What’s a fair price for a bottle of water?
WATER, YOU MIGHT THINK, is water. Yet the bottled stuff is flying off the shelves. Water comes free from the tap, so why pay for it? Well, that’s a complex question. According to a recent report some 30 per cent of water in Ireland is contaminated with E Coli. And when it’s not, it’s full of chlorine, the stuff that, according to the old ad, kills all known germs. Dead.
I’m not keen on drinking chlorine, even in quite a dilute form. Putting a glass of swimming pool to one’s lips is not my idea of fun. There are filters which can strip out the smell of bleach and more besides. I’m just wondering if there’s a filter than can make Dublin tap water, especially the version in Dún Laoghaire borough, potable with pleasure.
You have heard of “corked” wine? Well, some tap water is corked, too. “Corkiness”, a particular kind of mouldy smell and taste, is caused by stuff called tri-chloroanisole, which in turn is created when you get steam, mould and bleach in the same place at the same time. This is what you often get in cork production and sometimes in waterworks. The tap water in our Dublin abode is “corked”, well and proper.
A busy restaurant that has a bit of clout should be able to source a 75cl bottle of water for between 80c and 90c. Even a quiet backwater should not be paying more than €1.20, plus VAT, of course. I don’t know what kind of deal Montys Rathgar is on, but I paid €9.50 for two 75cl bottles of water. This is too much, but it’s also pretty typical. This €4.75 a bottle contrasts with €4.50 for a bottle of Warsteiner beer, a substance which attracts duty because it contains alcohol. Or €6 for a glass of Chilean Chardonnay (which, again, is way overpriced, although typical).
What’s a fair price for a bottle of water? I think it should be €2.75, tops. Bog standard Chardonnay? Let’s be generous here, it could be done for €4.50, so let’s say €4.80. Anyway, it’s unfair to single out Montys. These prices are typical of mid-market Dublin restaurants, but they help explain how four of us ended up with a bill of over €140 for a pretty ordinary meal.
This is the Rathgar satellite of the more famous Montys of Kathmandu, which has been delighting visitors to Temple Bar for more than a decade with its alternative to “Indian” food.
There is, as is now commonplace, an early bird menu (can someone think of a better phrase, please?), which offers two courses for €25, or three for €30. And the fact is, there are restaurants in a higher league than Montys which are offering that.
Our platter of starters for four (€35) was pleasant and colourful: tareko jhinga macha (prawns in mildly spiced batter) being the universal favourite. Chicken wings choila were juicy and spiced with ginger, chilli and coriander. We also ordered some tandoori grilled baby squid, which was very subtly seasoned and perfectly cooked, exquisitely tender.
Among the mains, lamb masala was conspicuous for that sauce that looks like it started life as canned tomato soup and which appears in so many restaurants with links to the Indian subcontinent. It was not unpleasant, nor was it inspiring. The lively chilli heat of chicken nanglo, however, was cheerful, even if the dish tasted of peppers rather than chicken.
With our starter platter, the squid, three mains, two naans, two glasses of wine, two bottles of water and a beer, the bill was €142.55.
There was a strange sense that this restaurant is still catching up with the new economic reality, notwithstanding the particularly charming service and some tasty dishes. tdoorley@irishtimes.com
THE SMART MONEY
From Monday to Sunday, two people can have two courses and a bottle of wine for €75. Yes, I know. I’m just reporting the facts.
Read Megabites, Tom Doorley’s new blog on all things foodie, at irishtimes.com/blogs/megabites
WINE CHOICE
Shiva Gautam, the owner, has always had a serious interest in matching both wine and beer with his menu and the list is extensive. There’s a staggering 34 wines by the glass and by the 250ml carafe, ranging in price from €6/€8 for Morande Chardonnay to €12/€16 for the lovely Zenato Ripassa. Wines that caught my eye included Hamilton-Russell Chardonnay (€50) one of the Cape’s greatest whites, Delas’ Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes at a reasonable €33, Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva (€36), the just-ready Château Lanessan 1996 from the Haut-Medoc (€50), the fun Goats Do Roam (say it out loud) from Fairview Estate at a keen €21 and Alois Lageder’s Pinot Grigio (€43). Prices vary from eminently keen to somewhat bloated.