Katrin Schmidt attends the fourth annual Taste of Dublin festival, an event that brings a whole world of culinary delights to the heart of the capital
Last week Ireland’s gastronomes celebrated the finest food and drink at the fourth annual Taste of Dublin festival, in the tranquil surroundings of the city’s Iveagh Gardens.
The four-day event brought together 20 of Dublin’s top restaurants along with a host of international and Irish chefs, who prepared delicacies from around the world for the hundreds in attendance. And it was all done under the motto of ‘Socialise, Surprise, Indulge, Enjoy’.
”It’s a real social day out,” said Cheira Jones, marketing manager of the festival. “For example, Sunday is a family day, and each evening features social events and entertainment. All in all, visitors can observe, taste and interact with all their favourite chefs.”
While getting to know all the different styles of cuisine, visitors also get an impression of the diverse cultures represented at the Taste of Dublin festival. One of the most colourful presentations was that of Thailand, where the country was brought closer to visitors through authentic Thai cuisine, music and dance – and where every female visitor who passed by was given an orchid as a token of remembrance.
“This festival is a great opportunity to demonstrate what Thailand has to offer,” said Ekuon Khunacharon, First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy. “People get to know more about the country and its delicious food.”
Kevin Hui, owner of the China-Sichuan restaurant in Sandyford, is also convinced of the festival’s effect in promoting world cuisine.
“I’ve been here the last four years and always had a good experience with it,” he said. “There are a lot of ethnic minorities in Dublin who work at the food industry, so the festival is a good way to demonstrate their cooking skills.”
Neill Roberts, a visitor from England, stopped by the stand to sample Hui’s rice and pork. “It’s so delicious,” he enthused. “Next time I’m in Dublin, I will definitely stop by the restaurant.”
Yet while Asian cuisine is always a popular fixture, many European restaurants were also well represented. One of them was the French restaurant Eatery 120, owned by Eoin Lennon, which offers both French and Irish dishes. One of his specialties at the festival was the foie gras with chicken liver parfait. 
Lennon, like all the chefs at the festival, was very enthusiastic about the event. “I like the variety of restaurants here from all over the world. We even had some French visitors already. But in fact, I saw a mixture of all nationalities coming over.”
Visitor Kaajal Shivdasani, originally from India, was impressed by the various activities throughout the festival ground, with live music from jazz and swing bands creating a vibrant mood. She especially enjoyed the live kitchen theatrics, “and you oftentimes get free samples. A lot of stuff is really tasty.”
Besides tasting their favourite food, visitors even had the chance to try their own hand at some dishes by themselves with the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
But Taste of Dublin isn’t all about food – guests were also encouraged to sample a variety of drinks, ranging from beer and wine to cider and champagne. One popular drink was the Lithuanian beer brand Svyturys, which was presented by Neil Redden.
“The owners of this company have been here for 16 years,” he said. “Our beer is well established, we’re selling a lot and try to make it more popular with Irish people here, basically.
“The good thing about this company is that they have employed a few hundred Lithuanian people now in Ireland itself. The company started off small, and the development of the company kind of reflects Dublin’s growth.”
Eric Martin from France, who was on hand to promote Béziers Méditerranée wines, felt that the special atmosphere of the event was key to its success.
“This festival offers a great opportunity for people to enjoy a glass of wine while listening to relaxed music,” he said. “I think many people from all different kinds of background enjoy the festival and socialise with each other.”
Certainly from the looks of things at Taste of Dublin, it’s a sure bet that people who eat and drink together will stay together.
