Tom Doorley is tempted by tempura in Wexford
The response from readers on the subject of preposterous restaurant prices has been overwhelming. Indeed, their comments have been so sharp that I hope to quote them in a forthcoming column. Alas, despite the backlash against rising prices, restaurateurs have been remarkably silent.
In the meantime, I can report on a very positive dining experience in the fine old town of Wexford, where I ate with the family prior to taking the Rosslare ferry. Indeed, it's bizarre to be able to tell you about a very satisfactory meal for five people that yielded a bill in the region of under €90. Frankly, that was something that I was expecting after the boat trip.
The Vine is a Thai restaurant which occupies the old YMCA hall. The premises is a little rubbed at the edges - we ate beneath a crumbling ceiling rose through which insulation foam extrudes itself like butter through the holes in a Marietta biscuit. But it sure has atmosphere. A phalanx of candles on a marble chimneypiece gives a mildly gothic atmosphere, and the place was buzzing with happy eaters. Lighting this place in the modern idiom would cost a fortune and ruin the effect.
We decided to go heavy on starters, light on mains. The chef, incidentally, refuses to provide chopsticks. He believes, it seems, that chopsticks are a mimsy Chinese import that no northern Thai person should contemplate. And that is his privilege. Doubtless many diners are relieved that they have to grapple only with the challenge of wielding the king's pattern cutlery. Personally, I prefer the Chinese imports.
Starters were generous. Our tempura vegetables comprised bits of broccoli, carrot, pineapple, some baby onions and, oddly enough, a single king prawn, encased in crisp batter and served with a sharp plum sauce. I would eat tempura of plimsolls provided it's light and crisp, and this was. My daughters are devotees of pork ribs in whatever form they come, provided they are cooked. The version here - seekoang mu - were crisp but tender and came with a moderately fiery chilli sauce. Tung thong, however, was the dish that was fought over: very crisp and quite ungreasy wontons containing minced pork and prawn, crab meat and lots of coriander leaves. This, too, came with plum sauce.
We suggested we would take the dishes in whatever order they were ready and, in the event, they all came together, which was rather jolly. The starters were joined by pad mak am - exceptionally crisp but succulent duck with crispy noodles and a delightfully sharp tamarind sauce that really cut the richness. And by pla mak phad krapow (much juvenile amusement at the latter word), stir-fried strips of cross-hatched tender squid with lots of minced chilli, incense-scented Thai basil and a good dollop of soy sauce. It was deliciously spicy but still tasted of proper squid. There were also lots of crisp, chunky chips, officially for the spud fanatic, but enjoyed by all. And endless steamed rice.
The children, with admirable restraint, confined themselves to two Fantas and one Coke, while the parents - embracing the holiday mood - put away four Budvars. This glorious Czech pilsener is your only man with food like this. We didn't go near the wine list, despite its siren-like appeal. Three starters and two mains may not sound like much but, such were the portions, that we felt very well fed. We had intended ordering a further main course but, what with the holiday mood and all that, we forgot. The bill came to €87.75. The following week we enjoyed a similar meal in London's Chinatown and the bill came out at approximately stg£90. Makes you think.
The Vine, 109 North Main Street, Wexford (053-22388)
WINE CHOICE: Domaine de Terre Megere, which turns up here regularly, is a brilliant southern French red for €19.50 and Domaine la Louvetrie Muscadet, fresh and bone dry, is well worth €19. Norton Malbec at €23 could work well with many of these dishes but why no Torrontes, which would marry brilliantly? Domaine Ducret Givry Premier Cru is a great buy at €29, but I can't see red burgundy singing with this kind of food. The lovely and almost unknown Charpentier Champagne NV, with its biscuity Pinot fruit, would work a treat, and the price tag of €45 is exceptionally keen. All in all, good value and no dross.