Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Having people queue up outside your door while waiting for a table is but the stuff of dreams for many chefs and indeed this is a common experience at Ian’s Kitchen on Kimmage Road West, which is walk-in only. Luckily I didn’t have to stand out in the cold as my friend Kate Browne, who has the fab BeU Beauty Salon nearby, slipped up and bagged a table before I arrived.

Chef Ian Ussher and his wife Elaine are not a couple to sit around for as soon as covid hit in 2020 they set up Cluck Chicken Food Truck on the roundabout near Greenhills Road which was such a success that they then set up the Cluck Yard serving chicken wings, tenders, burgers and loaded fries, plus the ’Return of the Mac, their take on the traditional Mac N Cheese. The continuing success of this let to a permanent brick and mortar Cluck restaurant in The Square Tallaght.

Ian’s culinary background includes, what he says were his most influential years, under the guidance of Kevin Thornton, before then working in London, Bilbao and San Sebastian. Attributing one of the best meals he has ever had to Michelin starred celebrity chef Tom Aiken’s eponymous Kitchen in London, when the owner of a Kimmage cafe approached him to see if he would be interested in taking over the premises, he jumped at the idea. The menu at this hip brunch cafe is “simple tasty food done well to please the masses”.

Kicking off with Banana Mango and Mixed Berry Smoothies, we dithered over Croque Madame; Fried Chicken Caesar Salad; Banana French Bread Toast or a selection of Ian’s Benni’s, before settling on delicious fresh salmon fish cakes topped with spring onion and chives to share. I then opted for some deliciously oozy poached eggs, napped with hollandaise and watercress, with a side of handcut chips with a garlic dip and quinoa mixed leaves with a balsamic dressing, while, from a Pancake Heaven selection including melanges of chocolate hazelnut; whey protein salted caramel & banana; or fresh fruit, Kate had a show stopping presentation of pancakes topped with lemon meringue pie which was absolutely gorgeous. 

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