What to expect to at Roe & Co’s restaurant pop-up series this summer

Following a hugely successful restaurant pop-up series in the summer of 2021, Roe & Co Whiskey Distillery is back again with a new line up of incredible local chefs in their D8 venue, celebrating the best of modern Irish cooking through an international lens.

Ethiopian pop-up Gursha kicked off the series in May, followed by Niall Sabongi’s Salty Buoy, then Big Fan, AA Caribbean, La Cocina Cuevas, and finally Vietnom, over the space of four months. Running until August 21st, there will be four months of exciting cooking paired with specially curated whiskey cocktails, all focused on celebrating modern Irish food and international flavours, hosted in the Cocktail Garden at Roe & Co Distillery. The series launched in 2021, when restaurants were unable to open fully; as the distillery had a full seated cocktail garden and kitchen in the heart of Dublin 8, the idea was formed to open the space up to local kitchens and restaurants.

Visit the Roe & Co website to book a table and keep an eye on Instagram for the latest news and behind-the-scenes snaps.

Salty Buoy

It wouldn’t be a Dublin summer without a feed of seafood, so Roe & Co are delighted to welcome back Niall Sabongi’s Salty Buoy. Salty Buoy are excited to be back at Roe & Co for a very special seafood summer menu featuring some of The Salty Buoy’s signature tastes like Irish oysters, Lambay Island crab, Grilled Lobster & chips and Niall’s latest creation ‘Keogh Loco’, Keogh’s new Guinness & Oyster crisps topped with South Coast Turbot Ceviche. You can splash out and add Kavairi Caviar, and everything pairs perfectly with Roe & Co cocktails as outlined in the menu above. Salty Buoy is fishmonger & chef Niall Sabongi’s travelling seafood truck that specialises in cooking up the freshest seafood.

Big Fan

Roe & Co are delighted to welcome Michelin recommended Big Fan, this much loved Chinese Irish restaurant is well known for its buzzy atmosphere and big flavours with the kitchen headed up by chef Alex Zhang. Originally from Dalian (大连) in Northern China, Alex studied at Dalian Cooking Technical College for Chinese Professional Cookery before arriving in Ireland in 2002 where he studied in DIT and has gone on to work in many kitchens around Dublin. At Big Fan, he deftly combines Chinese craftsmanship with Irish produce, for fun and inventive dishes. The Roe & Co Big Fan menu promises to be an exciting tasting menu full of Chinese and Irish influences that will pair excellently with Roe & Co cocktails.

AA’s Caribbean

AA’s Caribbean has been one of the most sought-after pop-up food experiences in Dublin with good reason. Eamon de Freitas grew up in Trinidad before moving to Toronto and then finally to Ireland. When the pandemic hit, he was working in tech in Dublin but had always been a keen home cook, learning from his mother growing up and then cooking with friends for festivals and parties in Toronto. He started cooking during lockdown and selling food from the window of his home in the Liberties, Dublin 8. Dublin fell hard for his Caribbean cooking, which he says will “kick you in your face with flavours”. These days he’s busy dishing out a taste of Trinidad at markets and pop-ups around Dublin. His food embraces the flavours & aromas of the Caribbean; despite being open as a food truck without any seating options, AA’s Caribbean has already garnered plenty of rave reviews. For his Roe & Co menu, he will serve crispy pork belly snacks, grilled prawns with pineapple chow, oxtail on cassava puree and coconut ice cream. Diners will experience beautiful Caribbean flavours that will pair wonderfully with curated Roe & Co cocktails.

La Cocina Cuevas

La Cocina Cuevas was opened at the talented hands of Grandma Cuevas, in the glorious, sunny town of Lodi, California in 1974. She passed her secrets down to her grandson Jeremy Cuevas, who along with his partner Laura Duffy have brought these to life again in Dublin. Through life experience and education, Jeremy Cuevas was inspired to become a chef. After almost a decade of working in some of London’s top restaurants, he decided with his first business to bring his Mexican culture and love of food to Ireland. Jeremy and Laura are delighted to be back at Roe & Co for a summer session, the plan being to switch up their tasting menu to include lots of seasonal, summery Irish ingredients. ‘This time we’re going to be dealing with lots more summer fruits, really ripe tomatoes and all those lovely things coming into season. Any Irish ingredients we can get in there we will. All the tomatoes we use will be Irish, in fact, I’m growing most of them myself. All our meat is of course Irish, Irish cheese, as much as I can source locally I will.’

Vietnom

Milly Murphy and Alex Gurnee were living in San Francisco, with Milly cooking at Nopa, andingredient led Californian restaurant, when they spent time travelling across Vietnam and were struck by how fresh and delicious fast food could be. They were enamoured with the food truck scene in California which, combined with their experiences in Vietnam and Milly’s work in Nopa, inspired them to start Vietnom when they moved back to Dublin. At Vietnom they make Vietnamese inspired dishes that put Irish produce at the forefront for a colourful menu of Banh Mi, rice bowls, small plates and bar snacks. Local suppliers they use include McNally’s organic vegetables, Metcalfe’s organic beef, Ring Farm chicken, and Salters organic pork. They also grow some of their own produce and forage locally. For the Roe & Co menu expect summer rolls, homemade pho, and seasonal McNally’s vegetables. This summer for Roe & Co Distillery is all about celebrating and showcasing some of the most exciting food being dreamed up and brought to life in Dublin, with a focus on excellent cocktail pairings to complement any meal. From Michelin recommended kitchens to some of the city’s favourite nomadic kitchens, this season is all about celebrating the diverse range of cooking and cuisines available in D8.