Kolkata has embraced the new-age elements in its life though it always loves the co-existence of antique as well as the modern faces of the same character in its alleys which run as veins making it our ever vibrant and lively city of joy! It is an iconic city filled with heritage and pumped with loads of urbanization in every nook and corner. Here I have seen hand pulled rickshaw and an Aston Martin standing side by side stuck in a traffic jam! The same scenario is very much prevalent when it comes to food and beverages. Both extremes co-exist in a sweet unreal environment. Here you still find long queue in front of the age old Olypub which is packed with tonnes of old world charm, and at the same time you will find an equal rush to get a seat in lively n classy pubs like Irish House! Both these places are truly buzzing it their own way! And I truly appreciate this unique character of Kolkata, or rather Kolkatans! People mostly here love to eat, drink over some amazing ‘adda’ and just be merry! And I am no exception, so I have got several favorite hangout spots across the city; Irish House is surely one of them! I love everything about this uber cool pub. You’ll feel that this place exudes class, warmth and happiness as soon as you step in.
Few days ago I was invited to this ‘most happening place in town’ for a tasting session! I am thankful to the Irish House Management and First Idea PR for having me over! It was truly an amazing experience which I’ll surely cherish for long! This elegant Irish pub is housed in the Quest Mall (5th floor) above the food court level. The interiors are traditional yet chic with loads of elements to charm the young crowd. As you push through those giant heavy wooden double doors you will find a magical universe waiting on the other side for you that is studded with classy rustic wooden furnishing. The solid wooden tables, lively beats, perfect lighting, rustic barrels and neatly framed pictures and posters adorning the walls will urge you to take a seat and relax. This lovely Irish pub boasts of a long gleaming bar counter with high chairs to get you glued for more than couple of hours, for sure! The place is closer to many since here you can sit with your friends and your drinks and chat for hours, no one will come and bother you. Many prefer to visit this place during the happy hours i.e. between 4pm to 7pm when you get a Buy one Get one offer on the entire bar menu, isn’t that enticing?
In fact Irish House has got an outdoor seating as well which is beautiful for that lovely illuminated blue wall that is almost covered with elegant wall clocks and classic framed photographs! This place has surely more to offer apart from amazing food and beverages! But let us first discuss about this two basic elements which together is the heart of any restaurant or pub. So, here are the items from their special menu that we had tried during this food tasting session:
Let’s run through the cocktails that we tried – We started with the Kaffir lime spiced mojito, which was clearly the best cocktail for that dash of refreshing fizz, lemony tang and a mix of Bacardi, mint leaves and kaffir lime. The next drink was the Caiprioska which was reddish in color with a watermelon wedge stuck on the glass rim. This had a perfect mix of mint, watermelon and lime juice, vodka and the soda to fill in. Moulin Rouge was the next drink served in classic martini glasses. This had an apt mix of fresh pomegranate juice, vodka, mint and grenadine syrup! The sweet aftertaste was nice to retain though I felt the spirit content was bit on the lower side. The fourth cocktail that was served was called Green Goblet. It’s a spherical glass pitcher half filled with the greenish beverage! It was a nice mix of pineapple juice, green melon liquor, Bacardi and vodka. This drink can easily be shared by three, and that glass goblet had several straws in it for all the friends to share. All the cocktails were simply amazing, nothing less than that!
Now let’s check out the lip smacking pub grubs and the main course dishes which soon followed. We started with a vegetarian finger food called Drunken Mushroom Bites. These were super soft amazingly roasted mushrooms which were injected with tequila and topped with stewed spinach, parmesan and goat cheese. The juicy, bouncy soft mushrooms were complemented well by the lavash served along with it, very light and extremely delectable. Then came Headless chicken platter which had loads of reasons to be happy, stuffed in it in the form of juicy chicken in various forms and shapes. This is one assorted protein loaded thali, which is like a piece of heaven for any fried chicken lover! This includes chicken popcorns, glazed Belfast wings in BBQ sauce, original Belfast wings, chicken tenders and French fried. The platter comes with awesome dips which are perfect to go with those heavenly doses of chicken. Next we savored the Mix Sauce Pasta which was filling, creamy and flavorful. The penne was cooked well with veggies and orangish mix sauce, and served with garlic bread. The pasta was followed by Grilled Cottage Cheese steaks. The soft and bouncy grilled cottage cheese slices were tossed nicely with creamy mustard sauce and herbs and served along with sautéed veggies. Perfect main course dish for anyone who wants to stick only to something vegetarian. But then came the star dish, the Grilled Fish Steak. The two handsome fish steaks were extremely fresh, flaky and aromatic. The fish steaks were drizzled with orange gravy comprising of tangy and flavorful Portofino sauce. The mashed potato which was served along with this was creamy, smooth and had the perfect uniform texture. Also there was sautéed sting beans served along with this which went well with the fish steaks and mashed potato. But the showstopper was yet to arrive; it came in the form of Beer can roasted chicken! The dish comprised of two full chicken legs drenched in a brownish sauce that looked absolutely gorgeous and extremely appetizing! I loved the subtle flavor of this dish and the rosemary potatoes with sautéed veggies along with those succulent chicken full legs! This is a ‘must try’ dish and would be a crime if you miss this.
The last one to hit our table was obviously a dessert to wrap things up! It was called Dual Chocolate Torte and again it looked absolutely stunning! I am not sure how many visiting Irish House actually tries out their desserts, but I would personally request you guys to try this one out. It had a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top and neat layers of brown and white chocolate mousse. The texture was smooth as silk and the overall stuff was extremely tasty and sinful!!
Overall I would rate this special menu at Irish House close to 9.2 out of 10 which clearly shows I was extremely impressed with most of the dishes! I never knew you get such wonderful desserts at these pubs, the main course dishes were also simply stunning and the pub grubs were great as always. Irish House is known for its cocktails and its classy ambiance, no doubt I was thoroughly impressed with those as well. Overall this was an extremely satisfying tasting session, which every food blogger would like to experience! This place is an amazing piece of foodie’s heaven drenched in the best cocktails available in the city, so it’s time to empty that mug and put in your stress and worries instead in that empty mug! Isn’t that convincing enough to go and grab your seat at Irish House? You better book your table while I relax a bit with my favorite glass of Kaffir Lime spiced mojito! 🙂
Cheers!
foodiedada 