le other

Wak-In Noodle Bar

I think I always associated life out of a sitcom with noodles from a takeaway box. I imagined life would change instantly with access to such packaging. Then Wak-In came along, the stir-fry bar of my fantasies, living up to my hopes and dreams. Once I was devouring a fresh box when a man stopped me urgently on the street. He was French. And sexy. He touched me lightly on the arm and beseeched me tell him where I ‘got  zose nood-eeeelz’. This is the Wak-In way. I guarantee it sparkles a bit of NBC magic over real life. The problem was that I finished eating and the fantasy stopped. So I never saw the man again, never casually encountered him at a laundrette or coffee shop. Maybe someday, buying another Wak-In, there’ll only be one portion left and I’ll look up and he’ll be the other customer and we’ll decide to share. Wak-In noodles - the perfect food to live out a sit-com fantasy. / Georgia

le other

Wall & Keogh

A tea shop that sells sushi, run by a man that looks not wholly unlike The Kinks' Ray Davies? Consider one's interest piqued. Tea and sushi may have a whiff of pretension but Wall & Keogh is without such redolence. Admittedly, the first time I walked into their beautiful outdoor area King Hipster was sprawled across the hospital bed-cum-seat like a Manet painting, shoes off, book in hand. But the Hipster must eat too. You can get nine pieces of fresh sushi with any pot of organic tea here for just €8. I ate like a Shogun and drank deliciously infused Brazilian Mate while admiring the decor and listening to owner Oliver's well selected tunes. At one point, King Hipster turned and nodded approvingly at me and like generations of Irish before us we silently bonded over tea. A completely refreshing dining experience. / Vernon Steel

 

le other

Saga

In case you didn't know; the hawker centre is the South East Asian equivalent of the ubiquitous Irish pub. It is a foodie Agora, social hub, and watering hole of the masses while SEAsian street food is really the best way to explore Asian cuisine. Imagine my immense Proustian pleasure when this Singapore girl was recently directed to Saga, a new Malaysian fusion restaurant found on Dublin's northside. Its menu gives a one-stop gastronomic glimpse of the region's multicultural street food, ranging from South Indian prata, to Thai Tom Yum, Hainanese chicken rice and Indonesian satay. Decor is uncluttered thus casting the perfect scene for homing in on the authentic hawker food. Best Dish: the Malay ones, especially the red chicken curry. Named I suspect, after a car: the Malaysian-made Proton Saga. / Elish Bul-Godley

le other

Konkan

le other

The Red Onion Café

The menu at the Red Onion Café seems to thrive on the concept of brunch, offering bespoke takes on classics hand-in-hand with more adventurous concoctions of their own design. There may be better ways to set you up for the day, but this is certainly up there with the best I've tried. It’s equally functional as a sit-in-with-the-paper or as a coffee-to-go kind of establishment. With the latter, be sure to grab one of the freshly baked blueberry bran muffins, but if eating in, I'd recommend the undisputed star of the brunch menu: black pudding waffle, served with poached egg, caramelized onions and a dollop of homemade chutney. There’s an endearing ‘make it up as we go along’ feel to the Red Onion, which, at just two months old, is probably why. I predict a long future, and possible waffle-related spin-off. / Robert Maguire

restaurant

Dada

The buzz boost injected into South William street by the recent arrival of CrackBird has also helped shine some culinary light on Dada. Run by husband and wife Aziz and Eva Nouhl, Dada's been unassumingly delivering some scrumptious Moroccan cuisine in a charming and cozy setting. Starters consisted of the filo pastry mini cigar sardines with charmoula marinade and marinated chicken kebab and harissa dip. For mains we opted for the tagine of hake fillet and ginger marinade with scallions, tomatoes and peppers and the kofta meatballs. Plates empty, wine guzzled, it got the 2009 word du jour 'Yumsies'. Granted it was a tad on the quiet side so choose your seating carefully for intimacy rather than abandonment. However, there was pleasant and unobtrusive flamenco guitar being played this Sunday. Then retire to the wee smoking veranda and observe the CrackBird shifters and shapers. / Zach Joyce

le other

Ambala

There was a time in Dublin when an Irishman couldn't get 300 Indian pastries over the counter in time for his Bollywood themed wedding - we had them made by a local housewife instead. Those days are over. Cue my squeal of girlish delight and husband's relief when we stumbled upon Ambala with its glass cabinets and retro styled wooden shelving; heaving under an array of rainbow-hued south asian confectioneries and savoury treats. All ready to be picked 'n mixed into classy gift boxes or consumed in the street front cafe with a glass of Chai. Choose from Jalebi, Chamcham, Gulab Jamun or many other colourful calorie-friendly options including Ali G's favourite: Ras Malai. With Diwali and Halloween both round the corner, its a handy one for the season. / Elish Bul Godley

le other

KC peaches

Beginning life as a whole foods caterer, KC Peaches canteen-style restaurant popped up in pastel blue and mint green on Nassau Street early this summer. Occupying what used to be Fred Hanna's bookshop it has rapidly gathered a devoted and ravenous following. The idea is simple: queue up, pick a size, and cram your plate or take-away box with as much deliciousness as it can handle. The reasonably priced and generously sized portions bring to mind the childhood adage "your eyes are bigger than your belly." The food is comforting, healthy, and very filling. This, and a prime location opposite Trinity's Nassau Street gate, makes for a noisy and bustling atmosphere, cafeteria-like and somehow American. Also, coffee obsessives will be pleased to know that the coffee is good, and their coffee machine is nothing short of beautiful. / Alex Calder

le other

Dine In Dublin

Nothing like a winter-shortened Dublin day to find youself out and about, work done, dinner skipped and a squidgen squiffy. But where to eat? Thanks to BID this is the time to try that eatery that you have have hitherto ignored. Their Dine in Dublin deals make expensive food cheap. An oxymoron? Not at all. Try Carluccio's for their Antipasto Supremo, €20 for a edible tour of Italy, more than enough for two with a delectable selection that would have Trapattoni thinking of home. Or go to Citron where aptly named new chef Mat Fuller will surprise you you with his laundry-themed amuse bouche. Trust me. Others on the deal worth checking are Bleu (for dessert) and The Washerwoman's Hill (purely for the name). There are 15, 20, 25 and 30 euro set menus and every vital organ will thank you for going for the slow-food option. / Vernon Steel

le other

Keshk

Just back from our first dinner at Keshk Café Restaurant where chef/proprietor Mustafa Keshk is clearly enjoying having doubled his workload by opening a second restaurant. All you really need to know is that a diner at the next table called out, “See you tomorrow” to the staff as he left. I may join him. We started with the best falafel ever (chef puts this down to only using chickpeas and not beans) and fluffy goats cheese cubes on grilled courgette slices. Every ingredient in the oven baked prawns, okra and tender lamb tasted fresh, clean and distinct. I had the foresight to wear stretch pants; the portions are generous and the bill for two came in at around €50. For aficionados of the original 'Little Keshk' on Leeson St, often frustrated at not being able to get a table, fear not; 'Big Keshk' is just five minutes away. / Kay Scorah

food

Paulie's Pizza

Sure, it doesn't have the greasy-spoon edge that normally sets le cool salivating. But this Italian joint has bags of New York-meets-Naples attitude thanks to its frenetic, friendly staff who serve up some of the best pizza in town. And they might just give you a complimentary drop from their stash of special Italian liqueur if they like the look of you and if you obviously approve of the loud dance beats they cook along to. The doughy delights created in the open kitchen are designed to conform to real Neapolitan pizza standards by being made from Caputo 00 flour and wood fired at 450°. And they taste, well, fantastico. / Maisie

food

Rigby's Saturday Market

Rigby's has been le cool's favourite new restaurant since the eponymous chef James rang up and harangued us to visit his shabby-chic, no menu place a few months back. It hasn't always been plain sailing though. We've been temporarily barred (long story), our reservation cancelled at the last minute (short story) and we've stepped in as an almost-fight broke out with our culinary hero and a certain dragon from Dragon's Den (almost-story). The food is undeniably brilliant though - amazing value and the BYOB element is naturally a clincher. Like all good love affairs, it's passionate, dangerous and delicious. Never one to sit still, Rigby is now hosting a fresh, organic produce market at his place on Saturdays between 10am and 5pm. Go and see the maestro at work. Maybe don't drop our name though. / Vernon Steel

food

Good Mood Food

Oh my the pizzas are incredible. I can't get over it. How do they even get that amount of cheese on top of that crumbly base and perfect layer of tomatoey sauce. Good Mood Food is located off Leeson Street down a lane across from the Sugar Club. The building is an old cobblers, unchanged amongst silly towering office boxes. It's been converted into a bright and friendly space. Upstairs is quieter and the side area is more vibrant. Sit wherever suits your good mood. You have got to, I stress have to, try the pizzas. The salads are ace too, very satisfying, you just fill up your small or large container yourself. Mix the selection to your liking. What I really like about the food is that it all seems so healthy and fresh, even the pizzas. Oh, and they have proper coffee to be proud of and two choices of beans. Strong Costa Rican or Mild Italian. / Georgia

food

Terra Madre

All Italian women become their mothers - that is their tragedy. Almost all Italian restaurants in Dublin serve shit food - that is ours. We've all borne witness to the menu travesties of lasagne and chips, flaccid pasta and the dolours of dolmioesque tomato 'sauces'. Succour is at hand in the shape of Terra Madre, a tiny basement cafe on Bachelor's walk. Since opening, the place has been rammed with Guidos and Paddys alike and with good reason. These Tuscan brothers are serving up great flavours at modest prices. Begin with some bresaola wrapped around a fine dice of celery with good aged parmigiano. Follow that with Taglioni alla Gricia, a dish that features guanciale and pecorino. Finish with good coffee and a slice of superb clementine tart made by a big-bellied dalmatian called Mario. / Mr & Mrs Stevens

le other

Boojum

Ah the irony, that in these belt-tightening, gloomy recessionary times the Celtic Tiger's panini should be knocked off its throne by the Burrito - a whole meal, wrapped up in a piece of bread. A good blueprint of how ALL meals should be served. Boojum, in that corridor of Mad Mick Wallace owned Little Italy, is a laid back, friendly place. Where they won't laugh at you for not knowing what pinto beans are. Don't hang your head in shame, and grab your friends, a burrito and a beer, and hoist yourself up behind their benches for more banter than in an Old El Paso ad. Laugh at the fool who dares to risk the Salsa Roja when they can barely handle the Salsa Verde, and remember to purchase a bottle of water as insurance against being the one laughed at. / Kate Frances Coleman

food

M&L Restaurant

The Chinese are coming. What better way to prepare for the imminent hegemony of our fecund friends than with some of the best Sichuan food west of Chengdu. M&L Chinese, on that dismal alleyway known as Cathedral St, specialises in the great regional style famed for its use of bold strident flavours to produce deeply savoury dishes. Expect the intense umami of sesame paste, the elegant, numbing fragrance of Sichuan pepper and, above all, dried chillis employed with reckless abandon. They can be wary of round-eyes hereabouts so be sure to order from the 'chef's recommendations' if you want the real deal. Outstanding soft-shell crab, lightly battered squid, sublime dumplings. Douse the inferno with as many tsingtaos as you see fit. One day we will simply call this "food". / Mr & Mrs Stevens