what do you make of our international cuisine?

blackdog2

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

I had the misfortune of being there last month and the Chinese menu wasn't available. They had a dim sum menu, but I'd be extremely surprised if they were being prepared from scratch.

M&L is another joint that gets recommended for its authentic Chinese fare. Has some stuff they specialise in, but much of it is standard teeth cloying sauce stuff. I realise they have to cater for an audience who expect chips as an option with their curry, but authentic Chinese it ain't.

Never been a big fan of M&L, for some reason it seems to get rave reviews in the media all the time but every meal I have had there has been absolutely average, from dumplings to saucy concoctions. That said, their mouth-watering chicken (no idea what the actual english name is) is the best in Dublin.

Lee Kee on parnell street is the best authentic Chinese restaurant I've tried in Dublin, as good as most restaurants that I have tried here really.

Still no decent beef curry for me

WHIP IT!

Man, I hope that €1 Pizza dude doesn't work in a restaurant and if they do, I hope I never walk into it...

Oranage2

Oranage2 wrote: »

You clearly know nothing about food 'chappy'. People pay 5 quid for chips, most people know F about food so paying 21quid for pizza is normal for the average pleb

You haven't answered my question.

How do you make your pizza for a euro?

I'm not the one who doesn't know about food. I know that good food made from high quality ingredients by someone who knows what they are doing costs money.

You think anything over a tenner is a rip off.

SEPT 23 1989

cant get enough Indian Food

Chinese is just bland slop

kingtut

Love a lightly spiced but super hot indian curry myself. Not one where it burns the mouth of you but one where you get a little tingle

Although knowing from people who have been to Indian what we get here is not even remotely authentic which isn't all that surprising!

Doctor Nick

blackdog2 wrote: »

Never been a big fan of M&L, for some reason it seems to get rave reviews in the media all the time but every meal I have had there has been absolutely average, from dumplings to saucy concoctions. That said, their mouth-watering chicken (no idea what the actual english name is) is the best in Dublin.

Lee Kee on parnell street is the best authentic Chinese restaurant I've tried in Dublin, as good as most restaurants that I have tried here really.

Still no decent beef curry for me

Lee Kee is where I had my lunch today. Beef curry, 'twas delish :pac:

branie2

I tried a fried rice special years ago, and my stomach paid for it the next day

Doctor Nick

branie2 wrote: »

I tried a fried rice special years ago, and my stomach paid for it the next day

That was the MSG, not chilli's or it being spicy.

dr.fuzzenstein

PGE1970 wrote: »

So Mum, Dad and 2 kids go for a pizza and coke each and it costs €100?

Leaving aside the suggestion about it being "too rich" for me which is hopelessly irrelevant as the comment is about the product and not about the poster, I think that pricing a basic dish such as pizza at this level in crazy.

Well, what is crazy is the costs associated with running a business in Ireland.
Eating out in Germany is generally a lot cheaper than Ireland and that is certainly not because Germany is a low-cost, low wage economy with less hygiene and health and saftey demands than Ireland, but Ireland is an STB* country. You get fcuked for rates, insurance and tax to an extend that you simply wouldn't see anywhere else.
Anyhwere else a tax is "we have to regulate the market and make sure the government gets a fair cut" in Ireland it's "Ah jaysis, you want to make some money, we'll soon see about that, bend over that barrel please and bite down on that, sorry, there is no lube".
At least for small to medium businesses resident and originating in Ireland. It's like the government wants to destroy that entire scene. The philosophy is "tax take is down 20% because businesses are going bankrupt". "Well, the answer is in the question, up tax by 20%!"

*
Screw the Bastard (for anything you can get)
This is because Ireland is a small island with little competition. Remember when we were all "unpatriotic" when we followed Mary Harney's advice and shopped around on the internet? I remember when wood pellet burners had a price rise exactly equivalent to the government grant that was offered at the time. In fact you could import the exact same burner from Italy to Ireland for less money than you could get it from a shop and after deducting the grant. And not just a bit, I think the price was roughly half.

Wossack

irish representation is very unauthentic. Those wishing to recreate the real indian experience, need only down half a bottle of dulcolax prior to their meal

Are Am Eye

"It was like living in a foreign country"
Ian Rush on life in Italy.

Stephen15

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have lived years in Dublin, never had a good pizza here. I think ovens not wood, not hot enough, ingredients not fresh enough and too much

I've been to Italy a number of times recently and Naples or in Neopolitan restaurants were the only places where the pizza was really nice. In most restaurants the pizza was fairly mediocre and the same as you'd get here.

blackdog2

blackdog2 wrote: »

Never been a big fan of M&L, for some reason it seems to get rave reviews in the media all the time but every meal I have had there has been absolutely average, from dumplings to saucy concoctions. That said, their mouth-watering chicken (no idea what the actual english name is) is the best in Dublin.

Lee Kee on parnell street is the best authentic Chinese restaurant I've tried in Dublin, as good as most restaurants that I have tried here really.

Still no decent beef curry for me

I agree about M&L. I want to like it but it just doesn't do it for me.

It's a mystery why you can't get decent chinese food in Dublin, you can get good chinese in Manchester or London so it's not as if it isn't possible.

Muahahaha

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

The best places IMO for Chinese food in Dublin are hailan on Capel Street and M&L just opposite the spire. www.mlchineserestaurant.com/
Both do proper Chinese food.

Capel street has a few restaurants that do hotpots as well. There are also some Korean restaurants here that are ok too.

+1 on ML, very good food in there

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

cant get enough Indian Food

Chinese is just bland slop

Try Pickle on Camden Street, food there is out of this world. You need to book a
table around 2 weeks in advance if you want to eat on a Friday or Saturday, it is that popular. Early bird menu is a bargain at 21 quid for starter and main. Chef there used to run Ananda in Dundrum Shopping Centre and has won stacks of awards for his northern Indian cooking, it is a real treat.

As for the poster whinging about Da Mimimos well their pizzas are huge and would easily feed two people so 12-21 quid is actually very reasonable. I used to get them until I discovered their beef shin ragu with tagiatelle which is just divine and only 12 quid. I find the prices in Da Mimimos very reasonable and it is always packed with tons of people dropping in for takeaways. He could easily put up his prices and it would still be packed, the food there is just that good. It is proper authentic Italian using high quality ingredients, it reminds me of the superb meals I had in Tuscany last year

RasTa

Mimmos doesn't have any €21 pizza's think their highest is €15. I haven't been since they opened the other building next door which is awhile now but I've heard the mains are amazing these days.

Outlaw Pete

Was in one of those all in one take away places that have a half Chinese and half Thai menu. As I was waiting I seen the guy in the kitchen take a carton of milk from the fridge and pour some into a wok. I had just ordered a Green Thai curry and so I went up the girl on the counter and asked her was milk being used to make Thai curries and she said, 'Yes, coconut milk'. I asked her to check as I have severe allergic reaction to cow's milk (not true, but thought it would be the only way I'd get the truth). She goes to the kitchen comes back and says 'Yes, a little cows milk added to the coconut milk, sorry',

Bastards were steaming off milk in the wok rather than using Coconut milk.

B0jangles

Doctor Nick wrote: »

If that goes beyond the szechuan sauce dishes we see on menus in Chinese restaurants / takeaways then I've never tried it (but would like to) and would love a recommendation. If it refers to the aforementioned szechuan sauce dishes then no, it's not. I do enjoy a nice chicken or duck szechuan but spicy it ain't.

ETA: In my opinion of course.

Just to hark back to this for a moment,the sweet, slightly spicy and very gloopy sauce that you get when you order Szechuan Whatever in a take away is basically an invention for the irish market, it's nothing like actual szechuan food.

Get yourself a jar of laoganma chili crisp from the asian supermarket and bung some into some pan-fried noodles or fried rice and you've got yourself a tasty meal going

(Black bean laoganma makes THE most excellent beef stirfry too - so so good...)

kingtut

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Was in one of those all in one take away places that have a half Chinese and half Thai menu. As I was waiting I seen the guy in the kitchen take a carton of milk from the fridge and pour some into a wok. I had just ordered a Green Thai curry and so I went up the girl on the counter and asked her was milk being used to make Thai curries and she said, 'Yes, coconut milk'. I asked her to check as I have severe allergic reaction to cow's milk (not true, but thought it would be the only way I'd get the truth). She goes to the kitchen comes back and says 'Yes, a little cows milk added to the coconut milk, sorry',

Bastards were steaming off milk in the wok rather than using Coconut milk.

A lot of chinese places uses surimi (crab sticks) instead of crab in the crabmeat soup also which pisses me off as surimi is as cheap as chips!

Oranage2

Wossack wrote: »

irish representation is very unauthentic. Those wishing to recreate the real indian experience, need only down half a bottle of dulcolax prior to their meal

I spent 2 months in India, the good Indian dishes are basically a British twist to it, food in India is very different unless you go to the western Indian restaurant s

dr.fuzzenstein

Oranage2 wrote: »

I spent 2 months in India, the good Indian dishes are basically a British twist to it, food in India is very different unless you go to the western Indian restaurant s

I don't think that's what he meant. :D

cough link cough

branie2

I'm also very fond of the Spanish omelette.

pickarooney

Doctor Nick wrote: »

If that goes beyond the szechuan sauce dishes we see on menus in Chinese restaurants / takeaways then I've never tried it (but would like to) and would love a recommendation. If it refers to the aforementioned szechuan sauce dishes then no, it's not. I do enjoy a nice chicken or duck szechuan but spicy it ain't.

ETA: In my opinion of course.

If you've not tried twice cooked pork it's delicious and fairly easy and cheap to make. There are many variations but this one doesn't need too many exotic ingredints that you'll never use again.
http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/11/twice-cooked-pork/

I haven't tried it in a restaurant in Ireland.

Doctor Nick

pickarooney wrote: »

If you've not tried twice cooked pork it's delicious and fairly easy and cheap to make. There are many variations but this one doesn't need too many exotic ingredints that you'll never use again.
http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/11/twice-cooked-pork/

I haven't tried it in a restaurant in Ireland.

That sounds beautiful, thanks. I'll definitely have to attempt it or see if I can find it in town somewhere. Parnell Street may have it. Most if not all of the Chinese restaurants there do be full of Asian people. Pretty sure there's one with schezuan in the title too. If I find it I'll be sure to post back for anyone who might be interested.

Lia_lia

Is everyone here from Dublin? :pac:

Some good international food in Cork. Lovely Thai restaurant in Douglas called Golden Elephant. Iyers is a great South Indian veggie cafe/restaurant.

I really want to try Miyazaki which is a Japanese takeaway/small restaurant. Suppose to be amazing. There is also a Spanish place on Douglas Street that is supposed to be great. Not a fan of Chinese food.

branie2

I'm from Co. Clare

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

branie2 wrote: »

I'm from Co. Clare

Ya poor fecker...

Robsweezie wrote: »

italian..obviously a lot more to it than just pizza and pasta but thats what id go for, the restaurant stuff is not bad at all...takeaway is good for what it is.

You summed up Italian restaurants, pizza and pasta :P

nkav86 wrote: »

You're joking right?? It's a pizza, bread with sauce and toppings.....

Don't operate a business, you will never make a profit. There's a lot more to consider which effect the cost.

Oranage2 wrote: »

Maybe I will, 21euro in Italy I'd be expecting truffle on it.

You can make great pizza at home for about a euro. A fool and his money and all that jazz!

Please explain this miracle 1 euro pizza.

Our international cuisine is grand. It nothing like what you would get in the original country, but it's very nice, and we have tons of variety too.

Jayop

Oranage2 wrote: »

Maybe I will, 21euro in Italy I'd be expecting truffle on it.

You can make great pizza at home for about a euro. A fool and his money and all that jazz!

:pac::pac:

Aye right, says a man/woman that's never made pizza or else never done the shopping.

Quality flour, say enough to do 10 pizza's probably averages about 50c per pizza.
Yeast, can't remember what a pack was but guessing about 30c
Passatta or your sauce 47c
Mozzerella, even cheap €2
assorted meats €2
Veg €1
All the spices and herbs you should already have, but say you use a little from each of them 20c
Cost of running the oven for 20 minutes (pure guess) 30c

So to make a really top quality Pizza at home you're talking already over €6. Add in the time to make it, allow the dough to rise etc.

So if going into a really nice little restaurant and paying what looks like a minimal mark up on the raw materials, to allow them to pay staff, overheads and maybe make a little profit then €14/€20 for a decent pizza is nothing.

Stephen15

Jayop wrote: »

:pac::pac:

Aye right, says a man/woman that's never made pizza or else never done the shopping.

Quality flour, say enough to do 10 pizza's probably averages about 50c per pizza.
Yeast, can't remember what a pack was but guessing about 30c
Passatta or your sauce 47c
Mozzerella, even cheap €2
assorted meats €2
Veg €1
All the spices and herbs you should already have, but say you use a little from each of them 20c
Cost of running the oven for 20 minutes (pure guess) 30c

So to make a really top quality Pizza at home you're talking already over €6. Add in the time to make it, allow the dough to rise etc.

So if going into a really nice little restaurant and paying what looks like a minimal mark up on the raw materials, to allow them to pay staff, overheads and maybe make a little profit then €14/€20 for a decent pizza is nothing.

Staff in Ireland are overpaid just like all workers here. Inflation here means prices will keep going up and up and up.

In Italy and even in the UK prices in restaurants are low because most people are paid lower wages than in Ireland but the standard of living remains more or less the same.

Simple economics would tell you that higher wages equals inflation but yet our goverment in order to win votes keeps on raising the minimum wage forcing prices of day to basics to skyrocket. If it keeps going it'll be like Scandanivia in no time. Meaning €30 pizzas, €10 pints and €5 Mars bars all because our elected representatives can't grasp the concept of simple economics.

Lia_lia

Stephen15 wrote: »

Staff in Ireland are overpaid just like all workers here. Inflation here means prices will keep going up and up and up.

In Italy and even in the UK prices in restaurants are low because most people are paid lower wages than in Ireland but the standard of living remains more or less the same.

Minimum wage is higher in France and restaurants are a lot cheaper (outside of Paris of course). My Dad lives over there and can't get over the cost of eating out when he visits Ireland.

Stephen15

Lia_lia wrote: »

Minimum wage is higher in France and restaurants are a lot cheaper (outside of Paris of course). My Dad lives over there and can't get over the cost of eating out when he visits Ireland.

Well its also probably because eating out is something that is regularly done in France and has been for the last god knows how long. Its something that dates back to Roman times and since the Romans never came to Hibernia eating has only popular here in the last 20 or so years.