Ooops, boldness in the house

As Beyonce says to Lady Gaga in Telephone: you've been a bad girl, a very very bad girl. I haven't done any cooking this week. Today Mr. Chops and I went out for lunch to a cafe local to work. They had a BLT special with their home fries. I've never seen home fries like them anywhere. I must have had 6 potatoes worth of large fries on my plate. They're more like potato wedges really. The BLT was made with a soft bap rather than toast and it was delicious. At €6.95 each, it was really good value.

Who knows? Maybe tomorrow I'll be back to my proper ways.

Of course, I'm watching Masterchef at the moment and we're in the finals week. I've a spot soft for Tim, the so-called children's doctor (what's wrong with paediatrician, or are things that dumbed down?) and I'm rooting for him to win. Though I think it may be Dhruv that is the eventual winner he seems to be doing the most impressing of judges and guest judges. Alex may be a little too experimental and outthere. Duck hearts on toast anyone?

Freddies Bistro

It was my work night out on Friday and before the carnage, we had booked an early bird meal at Freddie's Bistro in Limerick city. Its been a long time since I was Freddies and to be very honest it'll be a long while before I go back. Loads of people rave about this restaurant being the best in the city but I found it disappointing on Friday. Now I grant you it was pre-Christmas party night combined with a Heineken cup match in Thomond park so it was going to be busy.

There was at least 35 people scrunched into the tables upstairs, all big groups and it was stuffy, noisy and slightly uncomfortable. We were ordering from the set Christmas menu (available until 6.30) priced at €26.95 and €3.95 extra for steak. We weren't offered the A La Carte as a choice. There's plenty to choose from, I went for the garlic mushrooms, I felt risotto would be too filling; I'm allergic to mussels; Caesar salad you can have any time; I don't consider garlic bread with cheese a proper starter; the wings would ruin my manicure (!) and soup is too heavy. The garlic mushrooms are stuffed with garlicky breadcrumbs, served with a few salad leaves and drizzle of mayo and pesto. They were nice but nothing exciting.

For main, I was in the mood for something meaty so I opted for the medallions of fillet steak with perigourdine sauce (peppery mushroom). There's also a choice of chicken with peppercorn sauce, baked salmon, pasta carbonara, fish with lime & coriander and Thai red veg curry. Two thickish medallions arrived, one was just over medium and the other was as I asked for: medium rare. Nice meat but the dish was nothing special. I'd asked for the sauce on the side and I got a tiny little bowl of it. The usual sides arrived: baton carrots with brussel sprouts, mashed potato, chipped baby potatoes (with skins still on and not crispy enough), boiled baby potatoes with butter and chives I think, and roasted halved baby potatoes with garlic.

While I can't fault the food or the price, it didn't really excite me and it didn't feel special if you know what I mean. It was like decent pub grub.

But the desserts were amazing, I went for the chocolate pudding and all I left on the plate was the sprig of mint!! The staff were also brilliant, attentive but unobstrusive. Maybe on a quieter night it's a special place and more deserving of its reputation, but I did feel disappointed and let down.

NO COOKING TODAY

Mr. Chops and I were in the mood for something bold but satisfying. So we went to Turkuaz, at 4 Cornmarket Row, Limerick city. Now I'm not a fan of doner kebabs, I'm not a fan of lamb but Mr. Chops says these are the best kebabs he has ever eaten. I spent 10 years or so listening to him going on about this place in Tralee being amazing; that was until a couple of months ago. A trip to Kerry Airport coincided with a trip to the Tralee kebabery place and poor auld Mr. Chops came home pretty much with his tail between his legs.

'Guess what?' He said to me, before even saying hello.
'Ya,' I said, 'what's up with you now?'
'Turkuaz is the best kebab I've ever had.' It seems the Tralee dream was finally over. He said it so sadly, it was like he'd found out about Santa.

But that was then and today we had Turkuaz. I had the Chicken Shish Kebab meal which comes with chargrilled chicken, usual salad, Turkish flat bread (not generic pitta), garlic sauce and hot chilli sauce; when I say hot I mean temperature hot as well as chilli hot. You also get chips which I have to say are probably some of the nicest chips in town. They are not too skinny but they are always freshly fried. The flat bread is cooked in house and if the blurb on the wall is anything to believe so are the meats and I believe they are. Mr. Chops says the doner meat is well...real meat!!!! I believe other kebab houses use those compressed lamb thingies that come off in long ribbons. What I can say is that the chicken is always juicy, has a lovely barbequed flavour and is completely delicious.

They serve the gamut of Turkish food. Kebabs, pides, lahmacuns (sp?), hummus, salads and pizzas. They even do various burgers. Personally, I'd stick to the kebabs. I had the Shepherd's salad one time and my God the feta in it was delicious. It was just a salad I know but there was loads of flat-leaf parsley in it and flat leaf is gorgeous with feta.

So yes, I can definitely recommend Turkuaz. Ignore the basic seating and the fact it does takeaway (which for some is a mark down), it is actually a little jewel in Limerick's culinary crown and the chicken shish kebab is actually really healthy so there!!!