A Taste for LIFE
Paul Byrom
What was your favourite childhood meal?
We had an Italian friend stay for a while who taught my mom how to make real carbonara. I used to love it when I’d come home from school and that was on the table! I was lucky that my mom was as good a cook as she is.
What is the meal you will always remember?
There are lots of meals I remember from years past — not due to the food, but because of the company, or the setting. I’m not a big foodie, so all my memories are based around the banter and settings. Like the boat house in NY which overlooks the lake in Central Park, or the tiny little restaurants up in Benahavis in Spain. The food is a bonus.
What was your defining food experience?
To never eat food off a street vendor in Delhi. I was there with the charity Goal, and thought it was safe enough. Needless to say, along came the Delhi belly! I haven’t been as adventurous with food since.
What’s the first dish you ever cooked?
Oh god, I can’t remember. I am an awful cook. I cook now for myself, and really, that’s it. I wouldn’t subject anyone to my cooking. I’ve got used to eating plain and simple, and smothering it with Frank’s Hot Sauce!
What is your comfort food?
You gotta love Irish stew. My mother’s stew is to die for. Coming in on a winter’s evening and sitting down to a huge bowl of stew is like a big blanket being wrapped around you. That being said, some pubs and restaurants make a mess of it.
What do you drink?
Guinness; sure, it’s good for you! Although on a hot summer’s day, I’ll have a lovely pink gin and tonic.
What is your hangover cure?
I know loads of people need to eat when they wake with a hangover, but I’m the opposite. I fill myself with fluids, a Solpadeine, and then maybe later in the afternoon, I’ll hit Bunsen Burger, if I can get a table!
If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life what would they be?
This is a very tough question!
I suppose chicken for protein, mash for my carbs, and Tayto for my treats!
What is the most appetising smell in the world?
The smell of Guinness in the air around St James’s Gate, but I reckon you’re talking about food! So I’d have to say bacon. Lying in bed and getting a waft of it in the morning is like nothing else.
You can go anywhere and have anything to eat with any one person. Where, what and who?
A big steak dinner with Jurgen Klopp. The man is a hero, and very funny. Beer, steak and football. He can decide where, because he’s paying! However, the best steak in Dublin is probably still at Shanahan’s on the Green.
What’s always in your kitchen?
The fridge! I’m not a great chef, so joking aside, I shop as I need. My Nespresso machine is the most important feature.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
I have a few go-tos but I always enjoy Balfe’s, beside the Westbury in the city centre. There’s a nice vibe, it’s a great location and the cocktails are fantastic. It reminds me of New York, too. Paul will return to the stage this Christmas playing the role of Lord Beautface in ‘The Three Musketeers’ at The Helix, which will run from November 22 to January 19. Tickets are on sale now from thehelix.ie. In conversation with Chloe Brennan