Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.
It’s hard to miss the bright pink door marking the entrance to The Pig’s Ear, a charming restaurant with two cozy upstairs dining rooms. The Pig’s Ear serves contemporary Irish cuisine that earned it Michelin Bib Gourmand status (a distinction shared by many of my favorite restaurants in Chicago as well). We chose from a 3-course prix fixe menu available only in the early evening, which turned out to be an excellent value. I enjoyed the whole meal, but the second course edged out the rest as my favorite. It combined familiar flavors with more surprising techniques: an oat crust on fall-apart-tender duck, and sweet corn cut from the cob in full slices. The grilled onion and truffle sauce made the dish even more savory.
But first came the bread basket, including the hearty brown bread that is ubiquitous in Irish restaurants. I’m sure I’ll have much more to say about brown bread in the coming posts, but The Pig’s Ear’s version was nicely dense and nutty. The round of butter alongside was also especially elegant with its marble slab and wooden spreader.
The salmon starter was light, refreshing, and texturally interesting. Cucumber came in two forms: more recognizable slices, and smaller orbs rolled in black ash. I’ve been impressed multiple times already at the quality of salmon in Ireland, and this dish showed off the fresh fish especially well.
We finished our meal with The Pig’s Ear’s signature dessert, presented to each person in a striped pink bag. Inside was a glass jar filled with three layers of cheesecake: raspberry jam, cream cheese filling, and crushed biscuits (similar to graham crackers). It must be the high-quality Irish dairy, because the filling was some of the creamiest I’ve tasted and made each spoonful heavenly. I might go back for the cheesecake alone.
The details: The Pig’s Ear, 4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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