Klaw have been leaders in seafood in Dublin for years now. But when chef and restaurateur Niall Sabongi found a unique space on Capel Street, his latest project Klaw Poké found its natural home…

“I wanted to do a restaurant which would really appeal to Dubliners and get them excited,” says Niall. “I’m a Northsider originally and I know this area really well. I discovered this premises, which actually used to be The American Hotel. It had been abandoned for about 20 years! But when I viewed the place, I knew immediately that this was the perfect space to set up Klaw Poké.”

Poké is a Hawaiian sushi trend, which had already become a big hit in London, Paris and New York. But Niall, who also runs Klaw in Temple Bar and the Rock Lobster fish and steakhouse, wanted to deliver a unique take on the concept for Dublin.

ECLECTIC NATURE

“The Northside is Dublin to me,” he says excitedly. “Bringing fish back to the North Side just seemed natural to me. You have the fish market down the road from us – and that made it a particularly exciting area for Klaw Poké.

“The camaraderie and the neighbourliness that we’ve experienced on Capel Street has just been amazing and made it all really worth while,” he adds. “Everybody came in when we first opened here and showed us support. Most businesses here have experienced that. It’s a great spot.”

The eclectic nature of Capel Street surely meant that even an original concept like a Hawaiian sushi place could fit in nicely?

“Absolutely!” says Niall. “You can go from porn shop to great pub to gay bar to bric-a-brac to underground karaoke, all on the same street (laughs). It’s fantastic. Legal Eagle just opened up recently and is absolutely brilliant. Brother Hubbard is another fantastic spot. Then there’s a little Korean place called Kimchi, who do incredible Korean BBQ. You’ve also got people here who’ve always championing the Northside.

Elaine Walsh from The Winding Stair has been backing the area for decades now. Camerino Bakery next door to us, they’re been doing the same thing.”

DELICIOUS NUTRITIOUS

The food sounds incredible. What would Niall recommend when people visit Klaw Poké?

“It’s a crab shack, so we’ve got all that lovely stuff from the sea – the crabs, and lobsters, prawns, chowder. Then we also have a lot of grilled stuff for the evening – The Catch of the Sea is always a treat. And then for lunch, we do this thing called a ‘Poké Ball’, which is a Hawaiian sashimi deconstructed rice bowl. It’s become massive phenomenon all over the world and would be on every street corner shop in restaurant.

“So I’d recommend starting there. It’s delicious, nutritious, and has all the colours of the rainbow. But for me, it’s a great introductory vehicle to introduce more and more seafood to people. And it’s all at a great price, of course.”

What more could you ask for?