Lunch at Say Fish

On Tuesday I heard that Irish Village Markets had a lunchtime market at the Stillorgan LUAS stop.  As I was in the area and starving, it seemed sensible to park and check it out - right?  Best decision I made all week...

This is what fish & chips should look like...

Peter from IVM very kindly met me and showed me around the market.  It was teeming with workers from the surrounding Sandyford and Stillorgan business parks (I used to work in Sandyford and there was nothing decent to eat in the area) walking around & buying their lunch.  There's a wealth of food carts on site from rotisserie chicken to Asian food to sausages in a real Waterford Blaa and the smells were intoxicating.    Irish Village Markets take place every day in different locations around Dublin including Stillorgan, Grand Canal Quay, Blanchardstown & Christchurch and all the food is cooked on site so it's as fresh as you can get.

The one stall that kept catching my eye was Say Fish - I can't resist really good fish and chips - and when I saw that it was panko-crusted haddock, I was sold. Dave started his food career on the pier in Dun Laoghaire in 2004 selling hot dogs & burgers but soon realised that the world of greasy fried onions and big red bottles of ketchup weren't for him.  He saw that nobody was selling seafood, even though we're surrounded by the stuff, and thus began Say Fish.

Dave's philosophy is to keep it simple and to use the best quality ingredients.  The fish is sustainable, the skin-on rooster chips are cut on site (with a very dodgy knife) and Dave makes his own sauces : lemon cajun, tartare and garlic mayo. The chips are double cooked and sprinkled with the most addictive seaweed salt which elevates them to perfection.  Add a wedge of lemon and you're sorted.

Oh, and if you see prawns on the menu, snap them up!