REVIEW: IRU, September 2011

[Harters]

Amongst its long menu of standard tourist offerings are a number of dishes which IRU highlights as representing “New Mallorcan Cuisine”. Like the fashionable “Modern British” cuisine, they seem to be attempts to put a spin on traditional ingredients by using them in new ways or presenting traditional dishes in a reworked fashion. IRU takes this a stage further by offering a number of dishes a a four course, no choice, menu at the bargain price of €20, including a drink. Unfortunately, they seem to be catering to the very competitive Pine Walk price points, rather than to quality. It means that, whilst everything was OK, nothing was really good.

Things kicked off with an octopus frito. This was probably the best of the four coruses. All the flavours and textures of a seafood frito (which mans none of the fennel of the meat based one) but, apart from a solitary mussel and prawn, it was all chunks of octopus. This was good; the octopus perfectly tender and tasting of itself.

Following on, a pretty much bog standard tumbet. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Everything was well cooked with the layers nicely defined . But it had either sat around on the pass for too long or spent insufficient time in whatever it is they use to heat it up. Either way, it was on the cool side of lukewarm and this certainly didn’t add to the enjoyment.

The main course was a perfect example of the reinvention of dishes. A pocket had been cut in a pork escalope and it had been stuffed with a mix of sobrasada and bottifarra. This gave the meat a rich spiciness, particularly from the pimenton and a moistness. Just as well as the escalope itself had been overcooked and was dry. It sat on a bed of potatoes and wilted chard which worked really well.

As often the case in Spain, dessert was a disappointment. The menu had it listed as apricot coca. We expected, therefore, something along the lines of a piece of coca pastry, topped with apricots. What we got was dry, vaguely unpleasant sponge cake, topped with something tasting of burnt sugar, which may have been a failed attempt to caramelise the apricots. Not nice. Not nice at all.

Needless to say, at this competitive price, you are not getting huge plates of food. But, over four courses, you’re certainly getting enough to eat not to need a bag of chips on the way home. For me, it’s full marks to IRU for offering food that’s a tad more interesting than the standard fayre along the Pine Walk, even if they’re not always succeeding in delivering top quality.