Kombu opens today in Galway, serving a flavour-driven menu rooted in the traditions of Japanese street food.
The new restaurant on Druids Lane, Kombu, will offer a casual-style experience featuring steaming bowls of ramen, teriyaki, tempura, innovative rice dishes, and a creative selection of bao buns, as well as some playfully creative desserts.
Developed by Jp McMahon, with a kitchen led by chef Gabriel Hoefling Ossani—who has worked alongside McMahon at the Michelin-starred Aniar—the duo bring a shared passion for Japanese cuisine to this exciting new venture.
Colourful graffiti feature walls by Galway artist Tracey O’Callaghan add to the urban vibe in Kombu, paired with subdued lighting and a playlist curated by Matt Orlando (formerly of Amass restaurant in Copenhagen), creates a contemporary space in the heart of Galway’s Latin Quarter.
Chef Patron of Kombu, Jp McMahon said, “I have long since held the desire to open a Japanese-inspired restaurant, and so I’m delighted that Kombu will bring that dream to life. Japanese cuisine has inspired how we cook in Aniar, influencing our approach to fish and vegetables with a strong focus on seaweed and sea herbs, which results in contemporary Irish cuisine. Kombu is different in many ways, yet also similar. As we have done in our Spanish tapas restaurant, Cava Bodega, where we marry Spanish recipes and techniques with Irish ingredients, Kombu will be a fusion of Japanese and some other Asian influences with the best of Irish produce”.
Ramen takes centre stage, with rich, comforting bowls of broth and Dan Dan noodles, offered with a choice of pork belly, chicken udon and a celeriac option for vegetarians. Light, pillowy bao buns come filled with pork belly, crab, or maitake mushroom. The Spicy Chicken Bao, which features pickled daikon, crispy onions, and black garlic mayonnaise, is a must-try.
Rice dishes, such as Beef Cheek Teriyaki and Katsu Chicken Curry, are perhaps recognisable, while the umami-filled small plates encourage diners to explore beyond the familiar, from Furikake Fries with kewpie mayo, scallions, and milled nori to oysters dressed in ponzu, wakame, and trout roe.
The desserts receive a Japanese twist, featuring a savoury-sweet bao bun filled with chocolate crèmeux and wasabi sea salt, a creamy ‘soft serve’ with seasonal fruit, meringue, and crumble, and a beautifully balanced Black Sesame Tart with yuzu curd.
Kombu is located on Druid Lane in Galway city and will open from 5 pm to 9:30 pm, Tuesday to Thursday, 4 pm to 10 pm on Friday, and from 3 pm to 10 pm on Saturdays.
Follow @komburamenbaogalway on Instagram.
