Oriental Restaurant Quarter

lods

I hear there are moves to designate Parnell Street East as a new Oriental Restaurant Quarter, building on the already large amount of ethnic restaurants in the area. The area was completely bypassed by the Celtic Tiger & still has most of its original buildings intact, although the signage & shopfront design is poor at the moment. A lot of derelict buildings from O’Connell Street to Marlborough Street. A lot more character in these buildings than in Parnell Street West.

cosmic

lods wrote: »

I hear there are moves to designate Parnell Street East as a new Oriental Restaurant Quarter

Link?

lods

No Link yet! Dublin Civic Trust are down there doing a study on the Street.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I love the aroma of oriental cooking down around there these days.

I've never tried any of the restaurants, but plan on getting around to it someday.

lods

Bailey Low Bullfighter wrote: »

I love the aroma of oriental cooking down around there these days.

I've never tried any of the restaurants, but plan on getting around to it someday.

Going to have to try this one

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/paolo-tullio-cooking-up-a-spectacle-2614686.html

<H1 id=print-logo>Independent.ie

Paolo Tullio: Cooking up a spectacle

The recent disaster in Japan has left many of us with a profound respect for the forces of nature and an understanding that our hold on the surface of this planet is tenuous at best. What has been extraordinary is the quiet dignity, the stoic resignation and the civic order among the people most affected by tragedy. Japanese society is a model of good manners and respect for others.
Apart from their work ethic, they are lovers of art and beauty, which they manage to combine in their gastronomy. A few months ago, I watched Rick Stein organise a banquet in the Japanese ambassador's residence in London. He decided to start it with fresh Cornish sardines and, since he was going to travel to London from Cornwall, he decided to bring them with him.
He ran his idea for the starter past the resident Japanese chef at the residence, presenting him with a beheaded sardine on a small plate. The Japanese chef was delighted with the fresh fish, but said rather delicately, "We would present it differently in Japan". He took his sashimi knife, skinned the sardine, removed the fillets and, with a few deft slices, transformed the fish into a visual delight. It's that attention to detail that makes Japanese cuisine world-class.
It's been a while since I met up with publisher Kevin Flannagan. Kevin is, he may even say so himself, a quintessentially urban man. He lives in the city centre and works in the city centre. He is also a major foodie, so when he told me he'd found a good Japanese restaurant I was keen to try it out with him. It's called Mitsuba and you can find it on Parnell Street, just off O'Connell Street.
It's a new restaurant and you can see at once from the interior that money has been spent on it -- a sign I'd suggest, of optimism for 2011.
The room is long and narrow, an awkward space, but it's been well-designed so it feels comfortable. At the far end of the dining room is a teppanyaki table, and Kevin and I took chairs at one corner of it.
Japanese cuisine is often divided into various techniques, and that's how it's done on the menu. There's sushi, sashimi, tempura and teppanyaki, which is the most recent addition to the Japanese culinary canon. Teppanyaki is a combination of theatre, juggling and cooking, where the chef cooks at the table and uses theatrical techniques to entertain the diners, as well as feeding them.
Standard parts of the repertoire are spatula work, using it to catch eggs mid-air, flipping food across the teppanyaki table and shelling eggs mid-air. Then, there's juggling with sauce bottles, using the cooking utensils as percussion instruments and, lastly, the actual cooking of the food.
But before the theatrical part of the meal, we decided to start with a mixture of sushi and sashimi. The difference between these is rice -- sushi comes with rice, sashimi does not. We had a mixed platter of tuna and salmon sashimi and eel and prawn sushi. We also had a California roll of avocado, crab and cucumber, which we dipped into a mix of soy sauce and wasabi. Those tastes, the classic accompaniments for sushi -- wasabi, soy and pickled ginger -- are a perfect combination. This generous platter for two was €21.
Now, this really is plenty for anyone as a starter, but Kevin and I were in full foodie mode and decided that what we really needed next was a plate of tempura, which is vegetables deep-fried in a very light batter.
If you should order this, a word of warning: a piece of bamboo, carefully split into thin hairs, was also dipped in tempura and deep-fried for decoration. I repeat: for decoration only.
With these dishes gone, it was show time. The teppanyaki chef came out, oiled up the now-hot table and went to work. He began by cooking mixed vegetables, spreading them, then gathering them using the spatula and re-spreading them until they were cooked. Every now and then, he splashed on soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce.
After that, came some egg tricks, which culminated in making an omelette, rolling it up, then using the spatula, cutting it into small pieces while flipping them on to the pile of rice at the other end of the table -- a neat trick -- to make our egg-fried rice.
Then, in fairly quick succession, we got scallops, salmon, jumbo prawns and rib-eye beef, all cooked on the table before us. All this food was, I have to admit, verging on the gluttonous, but each part of the process was so good and such fun to watch that we continued eating long past the point of satiation.
We'd had a couple of Tiger beers while we were eating and plenty of mineral water, so really we had come to standstill. We thought about desserts, but ice cream figured on every one of them, so we decided we had eaten enough.
We both wanted an espresso and so we ordered two. It was only afterwards as I was looking at the menu again that I noticed a single espresso was €3.95. I couldn't resist, I asked our waiter if he sold many espressos. "Not many," came the reply. Not surprising really at that price.
It made me look again at the menu, where I made another discovery -- water is more expensive than beer. More specifically, a 750ml bottle of Ballygowan was €5.25, while a bottle of Tiger beer was €4.30. I did have this conversation with the owner before we left, so it's possible those prices may change.
Apart from my observations on the cost of coffee and water, I thought Mitsuba was very good. The service was excellent, the food was good and the theatrical element was a lot of fun. I also felt that our bill of €106.95 was good value for the amount and the quality of the food we'd eaten. Dublin is not well served with Japanese restaurants, so Mitsuba is a welcome addition.
-

</H1>

arybvtcw0eolkf

Thanks Lods, but to be honest I can't stand Paolo Tullio and I was totally lost by the beginning of the third paragraph.

Thanks all the same.

wixfjord

Aye, Mitsuba is brilliant, had a brilliant meal in there a week or two ago.

lods

Bailey Low Bullfighter wrote: »

Thanks Lods, but to be honest I can't stand Paolo Tullio and I was totally lost by the beginning of the third paragraph.

Thanks all the same.

For some strage reason Lucida O'Sullivan reviewed it in the Indepenent as well , the same week.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/japanese-shamrock-mitsuba-154-parnell-street-dublin-1-tel-01-8146999-2567797.html

lods

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/eastern-promise-as-city-bosses-plan-an-official-oriental-quarter-2624782.html?service=Print

Herald.ie
Eastern promise as city bosses plan an official Oriental Quarter
By Geraldine Gittens
Wednesday April 20 2011

A CITY centre street is being rebranded Dublin's Oriental Quarter -- as business groups and traders come together to create a new vision for the area.

East Parnell Street, which runs from the top of O'Connell Street to Gardiner Street, already houses a host of Asian restaurants, supermarkets, hairdressers and shops.

And Benjamin Wen, the owner of Mitsuba restaurant on Parnell Street, is one of the traders trying to create a new vision for the street.

"In the past few years Parnell Street has been improved a lot from image and safety points of view.

"And I hope we will get more and more people from anywhere in Ireland to come to the Oriental Quarter in Parnell Street," added Mr Wen.

"The street used to be a very messy street, but now it's getting better. If we can improve a better image of our street and upgrade the street it would be better also."

Widened footpaths, redesigned shop fronts, outdoor seating for restaurants, and more street lighting are all being recommended for the new eating quarter.

Dublin Civic Trust will publish a study on Parnell Street next month which is the third in its series -- the first two being on Capel Street and Thomas Street.

The Trust's planning adviser Stephen Coyne said: "The street study will contain some new ideas and energy for the street.

vibrancy

"It's about looking at the businesses on the street and showcasing what they do.

"The street at the moment is in very poor condition and we're looking at how the shop fronts are maintained and the upper floors. A lot of the street is shuttered and it's poorly lit at night.

"[The street has] taken on this quality of an Asian area with the restaurants and it's become very well known. The businesses there have been attracted because of the cheap rents. Before this, people didn't see it as a good place to set up."

He added: "The Asian community has taken it on and brought it alive. The street definitely has a vibrancy and it is starting to push out along the street."

Meanwhile, Lorcan O'Connor, chairman of Dublin City Business Association, said it is trying to get Dublin City Council to enforce "a rate holiday" for businesses which open in the area.

And each landlord on the street will be requested to improve the appearance of their building fronts in some way.

"The idea has developed organically to some degree, but now it needs some investment put into it. It's trying to define the area and grow it like a Chinatown, but we don't want to exclude the other ethnic groups either."

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council added there is an objective in the development plan "to assess the potential of Parnell Street, Capel Street and other areas for the creation and promotion of ethnic retail and restaurant clusters".

But she added: "There would need to be careful planning and discussions with local communities before any plans are made."

hnews@herald.ie

- Geraldine Gittens

WindSock

Anyone have recommendations for a nice cheap enough Chinese to try in the area?

dudara

Try the M&L near the Pro Cathedral, or Charming Noodles on Parnell Street.

(Just to let you know that the above links are to my blog)

The Hilan over on Capel Street is another great. I also ate in Mitsuba soon after it openend, and the sushi was excellent!

lods

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1013/1224305705635.html

DERELICTION AND urban blight which have dogged one of Dublin’s historic inner city areas could be reversed if an oriental quarter were developed on Parnell Street according to a report by the Dublin Civic Trust.
The report recommends restoration of the traditional 18th and 19th century facades, the removal of garish shopfronts and signage, new paving, lighting and trees on Parnell Street East and the creation of an off-street “oriental enclave” or village of restaurants and shops.
Commissioned by the Dublin City Business Association and Carroll’s Gifts and Souvenirs, the report criticises the “disfigurement” of the street through demolition and low-quality additions, and accuses Dublin City Council of failing to enforce planning regulations and follow through on several planned regeneration schemes for the area. Parnell Street East, running from O’Connell Street to Gardiner Street has 13 listed buildings many of which had been allowed to decline with the loss of historic joinery, windows and masonry and the addition of inappropriate elements such as PVC windows, garish paintwork, and plastic and illuminated signage. In some cases buildings lay vacant and semi-derelict but in other cases the original frontages were just hidden by modern additions and could be restored relatively easily.
Commercial activity on the street had increased over the last decade due to the influx of “ethnic businesses” attracted by low rents, but the report says “this belies the serious and long-standing problems of a lack of investment and continued degradation of its historic building stock”.
While the new-found vibrancy of the street was welcome it had become a “transient immigrant district” with a high turnover and diminishing diversity of businesses. The turnover of users was causing degradation of the fabric of buildings with short-term tenants having little interest in undertaking capital improvements.
It was also clear, the report said, that some businesses change the use or undertake developments of a building without recourse to the planning system. The lack of planning enforcement on the street was evident in the number of historic buildings falling into dereliction. Two of the most important Georgian houses on the Street, numbers 76 and 78, were in a particularly poor condition, the report says.
“Further decay is inevitable if efforts are not made by Dublin City Council to identify the owners and seek remedial works.”
The city council had also failed to maintain the public realm of the street which was “dismal when one considers its location off the premier thoroughfare of a European capital.” Lighting and street furniture was “ugly and utilitarian”, and pavements were poorly maintained and “pockmarked” with tarmac patches.
The report envisages investment by the council in the public realm and enforcement of planning legislation, while business and property owners would restore shopfronts and buildings with traditional designs and complementary new buildings.
It also plans for the creation of a new “oriental enclave” in a block bounded by North Cumberland Street, Marlborough Street and Cathal Brugha Street. The “Village” could showcase Asian architecture and design and serve as a restaurant and shopping emporium “without unduly impacting on the sensitive surrounding streets and historic area”.
Colm Carroll, a property owner on Parnell Street said the business and property owners had agreed to invest in the street and while talks with the council are at an early stage, it had “given support to our aspirations”.
Oriental food quarter branding would attract people, but the historic nature of the buildings would be respected he said.
Suggestions made by former lord mayor Gerry Breen that a Chinese Arch should be erected at the entrance of the street were “unlikely to be a runner”, Mr Carroll said.

lods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ozClQC_io

Dyr

Will we have chinese masquerading as students but really working off the books shipped in special for this or will the current amount suffice? :pac:

chopser

wixfjord wrote: »

Aye, Mitsuba is brilliant, had a brilliant meal in there a week or two ago.

Totally agree, can't recommend Mitsuba enough, it's the best sushi in Dublin by far from what I have tried. Pretty cheap too.

Posy

It's strange, this re-branding of Dublin with 'Quarters.'
One of my friends recently suggested we get lunch in the 'Italian Quarter' and I hadn't a clue what was going on.

Gyalist

I remember that this idea was first raised about 15 years ago and the then Minister for Justice dismissed it out of hand.
The plan was for the block in D2 bounded by Drury Street, Fade Street, Exchequer Street and Sth Great George's Street to be Dublin's Chinatown as the clothing wholesalers in the area were moving out to Fashion City and, as the handover of Hong Kong back to China drew near, there was expected immigration of wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs to Ireland and there were already existing Chinese businesses in the area.

I remember that one of the grounds for turning down the idea was that the presence of a large group of Chinese businesses in the same area would be a magnet for Triad gangs!

Anyway, most of the Chinese business people chose to emigrate to Canada instead, and Vancouver in particular, so Ireland's loss became Canada's gain.

Degsy

I presume the area from Marlboro street via Nth Earl St,Abbey St and down to the Boardwalk is to be designated the Junkie Quarter?

lods

ftp://86.43.115.124/Parnell/Parnell_Street_Final_Version.pdf

link to the report

monument

lods wrote: »

ftp://86.43.115.124/Parnell/Parnell_Street_Final_Version.pdf

link to the report

Whaterver about Parnell Street, I don't understand why there would be an "enclave" off its east end where there's no "oriental" outlets there now, compared to it's west side around Capal Street where there's already 15-20 such outlets.

lods

monument wrote: »

Whaterver about Parnell Street, I don't understand why there would be an "enclave" off its east end where there's no "oriental" outlets there now, compared to it's west side around Capal Street where there's already 15-20 such outlets.

Theres about 20 there

monument

lods wrote: »

Theres about 20 there

Sorry, The Irish Times description was a bit off putting, where it said:

It also plans for the creation of a new “oriental enclave” in a block bounded by North Cumberland Street, Marlborough Street and Cathal Brugha Street. The “Village” could showcase Asian architecture and design and serve as a restaurant and shopping emporium “without unduly impacting on the sensitive surrounding streets and historic area”.

It kind of made it sound like North Cumberland Street, Marlborough Street and Cathal Brugha Street would be where there new restaurant and shopping area would be on -- rather than just contained well within that block and the entrance on Parnell Street.

Still, at this stage of development, I'd be wary of any official status being given to the area given there's currently around the same amount of oriental outlets around Capel Street. As for revamping the footpaths and things like that -- that's needed across the whole of Parnell Street.

lods

Herald.ie
Parnell Street Chinatown 'should be blueprint'
By Cormac Murphy
Monday January 02 2012

PLANS to revitalise the city's public spaces should use Parnell Street as a test study, Dublin Civic Trust has said.

The trust wants Parnell Steet East to be turned into an oriental quarter, with Asian architecture and food.

And it has recommended these plans be used as a blueprint for how the capital's entire landscape could be redeveloped.

City officials are currently seeking submissions to improve public realms like shopping streets, Georgian squares and boardwalks.

The trust feels many of its suggestions for Parnell Steet could be used across Dublin.

"It could act as a street test study of how the new policies and guidance on issues like paving, signage, furniture and reducing street clutter can be implemented," the trust's Graham Hickey told the Herald.

"It's never been touched really since the 1970s so it's one of the worst surfaces in the city. The pavements are very narrow," he said.

"There's no proper street lighting, no trees."

The trust's report, Parnell Street East: A Vision For An Historic City Street, has been submitted to the council.

In the document, it outlined how the zone could be revamped through development of a Chinatown.

It described the area as "one of Dublin's more forgotten secondary commercial streets".

The north inner city road has suffered from "decline and urban blight" for three decades, it said

Mr Hickey said the district could be improved by installing wider pavements and planting trees. He suggested the use of cobbled surfaces or very good quality contemporary paving with granite kerb stones.

The report sets out a "roadmap" for development of Dublin's Oriental Food Quarter in a block bounded by North Cumberland Street, Marlborough Street and Cathal Brugha Street.

comurphy@herald.ie

- Cormac Murphy

lods

Arirang restaurant opened at 102 . Good food & prices in a new restaurant !! hopefully a sign of things to come.:)

Dyr

the bit the corpo man didnt say out loud:

"Obviously we'd never suggest doing anything like this south of the Liffey"