TD 1
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY BITESIZE WORDS Martina Murra
y A FIANCO CARAVAN OF LOVE A little vineria packed full of all sorts of exciting wines recently opened its doors in Stoneybatter. The younger sibling of the much loved Grano specialises in Italian sourced wines, farmed by small organic producers using ancient techniques, and seasonal food that they say ‘makes the wine shine’. We’ve been ogling the visual delights on their ‘gram, where they’ve been showcasing some fabulous Italian dishes with suggested wine pairings to match. We can’t wait to try their wild seabass carpaccio with capers, honey, San Marzano tomatoes and freshly grated Amalfi lemon, and their very appealing Sicilian caponata, which they recommend teaming with a lovely SP68 from Ariana Occhipinti. Saluti! @afianco_dublin Weeks on from a buzzy soft launch that saw everything snapped up in record time, William Murray and James Kavanagh’s Currabinny Caravan is proving to be a welcome new addition to Dublin’s food trucking scene. The colourful green wagon has been settling in nicely in Inchicore alongside neighbours Rascals Brewing Co and Stillgarden Distillery, where the tasty fare on offer includes a nice selection of made-to-order sambos and delicious homemade bevvies. An innovative menu board features a variINCOMING: KAREN’S Some of us are old enough to remember the abuse levelled at Soho diners by staff at the fabled Wong Kei’s in London’s Chinatown, where customers were traditionally greeted with the question, “What you want?” then unceremoniously ejected from their tables before they had time to finish their lemon chicken. In those days ‘the rudest restaurant in London’ was a busy spot much loved by Tories and merchant bankers, swathes of whom could frequently be observed exiting the restaurant at speed, pursued by irritated waiters aggrieved by the paltry tips they’d left. While such scenes were sometimes entertaining to witness, we were always sceptical about the prospects for importing such abrasive hospitality practices here. In a city like Dublin, characterised by six degrees of separation, a population blessed with long memories, and politics based on century-old civil war divisions, it’s hard to see why anyone would bother to attempt it. And yet… Rumours persist about the imminent arrival of Karen’s, a brash new restaurant inspired by the internet meme of the same name which launched in Australia late last year. The self-styled ‘interactive diner’ has quickly garnered notoriety for its obnoxious staff interactions with customers, captured for posterity on TikTok. Promising rude service and an ‘absurdly fun experience’, Karen’s website candidly promotes a menu of ‘kick-ass burgers’ and ‘most things that are cholesterol heavy’. There are some house rules, but nobody seems to have bothered to read them. If they do eventually open up here, for the love of Karen… ask for the manager. They dare you. bemorekaren.com 38 ety of fresh and imaginative offerings served on freshly baked sourdough from Bread 41. The thoughtful range of fillings includes such artisan goodies as free range ham from On The Pig’s Back, mature Coolatin cheddar and Buffalo mozzarella from Macroom. There’s also a plentiful choice of homemade pickles, fermented hot sauces, seasonal greens and pickled plum mayo, alongside thirst quenching iced coffees and homemade lemonades zinging with flavour. The dynamic duo can be found dishing up the goods from 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Sunday, while bags of their specially blended creamy, nutty flavoured Soma x Currabinny coffee are also available for sale in whole bean or ground format. @currabinny PRETEND Dublin 7 based readers will have noticed a changing of the guard at No 1 Blessington Street, where acclaimed Vegan Chef Mark Senn and partner Ingrida Baceviciute recently swapped out their popular vegan takeaway Vish Shop for a new plant-based delicatessen called Pretend. Aiming to entice omnivores to reduce their meat consumption by switching to a variety of plant-based meat alternatives, their appetizing grab and go menu features a diverse selection of homemade vegan dishes such as cauliflower wings, burgers, and a selection of fresh sandwiches served on vegan-friendly brioche and rye breads. Fans of the traditional chipper are encouraged to check out their signature Vish & Chips option, made from cassava and hand harvested seaweed. Pretend’s battered Vish comes in a choice of original or smokey flavour, generously topped with homemade kimchi, tartar sauce and triple cooked chips, and served accompanied by a choice of BBQ sauce, garlic chive cheese, kimchi cheese, or tandoori masala. The deli also stocks a range of vegan items that can be enjoyed as part of a home-cooked meal, as well as desserts including double chocolate brownies, vegan ice creams and a range of classic cheesecakes. pretend.ie WE’RE LOVIN’ … The recently refreshed menus at SOUP Ramen and Soup 2, where in addition to their signature Ramen and classic Deep Fried Kimchi, new dishes include Teriyaki Pulled Pork Bao, Kimchi Mussels and Crab Roll in yuzu and wasabi, served in a house made brioche bun. There’s a lovely kick to those mussels, cooked in tasty chipotle chili and kimchi sake cream, served with garlic bread crisps. So good!