Chef Kwanghi Chan: My new restaurant reflects my Irish and Hong Kong heritage
Raised in Donegal, Chan got his first job in his uncle’s Chinese restaurant before embarking on a path that took him into fine dining
Kwanghi Chan is standing in a bright, airy space with high ceilings, comfy chairs and a large outdoor seating area overlooking the Grand Canal dock in Dublin. It’s the sit-down version of Bites by Kwanghi, his lockdown food truck project, and it also happens to be in the middle of a busy food store.
Chan was in search of a more permanent spot for Bites when he was approached by Noel Smith, managing director of Fresh The Good Food Market.
“He liked what we were doing, and he asked me to come and look at the space,” Chan says of Fresh’s outlet in the Capital Dock building. “I came down and met him and we really connected. I told him exactly what I wanted to do and he said ‘great, come do it’.”
On the menu are dishes that sold well from the food trucks - Asian-style tacos, spice bag chicken bao buns, Korean fried chicken fillet brioche buns, rice bowls, dumplings, topped fries and more - and it’s the latest development in a career that began decades ago.
Born in Hong Kong, Chan was raised in Donegal and got his first job in his uncle’s Chinese restaurant before embarking on a path that took him into fine dining.
He would become head chef at House, the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Cliff House in Ardmore, Co Waterford before moving to Dublin in 2015 to become culinary director of Söder + Ko, a Scandi-Asian fusion restaurant on South Great George’s Street.
Ultimately it wasn’t successful, but for Chan it was a pivotal time, as he began to reconnect with his heritage, having been adopted to Ireland.
“I met my mother and her side of the family for the first time in Hong Kong in 2015, just after I left the Cliff House. The whole time I was in Söder + Ko, I was really deep into a lot of family stuff. Reconnecting with that side of my family was very important for me,” Chan says.
“Before that, I was never really proud to be Chinese; I was always trying to be accepted as Irish or European. Now, the more I visit Hong Kong and China and eat the food there, the more inspiration I get. My food isn’t fully authentically Chinese, but I’m not either. Maybe further down the line it will be, but right now it’s representative of me - who I am, and the Hong Kong that I’ve seen.”
Chan bought his first food truck in January 2021 - “a big 20-footer which came from a GAA club, and which used to be a chip van” - and spent around €12,000 repurposing it.
“We were set up in the carpark at The Leopardstown Inn in south Dublin until about March 2021 - they weren’t doing food there at that point so they were happy for us to pop up in the space,” he says. “They also owned Baker’s Corner near Dún Laoghaire, so we moved there for a while, and that’s when I applied to go on the show.”
The show in question was Battle of the Food Trucks, which went out on the RTÉ Player and saw six trucks compete in a series of challenges. Chan emerged as the winner, and used the €5,000 prize money to buy a second truck.
“I bought it from Seány McCleary, who runs Blasta Street Kitchen but who also brings in trucks from China, does them up and sells them on. He had been in Battle of the Food Trucks too, so it was nice to be able to give him the business,” he says.
As for future plans, it’s likely that Chan and Noel Smith will collaborate on Asian-themed ready meals which will be available in other Fresh The Good Food Market branches. And then there’s ChanChan, the range of sauces, spices and condiments which are available online, as well as around the country in Aldi and Lidl stores.
Could Chan ever see himself opening a fine dining Asian restaurant that would draw on his time in a Michelin-starred kitchen?
“I’d probably never get to see Michelle, my wife, or my kids if I did,” he says. “But if I could create a brand that would support a little 16 or 18-seater spot that I could do as a hobby, or even just to cover costs, I’d love it. Never say never, but right now I’m focusing on what I have in front of me already.”
Three to try:
A trio of fresh and flavourful recipes from Kwanghi Chan
Beef and broccoli stir fry
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the beef and marinade
200g sirloin steak
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Half tsp black pepper
For the stir fry
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water
500g udon noodles
2 tbsp sunflower oil
125g white onion, peeled and sliced
200g tenderstem broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pinch ChanChan Korean spice bag chilli or a pinch each of Chinese five spice and chilli flakes
1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
To serve
Sliced spring onions, if desired
Sliced ginger, if desired
Method
1. Cut the steak very thinly into 5cm long slices - freezing the steak for half an hour beforehand will help with this. Transfer the steak to a bowl and mix well with the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic and black pepper. Cover and leave to marinade for 30-60 minutes.
2. Next, prepare the stir fry. In a small bowl mix together the sesame oil, soy sauce and water until combined, then set aside.
3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook for 10-12 minutes if using fresh, or according to package instructions. Keeping the water in the pan, remove the noodles to a colander and refresh them under cold water to stop them from overcooking and to eliminate starchiness.
4. Add the broccoli to the same pot and cook for about one minute, then drain.
4. Add the sunflower oil to a large wok over the highest heat on your stove. Once it is smoking hot, add the beef, its marinade and the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the broccoli, noodles spice bag chilli and sesame seeds. Cook for a further 30 seconds, then divide the stir fry between two bowls.
5. Garnish with the spring onion and ginger, then serve.
Sichuan-style pork and chive dumplings
Makes 20 dumplings, serves 2
Ingredients
20 wonton wrappers
Water
Toasted sesame, to garnish
For the filling
455g minced pork
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp ChanChan black garlic miso sauce or
miso paste
1 tsp sesame oil
Quarter tsp sugar
Quarter tsp salt
White pepper
For the sauce
60-80ml soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese Chinkiang black rice vinegar (also known as Zhenjiang black rice vinegar), or balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp ChanChan Mala black garlic peanut rayu or Chinese chilli oil
1 tsp sugar
To garnish
Half a red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Handful coriander leaves, roughly torn
Thinly sliced spring onions
Thinly sliced ginger
Toasted sesame seeds
Method
1. In a bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients, then set aside. Next, mix together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. To wrap the wontons, you will need your wonton wrappers, the bowl with the filling mixture and a separate bowl of water – this is to seal the dumplings. Place about a teaspoon of filling into the centre of a wonton wrapper, then dab your index finger into the water. Trace the outer edges of the wonton wrapper with your finger, then fold the wonton to form a triangle shape. Pinch the wrapper to seal it tight and make sure there is no leakage. Using the thumb and index finger of both hands, pinch and fold both corners of the wonton downwards. Then, lift the right corner over the left corner and pinch to seal tight. Dab a little water on both corners to help seal the wonton.
3. Transfer the wonton to a floured surface or a plate lined with parchment paper - this will ensure that the wontons don’t stick to the surface. Repeat this process with the rest of the wonton filling and wrappers.
4. Bring about a litre of water to the boil in a large pot over a medium heat. Gently drop all the wontons into the water then gently stir with a ladle to prevent sticking. Cook the wontons until they float to the top, about one to two minutes, then remove from the water using a slotted spoon or strainer.
5. Shake off the excess water and transfer the wontons to a bowl. Pour over the desired amount of sauce, then gently toss the wontons to coat. Transfer the wontons to a serving bowl, then garnish and serve immediately.
Steamed Atlantic hake with ginger, coriander and soy on a bed of stir-fried Asian greens
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 spring onions
2cm fresh ginger, peeled
1 small bunch of coriander
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp water
2 medium-sized hake fillet, about 120g each - you could use seabass, sole, turbot or halibut if you prefer
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Handful mixed Asian greens, such as pak choi, watercress, choy sum etc.
Cooked rice, to serve
Method
1. Julienne the spring onions and ginger, then set aside, reserving a little of each to garnish the finished dish. Roughly chop the coriander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, salt and water, then mix well and set aside.
2. Place your fish onto a heatproof plate and prepare your steamer set-up. I usually use a wok and a steamer basket, which these days you can purchase easily online or in stores. Fill the wok with about an inch of water, cover and bring to a boil. If using a rack, add to the pot and place the plate on top, otherwise place your plate into the steaming basket. Cover and steam for about eight minutes. You can check whether the fish is done by using a butter knife - if it easily cuts through to the bottom of the plate, your fish is done.
3. Once the fish is cooked, turn off the heat. Carefully remove the plate from the pot, drain off any remaining water and let the fish rest.
4. Place a small saucepan over a medium to high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the ginger and let it brown lightly for about a minute. Add the greens, cook for a minute, then add the coriander and spring onions – the mix should be sizzling. Next, add the soy mixture and cook while stirring until the spring onions are wilted, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer the greens to a serving plate and top with the cooked fish. Garnish with the julienned ginger and spring onions, then serve immediately alongside cooked rice. FW
