Nightmarket restaurant is the story of the Thai-Limerick partnership of Conor Sexton and Jutarat Suwankeeree (R to her friends). Having worked together for several years at Conor’s previous restaurant, Koh, the birth of their daughter Emily drove the couple to focus on opening this unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant.
Having grown up in the coastal city of Hua Hin, followed later by the Northern city of Chiang Mai, R brings to Nightmarket the intensely flavoured and aromatic dishes she learned to cook from her grandmother.
There’s a wide selection of dishes on offer, and it’s worth mentioning that spice levels can be adjusted in most cases. Little jars of pungent fish sauce or chili infused vinegars are present on each table, giving each diner the opportunity to adjust as desired.
Miang Kham is a house speciality of Char Plu leaves topped with an intense aromatic mix of ginger, shallots, peanuts, lime and dried shrimp. Add the accompanying sticky savoury sauce and marvel as the flavours literally explode in the mouth. Grilled skewers of pork, chicken or beef pieces come with tasty nahm jim, or try a bowl of creamy rich Tom Kha Gai soup, prettily drizzled with a little chili oil.
Traditional Thai curries are rich and intense, ranging from a fiery green curry to a sweet and creamy red seafood curry, steamed and served in a young coconut. There are wok fried dishes such as stir-fried minced beef with Thai basil, topped with a fried egg, or steamed whole fish, fragrant with chili, garlic and lime.
For dessert, the classic Thai dish of coconut sticky rice, topped with slices of fresh mango is a surefire crowd-pleaser. The short wine list is well priced and chosen to accentuate the flavours of the food and the small bar shakes up cocktails with a gentle Thai twist.
Named after the colourful night-time street markets found across Thailand, Nightmarket is bringing a true taste of regional Thai cooking to Ranelagh and, with a meal for two coming in at well under €100, it offers good value for the quality of food and portion size.
Just as the markets act as a focal point for the local community, Conor and R likewise hope that the warm welcome found in their restaurant will bring Dubliners together, united by a love of good Thai food.
