Thursday, September 30, 2010

Muldoon's Pub in Newport Beach, CA

So it was my drinking buddy's birthday and my friends and I decided to take him out for dinner, what more suitable place than an Irish Pub. Except, we found it it was as authentic as a Panda Express is for Chinese Food.

Lusty Wheat Beer



Muldoon's own beer that they brew on site in Newport Beach.

Judgment: The beer had a light body taste and is fairly dry. The Lemon adds a slight accent to it similar to how people enjoy a wedge of orange with their Blue Moon. I would however still choose to drink a Blue Moon over this one. 6 / 10

Chips



Fresh Chips with Malt Vinegar

Judgment: The Chips definitely tasted fresh, and they provide you with a bottle of Malt Vinegar to season it. The chips themselves are cut paper thin and deep fried, although it doesn't taste like there is much seasoning on the chips, so if you like those lightly salted chips, this is for you. Otherwise, the vinegar definitely brings out the flavor of the potato chips very well and is also quite tasty. 8 /10

Cream of Potato



Cream of potato soup with lemongrass, rosemary, potatoes, and other ingredients

Judgment: Don't bother with this soup unless you want to drink something that doesn't taste like anything. There was no flavor despite having so many herbs and normal flavor enhancers in the soup. It was pretty bland and I ended up adding some salt and pepper so I could taste something and finish the soup. 3 / 10

Pot Roast



Braised Short Rib with Mashed Potatoes, Peas, Baby Carrots, Fingerling Potatoes in a Gravy made with Guinness Stout Beer

Judgment: All the vegetables had no seasoning at all. The meat was fork tender, I did not even bother using a knife at all. The gravy itself could have used more flavoring or just simply salt and it would have been great. The vegetables were really holding this dish back as a whole. The sprig of rosemary in the mashed potatoes did not even flavor the dish at all. Guess I was supposed to eat the entire sprig with every bite. 5 / 10

Conclusion: The pub itself gets really packed, and there are plenty of burgers and dishes to choose from. The restaurant actually won the 2009 Best Burger title for their burgers, but I chose to get a more "traditional" Irish fare. Next time, I think I'll stick with the burger.

This restaurant gets a C-rank.