With a lunch date and time set with my eldest son, Jake, I was keen to get a booking in the new Bites Restaurant & Wine Bar. Jake is a huge fan of Asian food so I was delighted to secure a booking in Dublin’s newest venture from the multi award winning, Kwanghi Chan.
Many of you will be familiar with Chef Kwanghi Chan, a regular on Virgin Media’s The Six O’Clock Show, winner of RTE’s Battle of the Food Truck’s.
Located on Sir John Rogersons Quay in collaboration with Fresh The Good Food Market, this is a vibrant and cool new collaboration . With a thoughtfully considered and curated interior making the overall aesthetic of this new opening very hip and modern. Armed with hearty appetites we decided to try an array of the dishes on offer and looking around at our fellow diners, it was clear to see that most people were enjoying multiple dishes as the choices on offer are so good.
This is a one hundred seater restaurant with an amazing heated outdoor seating area with views across the Dublin Docklands
Our first dish to the table was the Crispy Bacon and Egg Bao Bun €12.50. Two feather light Bao buns, each one slathered with relish then layered crisp streaky bacon, a perfectly cooked fried egg topped off with garlic chilli rayu and sesame seeds. Really enjoyable dish.

Our next dish, Shakshuka Baked Eggs €11.50. Toasted Sourdough topped with a zingy tomato relish, lightly baked eggs and of course the essential garlic chilli peanut rayu. Both dishes showed that Kwanghi can take his spicy Asian Street Food to the brunch market with the rayu being the perfect dance partner for the eggs. The rayu is one of Kwanghi’s own sauces from the Chan Chan Sauce range that he launched to allow homecooks to recreate dishes at home with authentic Asian flavour and style.

We simply could not help but order the Steamed Pork Dumplings €9.00, the Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers €9.00, a portion of Spice Bag Wings €8.00 with a side of Tom Yum Fries €4.50 for good measure! I know, I know we really went for it with the ordering but everything was just so tempting!
Jake and I can never decide which we prefer more steamed or fried dumplings so we always end up ordering both and this time was no different! The pork steamed dumplings were served in the most delicious spicy broth, each dumpling a little flavour bomb in the mouth.

The steamed dumplings fried friends, the chicken and vegetable potstickers, were jam packed with amazing flavour too. Dressed in a lively wasabi and tom yum mayo, a wonderful mix of flavours in every crunch bite.

Next up, the spice bag chicken wings, crispy seasoned skin with juicy meat falling off the bone. The Spice Bag Mix is also one of Kwanghi’s own creations and can be purchased for use at home from ChanChan.

A side that could easily take centre stage, a generous portion of tom yum fries completed our order. Crisp, golden chips dressed in their Sunday best with tom yum mayo, spring onion, corriander and a florish of sesame seeds. A symphony of savoury goodness.

We ordered soft drinks on the day but there is an extensive range of wines available in Fresh The Good Food Market, so you simply purchase your bottle from the adjoining store and then pay corkage of just €7.00 to the restaurant. This makes for a very affordable brunch, lunch or dinner with wine.
This is fun and flavoursome informal dining in a very cool and trendy setting that I highly recommend you try out for yourself
Bites Restaurant & Wine Bar
83 Sir John Rogersons Quay,
Capital Docklands,
Dublin 2,
D02E3W6
WRITTEN BY KEITH MAHON & JAKE MAHON