It looked like I just got served puke on a plate. My eyes and nose are in a major battle on what is going on in front of me, a plate of Beef & Guinness stew. The brown chunks on a dark creamy sauce that seemed like an unappetizing mess combined with the savory smell of perfectly cooked beef and went through my nasal passage like music.
I am an extremely particular person when it comes to eating food, I have not had the pleasure of expanding my palate too much, but I usually give new foods a shot. I was in the Achill Islands located in a hostel called the Valley House, we were told the chefs had something special cooked up for us. Seated next to me, my bus driver Des seemed to sense my discomfort, so he gave me some reassurance, “Trust me, it may look like a disgusting mess but it might be one of the most tasty meals you will have had so far, and it is a typical meal families would have on a Sunday night so it is not like they do not know how to make it right.” I took his little pep talk with great consideration as I extended my teeth to take the slightest little nibble on the corner of a piece of the beef, and to my complete astonishment, the flavors ran through my palate like I have been missing out on something my whole life. Without even giving the slightest thought, I gobbled that dish up in a matter of two minutes along with the softest textured buttery mashed potatoes that my mouth has ever experienced. Before I knew it I was already asking for seconds, followed by a small request for thirds, I could not get enough of it. The following day I did not even want to eat anything else, my mind was still obsessed with the beef stew from the previous night. I managed to get them to heat me up more leftovers for my dinner that night, and without any sort of question in my mind, that was the absolute best dish I had experienced on this entire trip to Ireland.