So we took a trip to Neon on Camden St last Saturday, as it used to be one of our favourite spots before we moved to London. They do great Thai or ‘Asian street food’ for cheap prices in a casual but hip, table-sharing venue. We were keen to see if they had maintained standards whilst we were away.
First the obligatory couple of drinks in the old reliable Anseo (they don’t have a website to link to – go figure) to work up an appetite – Guinness for himself, Brewdog Punk IPA for me. The Punk IPA is surprisingly drinkable as I often get sick of the floral flavour of most IPAs after 1 bottle.
Then we were ravenous so into Neon we went, grabbed a couple of seats and menus and a quick decision was made. Then up to the counter to order and pay (they bring the food down to the table when ready). I went for the Thai green curry (suitably boring choice but I wasn’t in the mood to tempt fate) with jasmine rice €11.95. He went for the Mekong duck (roast duck with Asian veg, courgette, green beans, sweet basil and chili in a soy-based sauce) with egg noodles €11.95. We shared some duck spring rolls too as they do damn good ones here, with hoisin sauce for dipping €5.95. Two Singha beers to wash it down €4.95/e.
Well – it was pretty epic and not just because we’d had a couple of beers first! The green curry was nice and hot (lots of fresh chili), with tender chicken and courgette. Fresh, tasty and well-balanced i.e. Not just tasting like coconut milk as often Thai curries can. The duck spring rolls and Mekong duck were the winner though. The duck they have is oh so tender and moreish! The Mekong duck had a lot of umami going on with the soy based sauce. We made a good dent in it anyway, the portion sizes are always generous here but they serve the food in take out cartons (bowls and cutlery on the tables) so you can take your leftovers home. It also means that you can share food easily if in a group and this place certainly attracts big groups of friends catching up.
The crowd tends to be mostly Dubs but there were a couple of American tourists opposite us, who looked surprised and chuffed at the quality of their food as they munched through it. It’s one of those places where you’re bound to run into someone you know, or two in my case last Sat lol, forget how small Dublin is! It’s also good for families as they do a kiddies menu and its such a loud and buzzy place. AND the Neon trademark – free ice cream is popular with kids and adults alike! They give you a cone each and you can DIY from the machine. We only managed half a cone between us on this occasion as we were so full.
But we didn’t stop there. Then it was over to Devitts where they have trad music upstairs on a Sat. And not the touristy kind. More like the casual gathering of musicians that is common in country pubs, but less easy to find in Dublin. Great night!
Definitely pop by Neon for some great cheap eats…or order for delivery if you live nearby!
foodfrocksandfrolics 