Restaurant review: Kaldero's Filipino focus brings charm and flavour to Dublin 2
The interior of Kaldero, Dublin 2
8.5/10
According to the last census, there are around 42,000 Filipinos in Ireland, so it is about time we got a prominent restaurant showcasing their food.
I reviewed Kaldero last December, but back then, the menu also included Chinese and Indian dishes from two London chefs.
It was a bit of a mess, if I’m honest, I have no idea how they thought they could distil the food culture of 3 billion people into one menu and remain in any way coherent.
The new Kaldero is purely the vision of Richie Castillo (one of whose parents is Filipino) and his partner, Alex O’Neil.
Regulars on Channel 4’s with an acclaimed cookbook available from Blásta Books, Alex and Richie are clear on their website that they want to celebrate and honour, “not repackage” Filipino food.
You will find some Irish ingredients, but this is not fusion food, simply food that “reflects where we come from and where we are now”.
Kaldero is in the old Wagamama beside St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.
The room is unchanged since the 2024 launch, with an open kitchen to one side, a high ceiling, and warm lighting, thanks in part to paper lanterns and some Asian-influenced decoration.
The two-top tables are a little small, so try to get seated in one of the comfortable booths in the centre of the room.
We began with cocktails, which were a highlight on my first visit, a pungent pineapple margarita had tequila plus a chilli syrup and kalamansi juice (Filipino citrus fruit) and my earthy spicy sinigang sour had black barrel Jameson with tamarind, pineapple juice, and other exotics. A fine beginning.
I recognised a couple of items from my previous visit, but most of the menu was new. We began with the dynamite lumpia (€11.50) which were visually similar on my last visit, but the flavour had noticeably improved.
Two large plump green chilli peppers had been stuffed with pork mince and smoked scamorza and then crisp fried in batter.
Previously they had been rather bland, but not anymore. The new peppers are three times hotter on the Scoville scale, but despite their fire, the rich pork and cheese filling held its own while the sweet and sour honey dip on the side softened out the flavours. A perfect starter.
Next some Inihaw na Manok chicken skewers (€4 each), tender and juicy with a tangy banana ketchup glaze providing extra umami (order at least one per person).
Okoy fritters were equally satisfying, strips of leek and sweet potato shaped into a patty and fried with a pungent sawsawan dipping sauce.
For mains, a kare kare (€25.50) was very slow-cooked oxtail chunks in a peanut sauce with green beans. It was meaty and richly satisfying, although a little extra meat would have been welcome.
Tortang talong (€17) was a crisp, meaty-sweet aubergine encased in an omelette. Cavolo nero in coconut milk (€9.50) on the side was also deeply satisfying, sweet and earthy.
Kaldero’s wine list has also had an improvement. They offer 20 wines, short, but with good options at fair prices (I’ve featured almost everything they list in my wine column).
Gran Cerdo Tempranillo (€40) and Albert de Conti Pet-Nat were considered, but we opted for Sepp Moser Zweigelt from Austria at €8.90 per glass; its bright, juicy fruits matched the food well.
Given that the wine list has so many quirky small producers, I was disappointed to see almost no craft beers or ciders on offer, just the usual macro-beers you see everywhere.
A bottle of Asahi was about the best on offer (€6.25) and I confess I did find it matched the fiery stuffed lumpia very well.
Three desserts are on offer, and following advice from a friend we ordered the ube soft serve (€7), a striking purple ice cream with the flavour and texture of a fine quality Irish cone but with a very subtle earthy note from the ube yams which provided the vibrant colour.
Strawberries added to the jollity of the dish, and some elderflower vinegar lifted the flavour.
Meanwhile, the milk chocolate tsokolate mousse was piped into little mounds interspersed with pieces of nutty hazelnut crunch, with a citrusy kalamansi syrup on the side to cut through the sweetness.
Our waiter insisted I try a slice of the third dessert on offer, the caramel leche flan, whether out of pride or because I was spotted.
A little firmer than the classic Spanish version, it had fine burnt caramel flavours and just enough textural wobble.
With attentive, charming (mostly Filipino) staff, a creative menu, and a focus on flavour, Kaldero needs to go to the top of your list.
- Kaldero
- South King Street, Dublin 2.
- Dinner for two plus cocktails and wine, €149.05
- Kaldero.ie
