Furama in Dublin 4 is one of the finest Chinese restaurants in Dublin and to prove it, it was awarded Ethnic Restaurant of the Year 2008. It has been around a long time, partly because it does not try to be fashionable. It also helps that it is situated in the Dublin 4 affluent belt and therefore has a captive audience. Location, location, location applies to restaurants as well as property. Mainly it has lasted because it consistently delivers good food and service.
While it is definitely ethnic, it is not resolutely authentic which is just as well as the ingredients that Rodney Mak, the owner, uses in his restaurant are exceptional, not something you can say for every restaurant in the new Chinatown of Parnell Street in Dublin 2. It has all the trimmings of Hong Kong class: dark interiors, someone to greet you at the door, a loyal, genteel, discreet, polite waiting staff; fine ingredients, tasteful decor and comfy chairs. It is not a place to go if you want to meet hip people (though you will fall over the odd ex-Taoiseach but that just proves our point).
It is the place to go when you feel like a bit of pampering, when you want good value and healthy portions and don’t mind paying over the odds and especially go there if you enjoy seafood. They make an excellent Capital Sauce, a fruity sauce with a tang which goes well with chicken and though we always say we won’t, everytime we have the Fillet Beef in Black Bean Sauce, a gold standard that is not fashionable but succeeds in being a comforting dish. The wine list is conservative and leaves a bit to be desired – however the house white is good.
Rodney’s Pork Yuk Sung is the best in town – we are lucky enough to have the recipe which we pass on to you. thedublingobbler has made it many times at home and it works, though we are always honourable and give credit to the source.
Rodney Mak’s Pork Yuk Sung
This version is the one that owner Rodney Mak cooks at home.
Serves 4 (divides in half or doubles easily)
Ingredients
200g minced pork
2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, chopped finely
2 teaspoons of fresh garlic, chopped finely
4 dried Chinese mushroom
50g canned drained bamboo shoots, chopped finely
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of dark sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
A pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour or potato starch
1 tablespoon of white wine or sherry
100g of rice noodles
8 large iceberg lettuce leaves
Directions
Preparation before cooking:
1. Put the minced pork into boiling water until cooked. Drain and put the minced pork aside for use later.
2. Deep fry the rice noodles and put them on a plate when they are ready.
3. Soften the Chinese mushrooms with boiling water, them dice them finely.
4. Chop the bamboo shoots finely.
5. Mix the cornflour or potato starch with a little cold water.
To cook
1. Heat the wok and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into it.
2. Put in the ground ginger, cook, stirring it for 30 seconds.
3. Add the ground garlic, mix well with the ginger until it is aromatic.
4. Add the minced pork into the wok and stir it well with ginger and garlic. Pour in diced mushroom and bamboo shoots.
5. Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, wine or sherry, ground white pepper, and if you need it, a bit more oil. Keep stirring until it is well mixed, then pour in the cornflour or potato starch mix. Stir well until it is slightly thickened. Add the sesame oil last.
6. Serve the mixture with iceberg lettuce leaves, allowing each person to fill theirs.
When we tested this recipe, we didn’t have Chinese mushrooms, so we used dried porcini mushrooms, soaked them exactly the same way, chopped them and added them to the dish. They worked equally well, possibly with a little less smokiness, but you won’t notice.
You’ll find Furama at Eirpage House, Donnybrook Main Road, Dublin 4. It serves lunch and dinner and it is best to book. Phone: +353 1 283 0522 Fax: +353 1 668 7623. E-Mail: info@furama.ie. Opening Hours: Mon – Fri lunch 12:30 -14:00, Mon – Thurs dinner 18:00 – 23:30 and Fri – Sat dinner 18:00 – 23:30.
Filed under: Restaurants and Cafés
