CL One - new Chinese

MegFi

Anyway been there yet? It opened tonight and I couldnt resist a visit! There was about 20 others there so I think everyone else had the same idea! Had Chili and salt squid gorgeous, also the Satay and the Prawns in batter and chilli. Friendly staff. And you get chopsticks! Thought they did well for a first day opening...pity Pizza's 'N Cream in Eden Gate couldn't have got it together as well!...or maybe they will?...

Tomato

Had the chilli squid, duck and fried rice - was all gorgeous! V impressed. Was a bit crazy in there alright and had to wait ages but thats only to be expected on their first night open. Judging by the amount of people there last night Id say they will be busy!

Welsh Wizard

They'd wanna have a look at their front door though as there was a nasty sqreek off it last night..

steve-hosting36

Snip

Earlsie

Dropped in on the first night of opening after haiving a few pints up the town and was very disapointed with the food we got.

The waiting area for a start had a mad breeze running through it, door was closed but breeze seemed to get in via the door frame.

The food we got:

Honey Ribs:Where very dry and tasteless
Chicken Curry:Very sweat and tasted funny(like washing up liquid) !!
Chips: These where great
Chicken Balls:Over Cooked, Though as Boots, the worst I have ever tasted.

Overall it was disapointing and the Mrs agreed the same on what I brought home for herself, will try again in 2 or 3 weeks once they settle down.

steve-hosting36

First impression quite poor - rang for delivery, was quoted 30 mins, but food arrived after 75! Food was extremely salty, chicken balls were the worst I've ever had too - literally old boots in batter! Didn't feel so good afterwards either

MegFi

That's a shame, I have been twice and impressed both times. Chilli and salt squid starter was gorgeous, the satay is fab and the prawns in batter with honey chilli are lovely and great big quality prawns - my flatmate also there yesterday and had the duck in pancakes, lovely she said, though slight liquorice taste which she hates. The wind in the door as it is not closing properly is annoying I agree, but sure they are bount to fix that by hounding their builder. All chinese staff there too which is good for an ethnical restaurant, the real thing!..and they are very friendly. So thumbs up from me again!

NarkyBoots

I went there the first night aswell. Got Sweet and sour chicken hongkong style. Don't think that the sauces have had a chance to gelatinise properly. They aren't made long enough. Curry sauce and S&S apparently need to be made about a week in advance and I only saw them working there about 2-3 days before then. S&S sauce was a bit like a vinegar syrup. Vegetables in it were lovely though and I thought the chicken was fab - melt in mouth not tough at all.

Took 20 mins from walking in door and ordering to walkign out with food. No hassles at all. I think they are very clever to have the gimmick of the kitchen being open, psychologically (sp?) people always believe that when they can see it being cooked that it absolutely must be brilliant. However I do feel that this added to the madness the first evening and with the noise etc the decision may have to be reviewed.

The right side of the door is gaping open leaving a horrendous draft when standing at the left counter side. If they locked this side and had the left side door open it would probably solve this without much hassle.

5 people cooking is madness - I presume that 2-3 of these were prepping and not cooking.

All in all I would go again - definitely has potential but giving it a few weeks to get the sauces sorted.

foxy06

Have to say after working in the restaurant business for a long time I hope you all give this place a second chance. No place wants to give a bad first impression but a bad one can kill a business so give it a chance and give a bad post (if needed) After one or two tries. No one wants the Charlesland centre to be a ghost town. And don't forget to post about the good business' as well as the bad!!!

mikedragon32

Well said Foxy.

Had planned to get food there last night, but the waiting area was totally mobbed and it looked a little chaotic. Add to that I was absolutely starving and didn't want to wait, so it was next door for pizza instead (thanks to Astrofluff for planting that seed in my mind - I met him on my way across as he came back from Godfather's).

The kitchen looks clean and I for one like that you can see your food being prepared. I've never been comfortable with the notion of food coming through a hatch or a narrow gap in the door as you have absolutely no idea what's going on!

Best of luck to them and I reckon I'll give them a try on Friday instead.

DTinthegrove

We had a take away on the first night of opening and thought it was as good as any Chinese take away currently in Greystones.

I must have phoned in my order at the right trime as it was ready for collection with in 10 mins!! The price is competitive and the open kitchen a good thing for me.

It felt great being able to walk down and collect from a local business. Our take away money will be switch to these guys in 2008. Good luck to them and i wish them all the very best in their new business venture.

Now we just need an indian take away.......

Mitch Connor

DTinthegrove wrote: »

We had a take away on the first night of opening and thought it was as good as any Chinese take away currently in Greystones.

I must have phoned in my order at the right trime as it was ready for collection with in 10 mins!! The price is competitive and the open kitchen a good thing for me.

It felt great being able to walk down and collect from a local business. Our take away money will be switch to these guys in 2008. Good luck to them and i wish them all the very best in their new business venture.

Now we just need an indian take away.......

the indian spice....on the main street, beside Xtra Vision.

loyatemu

Tauren wrote: »

the indian spice....on the main street, beside Xtra Vision.

I second that recommendation

Chakra also do take-out though they don't publicise it (don't think they deliver either)

mikedragon32

I think DT meant it would be great to have an Indian takeaway in Charlesland...

But I agree, Indian Spice is great.

Hammiepeters

Indian Spice is not great. Its fantastic. chakra early bird menu is also an introduction to premium quality Indian dining. Milas is pretty good too. I think we are spoilt for choice with indian to be honest. Still, no complaint. Just get us an authentic Thai.

steve-hosting36

Indian Speice is probably the best indian takeaway in the country, and Chakra one of the bext restaurants.

DTinthegrove

Yes...i was suggesting getting an Indian take away in Charlesland would be great and add to the competition.

I don't rate Indian Spice at all, I guess its indivdual taste. Now Chakra i think is fantastic, but expensive for a weekly take out.

Bring Milas Kitchen to Charlesland good value and good food.......

Joliegood

DTinthegrove wrote: »

Bring Milas Kitchen to Charlesland good value and good food.......

I had a take-out from Millas last week. It tasted more like Bolognese than curry.
Very dissapointed with it but must admit it has always been excellent prior to this.

fil6162

Thought food was great - Special Fried Rice & Singapore Noodles Crispy beef & Spare Ribs- phoned in order told 10 mins ready in 15 (was able to pick up wine in Supperquinn)

Will have to limit it to 2 visits a month otherwise waistline wont take it - Happy New Year to all.:)

ian_m

Had the Chicken Chow Mein. Was grand. Busy anytime I go by. Woman was very friendly behind the counter.

MegFi

Just been down there again!..wish it wasn't so good! I really love the Chilli squid; and the ladies that work down there are so nice. Looks like from the majority of the comments above that they seem to be doing a good job there so far. Wish they weren't...not good for my NY resolutions!!! :eek:

Hammiepeters

DTinthegrove wrote: »

Yes...i was suggesting getting an Indian take away in Charlesland would be great and add to the competition.

I don't rate Indian Spice at all, I guess its indivdual taste.

Individual taste? Maybe. But then again maybe not. Indian spice has a Bridgestone guide rating. Chakra for the early bird menu if you want quality at value prices, but I agree not for take away. Small bit of trivia. With Chakra, The hungry Monk, Marc Michels, La Paysan(closed), Indian Spice; All are rated in Irelands Top 100 restaurants by Paulo Tullio; The only other place in Ireland with such a concentration(with ratings) is Kenmare or Dublin CBD.

Welsh Wizard

Got our first one tonight.. She said she probably would get one from there agian, but for me..? I would, defo.. really nice.. mushrooms are the best I've tasted...
Bit many staff doing nothing behind the counter e.g. hold bag open ready for the chefs to put the food in as such.... Still.... Fumms up from me...:D

@ the big cheese.... Am i out of the bad the bad books yet ...??

mikedragon32

We'll step down to defcon 3...

MegFi

Was there again and had the Aromatic Duck - gorgeous! However, the chips aren't so good, but nothing will ever beat "Jokers" (Al Cominos!?) chips. When I was there once, they told me that they cook the chips in lard which is why they are different (and far superior in my opinion) to everywhere else....but heartache on a plate...! So, have to try to ban myself fromgoing there for the NY!! :rolleyes:

foxy06

I don't think I have ever had nice chips out of any chinese. Don't know how they cook them but they are usually very dry.

Hammiepeters

I saw a group of people at Siam Thai last week having chips with their meal. Sad. In a nutshell.

wicklowdub

Am I the only one who thinks the food is dire? I got what was supposed to be hot garlic fillet of beef. I can think of at least 2 things that were wrong with that title. Also the salty chilly king prawns were awful.:mad:

MyPerfectCousin

but still can't get a handle on the name - it still looks like "a-one" to me.

And my daughter thought the sign looked like "clone" ... hmmm.

EMPM

I ordered from CL One last night and in my opinion it was the worst Chinese food i have eaten in a long time. I had a Duck red curry the duck was ok but there was also a lot of fatty skin in the dish and the curry was dreadful, my wife had the Chicken Chowmein, this was even worse, there was some sort of stodgy sauce poured all over it that resembled wall paper paste. I know some people would say give it a second chance but why should i when i know i can get better takeaway else where.

dubrunner

EMPM wrote: »

I ordered from CL One last night and in my opinion it was the worst Chinese food i have eaten in a long time. I had a Duck red curry the duck was ok but there was also a lot of fatty skin in the dish and the curry was dreadful, my wife had the Chicken Chowmein, this was even worse, there was some sort of stodgy sauce poured all over it that resembled wall paper paste. I know some people would say give it a second chance but why should i when i know i can get better takeaway else where.

Bottom line is that this is a very good, clean & friendly chinese take away.

We ordered a variety of food from the menu & compltely agree with MegFi's comments about how tasty it is.

leaba

Sorry to disagree Dubrunner, but in my opinion it was only okay.

We ordered salt and chilli prawns and salt and chilli squid for starters. Both were soggy but in fairness this is the norm with the plastic trays. I think the foil ones keep the salt and chilli stuff better. I thought they were nice but the OH didn't really like either of them (she does usually like these starters).

Both were 7 euro and in fairness the portions were big.

For main course I got the beef with black pepper sauce and fried rice. Again I thought this was okay, but the sauce was a little strange...sweeter than I'm used to or something. Fried rice was only okay too.

OH got salt and chilli chicken, boiled rice and curry sauce for main course. In both of our opinions the curry sauce was terrible. The chicken was good.

Total cost €33.

Another personal complaint is a lack of chicken wings on the menu!

Mullie

I was quite impressed with the curry sauce. Its not your average , its got a little kick to it, more peppery heat than chilli hot.
I have to admit I'm as bad as the next person at complaining but we're talking about a Chinese take-away here, if its too slow we complain, if its not up to standards we complain. Its difficult to get that balance right. Its not high class food, its fast food!! And with 50+ dishes on the menu its very hard for everying to be excellent.

What I've experienced so far:
Chicken curry - Peppery sauce, tender chicken, needs more veg 8/10
King Prawn Chow Mein - Lots of prawns, skinny noodles a plus for me and good selection of veg. 8/10
Sweet n' Sour Pork Cantonese - A little bland, didn't manage to retain the crunch to the batter 5/10
Prawns in batter - Nice prawns, outer batter had a nice crunch but a little doughy inside 7/10
Spring Rolls - Good flavour, maybe a little too much filo pastry 7/10

matt-dublin

we've ordered from there 4 times now, and guess what 4 times they've got the order wrong.

like they have it written down right, but when we get it its completly wrong. they should check their orders before they send them out. The food is alright, curry is a bit tasteless.

pad thai was good but the noodles were overdone.
chicken balls are constantly tough as a jockey's bo**ox
chicken curry was excellent, chicken was very succulent.
pancake rolls are alright, think wong's ones are nicer.
sweet and sour sauce is glow in the dark and stains white plates! but nice ;o)
they sent prawn balls the other night, they weren't on our order but they looked good!

going to try the squid and aromatic duck next time sounds like they might be a winner! but ill be collecting them next time

ian_m

I think it is good to bear in mind that they are new. They have a sign on their window looking for drivers. When I was in the shop they made every effort to serve me politely. I think for now they should be given the benefit of the doubt until they get settled. Imagine setting up shop in a housing estate full of such a hungry talkative bunch... Tough enough I say!

FirstIn

I've had a few meals there, each time I called in advance and the order has been correct. The staff are very friendly.

I've liked the food, yes the curry is great. A couple of nice britney spears and a good ruby murray, just fantastic.:) I'm sure you agree!

jellybaby21

MegFi wrote: »

Was there again and had the Aromatic Duck - gorgeous! However, the chips aren't so good, but nothing will ever beat "Jokers" (Al Cominos!?) chips. When I was there once, they told me that they cook the chips in lard which is why they are different (and far superior in my opinion) to everywhere else....but heartache on a plate...! So, have to try to ban myself fromgoing there for the NY!! :rolleyes:

Pineto uses lard too as does Henry and Rose in fact most chippers use it so it's not the lard!;);)

Rose2008

Have eaten here a few times since it opened. Got speaking to the lady behind the counter the other day, she is lovely. She told me they are trying to sort out the door. She was very interested in feed back and they have been printing off the comments from here.
I have to say the food is great! I loved the aromatic duck, the spring rolls were fantastic, fillet of Beef with green pepper and black bean sauce was to die for…:D
The curry sauce was a little watery for my liking and the container it came in I don’t think was the best design for hot liquid. Prefer the chips from the royal park but we have not ordered from there since this one opened!


Lets hope it stays good!

MegFi

Rose2008 wrote: »

Got speaking to the lady behind the counter the other day, she is lovely. She told me they are trying to sort out the door. She was very interested in feed back and they have been printing off the comments from here.
QUOTE]
That was me - I told her to check it out! She was really interested and asked me to spell the web address!

mikedragon32

It gets my seal of approval too. I've had stuff from there twice now. Great both times.

It is draughty there but who cares! It's not like you have to eat your food in the waiting area.

Two thumbs up.

Mitch Connor

Rose2008 wrote: »

Have eaten here a few times since it opened. Got speaking to the lady behind the counter the other day, she is lovely. She told me they are trying to sort out the door. She was very interested in feed back and they have been printing off the comments from here.
I have to say the food is great! I loved the aromatic duck, the spring rolls were fantastic, fillet of Beef with green pepper and black bean sauce was to die for…:D
The curry sauce was a little watery for my liking and the container it came in I don’t think was the best design for hot liquid. Prefer the chips from the royal park but we have not ordered from there since this one opened!


Lets hope it stays good!

Hopefully they print off ths comment then.....

SALT AND CHILLY CHICKEN WINGS!!! GET THEM ON EH MENU!

steve-hosting36

And get edible chicken balls!

The Real B-man

Got the Sweet & Sour Chicken Hong Kong Style Tastless tbh and whats with everything swimming in sauce? for a proper chinese go to Cherry Blossom in Greystones

jb91

The Real B-man wrote: »

for a proper chinese go to Cherry Blossom in Greystones

I got a meal from CL1 tonight and I think it's WAY better than the Cherry Blossom!

jenc

I've Eaten in from both the Cherry Blossom and CL one. It's a personal prefrence but I certainly prefer the food from the Cherry Blossom. It's a bit of a Greystones secret as it looks a little dinghy from the outside but the food is excellent. They don't use MSG (or monosodium glutamate) which is a good thing too.

PS- This does not mean CL one use it in fact I'm pretty sure they don't but some dodgy take outs do.

mikedragon32

This thread has gone way off topic, from discussing our new Chinese to who does and doesn't use MSG.

Thread locked.

Eoin

mikedragon32 wrote: »

This thread has gone way off topic, from discussing our new Chinese to who does and doesn't use MSG.

Thread locked.

I have pruned off the MSG stuff to the recycle bin, so re-opening this one. Please keep it on topic folks.

MegFi

Glad this is open again - I love reading what is good to eat!!! (sad!? )
More food recommended....
- just had the spring roll - nice ungreasy and quite homemade chunks veg in it (but not much), won ton soup (ok-ish if you like soup!) and chicken with black bean sauce (nice-ish)...but nothing beats teh chilli and salt squid!
Anyone try any ogf the duck mains yet? Curious!

Rose2008

Was a bit peeved of when I saw this thread closed.
It's great to see what other people recommend to eat instead of ordering the same thing all the time.
On another note my friend had chicken balls last night and she said they were lovely. I am not a chicken ball so I can’t comment but maybe they have changed??
I had beef ginger and spring onion delish!:)

neets

have been reading this thread over the last few weeks and have to stick in my own recommendations. we've tried a good few of the specials. the pad thai is fabulous. the duck red curry is to die for and the beef fillet with mustard greens is really unusual but delicious - kind of like sweet and sour without the sweet! i think it's great that they have some more unusual dishes on the menu and not just the run of the mill ones.

FirstIn

I am also glad the thread has reopened, Thank You Eoin.

I have dined in CL One a number of times now and my findings are;

1: Like so many of the others, the Squid with Chilli & Salt is great.
2: Pandan Chicken, I wouldn't get again.
3: Pramn Curry is magnificant.
4: Roast Duck Szechuan was also very good.

Thanks,