Dining Out

Review: This izakaya in Dublin will convert even the most dedicated mushroom hater

Daruma on Parliament Street offers a selection of good value, delicious small dishes to enjoy in a casual city hangout spot

Daruma, 13 Parliament Street, Dublin: a bar where you can order inexpensive small dishes to go with your drinks. Picture: Fergal Phillips

I once knew someone who was afraid of mushrooms. It wasn’t that they didn’t like them – lots of people don’t – but they were actually scared of them. Even a photo of one was enough to get them sweating.

There’s a name for this, apparently, and no, it’s not “total oddball”. It’s mycophobia, the irrational fear of mushrooms, which apparently can get so bad that even thinking about fungi, never mind seeing them, can ...