Dublin’s Asia Market – Ireland’s premier Asian supermarket – has announced a stimulating schedule of events and experiences guaranteed to awaken the senses of Asian food lovers of all ages this Lunar New Year.
The store’s sizzling hot year of the dragon celebrations are set to capture the imagination as part of a packed programme of festivities, which will run from Saturday February 10th to Sunday February 25th 2024. Full information on all of the events is available to view online on their website, www.asiamarket.ie.
As always, there’s something to suit everyone. You can mark Lunar New Year in style on Saturday February 10th by signing up for Asia Market’s special city centre Culinary Crawl dining experience, and the next day you can soak up the festival atmosphere on Drury Street, Dublin 2 at their family-friendly ‘Carnival of Cultures’.
The following weekend, Master Mixologist, Oisin Davis, will host an ‘Asian Kitchen Cocktails’ showcase (Saturday February 17th)in Asia Market’s Ballymount store, Dublin 12. And, to round off the festivities, the same location will also provide the setting for a ‘Feast of Food Trucks’, spectacularly set under a sea of Chinese hanging lanterns, which will run on Saturday February 24th and Sunday February 25th.
Saturday February 10th (Lunar New Year) – Culinary Crawl Dining Experience, Dublin 2:
The Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated throughout the entire Southeast Asian region, encompassing Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, North and South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This acts as the influence for a brand new eclectic dining experience with a difference.Asia Market’s Culinary Crawl on Saturday February 10th (4pm to 7.30pm) will highlight Dublin 2’s vibrant Southeast Asian food scene, serving up a very unique way to welcome in the Lunar New Year and celebrate Valentine’s Day ahead of time.
From late afternoon and into the evening, intrepid Asian food lovers will be taken on a unique gastronomic journey that will see their taste buds transported to Thailand, China, and South Korea as they enjoy traditional dishes during stops at three of the capital’s most admired Asian restaurants.
The starting point for their foodie adventure, fuelled by produce sourced from Asia Market, will be Full Moon in Temple Bar to enjoy some authentic street food and a welcome drink at one of Dublin’s most popular Thai restaurants.
From there, diners will be led on a short stroll to their next flavour stop, Nan Chinese, on Stephen Street Lower – the only restaurant of its kind in Ireland to be showcasing the lesser-known and highly rated Huaiyang cuisine. There, you’ll settle into the plush surroundings as you savour delicately flavoured dishes originating from Jiangsu province in the south of the country.
And, your Culinary Crawl experience will culminate in a true taste of Seoul at Dalang on Dame Street, where you will get to grill your choice of meat, seafood or vegetables to your own liking over charcoal on a traditional Korean BBQ, to be devoured alongside lots of tasty accompaniments.
Spaces on Asia Market’s Culinary Crawl dining experience in Dublin 2 on Saturday February 10th (4pm to 7.30pm), which is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, are limited to 30 people, so those interested in attending are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets are priced at €80.00 per person + booking fee and are available to book online via Eventbrite.com. The ticket price covers the food in all three restaurants, plus a welcome drink at your first flavour stop.
Sunday February 11th – Family Friendly ‘Carnival of Cultures’ – Drury St. Store, Dublin 2:
On Sunday February 11th (12pm to 5pm), Asia Market, working in collaboration with city partners, will host a family-friendly ‘Carnival of Cultures’ celebration outside their iconic city centre store, which is free to attend for all.
Attracted by the sounds of oriental music and the scents of Asian aromas filling the air, shoppers on Drury Street in Dublin 2 will be tempted towards an outdoor market selling a variety of traditional arts & crafts. They will also find stalls offering authentic Asian cuisine for sale and tuk tuks offering complimentary Dumplings to passers by.
In-store tastings will give Asian food fans the chance to sample a wide range of culinary delights from across Southeast Asia. Everything from Korean-style Chicken and Bulgogi Rice Balls to Malaysian Laksa Noodles. Chinese Steamed Bao Buns and a variety of freshly made Mochi Monkey Bubble Teas will also be available to purchase at the entrance into Asia Market.
In keeping with the year of the dragon, between 12pm and 3pm those in attendance will marvel at the focal point for the day’s attractions, a traditional ten-metre-long Chinese dragon. Combined with eye-catching lion dance performances throughout the afternoon, the scene on Drury Street is guaranteed to get onlookers, both young and old, in the festival mood.
Families attending on the day will also be able to avail of a range of free kids’ entertainment that is set to include the likes of face painting, balloon artists, and much more in a showcase of Southeast Asian cultures.
Saturday February 17th – ‘Asian Kitchen Cocktails’ Showcase with Oisin Davis – Ballymount Store, Dublin 12:
Fresh on the back of the launch of his much acclaimed debut book, Irish Kitchen Cocktails, he’ll be putting on a fun and interactive hour-long demonstration showing cocktail lovers just how easy it is to make world-class drinks at home using ingredients and spirits readily available from Asia Market. These will include cocktails highlighting Hakutsuru Sake, Luzhou Laojiao, and Asahi beer.
Attendees can expect plenty of audience participation throughout the session, during which they will learn how to make, and get to sample, a mix of five specially created Asian-inspired Lunar New Year cocktails and mocktails, served alongside some tasty snacks. Afterwards, ticket holders will also have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of Davis’ book in-store and chat with the maestro himself.
Saturday February 24th & Sunday February 25th – ’Feast of Food Trucks’ – Ballymount Store, Dublin 12:
Asia Market in Ballymount is the place to be for the climax of the Lunar New Year festivities as it closes out this year’s holiday celebrations with a nod to China’s traditional Lantern Festival, which is celebrated throughout the country on February 24th.
Set outside under a sea of Chinese hanging lanterns from Saturday February 24th to Sunday February 25th, the store’s ‘Feast of Food Trucks’ serving up an array of lip-smacking Southeast Asian dishes promises to be quite the spectacle.
Free to attend, it provides the perfect opportunity to bring the whole family along for the afternoon and enjoy a bite to eat from eight of the city’s top Asian food trucks and vendors, including Ginger’s BBQ, Bullet for Chinese duck & dumplings, and Sonny’s Korean Fried Chicken.
‘Feast of Food Trucks’ will take place at Asia Market’s store in Ballymount, Dublin 12, on Saturday February 24th and Sunday February 25th (12pm to 6pm on both dates).
Commenting on Asia Market’s upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations, the company’s Commercial Director, Eva Pau, said: “In keeping with tradition and inspired by the ancient Chinese practice of awakening the dragon, we’ve planned an exciting programme of cultural celebrations for Lunar New Year to highlight just how exciting and diverse Southeast Asian cuisine is. Dublin’s eclectic Asian food scene is something that my family and I are extremely proud to have played a part in establishing over the last 42 years of running Asia Market, and our festival experiences this year aim to showcase it in a number of different forms for everyone to enjoy.”