette and lemon. The oysters appeared to be unusually somewhat small, but were bright and fresh.

My soup course of cauliflower and cumin velouté was well-blended and warming, but I found the two small dumplings to be superfluous and bland. It would have been much better to let the velouté speak for itself. However, the Oysters seafood chowder was an absolute knockout. The addition of samphire and pancetta to a rich bisque, along with perfectly cooked pieces of seafood, resulted in a beautifully coloured and flavoured dish. I would happily drive back to Cork for more of this alone. 

Clockwise from top left: Oysters seafood chowder, fresh oysters on the shell, cauliflower and cumin velouté, crab and pink grapefruit

Oysters does offer some limited non-fish options, but to be honest, when one is in a seafood restaurant, one orders seafood. Fish of day was served with perfect Boulangere potatoes, a light pancetta and baby gem stew finished with broad beans. A little serving of carmelised orange zest added sharp sweetness, balancing the fresh broth and dense potatoes. Sea bream was served with minted ratatouille, perfect saffron arancini, fennel and herb oil. In the case of both dishes, the fish was spot on with moist flesh and perfectly crispy skins. 

Fish of the day and sea bream

We finished our meal with a selection plate of homemade desserts, including a tangy raspberry sorbet and a dense, fudgey chocolate cake. Throughout the dinner, we had drank an Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) which worked really well with the seafood. 

My only gripe with Oysters is the pricing. Quality seafood is rarely cheap, but as someone who stayed in the Clarion Cork for the bones of a year, I simply couldn't justify paying the a la carte prices on a regular basis. And while the 5 course set menu is good value, it's still too much food to eat regularly. Perhaps Oysters could offer hotel guests a slimmed down menu at a leaner price? I know that I would avail of such an option.

Oysters has delivered what it promised. Fresh seafood is beautifully cooked and served with a understanding and deft touch from the kitchen team led by French head chef Alex Petit. The main seafood supplier is Seafood Cuisine in Skibbereen, an independent operation with three trawlers who ensures that fish caught in the morning is delivered to the kitchen by lunchtime. And during the month of December, every reservation will be entered into a draw to win a pearl necklace worth €500 (winner will be chosen on December 22nd).

I could now start to make some clever puns about Oysters, pearls, jewels and so on. But I'll spare you all that. I'll just simply tell you to go to Oysters and order that beautiful chowder followed by some pan-fried fish. You won't go wrong.

Oysters, Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork
Tel: +353 (0)21 427 3777
URL: www.oysters.ie
Twitter: @oysterscork

Eagle Cafe, Pier 39, San Francisco

Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, is a fairly horrible tourist orientated place, designed to extract money from tourists as quickly as possible. We were on our way down to Pier 33 to catch our tour to Alcatraz Island, looking for something to eat, when we saw the Eagle Cafe perched atop Pier 39.

It's not cheap, but it is traditional and cheerful. The image above isn't quite accurate as the day we visited was grey, gloomy and wet but it's nice to think of it in the sunshine. We shared 6 excellent fresh mixed oysters served with hot sauce, grated horseradish and lemon. We then shared a whole Dungeness crab, served again with hot sauce and drawn butter. This was excellent eating with plenty of moist, sweet crabmeat. Since then, I've been experiencing a craving for more of that delicious crab.

Somehow, it's OK to be overcharged (and to be honest, it wasn't terribly expensive, approx $60 once wine was added) by places like the Eagle Cafe. Fresh food, great wine and superb service in a tourist spot is hard to come by.