Again and again D4 tops the polls as the most expensive place to live in the country. It comes as a nice surprise then that one of Dublin's few Greek restaurants takes pride of place in this suburb and is practically giving its meals away for free. I can’t imagine how Keshk Cafe on Upper Leeson Street works economically, but gastronomically it is a mint. Anyone who's tried getting a reservation in this tiny restaurant will know that it can be a challenge. But with a bit of forward planning, you should be in luck.
I visited last week with a good old friend who'd just returned from her summer abroad in the Big Apple with lots of exciting stories. Our tight purse strings, my companion’s vegetarianism and the BYOB policy of Keshk were the clinchers for us on this particular night. With lots to catch up on, she arrived with a nice bottle of rioja and the nights' entertainment (for me, my lips are sealed) unfolded. Straight away the waitress arrived at our table with a couple of glasses of iced tap water without us having to stingily ask-no pressure to go bottled, very nice indeed.
We decided to share a Greek Salad (E.7.50) to begin, to give us plenty of time chat and sip our wine. Having booked the table for 8pm, we were put under absolutely no pressure to vacate the table, granted it was a Wednesday night. The traditional salad, dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice was a nice palate cleanser. It was brought to life by the Feta and some toasted pine nuts, both of which were plentiful. Unusually, the Feta had a creamier than crumbly texture but its quality could not be doubted. It is very tempting for restaurateurs to cut corners when offering meals at reasonable prices by using supermarket imitation brands, but it’s disappointingly obvious when they do.
For the main course I had the Moussaka with spicy potatoes. At E14.95 this was exceptional value for what was delivered. Of course the ingredient components of the dish are not too costly. But to pay staff to prepare and wait, as well as to cover overheads at these prices and make it economically viable, all without the relief of corkage most restaurants enjoy is a puzzle that would surely leave David McWilliams and co dumbfounded for once in their lives. Served piping hot in its own large ramekin the dish retained its heat while I happily deconstructed it. I was more than pleased with the offering; however I must stick to my critiquing guns. The Moussaka was covered with a thick layer of melted cheddar. I am not sure how traditional this is, but in my view the béchamel layer should more important than the cheese layer. This was not omitted altogether, though the cheese overpowered its delicacy. The minced lamb was well seasoned and plentiful, but to the detriment of the aubergine. As one of the central features of the dish its scarcity was noticeable. Despite these issues I still thoroughly enjoyed the dish. However I was particularly impressed with the included side of spicy potatoes. Like mini roasties, they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, without the greasiness of a chip. A generous sprinkling of cayenne gave them the kick that made them special. Even when they went cold I was still happily munching away on them.
The gallivanter went for the okra done in a tomato, coriander and garlic sauce (E13.95). Although I did not try it on the night, I have had this before and it is the best thing I have tried on Keshk’s menu so I would highly recommend it. The okra is al dente and the tomato sauce juicy and flavoursome. A squeeze of lemon juice and the coriander (not overpowering) gives it a fresh zing. It is a dish that is virtuous, yet hits the spot.
Having no room left for another bite, we both skipped dessert which has a range of offerings from the customary baklava to the usual run of the mill (and usually bought in) chocolate fudge and carrot cakes. Again the baklava gets thumbs up from me from one of my previous ventures. Whoever came up with the idea of interspersing layers of filo pastry with chopped pistachios, walnuts and almonds and then drenching the whole lot in a sweet sugar syrup was a culinary genius! It’s more an indulgent teatime pick-me-up in my view though than a standalone dessert.
Space is a little tight in Keshk, with tables crammed in against the walls meaning that some may find it uncomfortable. But this is a minor quibble from two happy customers who will be doubtless back for more good food and great value-as long as Keskh can manage to balance the books that is!
http://www.keshkcafe.ie/
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