Curry Favourites
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Ireland’s best Asian restuarants
The second Irish Curry Awards will take place in Belfast on Tuesday next. Last year’s awards were a smash hit, highlighting the very best eastern food this island has to offer. In anticipation, Lucinda O’Sullivan, who absolutely loves spicy food, gives you her Top 20 Asian restaurants. So, whether you’re after a Nepalese ledo bedo, a Thai massaman or an Indian vindaloo, you’re sure to find the right place to suit your palate among her favourites
CAPITAL CURRIES ANANDA The flagship of Asheesh Dewan’s Jaipur Group, this is a stunning venue, located in the penthouse of Dundrum Town Centre. With a great cocktail bar and equally great food, don’t miss the amazing water-lily light fittings. Try: Robata-grilled guinea fowl with 24-carat gold leaf, black-eyed bean potli (rice balls), quinoa bhel (puffed rice), and saffron honey naan. anandarestaurant.ie THE CHAMELEON Opened in 1994 in Temple Bar, Kevin O’Toole and Carol Walsh’s Indonesian inspired restaurant, serving rijsttafel and contemporary Asian tapas, is an absolute must. Try: Javanese curry with braised Wicklow lamb and sweet potato. chameleonrestaurant.com JAIPUR DALKEY In the pretty village of Dalkey, Co Dublin, home to writers, actors, and rock ’n’ rollers, Jaipur has had them all for their Indian-food fix, including Chris O’Dowd, Sinead O’Connor, and Bono, whose favourite dish, apparently, is keema
naan. Try: Lobster lagosta kari — Howth lobster with fresh turmeric, raw mango, buttermilk and corn pulao. jaipur.ie KATHMANDU KITCHEN Raj Koirala’s Kathmandu Kitchen on Dame Street is a real authentic experience of the food of Nepal, a country landlocked by China and Tibet in the north,the influencesand Indiaof on all the three south, countries.and bearing
Momo is their most famous dumpling dish. Try: Spicy Gorkhali chicken with yoghurt, fresh chillies, coriander, ginger and garlic. kathmandukitchen.ie KOH With an al fresco dining area, a cool cocktail bar, and a chic restaurant, Koh has great Thai/Asian food, atmosphere and music in a city setting. The perfect place, day or night. Try: Thai red duck curry — lychee, pineapple, cherry tomato, aubergine, sweet pepper, and sweet basil. koh.ie MASALA Located at Killiney Shopping Centre, Masala serves restaurant-quality food to take home, with the chefs cooking it in front of you in a large open kitchen. They have also recently opened in Blanchardstown; and also have Siri, which does food to take home, and is located opposite Christ Church Cathedral. masala.ie NIGHTMARKET The rustic flavours of Chiang Mai and the spicy seafood influences of the coastal town of Hua Hin are all in Conor Sexton and Jutarat Suwankeeree’s new Ranelagh restaurant, to stunning effect. A must visit.
Try: Goong ob woon sen — king prawn, pork belly and glass noodles, cooked in a pot with ginger, garlic, black pepper, celery, and nahm jim sauce. nightmarket.ie PICKLE Sunil Ghai’s Pickle serves north Indian food in a really cool setting, based on the faded elegance of the old Irani cafes of Mumbai, doing small and larger plates.
Try: Kid-goat mince, slowly braised with onion, garlic and black cardamom, served with maska pao (bread). picklerestaurant.com RASAM Nisheeth Tak’s Glasthule restaurant is a shining beacon in the Indian-food world. Having pioneered and popularised contemporary Indian food in Ireland, Tak never fails to delight and titillate with ever-new contemporary regional dishes. The atmosphere is buzzy, the service sublime, which is why it is the haunt of numerous famous faces, including Miriam O’Callaghan, Pat Kenny, Chris de Burgh, Rosanna Davison and more. Try: Keralan Muscovy duck filo rolls with star anise, fig and tamarind. rasam.ie SABA Paul Cadden’s citified Saba restaurants are on Clarendon St and Baggot St, serving Thai food as it should be, under
the direction of Executive Chef Tao Trakoolwattana. Green and red Thai curries are well known, but try something different. Try: Massaman chicken curry with potatoes, onions, peanuts and crispy shallots. sabadublin.com VEDA Just off the N11 in Cabinteely Village, Krishan Kant’s colourful and welcoming Indian restaurant is a bastion of excellent traditional Indian food, with great curries by Head Chef Jagdish Singh and his team. It has a loyal clientele and offers great value. Try: Tilapia fish in mangoflavoured sauce. vedarestaurant.ie CRUISING THE COUNTRY CHAKRA BY JAIPUR Set in a cool, contemporary space in Greystones, Co Wicklow, Chakra has become a hot favourite with local diners and Indian-food aficionados from near and far. Try: Tandoori Waterford monkfish tail, pink peppercorns, cured mustard, coconut sauce and tomato rice. jaipur.ie CHANDPUR Rana and Susan Miah’s plush and atmospheric Indian restaurant in Donegal Town is the real deal, offering customers a superb range of authentic and utterly satisfying dishes. Try: Indian Railway curry — a dish fit for the Raj, which was served in the dining section of the famous Indian Railways trains of yore. chandpurdonegal.com CINNAMON GARDEN Aashim Bajaj opened his luxurious restaurant in Ashbourne, Co Meath, eight years ago, serving contemporary and traditionalthe denizens regionalof the Royal Indian County.food to
lambTry: Rajasthankand aromatic gosht spices.— yoghurt-infused cinnamongarden.ie EASTERN TANDOORI Abdur Rahim has been welcoming visitors and locals alike for excellent traditional Indian food in his plush Galway restaurant for over 20 years.
Try: Deshi fish curry with roast cumin, red chilli, coconut and garlic paste eastern-tandoori-galway.com HAVELI New Delhi-born Gerald Joseph and his wife Majella’s Indian restaurant, in the Cork suburb of Douglas, is a very popular spot; it also has a coeliac menu. Try: Pork vindaloo — a Goan delicacy of pork, potatoes, herbs and spices. haveli.ie IYER’S Gautham Iyer hit just the right note with his brilliant little cafe on Pope’s Quay in Cork. If you ever thought of being a vegetarian, you will be after a visit here. You could easily become addicted to this place. Try: Beetroot and paneer cutlets. facebook.com/iyerscafe PINK SALT Newly opened, this is a great addition to the dining repertoire of the Wicklow town of Bray. The guys here all previously worked either at Rasam or with the Jaipur Group, so you can be sure of good traditional Indian food and service.
Try: Lucknowi lamb biryani, sweet aromatic spices, ginger and basmati rice, brown onion, fresh mint and yoghurt. pinksalt.ie SETHU CURRY HOUSE Sethu means ‘bridge’ in the Tamil dialect and, set on The Square in Killorglin, Co Kerry, it serves excellent, reasonably priced traditional curries. Try: Lamb
dopiaza (‘two onions’) with fried onions and herbs. sethucurryhouse.com THE CURRY HOUSE Set in the South Court Hotel, at Limerick’s Raheen roundabout, in a cool, contemporary setting, Chef Lekhraj Kapi, serves up great curries. Try: Keralan
chemmeen mango curry — prawns, ginger and creamy coconut sauce. southcourthotel.com lucindaosullivan.com