Who was it that had somewhere to recommend in Rome?
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Originally posted by RoadSweeper View PostWho was it that had somewhere to recommend in Rome?
Who, coincidentally, I took to Il Segreto for dinner tonight. On the way in the proprietor greeted him enthusiastically and gave him a spot of backrubbing action. On the way out, he got his arm squeezed. Quite sensually too I might add.
I was ignored and now feel strangely rejected.
The food was fine.Last edited by Raoul Duke III; 08-03-12, 23:46."We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Originally posted by RoadSweeper View PostWho was it that had somewhere to recommend in Rome?‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
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Originally posted by Raoul Duke III View PostThat would be V for Vendetta.
Who, coincidentally, I took to Il Segreto for dinner tonight. On the way in the proprietor greeted him enthusiastically and gave him a spot of backrubbing action. On the way out, he got his arm squeezed. Quite sensually too I might add.
I was ignored and now feel strangely rejected.
The food was fine.‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
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Originally posted by Kayroo View Post
now we know"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Originally posted by Kayroo View Post
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If there's a second round I'd be interested in going (can't do this one even if a spot comes up)Last edited by Denny Crane; 09-03-12, 12:18.
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Originally posted by Keane View PostI'd happily head out in April or May.X can be anything, any number, that is what’s CRAZY about X.
Because X doesn’t roll like that, because X can’t be pinned down!
$ Free Travel Credit with Airbnb $
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Fair play Noel for organising this. I can't make it as ill be scouting out the restaurant offerings in Lisbon that week. Please include me for any future dining experiences and enjoy you lucky bastards!!‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
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Have booked merchant hotel in Belfast for tasting menu that week, so give spot to someone else. Deffo up for one in 4 or 5 weeks thoLow fee Euro/UK money transfer, 1st transfer free through my referral
https://transferwise.com/u/bfa0e
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Originally posted by Gimmeabreakalright lads, great to see such interest and hopefully we can look forward to a very enjoyable night. As Tim has confirmed we now have 5 definites. there is 1 place up for grabs, Hi Cloy or Hatedjacks to fight to the death over it - winner gets dinner figure it out amongst yourselves and we will work from there. I would hope that it wouldn't happen but often people are forced to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstancesin which case there will be room for both of you.
Irish Porker Boards FTW.
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GAB - meant to confirm that I am in for Thursday, hatedjacks wasn't pushed about it
Brunch reviews - going to be short obviously not a huge amount to say
Restaurant Name: Juniors
Location: Bath Avenue, Sandymount technically I think, beside Slattery's pub
Website: http://www.juniors.ie/
Price Range: €
This place is very small, and tables are close together. Don't go here if claustrophobic, need leg room or don't want the tables beside you hearing what you're saying. It's also often very busy, can be hard to get tables for both brunch and dinner. I turned up yesterday at opening time (11:30) so was fine, but it was almost full by the time we were leaving
The brunch menu on their website is out of date, there are a good few changes and additions including what I had, Crab, Cod and potato cakes with rocket and balsamic vinegar and optional poached eggs and Hollandaise (€13.50 I think). All very good. Could barely taste the cod but I didn't mind that, the crab was v nice. Herself had poached eggs w bacon which was fine (€10 or so). Good (small) coffees and fresh orange juice. Service was good, although they weren't too busy by usual standards
Definitely one of the better brunches I've had lately
9/10
Restaurant Name: Itsa4
Location: Sandymount
Website: http://itsa.ie/restaurants--cafes/re...a-4-sandymount
Price Range: €
Much more spacious, modern place. It’s right on Sandymount green and has a few outdoor tables. It was pretty quiet when I got there this morning but the waitress said the entire place was booked out for lunch for Mothers day. I had warm salad - Black Pudding, bacon, poached eggs, mixed leaves. Bacon and black pudding were both decent quality and it was well put together. There was a small bit of dressing on it that I’d have preferred left out but it was very minor. Coffee only ok, orange juice fresh and decent sized portion. Service fine but they didn’t have much to do. Just over €20 for the lot.
Decent quality but would be in no huge rush back
6.5/10
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Originally posted by Gimmeabreakanyone in Cork ever been here http://www.jacquesrestaurant.ie/ was there last October or so - top class.
Cornstore and Il Padrinos are a must for people visiting Cork.
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Originally posted by GimmeabreakHiCloy - as you seem to trade in that area - have you been to Browns in Sandymount, French Paradox on Shelbourne Road, Or Baan Thai in Ballsbridge?
Baan Thai: decent but nothing special.
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Originally posted by GimmeabreakHiCloy - as you seem to trade in that area - have you been to Browns in Sandymount, French Paradox on Shelbourne Road, Or Baan Thai in Ballsbridge?
Haven't been to the other two
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Originally posted by kpnuts View PostOur sommelier Ed explaining to Raoul Duke II how he came to stock a certain cheeky Tasmanian vino...
FFS struggling to upload image!
Can't upload image here. It's on my Twitter... @kpnuts134"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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That expression is familiar. Tempted to make up a version of this:
But I have enough mortal enemies as is.X can be anything, any number, that is what’s CRAZY about X.
Because X doesn’t roll like that, because X can’t be pinned down!
$ Free Travel Credit with Airbnb $
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Originally posted by Mellor View PostHere it is for the lazy people
‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
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Originally posted by Hurricane Fly View PostTake off the glasses and that's the same person.
Also El Stuntman has aged at least 20 years since I met him circa 7 years ago. Time has ravaged his once youthful looksHer sky-ness
© 5starpool
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Originally posted by V for Vendetta View PostA little bit sick that I missed a great evening. Too many good things going on at once. Did you manage to get a slowroll against Hayes for once RD??"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Good night was had last night in very good company, I had to cry off early (approximately 1am) as I really have stuff to get stuck into here in work today and couldn't risk making it a late one on a school night. Might throw up a proper long trip report on Sunday or early next week, took a picture of the menu and some of the courses to help me remember
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far too hungover to do a TR today but the most impressive thing was the consistency - not even a hint of a bum note (barring possibly PokerPiper's bit o' string). Ed's disappearing act was noted but he pulled it out of the fire with his 20 minute tour de force at the end of the evening.
that Clare Island salmon was a thing of rare beauty
thanks again to GAB for arranging the first outing of the IPB Fine Dining Society"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Nandos
Restaurant Name: Nandos
Location: Pavillions Shopping Centre, Swords (also Dundrum SC, Mary Street, Cork)
Website: Here
Price Range: €(€)
OK, so this review is primarily to annoy The Situation but also to highlight what I think is the best option for fast food in the country by the mile. Also, it's nice to have a contrast with the Chapter Ones of this world. For those who don't know, Nandos is a South African success story that has now been exported to the Northern hemisphere. I've eaten in it lots of times in South Africa and a few in London but never in Ireland before, where it is a relatively recent arrival.
We went here for dinner yesterday en familie after a couple of heavy hours shopping for kids clothes. We arrived about four o'clock and were straight away shown to a reasonable-sized table. The menu is a fairly simple deal, heavily based around chicken piri-piri and accompanying side dishes. If you've never had piri-piri before, it's a spicy chili-based sauce that originates from Mozambique. Portugese colonists brought it from there to South Africa when they fled in the aftermath of the Mozambican Civil war in 1975 and it now forms a major part of the South African diet. End of history lesson.
We selected plain chicken fillet strips and chips for the kids (3 &5) and for Mrs Duke and myself, we elected to share a full chicken with hot piri-piri sauce. We ordered two sides with that, chips sprinkled with, yes you guessed it, piri-piri salt and also a grilled corn on the cob, again spiced up. All the meat etc is grilled over an open flame with the piri-piri sauce splashed over it. A good sign was the presence of several African families who looked like they were there to enjoy a Sunday treat with a taste of their homelands.
You go up to the counter, order and pay - much like a standard fast food joint. However, they then bring the food to you. We asked for a jug of hot water to warm the baby's food and this was delivered in record time. You also pick up your utensils, napkins etc from an area at the back of the restaurant. While there, there is also a large selection of the various Nandos sauces available. This is quite a nice touch as it means you can load up on a few different varieties of their sauces to try - these include the various piri-piri varieties (hot, very hot, medium, mild) and also other efforts like lemon and herb, mango and lime etc. There is also a drinks dispenser for soft drinks and you can get free refills of whatever sugary confection takes your fancy. Portugese beers are also available.
The food arrived in short order; the kids liked their chicken (unbreaded unlike the ghastly 'nuggets' you find in the likes of McDonalds) and chips which was duly destroyed in a few short moments. Mrs Duke and I got four large pieces of chicken, skin on and generously covered with the hot piri-piri sauce. The chicken struck me as being of decent origins with a nice meaty texture and the sauce was hot enough to leave us scurrying for refills. The piri-piri chips also went down a treat and the grilled corn was a nod to the five food groups. The kids got orange juices and frozen yoghurt included in their meal; judging by the display of post-prandial hyperactivity it all hit the spot.
The damage was €42 which I see as being very fair value, service was really prompt and friendly so I left a few euro on the table but there is no need to do this. Good, not particularly unhealthy fast food done well - what's not to like?
8/10."We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Chapter One
Restaurant Name: Chapter One
Location: DeeOne
Website: Here
Price Range: €€€€€€€€€€€€€ (yes, thirteen)
Review: Gimmeabreak managed to secure a Chef's Table spot for last Thursday and duly sought IPB diners to share the experience with him. WP GAB. Given that his Cheltenham auguries had performed well and also the prior experience of BennyHiFi, there was no shortage of slavering pokerhounds to volunteer for duty. In the end, Gimmeabreak, ionapaul, PokerPiper, KPNuts, HiCloy and myself were the chosen few.
We agreed to meet up in the Gresham for pre-prandial libations; when I got there, I spotted KP, GAB and PokerPiper holding up the bar. There was a sole martini in evidence and I would have taken 1/20 about it belonging to KP. Correct call as it turned out. HiCloy showed up shortly after and we were all duly present except for ionapaul for whom I suggested the Northside would be a foreign country. Another correct call as he arrived into Chapter One late and almost defeated by the intricate web of de Nortsoide.
We strolled the short distance to Chapter One and entered through the subterranean passageway. Gimmeabreak's name was on the reservation so we let him lead the way - he appeared uncertain going in the stalls but once a smiling filly appeared in the entranceway he quickened his stride noticeably and was lengthening all the way to the line! Our coats were taken by the efficient front of house team and we were seated in the bar area for more pre-dinner boozing. A few sips later and we were invited to take our seats at the Chef's Table. This was situated in a purpose-built alcove just off the main kitchen, I would be slightly critical of the design in that it doesn't offer a full view of the kitchen. Too many viewings of Masterchef and\or Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares had left us hoping for screaming matches between overheated chefs but sadly the kitchen was amazingly relaxed all evening, despite the restaurant being quite full. Another illusion shattered.
We were given the tasting menu to peruse and also had visits from our sommelier Ed, our dedicated waiter, the head chef Andy and also the restaurant manager. Ed and Andy promised to pop in between each course to explain, respectively the wine and food. One of them fulfilled the bargain, the other didn't but more on that later. We were all eating off the tasting menu (€85, you don't have any choice when sitting at the Chef's Table) and decided to go with the accompanying wines for another €40. When in Rome and all that....
I've never been a massive fan of tasting menus as I've always believed that a table that orders an array or diverse dishes presents a truer test of a kitchen's ability than a pre-ordained menu that best shows off the chef's abilities. You're playing on the chef's home ground as it were. However the menu here looked delectable so I swallowed my qualms with a glass of vintage champagne and awaited delivery of the first of what promised to be a long line of dishes. Firstly however, we were given a couple of baskets of freshly-baked breads, all excellent. We were also presented with a pinkish conconction that turned out to be their homemade lemonade, very refreshing.
First up was a pickled carrot dish. Now pickles are not something we really do in this country, as opposed to Eastern Europe where they will pickle just about anything - including each other. The dish was beautifully presented with rolled shreds of astringent pickled carrots sitting on top of a violently yellow sauce. The sauternes-infused raisins (or whatever, I'm writing this from memory and we had a lot to drink) were a revelation. The accompanying wine was a Jurancon Sec, an unusual choice which presaged the wine choices to follow - all generally non-standard choices which actually made you think, taste and appreciate.
The next dish was the highlight of the entire meal for me yet also certainly the simplest. Beautifully cured slamon from Clare island with pressed (and thus concentrated) apple, radish and some light white sauce that escapes me entirely. Subtle, clean and very, very moreish. I would happily have eaten this all evening. Following the trend of unusual wines, we were given a Tasmanian Riesling which knocked the socks off its Teutonic counterparts. There is also a Duke family connection to this wine so I was doubly impressed to see it.
We were all seriously relaxed into the evening at this juncture and next up was a foie gras and venison dish, accompanied by, again on the face of it an unsual choice, a Sauternes; which worked wonderfully. There was also Eiswein jelly, I remember that much. The smoked venison was exquisite but I would venture a minor carp about following a cured dish (albeit fish) with a smoked dish. Minor, but I felt it was a slightly discordant note on the menu.
Pressing on, we were next presented with covered bowls containing scallops in a light foamy sauce (I am useless on sauces and have completely forgotten what this one was) with tiny slivers of smoked Gubbeen bacon to accompany. This was another triumph, the amazing smell when the covers were removed matched by the delicate taste of the scallop and the constrastingly intense flavour of the smoked pig. Silence fell across the table as we ate this course, in this company an overwhelming tribute to the quality of the dish! An Aussie Chardonnay provided the necessary minerality on the palate.
Gimmeabreak was foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the 'meat course'; three varieties of porcine plentitude. The butchers boy was not let down with the loin, black pudding, belly and, er, something else that appeared. My own personal favourite was the black pudding which I smeared over everything else that I ate. This was washed down by a bottle of Kiwi Pinot Noir that we enjoyed so much that we ordered a second bottle. Purely for research purposes you understand.
Bellies now straining over belts we pressed on to the dessert course; a chocolate souffle with homemade passion fruit ice cream. Greg from Masterchef would have died and gone to heaven were this one to pass his lips. We horsed it down together with the sommelier's choice; a sweet Grenache from somewhere deep in tastiest France. Somehow we found the will to also deal with a basket of macaroons and perfect petits fours, whilst downing our Irish coffees (and a Russian coffee for PokerPiper). The coffees were concocted tableside by our genial Hungarian waiter who mellowed as the evening wore on.
As mentioned previously, the head chef Andy popped out to us before each course to give us a short description of each course and to answer any questions we had. He's fairly new to Chapter One himself and was very open and interesting, especially when discussing the provenance of the food. The sommelier Ed was a different story as he failed to show between courses at all. We nabbed him though at the end of the evening for about twenty minutes and we had a great chat. I would quite like to die and be reborn as him, what a job.
We escaped out the door after about four hours of fine dining, wining and company. The damage was €160 per head (€125 for food and drink, plus a decent tip). For the quality of product and service, I actually think this is reasonable value - this may seem like a ridiculous statement but I'd rather pay this much for one great meal than have three or four mediocre ones. Obviously more drinks were required and we repaired back to the Gresham. Then to the Sporting Aquarium where a veil is best drawn over proceedings lest I open old wounds.
I would give the dinner 9/10 with slight negatives as mentioned above being an element of repetition between the third and second courses, Ed's disappearing act and the annoying design of the chef's table. It will be interesting to see what the other reviewers think.Last edited by Raoul Duke III; 26-03-12, 14:30."We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Originally posted by GimmeabreakIPB Fine Dining outing No.2
A trip to Noma. They are opening up reservations on April 2nd for July. Opening reservations on May 7th for August. I am sure if there was enough of interest they might allow an overseas booking later in the year at a time when it is far enough away to get cheap flights. FYI Noma tasting menu with vino is €330 per head.
Be one hell of a trip to have a dozen lads rain down on Copenhagen for a weekend!!
Edit - flights Fri to Sunday on last weekend of August are €130 return.
Having said that if you do manage to get reservations let me know (If you are short numbers I am sure myself and herself could be convinced to help you fill a table!!) and I can show you all the sights I showed Eoghan104 when he was here
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Would there be any love for trying out Thorntons as a compare and contrast?Low fee Euro/UK money transfer, 1st transfer free through my referral
https://transferwise.com/u/bfa0e
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Originally posted by Raoul Duke III View Post...we were all duly present except for ionapaul for whom I suggested the Northside would be a foreign country. Another correct call as he arrived into Chapter One late and almost defeated by the intricate web of de Nortsoide.
Wonder are there any similar culinary experiences that would be on a par with that open to us in and around Dublin? Would love to do it again to be honest.
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Originally posted by ionapaul View Post
Wonder are there any similar culinary experiences that would be on a par with that open to us in and around Dublin? Would love to do it again to be honest.
(Entire Party Only)
Our À la Carte menu changes seasonally and our Lunch menu can change daily. Please click on menu links below for more details on our 8 Course Tasting, À la Carte & Lunch menus.
I do love reading these reviews and seeing the dishes makes it even betterHunter S Thompson 1937-2005 - "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
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Not wanting to give you a swelled head Glyn, but I honestly feel a slightly tweaked version of that review and Noels pics would be a huge hit for chapter one on menupages etc.
If you stuck up the Nandos review theyd have to repay you with free meals for life! The only issue is how do the rest of us mere mortals follow that review?‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
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Originally posted by GimmeabreakIPB Fine Dining outing No.2
A trip to Noma. They are opening up reservations on April 2nd for July. Opening reservations on May 7th for August. I am sure if there was enough of interest they might allow an overseas booking later in the year at a time when it is far enough away to get cheap flights. FYI Noma tasting menu with vino is €330 per head.
Be one hell of a trip to have a dozen lads rain down on Copenhagen for a weekend!!
Edit - flights Fri to Sunday on last weekend of August are €130 return."We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
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Quality reviewing, you nearly had me doubting my views on Nandos, but I'd say you could make a happy meal sound like the most appetising meal in the world.
Originally posted by Raoul Duke III View Post
- he appeared uncertain going in the stalls but once a smiling filly appeared in the entranceway he quickened his stride noticeably and was lengthening all the way to the line!Profit before people.
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