You need to do something everyday that makes you physically uncomfortable. Take note: these are the memorable words of Nick Reynolds, the “cook” and innovator behind Lil Portie, Rathmines’s latest foodie talking point.
Shunning the title of “chef”, as he has no formal training, the 30-year-old Sandymount native with strong Jamaican roots has decided to unleash his cooking philosophies on Dublin. On return from time spent living and working in Argentina, traversing South America and generally epitomising wanderlust for all of us students chained to academia, he’s ready to kick-start his next life phase. He hopes this will culminate in the successful reproduction of his grandmother’s famed jerk sauce to be sold by the bottle throughout our city – oh, and merch. Reynolds wants Lil Portie hoodies.
Phase one is the take-over of Two Fifty Square, a brunch spot held in high esteem about town. It works like this: coffee business as usual in Two Fifty Square until closing time each day, and then Reynolds and his team swoop in for evening service, when the fun begins. Lil Portie offers Dublin’s diners more than just another novel meal out: it’s a contemporary culinary experience of unique fusions. The vibrant menu spans Jamaica, Ireland and Latin America. You’re getting something new and fresh: dishes you’re probably sampling for the first time, the warm and immersive atmosphere of a spacious cafe illicitly lit by night, and all the while Reynolds flits companionably from table to table offering chat, wisdom and even extra cutlery where needed.
Reservations need to be made well in advance as word has spread fast, but there remains somewhat a sense of secrecy. Sitting there, hunched over my barely lit table, gaping at what transpired to be nachos made from plantains (not bananas, to which they’re identical when baked into chips), I really felt like I was in on something special.
It’s difficult to relay precisely what each of my forkfuls comprised of. Reynolds delighted my companion and I by suggesting that he just bring us “a bit of everything”. As a result I ate the aforementioned nachos with a twist with some accompanying pineapple chutney-like chunks, fresh and smooth avocado, a flavoursome carrot paste and some sticky ribs. Surprisingly, there was an overarching sense of harmony – somehow, it all worked together.
Reynolds reinforced this by saying that the point of his cooking is that everything he serves should be able to go together. Similarly refreshing was his statement that no two of his plates will ever look the same: I can tell it is very much a “dash of this and a splash of that” mindset in his kitchen. The main course brought the same sense of gleeful disarray, and was decidedly the best curry I have ever eaten (and also my first taste of goat). Jerk chicken, rice ‘n beans, a zesty ‘slaw: everything was fresh and punchy – the portions generous – all elements battling to be noticed amid the frenzy of flavours. The meats were ridiculously tender, particularly the goat, which slid off the bone at a touch. Vegetarian options were aplenty, and prices wholly reasonable considering the craftsmanship involved in preparing such unique dishes.
Our meal was paired perfectly with a large cocktail laden with frozen exotic fruits. Mine was a peach concoction reminiscent of faraway sun, transporting me to the imaginary land from which Reynolds’s dishes originate. Probably somewhere in West Cork where everyone speaks Latin American Portuguese and waves the Jamaican flag: Jamaica is in fact home to hordes of descendants of migrants from 1600s Cork. These migrants brought their dulcet tones over with them, contributing to the iconic lilt of Jamaican natives. This interculturality was also a favoured theme in Reynolds’s discourse on the night: he refuses to view “authenticity” as something worth striving for with a restaurant. Instead he wants to send a message about how positive it is that different cultures and traditions can cross over and procreate, hence his eclectic multicultural menu.
Lil Portie, well done. I’ll be back. Given your “pop-up” status, I’m just hoping you’ll still be there on my return.
