In with the bistro kids

RESTAURANTS: Well-judged bistros are in with a chance of surviving the recession. Junos, near the new criminal courts in Dublin, is a case in point

ACCORDING TO A recent report from the Restaurants’ Association of Ireland, as many as one third of Irish restaurants will close over the next six months, and already up to 80 per cent are operating at a loss. These are staggering statistics, to be sure, but while the future is not looking too rosy, there are real opportunities for those who know how to deliver those all-important ingredients: memorable food, a hospitable atmosphere, good service and value for money. We may be relentlessly tightening our belts, but we certainly haven’t lost the will to go out and enjoy good food in good company.

The recession is testing each and every restaurant’s ability not only to endure but to evolve, and for smart diners, that’s good news. For the most part, those who will survive the cull will continue to provide interesting food – the trick is knowing how to cut back on the use of costly ingredients without resorting to cheap imports and substitutes. Ideally, the survivors will support Irish producers and suppliers. Eat local has never sounded so good – or been more important.

Bistro-style cooking can be readily adapted to lean times, and Junos on Dublin’s Parkgate Street is a relative newcomer embracing the challenge. The menu is the work of Finnish head chef Juha Salo, formerly of The Mermaid Café and 101 Talbot, and it reads as a what’s what of Irish bistro reliables: nothing you’d describe as exotic, or groundbreaking, but most dishes reveal a keen eye for quality, seasonal ingredients and a patriotic nod to home produce.

We visited on a quiet Monday evening and were offered a choice of tables; we chose one facing the kitchen, where I had a clear view of a patient chef teaching the kitchen porter how to chop vegetables, fast, without losing a finger. The kitchen porter was soon flashing the knife at rapier speed, while I held my breath and sat on the edge of my seat.

The interior fit-out is unremarkable – basic bistro decor with small, closely-appointed tables, hard darkwood chairs, and vague flourishes of personality. The room would benefit from an increase in visual warmth, as well as a clockwise nudge to the thermostat.

We began with the fishcake and a side of twice-cooked chips. Both were cheap, at €8 and €4 respectively, and satisfyingly fuss-free. The fishcake was good, its crispy exterior enveloping a wholesome blend of readily identifiable fish – salmon, smoked haddock, and white pollock. The tartare sauce could have had a little more, well, tart, for my palate, but that’s just a quibble. We chose a glass each of the house red, Nero d’Avalo (€5), and it too performed well for the price. The wine list holds a decent amount of over-achievers, none priced more than €40. The chips were excellent – crisp, index-finger-sized chunks of floury lightness, sprinkled with pyramid flakes of Maldon sea salt.

Next up, an Irish charcuterie board and that evening’s special: char-grilled Irish Angus rib-eye, served with mash, green beans, garlic and parsley butter, and a black pepper oil (€20.95). The steak was flavoursome and beautifully cooked; the garlic and parsley butter was well-balanced and both potato and green beans were faultless. The drizzled black pepper oil around the edge of the plate was surplus to requirements and didn’t really work.

The selection of charcuterie – air-dried Connemara ham and Irish chorizo served with an immaculately-dressed side of greens, toasted crusty bread and a home-made chutney – amounted to a little less than the sum of its parts. As much as I love the idea of James McGeough’s Irish air-dried ham, I am not a fan. For me, McGeough’s real star is his air-dried lamb, which is far tastier. Spikier accompaniments – roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, or some caper berries, perhaps – would have enlivened the selection, and some olive oil and vinegar wouldn’t have gone amiss with the toasted bread. The charcuterie, along with slices of Irish cheese, was served on a narrow chopping board, which I found irritating. Chopping boards are better in the hands of a chef or a devil-may-care kitchen porter – use a plate, they are perfectly designed for the job.

We finished with a good, but not stellar, sticky toffee pudding (€7), served with a vanilla ice cream that had me re-living ice cream van moments from my childhood. I could almost hear Mr Whippy’s chimes as I polished it off.

Service tended towards erratic throughout – slightly harried and intermittent, tempered with warm and attentive. Putting those small niggles aside, we left relatively happy, our wallets not feeling too badly filleted.

I like to think of Junos as the bistro that might. There are flourishes of greatness, but a little more attention to detail is still required. After two visits, it seems to me that they are working hard to get there. Definitely one to watch and worth a visit.

Junos, 26 Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, 01-6709820; junoscafe.com