It’s more than easy to find a Chinese restaurant in Dublin, from the noisy, happy cluster on Parnell Street to longer-established and much-loved outlets in the city centre or suburbia. And the capital is blessed with quality, whether it’s hand-pulled noodles and dim sum, or modern fine-dining takes on classic dishes – there is something for all palates.

On the more traditional side, Ka Shing has stood confidently for 12 years on Wicklow Street in Dublin 2, decorated in old-school fashion, with a fish tank near the entrance. A regular menu and a dim sum menu greet diners, with classics such as chicken and sweetcorn soup and mixed selections with sauces such as black bean, “Chinese premium XO”, and king do.

Owner Bi Lian Liu explains that in Chinese, the phrase Ka Shing represents the idea of a good family. From 1982-2012, the restaurant was called Imperial. Liu bought it when it was closing down. She says Chinese people like to visit for its Hong Kong-style dim sum.

The man behind these is head chef Liu Lai Keung, who is from Hong Kong. He is a Cantonese speaker who jokes via translators that he’s in Ireland because he likes the weather.

“Another reason for living here is that I have kids, and so I want to give them a good education,” he says.

Keung has been making dim sum for 48 years and has lived in Ireland for 18 of those. He says his cooking philosophy is about showing people what good food from Hong Kong is like.

Liu has solid perspectives on the sector, gained through both Ka Shing and its fine-dining cousin, Kaisen in Blanchardstown. He notes that the older generation prefers dim sum, while younger people find the layout of a fine-dining restaurant “more attractive”.

Like Ka Shing, Good World Chinese R