Award-winning restaurateur JP McMahon opens new venue focused on Japanese street food

Kombu on Druids Lane 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 Chef Patron JP 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) to create a contemporary space in the heart of Galway's Latin Quarter.

JP McMahon said he had long held the desire to open a Japanese-inspired restaurant – and he was 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,” he said.

“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.

The Spicy Chicken Bao, which features pickled daikon, crispy onions, and black garlic mayonnaise, is a must-try.

The desserts also 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.

Pictured: JP McMahon addressing guests at the official launch of his newest restaurant, Kombu Ramen & Bao Bar, on Druids Lane in Galway.