Ciara McQuillan checks in on this year’s food trends…
THE EARLY BIRD: Off-peak dining is back in vogue. Diners are eager to make their money stretch, and the ever-squeezed restaurant industry is doing its best to give the people what they want. As a result, set and early bird menus are making a comeback. Some excellent value menus to try include fine dining in One Pico Dublin 2, from €39; www.onepico.com. Two courses in Michelin Bib Lottie’s, Rathmines for €29; www.lotties.ie. Two courses at the wonderful Bresson in Monkstown for just €34.95; www.bresson.ie. Meanwhile in Cork, Sage in Midleton offers an early bird menu for just €29 for three courses; www.sagerestaurant.ie.
UBIQUITOUS ALMONDS: Almonds, be they smoked, Marcona, salted or spiced, are going nowhere. The same can be said for compound butters, arancini and croquettes. Naturally I have zero complaints about this, although an alternative (to be clear, not a replacement) to smoked almonds would not go amiss.
FANCY CLASSICS: Pork appears to be finally having a moment too, thanks in part to its pocket-friendly price point and of course, its excellent taste and quality. An outdoor-reared pork T-bone, cooked over fire, is a dish that never gets old for me.
SIZE MATTERS: Starters and main courses moved aside long ago to make way for small and large plates, and size-based menu categories still appear to be the smartest way to serve food in a restaurant setting. This style of menu offers the diner, even just subliminally, the flexibility to share dishes, should they choose to do so, or, for those who abhor sharing, order for themselves. If I were to make one observation it’s that cost can spiral upwards alarmingly fast (if you are greedy).
JUST (ENOUGH) DESSERTS: With utility bills and labour costs putting restaurateurs to the pin of their collar, they must feel less is more for diners ending their meal on a sweet note. Affogato (couldn’t be easier for a busy kitchen to prepare) and crème brûlée (in all its custardy glory) appear with alarming regularity on menus these days, ditto “crème glacée” – often just a scoop or two of decent ice cream.
DRIVING A WEDGE: For those who, like me, prefer to end their meal with something savoury, the current trend of offering a wedge of one type of cheese as a pared-back version of the classic cheeseboard gets the thumbs up from me.
TINNED FISH: We are finally channelling our mainland European cousins and embracing tinned fish (or conservas). Whether razor clams, cockles, squid, octopus, tuna or trout, these underrated tinned delights can be enjoyed simply with good bread, a wedge of lemon and a glass of chilled white wine. This is ideal wine bar food, while at home it is a pantry staple – it doesn’t hurt that the tins are so pretty/graphic. For Irish conservas, try Goatsbridge smoked trout (www.goatsbridgetrout.ie), or Shines Seafood for sustainable tuna, mackerel or sardines (www.shinesseafood.ie).
OPTIMISED ENTERTAINING: Anything that encourages guests to mingle and interact – grazing tables, taco bars or DIY ramen stations – are fun. Mixing highend dishes with more casual foods to create something unusual is also trending. Japanese karaage-fried chicken with caviar and oysters? Now that’s an umamiheavy party I want to be invited to. Tara O’Connor of The Designed Table says 1970s-inspired chocolate and neutral tones are on trend for tableware and linen.
NO-ALC: Nowadays no- and low-alcohol cocktails, wines and beers are mainstays which is wonderful news for those non-drinkers who enjoy the social aspect of cocktail hour. In a restaurant setting, non-alcoholic food pairings are also becoming an increasingly popular option, thanks in part to the accomplished Majken Bech- Bailey (ex Aimsir) and her carefully curated world of non-alcoholic mixology.
SAVOURY COCKTAILS: Savoury flavours are also making an appearance on cocktail menus, good news for those of us who worship at the altar of Bloody Maria. In Dublin steakhouse, Hawksmoor, The Vaímpir is made with Micil Inverin small batch Irish whiskey, Jameson, tomato jam, orange, hot sauce and lemon; www.hawksmoor.ie. At The Blind Pig, Dublin 2, try a Dillisk Old Fashioned with dillisk-infused Irish single malt, cacao, banana, fennel and cardamom; www.theblindpig.ie.
ACTUAL VEGETABLES With plant-based food, it looks like we are going back to basics. Expect less TVP (textured vegetable protein), and more vegan and vegetarian dishes that actually feature vegetables. Meat substitutes are all well and good but nothing beats the taste and texture of the real thing. With ultra-processed foods in the firing line, vegan and vegetarian products will need to up their game. Seems vegetable trends are in a purple patch right now, with purple veg (including figs) making plates look bold and dramatic.
FILIPINO FOOD The brilliant Bahay food truck by chef Riggz Castillo and partner Alex O’Neill introduced us to punchy and exciting Filipino flavours but there aren’t yet many other Filipino food outlets in Ireland, even though there are 16,000 Filipinos living here. If the global appetite for Filipino food takes hold here, we might soon be eating Kare Kare (beef and vegetable stew) slurping Sinigang (delicious sour soup) and adding a dash of banana ketchup to absolutely everything. @bahay_dub @ciaramcquillan