Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Galway, the City of the Tribes, is always an exciting place to visit. Its ancient streets are vibrant and buzzy, but like all cities it's always good to know where you will find great food in a great ambiance.  I have a passion for Asian food of all varieties which is why I love Amsterdam for its great Indonesian food, Paris for its Vietnamese eateries and London for its overall eclectic dining experience. 

However, on Mary’s Street in Galway’s City Centre you will find the Asian Tea House Restaurant, where you can experience food from all of these countries.  Beautifully adorned with authentic furnishings, sourced from throughout Asia, and expertly married with the wonderfully distinct décor, which features beautifully unique chairs, tables, doorways and traditional light fixtures adding to the atmosphere of a truly Asian dining experience. At the Asian Tea House, they pride themselves on their fresh and highly flavoursome cuisine which is sourced both locally and internationally and served to their diners in styles which originate in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and China. Their meats are all fully traceable and they only provide 100% Irish beef. Of course, they wouldn’t be called the Asian Tea House without an extensive choice of specialty Asian Teas to peak your interest. No where else in Ireland offers such a wide variety, which included Carnation Blossom Tea, Moon Stars Tea, Jasmine Fairy tea and many more.

The dinner menu at the Asian Tea House is extensive, featuring a wide variety of dishes from throughout Asia. On my last visit, starters included Vietnamese spring rolls made with a mix of prawns, vegetables and ground peanuts wrapped in Vietnamese rice pastry and served cold; their Teriyaki chicken chop was barbequed and served with their own teriyaki sauce and salad; whilst their Japanese Gyoza consisted of minced pork and prawn with cabbage and spring onion and served in Gyoza pastry. I decided to try the Siu Yuk which was melt in the mouth roasted Chinese porkbelly beautifully prepared and served with a hoisin sauce. Brendan opted for the Indonesian Kari egg served with prawns and salad in a special Indonesian tomato curry; spicy but delicious and he loves hot things!

For the mains, there was such a wide selection that it was difficult to choose. Asian mango chicken was on offer with a light crispy coating, shredded mango and mango sauce; Malaysian Kari Lembu featured a tender rib eye steak cooked in traditional Malay potato curry and fresh spices, whilst the Indonesian Kari Udang saw fresh prawns, in their shells, wok fried and cooked in a Medan Indonesian curry. Their Malay chilli crab claws sounded delicious, wrapped in prawn paste and wok fried in their chef’s special garlic chilli sauce. I eventually decided on Jiong Zeng Seabass, steamed whole and served in a homemade spicy yellow bean sauce and garnished with coriander and scallion. It was simply delicious; fresh and so full of flavour. Nobody cooks seabass like the Chinese, for whom it is a prized dish.  Himself thought he’d try the Vietnamese lime pork, wok fried with fresh lime leaves, chillies and served in a rich and tangy Vietnamese sauce. He cleaned his plate and sat back with a thoroughly satisfied smile on his face and asked when we were making a return visit to Galway. 

If you’re a fan of real Asian food, The Asian Tea House is a must. Few others can compete.

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