NEW DELHI: While one associates the Irish with many many things, restraint may not be on top of that list. Yet, with their new 'All Good Inside' menu, that’s exactly what the good folk at the Irish House (Noida and Nehru Place) are preaching. The recently introduced bar and eats menu boasts grilled and baked options for clean eaters and weight watchers, as well as cocktail options for people on keto/vegan/ paleo diets. Those who are on the ‘eat everything diet’ needn’t worry as the regular food and drinks menu is still there.
Since moderation is apparently the order of the day, we order the German Imbiss (grilled pork sausages in German curry ketchup), Carnivore’s Grilled Platter (grilled jerk chicken, chimichurri chicken, Turkish lamb pop, roast chicken wings), and the Fisherman’s Catch (grilled and baked Nile Perch fish with cilantro caper sauce). Because we’ve clearly been so moderate thus far we also allow ourselves an indulgence in the form of Cheese Burst Bulbs (crumb fried baby shallots with cheese).With the punctuality you’d expect from ze Germans, the Imbiss appears first. Comprising grilled and sliced pork sausages served on a bed on fries (covered with a layer of curried ketchup), the dish is simple but delicious, making for prime bar food. This is good, as our drinks have appeared in the form of Maple Dusk (Irish whiskey, Angonustra bitters, and maple syrup) and the Fizzy Stalker (Gin, fresh celery juice, soda, and stevia), the latter being highlighted as a weight watchers’ special. Even with their healthy tag, the drinks go down smooth as sin, and are potent enough encourage some more sinning.
The Carnivore’s Platter is up next, and unlike the drinks, takes a fairly long time to do justice to, laden as it is with all manner of meats. Our favourites are the tender, juicy lamb pops and the smoky spicy jerk chicken with its underlying sweetness. The other meats are also perfectly palatable, but in our minds, these two were the clear winners. Following the tracks of our land-based provender, the Fisherman’s Catch swims up next. The fresh fish fillet, herbaceous baby potatoes and grilled veggies are served in parchment paper, harking back to the classic fish and chips a la London, without the ink stains that that classic (traditionally wrapped in newspaper) sometimes included.
Last, but not least, come the Cheese Burst Bulbs, and boy do they live up to their name. The literal poppers of onion and cheese explode in the mouth with molten gooiness that only melted cheese can deliver.
Dessert is another cheat in that we eschew the much-touted Drunken Wafflewich for a more simple pick-me-up; to wit, the Vintage Tiramisu. A decadent muddling of textures and sweetness, it is exactly what the doctor ordered. This may not be Irish fare, but we’re betting the lads and lasses still approve.
Meal for two: Rs 2,000 (including taxes and alcohol)
At: DLF Mall Of India, Sector 18, Noida; and Epicuria Food Mall, Nehru Place Metro Station