Papaya - Thai Cuisine In The Heart Of Dublin

TT - What To Do In Dublin - May 2003, Volume 4, Issue 29

Papaya was recent rather surprising find, in that it is handily located within a few paces of two of my favourite watering holes, Doheny & Nesbitt's and The Ely Wine Bar. In general I'm not a big fan of basement restaurants, not that I am immune to the advantages of some judicious subterranean lighting, but they have a tendency to be just a little too murky for even my taste.

Papaya however provides an exception. Original, high-vaulted ceilings make this a bright, air dining room although I do think they could have done without the token pieces of Thai memorabilia scattered haphazardly around the place.

Thai restaurants have been popping up all over town with suprising regularity over the last couple of years to the extent that most Dubliners could spot the difference between a piece of lemongrass and a chunk of galanga at a hundred paces. Newer additions to the Dublin dining scene now have to work harder for the price of a Thai Green Curry, which is great in terms of quality and value for money for the average punter. Papaya should have no problem fitting seamlessly into the equation as there is some top-notch food on offer here for some reasonable prices (by Dublin's stardards anyway!).

One of my pet hates in any restaurant is a menu the sioze of an extended novella; I like to spend an evening out eating rather than flipping frantically through a tome of biblical proportions, when will restauranteurs realise that you can give too much choice? Papaya's menu is restrained; there is enough to satisfy the Thai culinary enthusiast whilst including a few intriguing options for those a little more experimental. We'll leave Thai translations for another day but the Duck Salad of roasted duck tossed with crushed roasted rice and lemon juice is a fairly special way to start your meal, as are the stimulating textures and subtle flavours of the Thai Prawn Cakes.

Penang Curry, a fragrant and quite spicy dish from Northern Thailand, is a personal favourite and given that my last taste of this aromatic dish was in the region's capital Chiang Mai, the Papaya version was very good indeed, tempered as it was for the Irish palate. The Beef Fillet with Oyster Sauce is also worth a mention for the quality of the ingredients and the size of the portion. Enthusiasts should give the stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts a try; it is easily one of the best I have tasted in Dublin. In fact much of the food was faultless, the only down side being more of a wait between courses than I would have liked. But then if this indicates fresh, fragrant ingredients being cooked on the spot, you won't find me watching the clock.

The wine list is short and to the point, there are some carefully chosen reds and whites here but with the Ely right across the road, Papaya is clever enough to leave the wine to the experts, leaving a good enough selection to keep most diners fairly happy. We avoided dessert in favour of some good coffee although I did see a healthy slic eof cheesecake wing its way over to another table. The bill came to just over €60 for a two course meal for two with wine and coffee. Great food, great atmosphere, great location, great value...what more can I say?