Four days of food, drink and live music in the heart of Dublin – plus your chance to be there ...
One of Ireland’s biggest food and drink festivals returns to Merrion Square this week, with Taste of Dublin set to welcome thousands of visitors from Thursday to Sunday, June 11-14. In its 21st year, the festival brings together 15 of the city’s best restaurants, giving foodies the chance to sample signature dishes from some of the city’s most sought-after dining destinations without waiting lists or hard-to-get reservations.
This year’s restaurant line-up reads like a dining bucket list. Daata, Achara, Chimac x Sicín Sásta, The Salt Project, BAH33 x Teeling Whiskey, IBILE, Bovinity, BIG FAN, Shaku Maku, Dosa Dosa, Parrilla, Bar Italia and the legendary King Sitric Oyster Bar will all take over this weekend, with The Salty Buoy just announced for seafood lovers. Visitors can expect everything from Gordon Ramsay-approved butter chicken, South Indian street food, flavourful West African dishes, live-fire Brazilian BBQ and much more.
In its biggest year yet, it will also feature over 60 food and drink experiences, 50 chefs and culinary experts, and 30 cookery demonstrations, as well as botanical gin experiences from Glendalough Distillery, Taste Spain masterclasses and live music all day. New this year, the House of JYSK brings a Scandinavian-inspired space with ideas for indoor and outdoor entertaining, alongside cocktail masterclasses.
We spoke to family-run Daata co-owner Aliha Saleem about Irish hospitality, the Indian and Pakistani restaurant scene in Ireland, and what to expect at Taste of Dublin. Lucky readers of THE GLOSS can win two tickets for a day of their choosing by following @tasteofdublin and @theglossmag on Instagram, commenting why you should win, tagging your friends and sharing the post.
1. What’s your background? I was born and raised in Bray and, honestly, Daata has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad opened our first restaurant in 1999 and I grew up there. Some of my earliest memories are answering phones, helping customers and spending weekends in the restaurant instead of at home. At the time I thought it was normal, but looking back now I realise I was getting a front-row seat to what it takes to build a business.
My dad came to Ireland from Pakistan in the early 1990s and worked incredibly hard to create opportunities for our family. When he became unwell, my brother Fahad and I stepped up to take on a lot more responsibility than most people our age. I now oversee six restaurants across Dublin and Wicklow, but I still see myself as that little girl running around the original takeaway in Bray. Everything we’ve built comes from the values my parents taught us – work hard, look after people and never forget where you came from.
2. When did you become interested in cooking? Food was always the centre of our family. I grew up watching my parents and aunt cook, and some of my favourite memories are of being in the kitchen while recipes were being prepared. I’ve always had a huge appreciation for food because I know the stories behind so many of the dishes we serve. What interested me most wasn’t necessarily the cooking itself, it was seeing how food brought people together. I’ve spent my whole life watching people celebrate birthdays, engagements, anniversaries and family gatherings around our tables. That’s what made me fall in love with hospitality. You’re not just serving food, you’re becoming part of people’s memories.
3. How did you come up in the industry? I started from the bottom. I’ve done nearly every job you can imagine in a restaurant. I’ve packed takeaway orders, cleaned tables, seated customers and worked busy Friday nights when all you can do is keep going. It was just life. The biggest learning curve came when my brother and I started taking on more responsibility at a young age. We weren’t just helping out anymore, we were making decisions that affected staff, customers and the future of the business. It wasn’t always easy and there were plenty of mistakes along the way, but those experiences taught me more than any college course ever could. I think that’s why I have such respect for the industry. It’s hard work, but it teaches you resilience, people skills and how to stay calm when things don’t go to plan.
4. You mention watching your aunt cook with your parents, what’s her experience been as one of the only female head chefs in Ireland’s Indian and Pakistani restaurant scene? Aunt Rahat is our Head Chef, who came to Ireland from Pakistan when she was just 18-years-old and was trained by my dad in the kitchen. Over the years, she has become one of the most important people in our business and now oversees a large team of chefs across all of our locations. What I admire most about her is how humble she is. She never looks for recognition, she just gets on with the job and leads by example. South-Asian kitchens have traditionally been very male-dominated, but Rahat earned respect through her talent, consistency and work ethic. She’s played a huge role in preserving our family recipes and training the next generation of chefs. I’ve grown up watching her work and she’s been a massive inspiration to me.
5. How do you find Irish cuisine and the industry at large? I think Ireland has one of the most exciting food scenes in Europe, full of incredibly talented people who are constantly raising the standard. One of my favourite things about the industry is the people I’ve met along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and learn from inspiring women such as Santina Kennedy and Vritti Bansal, whose passion for hospitality and food is something I really admire. I’m still young in my career and feel like I have so much more to learn, so being surrounded by people like that is incredibly motivating. That’s one of the things I love most about Irish hospitality, people are always willing to share knowledge, support one another and celebrate each other’s successes.
6. Daata’s Afghani chicken is famous – what makes it so special? The recipe comes from my Mum Shamim, so in many ways it represents the heart of our family. Growing up, it was one of those dishes that was always there. I watched my parents cook it long before I understood what made it special, and today it’s still one of our most popular dishes nearly three decades later. The recipe has never really changed because it didn’t need to. It’s rich, comforting and full of flavour, but more than anything it reminds me of home. What’s amazing is seeing guests who first tried it as children bringing their own children in to order the same dish. There aren’t many recipes that can connect generations like that. For me, it isn’t just a menu item. It’s a piece of our family history and probably the dish that best tells the story of who we are.
7. Gordon Ramsay said Daata’s butter chicken is the best he’s ever had – what makes it stand out? That was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Growing up, my brother and I were obsessed with Kitchen Nightmares. We used to sit watching Gordon Ramsay on television and joke that one day he might walk into our little takeaway and tell us everything we were doing wrong! Never in a million years did we imagine that he’d actually walk through the door. I still remember him arriving and saying he’d heard a lot about us. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment. For a family business that started as a small takeaway in 1999, it felt incredibly special. As for the butter chicken itself, I think what makes it stand out is that it’s stayed true to what it has always been. The chicken is cooked in the tandoor before being added to the sauce, and the recipe has been refined over decades by our family and kitchen team. What meant the most wasn’t just the compliment itself. It was hearing someone who has travelled the world and tasted food everywhere recognise the hard work, recipes and traditions that our family has spent years building. It was a proud moment for all of us and one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
8. What can we expect at Taste of Dublin? A lot of flavour and a warm welcome. Taste of Dublin is a fantastic opportunity for us to introduce Pakistani food to people who may never have tried it before. We’re excited to showcase some of our most popular dishes, but more importantly we’re excited to share a bit of Pakistani culture. Hospitality is a huge part of who we are, and we want people to leave with a better understanding of both our food and our story.
9. Why do you like the festival? I love that it brings the entire food industry together. It’s a busy world, so these events are a great opportunity to celebrate the people behind the scenes who work so hard all year. It’s also a chance for people to discover something new. Some of my favourite conversations are with guests who trying these foods for the first time. Food has a way of bringing people together and Taste of Dublin does that brilliantly.
10. What’s next? Daata will always be my family’s story, but I’d also love to create something that’s a reflection of my own take on what a dining experience should feel like for my generation. Without giving too much away, there’s actually a secret project in the works at the moment that I’m really excited about, so hopefully I’ll be able to share more on that soon. For now, my focus is continuing to grow Daata, support our team and keep pushing boundaries. At 24, I still feel like my journey is only beginning.