We love how when the days get brighter the plates do too. Salads, rainbow veg everywhere, ice-cream in a multitude of colours and flavours - good weather means good food times. Add into this dripping chicken sandwiches, midweek deals and cookies either side of that ice-cream, and you've really got our attention...
1) Fried Chicken Bun, Spatched
It feels like we have been waiting an eternal age for free-range fried chicken joint Spatched to open its doors and wave us inside, and they're still teasing us with pictures of their fried chicken buns, with optional drip. Next week you say...
2) Crispy Sea Bass With Sweet & Sour Sauce, Double Happy
The guys behind Hakkahan are opening a new Chinese takeaway in Dublin 14 and their Stoneybatter based chefs are helping to get things off the ground. 'Double Happy' will have a much smaller menu that the average takeaway, use the same noteworthy suppliers as Hakkahan, and will eventually hold tasting events for up to 14 inside, and if this 'Sang Shu Yu' crispy sea bass with house sweet and sour sauce is anything to go by, it's going to be good.
3) Buddha Bowl, Juanito's
Even if the sunshine is lacking, Juanito's are determined to bring it to our plates. On Wednesday lunchtime any of their 'mindful bowls' are €9.95 (usually €13 - €13.50), and this buddha bowl with butternut squash, broccolini, quinoa, mixed leaves, tomato pepper salsa, radish, kalamata, tomatoes and baba ganoush has enough goodness to fully cancel out the weekend's chocolate fest.
4) Bao, Bao Bun Street Food
Bao is never a bad idea. Hot or cold weather, daytime or nighttime, elated or downright depressed - those cheerful little pillows stuffed with meat, pickles and varying mayonnaise have rarely been known to cause diners regret. And here's another reason for them to make you happy. Bao Bun Street Food (on Bao/Aungier Street) are offering 15% off your entire order when you click and collect on their app from Tuesday - Thursday.
5) Salted Caramel Ice-Cream Sandwich, Treathouse
Treathouse in Rathmines, by Irish vegan brand Nobó, might be a dairy free zone, but that's not stopping us lusting after their Salted Caramel ice cream sandwiches for even a single second. The coconut milk/avocado based ice-cream is sandwiched between two Treathouse chocolate chip cookies, that aren't just vegan, they're also grain-free.
