Recent Irish food winners

I'm dedicating this post to some excellent Irish food & drink producers. In recent days, I've read of wins abroad for Irish cheese manufacturers Knockdrinna at the British Cheese Awards 2011, while at home, we've been busy celebrating great Irish produce through events such as the Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards. Later this month, Irish food producers and enthusiasts will gather at Savour Kilkenny to continue the celebration of all that is good and great about Irish food. 

Based purely on my personal preferences, I am going to write about three different producers, each of whose products I like for different reasons. One is an old childhood friend, one is relaxing in front of a fire and one is made from caprine milk (well, goat's milk). 

The childhood friend - Folláin

I grew up in the Muskerry Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht Mhúscraí) and one way of earning a few bob in the summertime was to pick blackberries and other soft fruit for the small, local jam factory. We'd head to the fields with an empty bucket (formerly used to hold caustic soda for cleaning the milking machine) and pick blackberries from the briars. Every day I'd eagerly anticipate the small fortune that was to be made, but of course, by the end of the day, I'd have purple lips and tongue, while my bucket was definitely not overflowing.

The local jam factory was Folláin, which started by producing a grapefruit marmalade in 1983, based on a O'Lionáird family recipe. This family-run business is a true success story, growing from a small kitchen enterprise to a fully-equipped and high-tech production facility, while still remaining rooted in the small village of Cúil Aodha. While I've always loved their jams and preserves, my real love lies with their range of relishes, particularly the Fire Roasted Pepper and Exotic Fruit relishes.

Folláin Red Pepper & Exotic Fruit relishes

My favourite is the Exotic Fruit Relish, although 2fm DJ Rick O'Shea from is a well-known fan of the Fire Roasted Pepper Relish. It's delicious as the base to a cheese toastie, or else served with cheese and crackers. 

Folláin have found a profitable side to their business in the production of own-label products for different supermarket chains and their quality was recognised at the Blas na hÉireann 2011 awards where their Supreme Fire Roasted Pepper Relish for Supervalu and Irish Country Relish Chargrilled Pepper for Aldi took Gold & Silver respectively in the Pickles & Chutneys category.

There's an old Irish saying "Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras", which translates as "Hunger is a great sauce". Let me tell you, the old Irish folk got it all wrong, they really meant to say "Is maith an t-anlann Folláin" or "Folláin is a great sauce"

The fireside friend - Cooley Distillery

Irish whiskey is mainly dominated by large multinationals these days, and only one independently owned distillery remains in the country - Cooley Distillery. When created in 1987, it was the first new distillery in Irleand in over a century and it set about revitalising some old Irish whiskey brands as well as restoring the Old Kilbeggan Distillery.

Greenore, one of the Cooley brands, is a single grain whiskey, made with corn and aged in bourbon casks. Different age statements are available, and I'm particularly fond of the 8 year version. It's a smooth whiskey with tastes of caramel and toffee and makes for very easy drinking. It comes in a very attractive thick glass bottle  with clear labelling which allows the colour of the whiskey to shine through. In 2010, Greenore was awarded a Best in Class and a World Whiskeys Awards Best in Class. I'm not sure how readily available it is, but I have seen it for sale in the Celtic Whiskey Shop on Dawson Street for €32.99

Greenore 8 Year (Image taken from Celtic Whiskey Shop)

Like Folláin, Cooley Distillery also manufactures spirits for own brand labels, and they too were successful in the recent Blas na hÉireann 2011 awards, where their Avoca Aged Blended Irish Whiskey and Avoca Irish Whiskey took Gold and Bronze respectively in the Spirits & Liquers category.  My bottle of Greenore 8 is coming to an end, so I called into Aldi to buy the Avoca Aged Whiskey, which sells at the attractive price of  €19.99. It's ever so slightly darker in colour than the Greenore, and is similarly smooth tasting. The flavours are sweet with a bit more wood than the Greenore. Personally, I'll be sticking to Greenore for my nightcaps, but when you consider price, the Avoca is good whiskey to have on your shelf.

Avoca Aged Blended Irish Whiskey

The Farmyard Friend - Knockdrinna

Kilkenny-based Kockdrinna has been making cheese since 2004 and now their range covers cow's, sheep and goat's milk cheeses. Their new goat's cheese Kilree swept the boards at the British Cheese Awards 2011, being named Supreme Champion in addition to winning the Best Irish Cheese & Best Semi-Soft Cheese.

My favourite Knockdrinna cheese, however, is the wonder Knockdrinna Snow. Made from goat's milk, it gets its name from the velvety snow-white rind. It is firm when young, but matures into melting softness. It has the most wonderful lustrous, pearl-like white colour,  making it a feast for the eyes. Once you've finished gazing, you can get on with grazing as it is delicious smeared on cheese biscuits. I get my Knockdrinna  from Sheridan's Cheesemongers, but it can also be bought online directly from the farm.

Knockdrinna Snow Goat's Cheese (Picture from Knockdrinna)

That's the end of my celebratory post of Irish food and drink. As I said earlier, these products are chosen purely on my personal preferences and childhood memories. I'm sure that everyone will have their own favourite candidates. Why don't you share your favourites with me, and take the time to explain why they are your favoruites. Perhaps I'll discover some great new products, thanks to your recommendations!

Ham Hock & Pear Salad

A few weeks ago I enjoyed a lovely, light lunch at Dax Cafe Bar. This is definitely one of my favourite spots for lunch when I'm working in town. It's a slice of Gallic heaven, serving great French-inspired dishes in a beautiful club-style room. I love their salads which usually feature just a handful of ingredients, but are executed really well with good textures and flavours. (Dax Cafe Bar is also open in the evenings, serving a range of "tapas" and other dishes. You can read more about it on one of my earlier reviews).

Tonight, we were cooking slow braised beef cheeks for dinner. These take time to cook, and I wanted to make a quick starter or salad dish as we waited for the magic to happen in the oven. Earlier in the day, I had visited the wonderful Byrnes Butchers on North Circular Road in Phibsborough, where I had purchased a smoked ham hock. My plan had been to put this in the fridge for snackage, but I decided to use it in a Dax-inspired salad. I simply tore at the ham hock until I had a pile of shreds. The different sizes and rough textures keeps the salad looking rustic and simple. I added some carmelised pear slices for a touch of sweetness against the mustard vinaigrette.

Smoked ham hock & pear salad

Ingredients

4-5 slices of pear, cored

Knob of butter

Olive oil

Cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

Strong mustard

Lamb's lettuce, or leaves of your choice

Shredded cooked ham

Salt & pepper to taste

Start by heating a pan over a medium to high heat and melt the butter. Place the pear slices in the pan, and cook for several minutes on either side, or until golden and carmelised. You need the heat to be above medium in order to get the sugars to carmelise, but make sure not to burn the butter. 

Once happy with the pear slices, carefully remove from the pan, and place on some kitchen paper to drain off some of the butter.

To make the vinaigrette, combine olive oil, vinegar and some mustard in a bowl until blended. I'm deliberately not recommending quantities here, as everyone has different taste when it comes to dressing strength. Personally, I like my dressings to be really punchy, with lots of mustard flavour.

Arrange the lamb's lettuce on a plate and spoon over several teaspoons of the dressing. Place the ham shreds and pear slices on top, and finish with a little salt & pepper.

Once I had the salad ready, I took some quick photos. Later as I looked at them on the laptop, I was struck by the beautiful colours and textures. So here's a close-up from one of the shots for you to enjoy!

Close up of smoked ham hock & pear salad

Pay as You Please, Killarney

Petty thievery in Ireland...If something isn't nailed down, there's a fair chance that some light-fingered kleptomaniac will pop it into their handbag or pocket and take it home. And to be quite honest, this will probably happen even if the item is nailed down. 

This rather "socialist" view of property (i.e. belongs to all equally) was accepted behaviour in the student years when having the coolest road sign or beer glass collection was a sign of a true die-hard student. What is perhaps more worrying is that this tendancy never quite goes away. Irish people like "free" things. Recently, Stoneybatter gastropub L. Mulligan wrote a blog post pleading with punters to return pilfered items. Treasured childhood editions of Beatrix Potter books, old novels and even  a wall painting have gone missing from the pub, which have lead the Mulligan team to placing an amnesty box on the bar counter. (It remains to be seen how successful this initiative will be.)

Given this rather free and liberal characteristic of Irish people, then why would anyone open as a "Pay As You Please" restaurant in Ireland? Fedora-loving Rob O'Reilly and Barry Bride have taken this bold step in  the most touristy of towns, Killarney and business has been going well. Clever use of Facebook and Tripadvisor have raised the profile of this unnamed and unconventional restuarant. And it always helps that one of your chefs has trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Located on New Market Lane, off High Street, the cafe is located in an old warehouse.  As we enter, a tasty looking selection of cakes sit under net covers. Mismatched furniture and shabby retro chic are the order of the day here, matching the relaxed vibe emanating from the owners. On the day we visited, a silent black & white Elvis film was projected onto the rear wall, to the soundtrack of a mix of cool jazz & blues music.

Bohemian, relaxed interior at Pay As You Please

The menu is simple, presented on colourful plastic clipboards and feature a short selection of dishes. Hearty warm soups come in a bread bowl, or alternatively in a jar. Looking around, Tripadvisor is clearly working for the business as plenty of American tourists were tucking in. Tap water and glasses were provided without asking.

The changing daily menu at Pay As You Please

I dillied between the salad and dish of the day. The smoked mackarel fishcakes with beetroot salsa sounded delicious, but I really wanted a light lunch, so instead I chose the Nicoise salad, with tuna, potatoes, olives, egg and green beans. I received a punchy, well-dressed salad served on a retro enamelled plate. with the bright yellow yolk of the perfectly hard-boiled eggs shining like jewels on the plate rim.

Nicoise salad at Pay As You Please

Himself chose one of the pizza options, going for a classic prosciutto, parmesan and rocket. The pizza arrived on a wooden breadboard, along with a pizza cutter (genius idea- I really don't understand why more restaurants don't provide pizza cutters to diners). The pizza is cooked with all the toppings in the middle, allowing the outside edge to puff up while baking. The dough was light and crispy, with a lovely basil flavour shining through.

Prosciutto pizza at Pay As You Please

The only bad aspect to our meal at this little bijoux venue was the coffee quality. I'm not sure what brand was used, but it had a liqourice flavour that I dislike in coffee and came served in a French press. While living in Amsterdam, lots of restaurants used to serve Nespresso-type coffee via machines, which meant that it was possible to obtain high-quality cups of coffee in most venues. This could be an avenue for the cheeky chappies at Pay As You Please to explore.

Overall, very good cafe-style food. It's also worth mentioning that the cafe operates a BYO policy, meaking it an affordable spot for nighttime dining on Fridays and Saturdays. And how much did we pay? Well, we left behind €25 (broken down at €10 per main course and €2.50 each per coffee). I'd love to know what others think. Was this a fair price?

Pay As You Please, New Market Lane, Killarney, Co. Kerry
Tel: +353 (0)86 306 8253
Facebook: Pay As You Please

Electric, South Mall, Cork

Ah Cork. My home city and possibly the most relaxed city in Ireland. Maybe I'm waxing a wee bit too lyrical, but that could be due to the effect of the singsong local accent. Bye bye to the harsh sounds of Dublin, and hello to the Cork lilt. Even after just a few hours in the city, I find my accent strengthening and returning.

The main contrast I notice betwen Cork and Dublin is the lack of bustle. Things are simply quieter and less busy in Cork. The South Mall is home to several legal and accounting practices, as well as many other businesses, but the street is pleasantly quiet. The remodelling of the Grand Parade means that people can now sit outside and relax with a coffee. Tis all very continental. And nothing is more continental than that most Corkonian of Cork institutes - the English Market.

I used to shop frequently, if not daily, in the English Market when I lived in Cork. I accepted its loss when I moved to Dublin and thought no more of it, but that loss comes home to haunt me as I wander the stalls. Good value butchers selling cruibins and tripe. Fresh bread, charcuterie, cheeses and of course, lots of fish and seafood. The prices and range amaze me - Dublin simply has nothing like it. (For instance, I've been trying to source ham hocks from a Dublin butcher. All have told me that they require a few days to obtain, yet here are ham hocks, both raw and cooked, piled high in the English Market, and priced under €2 each. I doubt I'll be paying that price in Dublin).

Just a few minutes walk from the English Market lies a beautiful Art Deco building that houses a newcomer to the Cork dining scene - the wonderfully named Electric. With a scattering of tables outside on the river bank, this venue mixes casual bar dining with a more formal first floor restaurant. The first floor also features an outside covered terrace, which is where we find ourselves on a sunny autumn lunchtime. The terrace offers views of St. Finbarr's Cathedral and Sullivan's Quay.

Outside terrace at Electric with a view on Sullivan's Quay

At first glance, the menu looks quite good with very attractive pricing. According to the website, the owner and head chef, Kevin O’Regan, is committed to Irish food and this appears to be reflected in the menu. We choose to share a starter of grilled halloumi and pesto salad with mango chili salsa (€6). This arrives with two thick slices of halloumi on a bed of lambs' lettuce and mixed leaves. I simply love seeing lambs' lettuce and other green leaves in salads (as opposed to horrible frisee or red leaves) so this pleased me. Unfortunately, there was none of the advertisted mango chili salsa (replaced intead by juliennes of mango) but the halloumi was grilled to perfection and the pesto was top notch (hopefully sourced from the nearby English Market?)

Grilled halloumi salad

 For mains, I chose the fillet of organic salmon with mussels, leeks, samphire and creme fraiche (€12.50). I received a large piece of perfectly cooked salmon which sat atop a mix of fried leeks, baby new potatoes and mussels in the shell. The accompanying sauce was amazing, reminiscent of a bearnaise, with a light silky texture. The samphire had been cooked in the sauce, whereas I would have preferred it uncooked and brighter in colour, but otherwise, an excellent dish, which could command a higher prices in many other establishments.

Salmon with mussels, leeks and samphire

 Himself was torn betwen the tagliatelle and cod, but in the end he chose the tagliatelle of sauté prawns & basil pesto (€11). When it arrived, the pasta looked very pretty on the plate with a smattering of leaves, parmesan and green beans. However the pasta was so overcooked that that it fell apart while eating. The flavour though was very good, with meaty prawns and more of the intense basil pesto that had featured on our halloumi starter. 

Prawn tagliatelle

I indulged with a glass of Martin Codax Albarino (€6.25) which was straw-yellow in colour, aromatic and fresh - a very good accompaniment to the salmon and seafood flavours. Coffees were priced at a reasonable €2.00 each, and our total bill, including some drinks, came to €47.25.

Overall, I'm highly impressed with the value on offer in Electric. Main courses are excellent value, with a good standard of cooking (treating the overcooked pasta as a glitch in the Matrix) and generous portion sizes. The interior is lovely, with the Art Deco theme running throughout the interior design and branding. Electric has all the potential to become a Cork institution, a place to which diners will return regularly for watering and dining.

Electric, 42 South Mall, Cork, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)21 422 2990
Twitter: @ElectricCork

Mulberry Garden, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

There's no doubt that Ireland is deep in the grips of bad times. Friday evening drinks in the pub after work appear to have taken a severe beating and on a recent visit to Cork, I was literally gobsmacked at the empty state of some previously packed bars. I think that the goverment and CSO should forget about unemployment statistics and mortgage default rates. A truer measure of Irish consumer confidence would be to look at pub visits. The Irishman has always had a natural affinity with establishments that serve alcoholic beverages, so anything that perturbs that relationship must indeed be catastrophic. How about the Pub Punter Index?

(By the way, I am not being facetious with my previous comment. For all the bad news on the television, the deep impact on Irish pockets has been most apparent to me when visting my local.)

Conversely, certain restaurants seem to be booming. You can't swing a cat in Ranelagh village with the amount of people packed into restaurants and a recent visit to Chapter One on a Wednesday evening showed that there was no shortage of punters willing to part with their cash for food. Granted, consumers are looking for good value and restaurants are listening. All that said, it's a brave venture to open a new, high-end restaurant, especially one such as Mulberry Garden which operates a limited choice, €40 set menu only. This is compounded by the fact that Mulberry Garden is open only Thursday - Saturday evenings. Brave indeed.

Charmingly located on Mulberry Lane, near Kiely's of Donnybrook, the restaurant is centred on a little garden. The space is elegant with the mulberry theme running throughout the interior colour palette. Tables are set with crystal, silver and linen and everything is very gently lit. As we are shown to our table, we pass tables packed with besuited business men and couples. Looking around, we appear to be the youngest couple in the room.

As mentioned above, the menu is extremely short with just two options presented for each of the three courses. Given that one of the dessert choices is actually a cheeseboard, this leave only one true dessert choice, which may not be to everyone's liking. On the other hand, the menu changes on a weekly basis, with a strong focus on fresh seasonal ingredients. As we were dining as a couple, we simply ordered one of each item allowing us to taste the full menu. 

In contrast to the short menu on a little piece of paper, the wine menu comes attached to what appears to be a wooden plank. After selecting a New Zealand Malborough Sauvignon Blanc (€30), I am left with a dilemma as to where to put the damn thing. In the end I lean it against the table leg. A selection of fresh breads appears along with a pat of smoked butter. I initially found the smoked butter intriguing, but after a few bites I wanted rid of it. The taste was overpowering and I would even have settled for that other horrid form of butter - unsalted. The breads were fine.

Due to the low-lit nature of the dining room, most of the photos I took didn't do justice to the food served. Therefore I'm only publishing two of the pictures. 

Hereford ox tongue starter at Mulberry Garden

Starters

• Poached free range hens egg with natural smoked haddock, sweetcorn, grilled spring onion and bacon crumb. I must admit that I found this dish a bit too salty, but the sweetcorn kernels dotted around the side added little pops of sweetness.
• Hereford ox tongue with organic beetroot, corned beef hash, horseradish, shaved celeriac and watercress. This was very prettily presented, but the tongue just didn't stand out at all for me. The little croquette of corned beef hash was a winner.

Main Courses

• Rump of Connemara Hill lamb with braised lamb shoulder, tomato tart fine, dried black olive, pine nuts and crushed aubergine. The lamb was cooked beautifully pink but the tart fine was the star of this plate with fantastic tomato sweetness. The dried black olive was wonderfully intense, but it overpowered the other flavours, particularly the delicate aubergine.
• Lightly salted Atlantic cod with cauliflower, summer cabbage, caper brown butter, roast & pickled carrots and gratin potato. A very well cooked piece of meaty cod with a delicious butter.

Lightly salted Atlantic cod at Mulberry Garden

Main Courses

• Vanilla panna cotta with coffee & truffle ice-cream, hazelnut biscotti and espresso jelly. When I ordered this, the waitress did ask if I would be OK with the taste of truffle in my dessert. Apparently a lot of people don't find the combination palatable. The dessert came presented in a spherical tumbler with layers of panna cotta and espresso jelly, topped with the (in)famous coffee & truffle ice-cream. I absolutely loved this flavour combination, mixing together coffee, sweetness and the oiliness of the truffle. A really unique dish.
• Special dessert of chocolate cake with coconut sorbet. This dessert wasn't listed on the menu, but was suggested separately by our waitress. Given that the other option was a cheese plate, himself took the opportunity to have some chocolate. He receive a dense, moist slice of chocolate with a surprisingly creamy coconut sorbet.

Our total bill, including wine and some sparkling water came to €113.95. When booking, I had been skeptical about paying €40 for 3 courses. It seemed a bit too pricey particularly given the limited choice. Now that I've eaten there, I'm a little more convinced. This is a restaurant with the intimate atmosphere of a supper club. There is some really good cooking with excellent Irish ingredients, but many dishes had one touch too many and could benefit from a tiny bit of simplification. Ultimately though, the limited choice remains an issue. Go there on a day when the cards do not fall your way with dish selection and you could well feel cheated. 

Mulberry Garden, Mulberry Lane, Dublin 4
Tel: 353 (0)1 269 3300
URL: www.mulberrygarden.ie

Mandarin House, Parnell Street, Dublin

I love reading restaurant reviews. If I have eaten at the venue under review, I compare notes, while for unvisited venues, I make mental bookmarks to visit or avoid. It's fair to say that restaurant reviews are a subjective business and wars have been fought over lesser matters. You have to find a restaurant reviewer whose opinion you trust and with whom you feel an affinity. In Ireland, I am a fan of Tom Doorley, currently with the Irish Daily Mail, while in the UK I enjoy reading Jay Rayner from the Guardian, and reviews from blogger Chris Pople (Cheese and Biscuits). Just like Jay Rayner, I have a great love for spicy chinese food and thanks to his reviews, I have visited some great London Sichuan restaurants.

I do think that Sichuan (and Hunan) food can constitute an addiction. I literally find myself craving that chili hit, with intense garlic and salty bean flavours. It took me a while to become accustomed to the numbing sensations of sichuan pepper and prickly ash, but now I would sit through a Hollyoaks omnibus in order to satisfy my cravings. (For reference, I think Hollyoaks is possibly the most absymal television ever made).

Here in Dublin, I think it's fair to say that Chinese food has been up and down. I ate in the first  wave of authentic Chinese restaurants that opened their doors on down-at-heel Moore Street. Undoubtedly, the Health & Safety inspectors were pleased when some of those venues were closed, but the food was a revelation. The next wave of restaurants opened on Parnell Street, near Marlborough Street. It was clear to see that general restaurant standards were increasing, but in parallel with this was the increasing westernisation of the menus. Restaurants started opening on Capel Street, extending the availability of real chinese cuisine.

My favourite restaurant for a long time has been the Hilan Chinese & Korean restaurant on Capel Street. Friendly and pleasant staff combined with some amazing dishes has kept me coming back for years. But  I think it's time for a new favourite. Let me introduce you to the Mandarin House on Parnell Street.

The restaurant itself is straightforward and plain (a lot of Chinese restaurants don't go for style) with  utilitarian wipe-down paper tablecloths. The menu lists a combination of authentic Chinese food, "regular" Chinese food and there's even a Thai section. Some specials are taped to the inside cover of the menu, along with a value evening menu that includes a glass of wine. On previous visits I've enjoyed the belly pork slices with butternut squash, which  can probably be described as a Chinese version of roast dinner. It's a unique dish, not very spicy and well worth a try if you want to experience something different.

On our recent visit we ordered crispy dumplings, served with soy sauce (5 for €4.50). These actually arrived last of our food order due to the longer cooking time, but they were fat and tasty, full of prawn mixture, with a crisp, pan-fried coating. Black vinegar and chili oil is also available on request to add some extra flavour to the dipping sauce

Crispy dumplings with soy sauce

Fried spicy green beans came piled on a plate mixed with deliciously crisp slices of fried garlic, dried chilis and minced pork (€10.00). If you've ever eaten alongside Chinese people, you will know that fried green beans is a very popular dish and this was a great example. The mixture of fresh and dried chilis provided different layers of heat and smokiness and I found myself picking out the garlic slices and savouring them with my eyes shut.

Spicy fried green beans

Our other dishes included cumin lamb (€10.00), listed as Northeast Supreme (I think?) on the menu and Chili chicken (€9.00) with fried rice (€2.50 per portion). The chili chicken was moderately hot with a bean-flavoured sauce. The use of thigh meat meant that the chicken remained soft and moist. The lamb was spiced as opposed to spicy through the use of cumin seeds and a smattering of the ubiquitous dried chilis.

Northeast lamb supreme (Cumin lamb)

The total bill for this feast came to €44.50, inlcuding two beers and some sparkling water. Given that we had 3 main courses, this represents great value for very tasty food. Our waitress was smiling as she cleared away our empty plates. Clearly our enjoyment of their food was appreciated.


Mandarin House, 179 Parnell Street, Dublin 1
Tel: +353 (0)1 878 3146

Little Jerusalem, Rathmines, Dublin

Every city suburb needs a neighbourhood joint. In high-flying Ranelagh, the neighbourhood joints are pricy and packed. In nearby, but slightly dingier, Rathmines there is a joint that is just as packed, but far more affordable and easy going on the auld wallet. Rathmines has been hiding the light that is Little Jerusalem, probably in an effort to ensure that seats will remain for the locals, rather than blow-ins from adjoining suburbs.

Little Jerusalem, a Palestinian & Lebanese joint, is located on Wynnfield Road, which is also home to an internet cafe, an adult shop and an amazing little sports shop. It's not really a street that you stroll down, it's a street that demands a purpose. When we stepped inside the restaurant late on a Thursday night, it was packed to the rafters, with a single empty table. I muttered a short prayer to the restaurant gods, and they listened.

Another little secret about Little Jerusalem is that it's a Bring Your Own (BYO) venue, which means that you can bring in your own alcohol and enjoy it with your meal.  Corkscrews are even provided on the tables. We bought along a bottle of the light and tasty Durvillea Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from O'Briens Wine which had been on special offer at €9.99. As we settled in at the table, we poured some wine and watched the chefs hard at work behind the counter of the original kebab joint. The interior is dimly lit with rugs scattered on the floor, contributing to the sense of coziness and intimacy.

The menu is printed on a simple cardboard booklet with straightforward selections of mezza (starters), with chicken, lamb, fish, vegetarian dishes and salads. I love baba ghanoush or grilled aubergine mashed with olive oil and seasoned with tahini and other spices (€5.50), so that was an easy choice for me, while he chose the tasty sounding Palestinian salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, red onions, mint, parsley with a sumac and fresh pomegrante seed dressing (€5.50). My baba ghanoush came in a little dish accompanied by a fresh naan which was perfect to scoop up the smoky, richly flavoured mush. (Although it must be said that I ate most directly from the bowl - still on low carb). His salad however, was disappointing, with no real trace of the listed pomegrante dressing.

For mains, I chose the Mashawi Mushakla, which is a mixed plate of grilled chicken, lamb and kofta skewer served with hummous, tabbouleh, sauce and more naan bread (€14.99). The grilled meats were rasty, with the lamb really standing out due to a spicy flavour that reminded me of that Cork Christmas favourite, spiced beef. He chose Samak Mashwi, or seasonal marinated & grilled fish, which is served with rice and salad. (€13.99) The fish was fleshy and juicy, served simply with a tasty, spicy sauce, plenty of rice and more of the tabbouleh. By the way, this was well-made tabbouleh, featuring plenty of vegetable and a light smattering of bulgar wheat.

Little Jerusalem is a small, cosy spot that cheerfully feeds a crowd every night. All of the about cost us approximately €40, exlcuding the BYO wine. We were quite full after all this, but other diners around us clearly weren't and we watched little plates of baklava and tiny pots of Turkish coffee being delivered by the well-worked waiter. Little Jerusalem delivers. Now you've finally got a purpose to walk down that street.

Little Jerusalem, 3 Wynnfield Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6

Tel: +353 (0)1 412 6912