Good Food Ireland® Approved Since 2022
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Overview
This cutting-edge restaurant is bringing Chinese culinary culture in Ireland to another level. Hang Dai is a busy urban restaurant close enough to the city centre. It’s a gem and should be on everyone’s list when visiting Dublin. Our advice is to book ahead and get to one of Dublin’s best Chinese Style restaurants while experiencing top-class Irish Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Duck, and fresh produce. Hang Dai was created as a concept by owner Will Dempsey. Will decided to open something creative using his background and set off on an adventure of exploration to the far east. Will became fascinated by the c Read MoreDining
The restaurant is very carefully laid out to give the impression the diners have entered a different world. You are whisked at speed to an oriental destination with the restaurant having booths that replicate train carriages giving intimacy while dining. The tables have been made with bespoke sound-absorbing technology and it works! The handcrafted Sound System is worth noting as its cleverly used as an interior design feature as it hangs graciously from the walls.
The restaurant has an open-plan kitchen where we saw hand-crafted prawn toast being created on fresh organic sourdough and dipped into sesame seeds. This food is not – pack and rack Chinese food, this is next-level Irish food in an authentic Chinese style.
The cocktail bar is a stunning feature, it’s got a New York edge and looks like something from the movies. The drinks wall runs almost the length of the restaurant and is full of top-class Irish spirits for a heady cocktail experience. This is no ordinary Irish style Chinese restaurant this is a trip to Hong Kong or Soho.
There is a flow of information from the kitchen to the floor and a tangible vibration of a well-oiled team that enjoys the whole business of Hang Dai. The upstairs Gold Bar is worth a sneaky peek as well as the hand-painted unique art installation of Scallop shells. There is a dedicated and popular terrace area leading off from the Gold Bar, with a dramatic backdrop of urban Dublin.
The Starters
Yuk Sung of Duck with pickled red cabbage as vegetables, noodles with deep tangy spices. The Iceberg lettuce nest was crisp and fresh holding its precious cargo in a delicious embrace.
Duck broth with spring onion garnish, sweet and salty, and sublimely smooth.
Handcrafted pork dumplings, were soft and fresh and the meat inside was tender and moist. A starter that is a top favourite with regulars and one of their signature dishes.
The Main Event
The Half Duck, which is a speciality, was presented with theatre, as the duck head and one leg was laid alongside the sliced breast on the serving plate. The Duck skin is crispy while the breast is tender and moist and so delicate. This is truly a piece of culinary art and a signature dish. This dish is given so much reverence as it is hung in a dry-aged chamber within the restaurant for everyone to appreciate the respect shown to the entire process.
This Duck experience is an elevated occasion and it’s cooked in the authentic wood-burning oven, where they use local Apple and Birch chippings sourced from a local Co. Meath company. The oven is modelled on an oven the owner saw in China that was dating back to the 16th century.
The pancakes arrived in a traditional bamboo stem container with a cherry Hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber and sliced spring onions.
Side Order
The Special Fried Rice can be ordered with or without the prawns as it is literally made to order. The rice is more imaginative and worth ordering to taste the depth of what has been crafted. Indeed, a new experience for anyone who loves Chinese food.
The décor reflects the hints of glamour also to be experienced on the menu. Outside street dining is also on the menu during warm balmy evenings after a day’s shopping or lunch with friends while embracing the new outdoor dining culture in Dublin.
Their menu is varied and caters to vegetarians. Appetizer plates range from €9 to €17, Snacks from €3 to €7 and Main Dishes from €20 to €55.
Sustainability
The team at Hang Dai Chinese adhere to a number of sustainable practices during the day to day operations. Everything that is recyclable is recycled each day and carefully sorted by kitchen staff. This is rigorously managed by the team. Food waste is also carefully managed. The restaurant orders at a minimum to avoid waste. Excess food is provided to staff. Nothing is thrown out.
Furthermore, the ducks are stuffed with the trimmings of the oriental vegetables to enhance both their flavour and the step-up in the sustainable No Waste policy. Carcasses are boiled to create the broths and it is the next level of traditional cooking with full respect to the suitability framework on the menu.
All takeaway containers are compostable or recyclable. Hang Dai mostly use greenware with takeout containers. Due to the nature of some dishes, recyclable plastic is used. Customers are encouraged to recycle their containers once finished. Moreover, their straws are fully compostable.
In regards to cleaning, staff are encouraged to clearly monitor their use of cleaning products and each 6 months staff are given an upskilling training day on these practices along with new staff that come into the business.
Hang Dai has achieved the objective to work itself into the fabric of the locality while being a taste of the orient.
Nearby Experiences
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