The restaurants in which chefs have worked previously are key to understanding their culinary DNA and always a good indicator as to what their priorities will be when they are in charge of a kitchen of their own. So it augurs well that Hannah O’Donnell comes to Vada, a new cafe in Stoneybatter, from Kai, Jess Murphy’s stalwart of the Galway food scene, a restaurant that never seems to fall out of favour or feel stale, managing to stay fresh and relevant year after year. I think of Kai as somewhere that is always vibrant and often surprising, and I look forward to eating there whenever I am in Galway.
.