Staying in or dining out? The choice is yours, but these two alternatives might prove difficult to choose between. That said, opting for both is also perfectly acceptable. After all, balance is key, but deciding your own balance is a highly personal matter …
Ordering In?
For the occasional couch potato (guilty), the worn out, or those who would simply prefer a weekend of solitude after the exuberant celebrations in honour of our patron saint last week, ordering in is a no brainer. That said, ordering authentic Turkish food in from Reyna on Dublin’s Dame Street needs none of the aforementioned prerequisites. Beloved of chefs and food fanatics city wide, Reyna has taken the guilty 3am kebab and made it, well, better. The chefs are artists when it comes to knife skills and Reyna’s Instagram reels are a thing of beauty to watch for any aspiring chef or home cook. Run by a self-professed ‘nephew and uncle duo with serious anger management issues’, Reyna is a form of therapy for anyone who enjoys food.
The lentil soup is wholesome, the salad fresh, vibrant and refreshing and the falafel crunchy without being dry. Offal advocates will appreciate the charcoal grilled lambs liver with sumac onions, tomatoes and freshly baked bread while traditionalists will struggle to choose between the aromatic Urfa and Adana kebabs or the chicken shish, all of which are cooked over hot coals. The solution I have come to is to order the sharing platter, and don’t skip the baklava or the creamy Turkish rice pudding. www.reyna.ie
Dining Out?
For those with a hankering for food cooked over fire, but would prefer a weekend excursion, Camden Street’s Mister S is an excellent choice. The chefs at Mister S cook the food I really, really want to eat and the meals I have enjoyed there are among the most memorable I have had over the past few years. There are zero airs and graces here, just great quality food cooked over fire which elevates the most humble of produce into life-affirming dishes that may or may not be your foodie dream fodder for quite some time. The burnt end rendang spring rolls are legendary, the smoked duck leg looks melt in your mouth and both the pork chop and the beef steaks on the bone are perfect specimens of meaty goodness – and don’t get me started on the fish dishes.
I have a serious problem with the fried potatoes with aioli and onion salt (there are never enough) but that is my issue alone and I do plan to do better. Friday lunch is great value, with a choice of specials that can include a dry-aged Picanha steak with smoked béarnaise, or grilled prawns with smoked tomato butter, each served with your choice of side, for just €21 (although tables are hard to procure so book in advance). The wine list too is both comprehensive and reasonably priced. Go. www.misters.ie