4 days ago
Matsu Ramen, review: Sushi in a Kildare GAA club
St Kevin's GAA, Donadea, Staplestown, Co Kildare
★ 7/10
Five years ago we interviewed Takashi Miyazaki, the celebrated Japanese chef who clinched a Michelin star for his fine dining Japanese tasting menu restaurant Ichigo Ichie in Cork. During our chat we uncovered the incredibly surprising route that led Miyazaki to Ireland — driven by a deep love for U2 and passion for Irish music while cheffing at an Irish pub with little concept of Irish cuisine.
Ireland is all the richer for tempting Miyazaki from one far-flung island to another. His leap from an Irish pub in Japan to his Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant in the PRC (that's the People's Republic of Cork) is one of our favourite stories, which came to mind again when driving through Staplestown in Kildare in search of one of the most unusual and unexpected places for Japanese food in Ireland: St Kevin's GAA club.