It seems there are two types of people in Dublin - those who have been to Jo’burger and those who haven’t. I’ve heard so many people recommend this place but as I’m rarely in Rathmines these days, I’ve remained uninitiated. Last weekend though, we made a special trip to Jo’burger to have a lazy bank holiday lunch/hangover cure.
Is it overrated? Not a bit. This is no run of the mill burger joint. This is how it goes; first you choose your protein: beef, lamb, chicken or veggies. And then the fun bit - you style your burger from an extensive list of interesting and bizarrely-named toppings. One in particular caught my eye: “Zondi” which is “Green thai curry mayo, coriander and chilli“. Ehh, maybe next time. We eventually plumped for the “Mofolo - chipotle, pineapple, balsamic relish & rocket” for me and a “Chiawelo - fresh mango salsa & rocket” for her. We both ordered beef, but herself opted for a tortilla while I opted for a good old-fashioned bun. We also ordered some fries and a side of corn on the cob.
What can I say? The food was big, spankingly fresh and very tasty. The burgers are so huge that after a while we had to resort to “knives and forks” because it got a little messy - all part of the fun. The Jo’burger relish which is available on all the tables is really delicious, perfect for dunking those fries. The corn was sweet and crispy with a light coating of garlic butter. Top marks. Simple food, done very well.
I’m not sure if this is a place for a quick meal; the service when we visited was a little “relaxed”, but we didn’t mind as we weren’t in a hurry. This place would do a bomb in town, hopefully the owners can translate the formula to the city centre and still keep the laid-back, neighbourhood feel. Super stuff, we’ll definitely be back.
Jo’burger
137 Rathmines Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
http://joburger.ie/
The results are now in. Here are my top 3 dishes of London 2009.
#1 - Irish ox ‘tongue ‘n’ cheek’, caper raisin and ginger carrots, horseradish pomme purée (Maze)
[Link]
#2 - Roasted Anjou pigeon, 70% chocolate ganache, blueberries, red wine and celeriac (Maze)
[Link]
#3 - Warm smoked eel, beetroot tart, horseradish (Wild Honey)
[Link]
I was foaming at the mouth, struggling to carry my various boxes of tea, assorted biscuits and fudge. When I start giving the ‘glad eye‘ to a box of champagne truffles which cost a mere £25, my significant other threatened to call the police and have me forcibly removed. I reluctantly accepted there was a recession on and put the champagne truffles back. Maybe next time.
In case you hadn’t guessed, “Fortnums” is my favourite shop in the world and my credit card still bears the scorch marks. After all that shopping, we were in sore need of some refreshment. Too early for afternoon tea in Fortnum’s “St. James’s Restaurant”, we adjourned to “The Parlour Restaurant”. Afternoon tea is not served in the Parlour but I was determined to cobble together some dishes that made me feel like I was having afternoon tea!
We settled on a “smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel” for me, and a “Welsh rarebit with tomato chutney” for her. We also ordered a pot of “Fountain Blend” tea, at a very unreasonable £5. Afternoon tea wouldn’t be the same without scones so we shared a plate of those too. Everything we ordered was excellent quality, particurly the jam and clotted cream which accompanies the scones. I was quite taken aback by the austere presentation of the bagel, a lettuce leaf would not go astray here methinks.
The Parlour Restaurant,
Fortnum & Mason,
181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER
http://www.fortnumandmason.com
Students everywhere rejoice! As if Pot Noodle’s image couldn’t get any trashier, the manufacturers have brought out a “Doner Kebab” flavour pot noodle. Jesus. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Of course, the papers are having a field day with this one. I’m tempted to buy one, purely in the interests of scientific research.
