Only a few minutes in, perched on a comfortable upcycled chair at a kitchen table that has been painted ivory white on top and Solero orange underneath, I find myself mulling over the maximum number of people permitted at a table. Six, I know, but wasn’t there something about children? I check, and while you can have up to nine children under the age of 12, for everyone else it’s a maximum of six adults and teenagers.
Shouk, let me tell you, is the place you want to go with friends, family, neighbours, well-behaved dogs, just about anyone. The new outdoor area in a former car park is so cool, that regardless of a return to indoor dining, it's a table out here you'll want.
It’s a gloriously sunny evening, but in case it wasn’t, there’s an expansive stretch tent, sprinkled with fairy lights at an impressive height, making the area feel reassuringly airy with just a little nod to a Bedouin vibe. Which is appropriate. The heady aroma of grilled meat hangs gently in the air.
The mezze (€16), a plate filled with bowls of colourful salads, falafel, dips, pita and zhug, immediately has hands diving in, like the overhead shot in an Ikea ad. Zhug, in case you’re not familiar with it, is a vibrant Yemini hot sauce that packs a bit of heat from serrano chilies, and is pounded, like a pesto, with coriander, flat leaf parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
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The owner of the restaurant, Alon Salman, is not from Yemen, but this food reflects his Levantine childhood. Raised in Israel, his mother's side of the family is from Wexford, and his father's are Jewish Iraqi bakers. He moved to Ireland five years ago.
The balls of falafel, brown and nutty on the outside, and green with herbs on the inside, have plenty of dipping options – the zingy freshness of the zhug, a beguilingly smoky baba ganoush, a light hummus, tahini, and a creamy sauce with za’atar, the distinctive note of thyme coming through. Triangles of thick, freshly cooked pita are on hand to mop up.
The salads are interesting and varied. Mint, parsley and coriander are chopped and mixed with celery and dried pomegranate, bringing all sorts of levels of just-cut freshness and dried sweetness together; a bowl of shredded carrot in a spicy sauce is incredibly well-judged, small florets of cauliflower have been roasted to an umami nuttiness in the wood burning oven, and chunks of aubergine have had a similar long spell, bringing out a caramel sweetness.
Aubergine (€11) stars again in our main dishes. Chargrilled and split in half, it rests on pita and is doused with baba ganoush, tahini, zhug and fresh jewels of pomegranate seeds that ping with a fresh sweetness. Chicken skewers (€13) – the thighs of course, so much better than the breast, but unfortunately not free-range – have that smoky char which makes them so delicious; the juices dripping onto a crispy za’atar pita with roasted cherry tomatoes, red onion, a mild green chilli and all sorts of loveliness.
I should mention the drinks list. Cocktails are a very respectable €9 and €10, and the wine list is short but reasonably priced. You should definitely spring for the Ksara (€32), a Lebanese red, which has fresh juicy fruit, nothing too over-ripe, a touch of herbs, and no overbearing oak. Perfect with this food. And there is also a BYOB option, with €7 corkage for wine and €4 for beer.
A Turkish dessert, malabi (€7), comes in a jar, not in a hipster try-hard way. Crunchy green pistachio nuts and flaked coconut sit on top of a billowy coconut cream, with rose syrup inching up from the bottom. It is delicately perfumed, a light and refreshing end to our meal.
Oh, it is so good to be out, and there can be few restaurants as joyous as Shouk. It has negotiated its way through the pandemic spectacularly well, with takeaways that were a lockdown hit, and using its time in January and February to build out this extensive outdoor area, with new kitchens, which are visible through wooden, cabin-like shutters. It makes you feel that all is well with the world. And when you visit, and work your way through this comprehensive menu, all will be well with you, your friends and, indeed, your wallet. I just wish it was closer to home.
Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €79
- Verdict The perfect place to head to with a gang of friends
- Facilities Adjacent in Dorset College, so perfunctory
- Music Good playlist, but on the loud side, festival vibe
- Food provenance Meat and chicken (not free-range) from Etherson's Butchers in Cabra. Tahini and some spices directly imported from Israel and Palestinian territories
- Vegetarian options Vegetarians and vegans rejoice, there's so much to love on this menu
- Wheelchair access ★★★★★ Fully accessible from the rear entrance, with accessible toilet
