Authentic, Awarding Winning Japanese & Indian Food In the Heart of Cork
Cork’s vibrant food culture has always been enriched by new arrivals to our harbour city. And two of the most recent – chefs Takashi Miyazaki and Guantam Iyer, have come from far away to be close to our hearts.
These award-winning, innovative chefs have travelled from the south coasts of Japan & India and found their place in our rich food culture on the south coast of Ireland. Chef Takashi has Miyazaki on Barrack Street, serving up stunning Japanese street-food from a tiny take-out kitchen (there are a small number of seats along one counter). Miyazaki’s has won a number of national awards, including Ireland’s Best Asian Take-Out 2017. This small but mighty kitchen has been reviewed in international journals and Takashi’s take on classic Japanese dishes now draws people from all over Ireland and beyond to his door.
And it’s all local ingredients – Takeshi sources most of his meats in the nearby English Market and forages for his own seaweed on the rocky beaches of West Cork.
Takeshi’s little kitchen is perched on the hill just above the south river quays.
Over on the north quays, a ten minute walk across town, you will find Iyer's Cafe, equally bijoux and just as renowned for its (all Vegetarian) South Indian street-food such as, samosas, dosas, Madras thali, uthappam, chai and mango lassi.
Both chefs have a big following on social media (look for @miyazakicork and @iyerscafe on Twitter) and both combine their native cuisine and self-taught styles with the best of local ingredients to produce stunning dishes.
Cork has taken Takeshi and Guantam – and their food – to our hearts.
They are fascinating, friendly characters – just ask Chef Guantam Iyer about his urban honey-bee hives, or Takeshi (or his very friendly staff) about their menu. They are always happy to help you make your choice.
For simple yet stunning lunchtime or early-evening Asian street-food, take-out or sit-in, in fun and funky surroundings, Cork City is home to two of the High Kings of Irish Street-Food.
But they are not the only ones – take a stroll through the city, talk to the locals, ask your barman or the people on the stalls in the English Market - and you will find more.
