Bloggers’ Meet at The Irish House

In the last one year or so, if there has been any one restaurant that I’ve heard oodles of great reviews about but never got the chance to visit, it has to be The Irish House. Perched in the top floor of Calcutta’s latest shopping hub the Quest Mall, the Irish House lures you with its decor rightaway. The witty “beer quotes” and wine barrels that adorn the wall are perhaps the first things that would catch your attention. And with the IPL already underway, the giant screen ensures that you watch your favourite games while having some serious good times over great drinks and equally fantastic food.

Upon our entry, we were served with an assortment of delicacies — Irish and otherwise. The Crispy Chicken Tenders with a couple of dips started the day. The crumbly coating immediately disintegrated in my mouth to give way to the soft and succulent chicken. I was perfectly happy with it, but a little more seasoning would have suited my palate a bit more.

The Loaded Veggie and Chicken Nachos were stationed at the table, throwing to the winds my plans of a detox diet! I kept munching on them at regular intervals. However, my fellow bloggers also present at the event believe that their Beef Nachos are way better than the Chicken ones. And given how much I liked the Chicken Nachos, I can’t wait to order the beef variation on my next visit.

For mains, there was the Beer Can Chicken (Murphys Stout flavoured Farm-Roasted chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Seasonal Greens). The chicken was well-cooked, juicy and perfectly flavoured but being the potato fiend that I am, I found myself nibbling on them more than the chicken!

The Steak and Kidney Pie were served with a generous dollop of Mashed Potato and Brown Gravy. The filling was top-notch but I was a bit disappointed with the crust which was quite hard and difficult to break with a fork. The Penne Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce and Sun-Dried Tomatoes was a winner, especially given the pesto-freak that I am.

Now I am not much of a drinker and what interests me in a restaurant is always their food. But here I must deviate a little and make a mention of the Caprioska that was served to me. It was strong and packed quite a punch. It really hit me hard in the beginning, unused that I am generally to alcohol, but once I got used to it I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Their Mexican Mojito that some of the others tried out had a strong kick to it as well. In fact, I’m told that Irish House serves the best cocktails in town!

What stole the show for me were the desserts. By now I had the nachos somersaulting in my tummy, leaving me absolutely incapable of eating another single morsel more. But such is the charm of cheesecakes. When the Baked Cointreau Cheesecake with Tangerine Sauce hit the table I refused once or maybe even twice. But because it’s cheesecake and because I won’t be able to forgive myself later on if I didn’t try it, I chose to take a bite. And then I took one more, and then another. It took me as close as possible to heaven. I have never tasted a cheesecake of that quality in Calcutta. And now I know where to turn to when my Big Chill cravings hit me hard.

The Dark and White Irish Chocolate Torte was undoubtedly a chocolate-lover’s delight — smooth, luscious and creamy. It also vanished as soon as it was plonked before us.
The pricing at Irish House is somewhat on the steeper side but if you’re on the lookout for a great place with comfy interiors, a giant screen to watch sport with your buddies and at the same time splurge on some kickass cocktails and food, this is the place to go!

If you like what you see here, don’t forget to hop on to my Facebook page and click the “Like” button. All Guilt Free posts will reach you in your newsfeed. 🙂