Bahay Founders Launch Dublin’s first Irish-Filipino Restaurant at Kaldero

Eclective Hospitality Group has announced that Kaldero on South King Street relaunches this Wednesday, July 2nd, under the sole culinary and creative direction of Irish-Filipino chef, Richie Castillo, and his partner, food writer Alex O’Neill.

Richie is no stranger to Kaldero as he was one of the original consulting chefs involved in the development of the restaurant. Now he and Alex take full charge of the kitchen and dining experience, introducing a new menu and restaurant concept. This marks the arrival of the first Irish-Filipino restaurant in the capital, and the first permanent home for Richie to showcase his culinary and creative skills.

Richie’s new menu at Kaldero will combine “bold, expressive flavours of regional Filipino cuisine, featuring Irish ingredients and open-fire cooking”

Rooted in the dishes Richie grew up with, the menu reflects his bi-cultural identity and years spent refining his craft. While inspired by family recipes and regional traditions, the menu also reflects the creativity and diversity of the Irish- Filipino community today.

“This is Filipino food as I understand it. Not fusion, not elevated street food, just food rooted in real experience and made honestly,” says Richie. “I grew up in Dublin with a Filipino dad and Irish mam, both of whom grew up abroad, and Kaldero reflects that. It’s not trying to represent an entire culture, but to tell one story with integrity: our story, with our team, in our city.”

Highly regarded within the Irish food community, Richie will run Kaldero as Executive Head Chef alongside his partner, consultant Alex O’Neill. The duo is widely acclaimed for their Irish-Filipino food project, Bahay, which features sell-out pop-ups, festival appearances, and the critically acclaimed cookbook, Masarap.

“We are thrilled that Richie has joined Eclective. His clear vision for Kaldero represents the type of hospitality we want to champion, and he brings a truly distinctive and authentic offering to the Irish dining scene,” said Tristan Jacob, Chief Commercial Officer at Eclective Hospitality Group. “Richie is one of Ireland’s most talented and forward-thinking chefs and we are delighted to support him and Alex in launching their first restaurant.”

Joining Richie’s ambitious culinary team is Ben Lozada, previously of two-Michelin-star restaurant, Liath, in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Ben is from Zamboanga City, Mindanao (the southern province of The Philippines).

At Kaldero, he is sous chef, and he will bring his own experience and love of Filipino food, representing the spicier, intense flavours of Zamboanga, a region often overlooked when considering the food of The Philippines.

Signature dishes at Kaldero include:

Okoy – crisp baby leek fritters with spiced sugarcane vinegar

Tupa – McLoughlin’s  lamb ribs braised in soy, garlic and bay, grilled and glazed with humba

Pyanggang – whole chicken marinated in burnt coconut, chilli and shallots, served with coconut milk and curry leaves

Sisig – sizzling pig’s ear and pork jowl with soy, calamansi, garlic and a soy-cured egg yolk

Tiyula Ithum – BBQ Courgette, Tomato Water, Burnt Coconut, Borlotti Beans

Kinilaw – Goatsbridge trout cured in coconut vinegar and jalapeño with a crisp lumpia cracker

Leche Flan – a traditional custard flan from Richie’s grandmother’s recipe book, first featured in MasarapBahay favourites include House Pan de Sal, a sweet and savoury bread roll served with whipped chicken fat butter, and Inihaw na Manok, grilled chicken thighs marinated in fermented banana ketchup, soy, garlic and 7Up

The drinks menu at Kaldero is also rooted in Filipino flavours. Calamansi, pandan, native labuyo chilli, muscovado, Pinakurat vinegar and mango all feature as key ingredients.

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