It’s pretty much common knowledge that if you fancy a Chinese in Dublin, the best and most authentic place to go is Parnell Street in Dublin 1. It’s a great little spot in general and slowly becoming Dublin’s Chinatown.
However not all experiences are great. A while back, my sister and I fancied some Korean food and noticed an authentic and bustling little place. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t have such enthusiasm for us and point- blank refused to serve us because we were not Korean. We thought we had misunderstood and something had been lost in translation but when we watched another Irish couple try their luck; the same thing happened – Koreans only. I’m still scratching my head about it today.
Heading down Parnell Street on Saturday I hoped for a happier experience rather than a repeat of that. We popped into Manna Chinese Restaurant which is opposite the unfriendly Korean place but thankfully they were very warm and welcoming.
The food was great too. As part of their lunchtime deal from 12 to 5pm you can get a starter, main and tea or coffee for only €6.99 or €9.99 from a more extensive menu. Some of the dishes from the €9.99 menu include Black Tiger Prawns as a starter, and King Prawn noodle, Sizzling duck or Singapore Noodles as a main. I went for the Black Tiger prawns and Singapore Noodles. Although the Prawns lacked flavour, the Singapore Noodles were delicious and I couldn’t finish the enormous portion.
My husband selected from a more authentic looking menu that included traditional Chinese dishes such as Spicy Oyster Fried Handmade Noodles for €8.80, Stir Fried Beef Stew with Handmade Noodles for €8.80 and Handmade Noodles with Soya Bean Sauce for €6.80. He went for the beef stew which was the real deal and the handmade noodles were a nice touch. In total; for a starter, two mains and four Chinese beers, it all came to only €30 – well worth the trip back to Parnell Street.