What is it about restaurants in Ireland?

I was back in Ireland for the weekend, and went out for dinner with my parents twice. I had warned my mother in advance that as a wheat avoiding vegetarian who tries to be vegan, we’d only get something nice for me in an Asian restaurant, ideally Indian, or Thai.

Back in the good old days every Irish restaurant had a vegetarian option. And it was always a vegetarian stir-fry. Which is totally easy to cook, and pretty boring. They assured me restaurants have moved on since.

So we went to Cronins on Crosshaven on Saturday evening. I ordered the vegetarian Thai red curry. Made a speech that normally I liked it really really spicy, but as I was suffering from a cold, I needed over the top spicy to blow my passages clear. Finished up with, that if it wasn’t the spicy thing to come out of their kitchen ever, I would not be satisfied.

Got it, wasn’t spicy at all. Waitress brought out some mashed up green stuff, which I just took a forkful of, and said that’s not spicy either. Ended up saying just tell the cook to bring me some chopped up fresh chillies. Cook doesn’t have chillies. How the fuck can you cook Thai red curry without chillies?

On top of this my father ordered duck. Is not blessed with his original teeth, and by the end of the evening his plate was full of half chewed duck that he couldn’t eat. Can’t remember the exact prices except it was an expensive evening.

So we went to the Bosun in Monkstown for Sunday lunch. There was a set menu of starter, main course and desert for Euro 31. Neither of my parents wanted starters, so I order double herb stuffed mushrooms. Got two plates with 5 mushrooms on each

This time I ordered the vegetarian enchilada. Ended up telling the waitress to tell the cook that if he though frying up a load of vegetables with a hint of tomato and no herbs whatsoever was going to be make a vegetarian happy he was deluded, and he should seriously invest in a bottle of mixed herbs.

My father was happy this time, but my mother got some white fish with no sauce. None of us wanted desert.

I compared all this to the Prince Myskin in Munich, a gourmet vegetarian restaurant. You pay Euro 15 for a main course, and while we resent paying so much, we often eat there because the food is wonderful. But in Ireland payed Euro 30 for food that I would have resented paying Euro 5 for.

And don’t get me started on the wines.

I've been there a few times. Never had any problems with my food. But then again, I'm a carnivore and wouldn't have it any other way.

I can only agree with MaM. Any time I've been back in the past few years the quality and price of food in restaurants is appalling. Eating out in Munich is cheap compared to the British Isles...

I also find it good here that if you go to an Italian restaurant you get served by Italians or Greeks run the Greek restaurants etc. Last time in Dublin I paid 15€ for a pizza for each of my kids (in an Italian named restaurant) and all the staff were asian...

Ah! The O'Patel's famous pizza.

I generally avoid eating out when I return to Oireland. It's massively overpriced and overrated. And know I won't start on the wine either. These days it's basically only affordable for those who print their own money in Celtic Tiger Ireland. But such is rip-off Ireland. So I usually stick to the traditional fish 'n' chip shops when out with the kids somewhere. Supermacs out West is great too. I wait to when I get back to Munich so as I can eat out proper again. Munich is very reasonable in comparison. But try teling the locals that...

Nothing's changed then since the famine (or at least in th last 20+ years) has it? Except for the asian staff maybe.

A lot has changed since the famine. Queenie and her comonwealth don't have the influence they once had. We can control our own self-destruction and prices...
Can you imagine the price of houses if Ireland returns to the pre-famine population of 8.5 million (i'm still not sure if that's potatoes or people...). The traffic jams in those days must have been awful...

That reminds, years ago with my Italian girlfriend we went to a place called Bunny Connellans in Myreleville which has since closed down. we both had the pasta. Suffice to say that my Italian girlfriend did not complain that the pasta was undercooked.

I actually did go into a chipper and get some onion rings. Delicous in comparison. If there had been a Supermac, or an Abrakadabra I could have got some tasty fast nosh, but didn't feel like driving into the big smoke (Cork) again for food.

On a lighter note, while getting a new printer for my sainted mother, I happened to pass an Asian shop, and got a copuple of tins of ready meals like curried mustard leaves, and chana massala. Its a bit funky talking to a Pakastani with a Cork accent. He said 40% of his customers are Irish (which means white I guess. Shoire them whiteys all look alike). So I shall feast at home next time I visit. There was also a Polish foodstuff shop on the same street.

And there was a time there was only one Indian restuarant in Cork. Now they're popping up like weeds. Next time I'll drive, and we shall go Indian. and maybe sooner or later there will be an Indian in Carrigaline. Sigh... Parents are based in Fountainstown BTW.

Just like Munich then!

Nah, in those days you'de fit a family of 17 onto one horse and cart. Nowadays every executive would want his own cart, and 4 turbo charged horses. Even just to commute to the pub. Plus walking was considered fashionable and aristocratic in dem days.

I'll be eating out in Cork during the Christmas holidays so will report on the grub when I get back. Then again, it'll probably be a good report as it is hard to feck up a steak to be honest!!

That'll be Myrtleville MaM! many a good night was had in Bunnyconnellans. They used to have a caged bird (big black thing - not a slave!) that would whistle at you...
At that time the Pine Lodge across the road was a better bet for food...

Ahh the memories of day trips to Fountainstown and staying there in the summer... (not long after the famine). All the good looking lashers from Cork seemed to end up there in the summer with all the langers chasing after them

Oh my...thought Scottish restaurants were dire in a lot of places...

I loved the food when I was in Ireland.

Was DELICIOUS. But then, I am a huge mashed potato fan. No seriously, we had some great seafood and all the vegetables whilst there were cooked to perfection rather than boiled to death and I loved the parsley sauce with the meat and mash, but I can see how it can be difficult when vegetarian, and even more so if vegan.

Any Sri-Lankan restaurants in Ireland? They normally do great veg food.

Bunnyconnellans In Myrtleville has been reopened few months back & looking all modern with great food...MaM ask your parents if they've been in...maybe I know them being from Myrtleville??...also thank God that the Celtic Tiger bubble has burst, only the good run restaurants will survive!!