[Review] Ichigo Ichie, Sheares Street, Cork

Visiting a restaurant with a freshly broken ankle is not something I'd normally recommend doing. However, when the restaurant in question is Cork City's only Michelin-starred restaurant, and the reservation was made several months before, then you can understand why I was determined to visit. Thus I found myself, two weeks after fracturing my fibula, slowly hobbling along Sheares Street and into the calm interior of Ichigo Ichie. 

The story of Takashi Miyazaki is the type of story we all love to hear. Takashi came to Ireland in 2008 after spending his career working in a 5* star hotel and travelling around Japan, exploring the different regional cuisines. Like all good stories, he fell in love with an Irishwoman and the rest is history. Leaving Japan behind, he had a dream of opening his own restaurant, and he succeeded in 2015 with the eponymous Miyazaki which bought casual Japanese food to Cork. But the dream wasn't over for this quietly determined man and, in April 2018, he opened the fine dining Ichigo Ichie. Accolades were quickly earned crowned with the awarding of a Michelin star a mere 6 months later. 

Welcome to Ichigo Ichie

[Review] Bento at the Bonsai Bar, Dublin 2

I was recently invited* by Bonsai Bar to come visit and try their new bento box offering. I gladly accepted as I've always liked the creativity and sheer tastiness of Dylan McGrath's food and I was curious to see what twist he would bring to this Japanese staple which is essentially a pre-packed meal. The Bonsai Bar is located in the same building as Rustic Stone and Taste at Rustic, sandwiched between the two on the first floor. I remember reviewing it several years ago when it was called Bar Rustic, prior to its makeover into Bonsai. While the back bar has had a makeover, the overall decor hasn't changed significantly and those lovely black leather chairs that I liked so much first time around are still in use. 

The bento menu concept is available from 4pm - 8pm Wednesday to Saturdays only. There are three varieties on offer, simply called meat, fish and veg, each with 4 dishes and priced at €18 each.  Some of the constituent dishes are available to order separately for €7, so if you really want one particular element, you can enjoy it without ordering the full bento. 

Roast salmon with broccoli and sesame

[Review] Miyazaki, Evergreen Street, Cork

Tanabata is the Japanese festival of the lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are separated by the Milky Way, and can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. And this year, there was a very special celebration of Tanabata held as part of the 2016 Clonmel Junction Festival. Cork-based chef Takashi Miyazaki would cook a celebratory dinner deep underground in Mitchelstown Cave, limited to just 28 diners. Tickets cost a relatively steep €95 each, with no alcohol to be served (for obvious safety reasons), but even so I jumped at the opportunity to dine in a cave. 

And what a beautiful, serene and stunning night it turned out to be. We arrived at the caves in bright, warm sunshine, only to descend down steep, treacherous steps to the caverns below. The temperature in the main cave remains a steady 12C all year round, which was quite a contrast to outside. Jackets and even blankets were called into service by many diners. We were seated at a long table, generously adorned with candles, potted ferns and beautiful Japanese illustrations. It was utterly beautiful and romantic.

Up above our heads, on a higher platform, Takashi and his team worked to prepare each course, using very limited cooking facilities (as a result of not wishing to damage the cave's internal atmosphere). We started with a glass of umesnu, or plum wine, followed by a variety of beautiful dishes featuring Takaszhi's skilful adept cooking. 

The beautiful setting in Mitchelstown Cave

[Review] Sakura Sushi, Lower Kimmage Road, Dublin

Being a food lover is not just about eating the latest food crazes in the hottest restaurants. I believe that any real food lover will appreciate the simple and excellent, just as much as they will appreciate the finest dining. g. Japanese cuisine is probably the best example of combining exacting precision with traditional techniques and quality ingredients. 

I'm personally very partial to Japanese food when I'm hungover. I don't quite know why this is, but a combination of sushi and something tasty often does wonders to my pickled body and shriveled soul. While driving through Kimmage, I had noticed a new sushi restaurant and had made a mental note to try it out the next time I needed care. 

Sakura Sushi is a small little cafe, with just a few tables inside the door and some traditional Japanese banners overhead. Chef Guiqi has worked in various restaurants around Dublin for over 10 years, before opening Sakura. Once we'd ordered, a pot of green tea in a prettily-decorated teapot with matching cup started to soothe my aching head. Green tea always makes me happier and surely that's half the way to feeling healthier.

Green tea

Agedashi tofu came as deep-fried pieces of tofu with mixed salad and Japanese sauce (€4.90), while Seafood Sunomono came with pieces of sushi fish on a dressed salad (€5.90). Both dishes were pleasingly tasty, with different dressings and salads. 

A large bowl of Cha Han was comfortingly carby (€8.90) with plenty of beef, chicken and squid pieces, along with an accompanying bowl of miso soup. I love sushi rolls, so an Ebi Tempura Masago roll (€7.90) was an easy and satisfying choice for me. 

Agedashi tofu

Seafood sunomono salad

Cha han

Ebi tempura masago

Sakura is simple, but it really does tick all the boxes. It's tasty, fresh, healthy and incredible value for money. It's good to see sushi restaurants becoming more mainstream and accessible, providing a healthier takeaway option. If you live anywhere nearby, show them some support and give them a go.

Sakura Sushi, 157 Lower Kimmage Road, Dublin 6W
Tel: +353 (0)1 555 8888
URL: www.sakurasushi.ie
Twitter: @SakuraSushiDub

[Review] Nobu @ Bon Appetit, Malahide, Co Dublin

On Wednesday, November 7th, we visited Bon Appetit for the last in the current series of Restaurants of the World. This time, Oliver Dunne and his team would showcase the food of world-famous Nobu. This multi-Michelin starred chain of restaurants comes from Nobu Matsuhisa, who is famous for blending his native Japanese cuisine with South American influences. 

Our courses featured well known favourites such as prawn tempura and sushi rolls, all with an elevationary twist. The third course was a sublime piece of foie gras served with a Japanese truffle sauce and brown butter. This was last-meal-on-Earth quality food and was of monumentally indulgent proportions. Thankfully, this was followed by a light and fresh salmon and avocado plate. 

Fifth course was the signature Nobu dish of black cod with miso which had a sticky sweet salty skin and moist flesh. Then it was on to wasabi poussin with wonderful sweet onions. Upon reading the menu, I had been curious about our first dessert course, featuring passionfruit mixed with numbing Sichuan peppers. Needless to say, I shouldn't have been concerned as the little foamy puffs of Sichuan were lightly tinged with the strong berry flavour and balanced beautifully with the sharp passionfruit. We finished with a creamy peanut parfait, paired with caramel ice cream. 

Photos of each course follow below, and thanks to my new iPhone 5, I'm now able to take much better quality low light photos. Check out the wonderful presentation on the foie gras, salmon and black cod. 

Prawn tempura with sweet & sour ponzu sauce

Assorted sushi rolls and sashimi

Foie gras, edamame with Japanese truffle sauce

Sashimi of salmon, avocado puree, keta and horseradish

Signature Nobu dish - black cod with miso

Barbecued wasabi poussin, braised leg and slow cooked onion

Passion fruit gel, Schezuan foam with pink peppercorn dust

Peanut parfait, Matsuhisa Cabernet sauce, caramel ice cream

Bon Appetit is currently celebrating 6 years in business, and are offering a three course meal for two in the Michelin restaurant with a glass of bubbly on arrival for €99. This offer runs from November 14th - 24th and represents the continuing great value available from Bon Appetit. 

Bon Appetit, 9 Jame's Terrace, Malahide, Co Dublin
Tel: +353 (0)1 845 0314
URL: www.bonappetit.ie
Twitter: @bonappmalahide

[Review] Tippenyaki, Rathmines, Dublin 6

It was the closing day of the Olympics and we were sitting on the sofa watching the precious last few events. We were like drug addicts who knew that our supply was shortly to be cut off and we were squeezing every last drop out of the spectacle. Earlier in the day, we had debated where to go for dinner, but those plans got shelved as we stayed in to watch the last events, the last medal presentations and finally, the closing ceremony. Our plans for grilled steak and seafood evaporated and instead we ordered takeaway online - Indian paneer curry from our local Bombay Pantry for me and Domino's pizza for Himself.

Roll forward to Sunday evening, and this time there were no Olympics to keep us at home. The lack of sporting achievement had left us feeling a little lost, so we decided to do what we do best - go for dinner. We were still in the mood for grilled seafood, so we decided to head to a local Japanese restaurant in Rathmines. Tippenyaki is a teppan restaurant which is a form of Japanese cuisine consisting of chefs cooking on large metal grills (the teppan) all while performing a whole host of juggling, acrobatics and knife skills. It's possibly the most entertaining way of eating out.

Tippenyaki gives you a choice of being seated around the teppan grills where you can experience the full show, or off to the side at the quieter tables. We both ordered seafood from the teppan menu - king prawns for Himself (€20.95), while I chose the Geisha plate of scallops, prawns and salmon (€26.95).  The teppan plates are served with your choice of miso soup or salad, and Himself added an extra order of tuna and salmon sashimi (€12.95). 

Miso soup -  I love the swirls that appear

Generous 12 slice portion of salmon and tuna sashimi

While we were drinking our soup and I was stealing sashimi from his plate, our chef came out from the back kitchen and turned on the teppan grill. Plates of pre-sliced vegetables and a tray of fantastic looking seafood were placed alongside in preparation. I was daunted by the sheer volume of seafood that was about to go into my Geisha plate. Soon we could see the heat rising off the grill and our chef got to work.

Seafood ready for the teppan grill

As mentioned already, Teppan cooking is as much about the show as the food. The chefs move food around the grill, arranging it into stacks and piles. Eggs are tossed into the air only to be caught in chefs' hats, pockets, or even cracked by falling onto the blade of a knife. There is much rat-tat-tatting as the chefs scrapers perform a tap-dance over the grill. Plus they will set your food on fire! On previous visits to Tippenyaki, the chefs have even played guitar and sang while cooking.

Cooking on the teppan grill

The chefs serve the food from the grill when it is ready. First, our plates were piled high with a mix of bean sprouts, courgettes, cabbage and onions. Then some crispy potato slices, followed eventually by the seafood. The seafood had been flambeed and finished with loads of garlicky butter, and the rich tasty juices flowed all over the plate. I made amends for my earlier sashimi thieving by handing over a fair portion of my plentiful dish. He was equally pleased with his king prawn dish, even if the prawns were a bit overcooked. 

Geisha seafood special

Tippenyaki is all about fun, but singing chefs may not be your deal, so you have been warned. In fact, it can get very busy some evenings with birthday groups & office parties, meaning that you may prefer a quieter, more intimate venue. The large teppan grills dominate the room meaning that tables are arranged in a narrow U around the edges, so it's sometimes not the most easiest to walk around. But if you do venture in, grab yourself a ringside seat and enjoy the action.

Post script: As I was finalising this blog post, I came across a video of Jedward at Tippenyaki. Enjoy!

Tippenyaki, Castlewood Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6
Tel: +353 (0)1 497  9463
URL: www.tippenyaki.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1
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COMPETITION: Win Food & Sake from Yamamori Izakaya

Stitch and Bear is running its very first competition, and it's all thanks to the lovely team at Yamamori Izakaya. They had read my recent review of their cool downstairs Japanese bar and they wanted to offer one of my readers the chance to experience Izakaya for themselves.  

Downstairs at Yamamori Izakaya

Izakaya's bar has been one of Dublin's hidden secrets for a while now, but I suppose you can't keep a good thing down. Izakaya is a pretty relaxed spot, offering good value Japanese food, a fine selection of Japanese beers, sake and cocktails, along with good music and even movies. I love their cocktails, spicy squid and burgers, and I'm willing to bet that you will too. 

The Prize

The prize is simple. Izakaya are offering the lucky winner 5 dishes from their extensive 5 for €25 menu, along with a bottle of sake. 

How to Enter

Simply answer the following question, by leaving a comment on this blog post. 

Izakaya is located at 12-13 South George's Street, but who were the original occupants of this famous Dublin building? (click here for a hint).

This competition will close at 18.00 GMT on Friday, June 15th. The winner will be randomly selected from all correct entries. Please don't leave anonymous comments, as I won't be able to contact you about your win. Good luck!

The Details

If you are the lucky winner, then you will need to notify Izakaya in advance, and you will have three months in which to redeem the prize

Yamamori Izakaya, 12-13 South Great George's St, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 645 8001
URL: www.yamamoriizakaya.ie/
Twitter: @Izakaya_Dublin

Izakaya Bar, S Great George's St, Dublin 2

The concept of an Oriental Cafe isn't new to Dublin. I did a little online research and was interested to learn that Bewley's opened the first cafe way back when in 1894 on South Great George's Street. It was followed by other famous Bewley's venues on Westmoreland Street and later Grafton Street. I can only imagine how the grand decor, with tiling, stained glass windows and lightshades must have looked to the fashionable set of the time.

Sadly, even venerable institutions can fall and in 2004, the Bewley's venues closed their doors. South Great George's Street played host to Cafe Bar Deli for several years, along with another short lived venture, before becoming home to Yamamori's latest offering. I'd eaten in the upstairs Yamamori cafe in December 2011, but it had been a mixed meal, with high points (sweet potato fries) and dismal low points (congee).  I genuinely had the Oriental Cafe on my no-return list. Or at least that was the case until I visited the downstairs Izakaya bar.

Head down a steep flight of stairs and you will find yourself in what is possibly Dublin's coolest little bar. Big chunky wooden tables, low lighting and Japanese pieces fill the space of this little gem, which sells a selection of Japanese beers, whiskies and spirits. If you're hungry, there is a large selection of little bites, with a special offer of 5 for €25. Plates arrive as they are cooked, meaning that there is a nice stream of food delivered to your table. We kicked off with spicy and delicious chili squid, followed quickly by tender and moist pork ribs. Pumpkin korokke (little breaded cakes) were served with dipping sauce, while stuffed capsicum featured mixed chili pepper slices, filled and deep fried. Last to the table was a selection of chicken yakitori (or skewers).

Chili squid

Yakitori

Pumpkin korokke with dipping sauce

The five courses for €25 represents great value, but after a few tasty beers (him) and cocktails (me), we were peckish again, so we made a last order of a plate of pork gyoza (€6.50) and the Izakaya burger.  The gyoza were good with plenty of juicy filling, but the burger surpassed all expectations. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is the best burger in Dublin. With a price tag of just €5.95, I was contemplating a return visit for just the burger alone. 

The magnificent Izakaya burger

The owl adorned label of Nest beer

The drinks menu is dominated by Japanese drinks and he had bottles of Hitachi Nest pale ale (€5.50) and Sapporo (€4.50). My tastes run a little different so I drank cocktails - a Geisha Night (€7.50) and Mojito (€9.00) to be more precise. All cocktails are made with Japanese or Korean spirits like soju, so it's definitely different.

It wasn't until after my visits to Izakaya that I learned that the name denotes a kind of Japanese after-work drinking establishment which serves food to accompany the drinks. It's kind of like calling an Irish bar "pub". Naming effectiveness aside, our Dublin version definitely fits the description. In fact, it's become my new favourite bar. There are regular drinks promotions and the 5 for €25 offer means that the small tasty plates can be shared amongst groups. And did I mention that it's got the tastiest burger in town?

Yamamori Izakaya, 12-13 South Great George's St, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 645 8001
URL: www.yamamoriizakaya.ie/
Twitter: @Izakaya_Dublin

[Review] Musashi Noodles & Sushi Bar, Capel Street, Dublin 1

Mushashi is a newly opened Japanese noodle and sushi bar on Capel Street. It caught my eye a few weeks ago on a rainy and dismal night. As I walked past, the warm glow from the wooden interior made me long to be inside, warm and feasting on sushi. Regretfully, I had to walk on that night, but Mushashi had remained in the back of my head since then.

Roll on another Friday night on Capel Street, and we had just left the newly opened Black Sheep Pub, an establishment dedicated to craft beers on tap and from bottle. A sister pub to Against the Grain on Wexford St, the Black Sheep is still in the early stages, but it's absolutely brilliant to see new pubs opening, offering something different. After a few drinks, some food is always a good idea, and thus it was that we found ourselves opening the little door into Musashi.

The interior is simply and sleekly decorated with dark wooden floors, lighter wooden panelling and bamboo screens. There are loads of tables for two, which I think is great.  This means that the restaurant can easily cater for couples, or for bigger groups by pulling tables together. Little wooden stools, with an intriguing shoe shelf provide the seating, all topped with bright red cushions. There has been a lot of thought put into the interior of Musashi, which makes you actually feel like you might be in Japan (Disclaimer: this is imagination on my part, as I've never been to Japan. But now I know what it might feel like.)

The stylish interior of Musashi

Neat little stools

After being seated, we were presented with two cups of green tea (free) to sip on while we chose our food. We started with two sushi platters - Ume (sashimi or slices of raw fish) and Sakura (nigiri which is raw and cooked fish served on rice). They cost €12.00 and €7.00 respectively and were served on lovely bamboo boards with the usual pickled ginger and wasabi. Simplicity and precision really is the definition of good sushi, where the freshness of the fish and the sharpness of the chef's knife is put front and centre. There is nothing for bad sushi to hide behind. But sushi at Musashi has nothing to hide from. It was fresh and perfect. Special mention has to go the pickled ginger and wasabi which were above average.

Sashimi and nigiri sushi at Musashi

Himself decided to order two starters instead of a single main. A House Mix Tempura selection (€8.50) came served on a beautiful bamboo platter with the most perfectly cooked squid rings and crispy battered vegetables. The bamboo platter looked like a raft afloat on the table. A plate of Ebi Gyoza, or pork & chive fried dumplings (€5.95) were tasty and juicy, served with dipping sauce. 

Mixed tempura at Musashi

I had chosen Teppan tuna teriyaki, which was served on a wonderful, heavy, earthenware plate. The organic nature of Japanese decor has always struck me as a beautiful contrast to their technology infatuated lives. The massive portion of tuna was seared to rare, as requested, and served atop a mix of stir-fried vegetables with rice on the side (€14.95). I would have liked more punch from the teriyaki sauce, as it was a touch bland, but to be honest, this is the worst criticism I have from this meal.

Teppan tuna teriyaki

Mushashi didn't have any beer available on the night that we visited, but we were able to pop out to the local supermarket to purchase our own bottles. An opening charge of €3.00 was applied to cover the corkage on our alcohol. Service was efficient and lovely throughout, with the waitresses zipping about on the wooden floors with silent feet. The total bill came to €52.40 which I thought was pretty decent value. If you don't have a fetish for raw fish, you can leave the more expensive sushi out, resulting in an even more cost effective meal.

We didn't get to sample any noodles on this visit, but this omission serves to give us another reason to call again. In short, Musashi feels like the real deal. Things are definitely starting to get a lot cooler on the North side of the city.

Musashi Noodles & Sushi Bar, 15 Capel St, Dublin 1
Tel: +353 (0)1 532 8068
Musashi on Facebook

Michie Sushi

Michie Sushi has been around for quite a while now, quietly tucked away on a little Ranelagh laneway. It's not a big spot, probably seating a maximum of 20 people in close quarters. Based on that fact alone, it's probably fair to say that it's authentically Japanese. The addition of a kimono-clad waitress and some top-notch food are only garnishing the experience.

We visited late on a Saturday afternoon, but despite this, there were enough customers present to make the place feel busy. You enter through a sliding door which you could easily pass by. Inside, the walls are painted a fresh shade of green with lightweight tables and chairs. We were given cups of  a light green tea to drink while reading our menus, which featured covered lunch, sushi, hot food and specials. No shortage of choice here folks. 

Plate setting at Michie Sushi

As I'm currently eating low-carb, my options were a tiny bit limited and I did cheat a little with my main course. We chose a plate of tuna & salmon sashimi (€9.95) to start which quickly arrived at the table with 5 slices of each fish along with some seaweed and a dollop of the fiery goodness that is wasabi. As you'd expect from a good sushi restaurant, the fish was impeccably fresh, with that sweet taste of really excellent sashimi.

Tuna and salmon sashimi

I chose a special of Tonkatsu (€8.51) for my main. I was cheating somewhat on my low-carb eating as this featured sliced pork loin in crispy Panko breadcrumbs served with a sweet homemade tonkatsu sauce. However, I did justify it somewhat by declining to order a side dish of rice to accompany it. The pork was fine on its own, but came to life when dipped into the excellent sauce or smeared with a little of the hot Japanese mustard that lurked behind the shredded cabbage. Despite all my years eating in Japanese restaurants, this was my first time experiencing Japanese mustard and I can now tell you that it a condiment that deserves respect. There's a reason that you're only served a small amount.

Tonkatsu with homemade tonkatsu sauce

He chose a salmon bento box (€10.95) for his main course. It featured a tasty miso soup, piece of delicately cooked salmon with courgette, rice, a lightly dressed salad and 2 large pieces of sushi roll. The main components of salmon & sushi were excellent and the salad was tastily dressed. A great example of healthy, balanced eating.

Salmon bento box

Our total bill for lunch came to €31.21, including one small bottle of sparkling water and unlimited free green tea. It's an absolute pleasure to eat lunch somewere like Michie Sushi. There are no pretensions and no fuss. Instead you get clean, exact food with the balance and delicacy that is so typical of Japanese food. This is truly food for body and mind.

Michie Sushi, 11 Chelmsford Lane, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Tel: +353 (0)1 497 6438
Web: www.michiesushi.com
Twitter: @MichieSushi