Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

I’d been fortunate enough, on a recent visit south, to be in Killarney just in time to try the out the new Mizu Modern Japanese Cuisine. We've got lots of casual places around Ireland now doing sushi, teriyaki and noodles galore, but my memories of Japanese restaurants go back to the opening of Ayumi Ya, which was originally in Blackrock, before being in Wicklow Street behind Brown Thomas. I’d gone on the first night with two girlfriends, without a clue about Japanese food, and being very expensive to us at the time, we ordered one portion of tempura prawns and a couple of side dishes – and were consequently starving.

Mizu specializes in modern Japanese cuisine and is owned by Eddie Chok Fong Ong and his wife Jenny Yi Liu who are highly experienced restaurateurs when it comes to Asian, South East Asian, and indeed French cuisine. The space is lavishly decorated, with a long table centering the room, cherry trees, and happy thoughts abounding. The menu is extensive with every type of sushi you could think of plus selection plates, a la carte mains and a 10 course Omakase Menu which includes a 10oz Wagyu steak.

We were there at lunchtime and from an again extensive cocktails and drink list which included various types of sake by the bottle or glass, Japanese beers, draft beers, Japanese dessert tea, and wines, my friend Carmel kicked off with a Bubbles Ginger Plum cocktail consisting of plum wine, passion fruit puree, sparkling sake and a ginger slice, while I, being behind the wheel, could only look on enviously with my big bottle of water.

Crispy crusted gyoza, the veggie version for us, were a sixsome of deliciousness sprinkled with microherbs. You could have them filled with chicken or pork at the same price also. A box overflowing with Seafood Tempura came next for me – lightly coated prawns, white fish chunks, soft shell crab, salmon and scallop – which had the wow factor both visually and in flavour. The same could be said for Carmel’s generous bowl of Yakiniku Beef, which, with thin slices of the boeuf and with her choice of gluten free vermicelli, was both aromatic and mouthwatering, served with a bowl of mizo soup on the side. You could also choose udon, ramen, or buckwheat noodles in this dish. 

Passing on desserts, which included marble peach with Hokaido cheese, gelato and strawberry; tropical gelatos, and other lusciousness, we departed quietly, leaving a well-known local chef beside us clearly enjoying the Mizu food while discreetly pretended he didn’t know us.

Map

Send to a friend

Member Comments

Please log in to add a comment. Click here to log in or sign up