It’s been a grim start to 2024 for many Irish restaurateurs who, due to the double-whammy of chronic staff shortages and having parked Covid tax to pay, are being forced to pull down the shutters for good.

Bearing this in mind, we thought we’d make this Hot Flavours a restaurant special with news of some recent openings, and a return visit to an old favourite, Shaka Poké at 110B Baggot Street, Lower, Dublin 2 which includes celebrity chef Neven Maguire among its numerous admirers.

We went for the Off The Wall, a fresh, vibrant, healthy and delicious combination of warm salmon, edamame, carrot, red cabbage and mango, topped with a fiery drizzle of wasabi mayo.

You can then customise your poké bowl with a choice of three toppings – the crispy onions, pickled ginger and pomegranate are our current go-tos. You can also build your own bowls from a vast list of top quality ingredients or opt for the always delicious weekly special.

Invented by Hawaiian fisherman and also hugely popular in California where owners Jimmy and Dave first feasted on it, poké is one of those dishes that it’s impossible to get tired of, especially when it’s this well done. More information at shakapoke.ie.

Our sadness at the Cliff Townhouse closing during COVID has been somewhat tempered by its cosy basement being taken over by Cellar 22 which has great nibbles – the Short Rib Croquettes and Southern Fried Maitake Mushrooms are both awesome – and forty extremely well picked wines to go with them.

While other city-centre vinoriums – great word, isn’t it? – have gone all Celtic Tiger 2.0 on us, you can get a very cheeky bottle of Les Nuages Sauvignon Blanc there for a very reasonable €30. Check them out at 22 Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2: cellar22.ie.

Mere minutes from them is Amuri By Day, a gem of an Italian café keeping Phil Lynott company on Harry Street.

The street food treats on offer include the best Ragu Arancini we’ve tasted outside of the old country – and we’ve tasted a lot! The only downside if you’re doing the New Year/New You thing is that it’s impossible to eat just one of these tear-shaped taste bombs.

Meanwhile, a recent trip to Galway introduced us to Daróg, another top notch wine bar residing at 56 Lower Dominick Street. Doubling up as a gallery that includes Hilary Morley, Edel McMahon and Brenda Flannery among its resident artists, their Wild Venison with Baby Beets, Redcurrants & Brown Butter and Line-Caught Mackerel with Smoked Crème Fraiche, Trout Roe & Crispy Parsnip had us purring with delight. As for the vino, well, there are literally hundreds of bottles to choose from, lots of which you won’t find anywhere else in the city: darogwinebar.com.

Finally, a massive Hot Flavours “Well done!” to Dublin trio La Gordita, Amy Austin and Lottie’s; Solas Tapas in Dingle; and Cork’s Ichigo Ichie Bistro who’ve all achieved Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand status. We’ve been fortunate enough to eat in all five and they really are outstanding.

Tipple Of The Month

ALL ABOUT KOMBUCHA Having enjoyed the wettest January on record in order to make up for a Covid Christmas, Hot Flavours has been altogether more temperate this month – it’s all relative – and embarked on something of a health kick. Wanting our gut to be both healthier and smaller, we’ve taken a shine to this zingy organic kombucha, made with fermented tea, lemon, freshly pressed Peruvian ginger and much love in Galway. It’s defeating the object somewhat but it’s great too as a mixer for gin, vodka and other white spirits. It also comes in equally quaffable Blueberry + Mint and Raspberry varieties: allaboutkombucha.ie