Yous are in for a treat, this blog is all about FOOD. I would like to think that I have developed a very sophisticated palate incorporating tomatoes and onions (grilled only) this year but I wanted to be willing to try and experience new things. Well, why not begin by doing so through food.
Since I have been over here, I have eaten sweet curry chicken and rice, homemade chili, falafel, traditional Oriental noodles, stir fry, pesto pasta, traditional Irish breakfast (with some familiarity), homemade gelato, infamous Irish fish and chips, and last but not least chocolate—to name just a few. I am getting hungry again just thinking about the dishes.
While I know it would bring be grand to talk about each and every one of these foods or dishes, I have selected a few that I want to highlight. These will be known as “Day’s Delights” and rated on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being absolute barf and 10 being I would definitely eat this every day.
First, we have the traditional Irish breakfast. It consists of meat (bacon, sausage, black, and white puddings), eggs (anyway but I like them fried), mushrooms and tomatoes, baked beans and of course potatoes! It comes with strong breakfast tea and homemade soda or brown bread. Now that’s what I call a meal.
The first time I experienced a traditional Irish breakfast was back in 2013 (but since I don’t remember the food I ate that well)… I will tell yous about my experience of it most recently. At DCU, we received vouchers to eat at the restaurants on campus; I decided to go check out breakfast because one can only eat so many omelets. Well, I want to warn you…for the low cost of 5.95 euros, I got: beans, mushrooms, tomato halves, bacon, sausage, hash browns, passed on the scrambled eggs, toast, and a nice hot tea with fresh whole milk. To be honest, the beans were my favorite part—everything tasted delicious smothered in them. And they weren’t like the ones from home that were barbeque flavored, it was like a sweet but savory flavor and it put me in heaven. Being someone that doesn’t typically eat a large breakfast, I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Bringing “Fish Fry Friday” over to this side of the world! If you don’t know anything else about Ireland, you should know that fish and chips are a must have while on the island. For my American readers, chips are not like the chips we know back home but they are actually fries. American chips are called crisps in Ireland as well. I have been holding off on getting this dish until I found the right spot where I would have authentic, true Irish cuisine. This happened at a rooftop restaurant in the City Centre that had traditional fish and chips served with mushed green peas. The fish was a nice sized piece of fried cod; breading was airy but crispy—no sauce needed. The chips were okay, more or less similar to frozen steak fries back home. The mushed peas could have used a little more seasoning but other than that, the consistency was nice. Overall, the cod was exactly where it needed to be but the chips were a little lacking. Definitely still looking for the next best thing; stay tuned!
This is something new that I have never tried before: falafel. So for those who don’t know, falafel is deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas with a mix of Middle Eastern spices served with tahini sauce. I experienced falafel for the first time based on some persuasion from my fav vegetarian pals (Sam and Simone, both Victory Scholars) when we went to Shouk restaurant in Dublin. This restaurant prepared their falafel inside a pita pocket with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, diced cucumbers, pickled veggies, and a mixture of three types of sauces (one being tahini). That first bite of my pita made me want to tell everyone I know that they should eat falafel at that exact moment in time. The table was in complete silence while we feasted on this inexpensive but filling meal. Have you ever eaten something and wished the meal never ended? Well, I can honestly say that was me after eating falafel for the first time. 10/10 definitely recommend to any and everyone… but my expertise is limited to Shouk.
*If you have been following my blog, my dining experience at Shouk was referenced previously in my fourth blog.*
Do not worry, I will continue to give suggestions on delicious places to eat while I am in Dublin in future blogs. But until then, eat and be merry!
