Naming your restaurant “Indo-Chine” is a bold choice, and not necessarily for the reasons the owners might think. For many, the term evokes a hazy, romanticised image of colonial-era southeast Asia: French villas nestled among rice paddies, baguettes alongside bowls of pho, and, of course, the relentless exploitation that underpinned it all. It’s a name steeped in the aesthetics of colonial nostalgia, but one that glosses over the brutality and oppression that defined the French colonial period in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
You can’t help but wonder if naming this Dublin 4 restaurant, which opened in 2022, was a careless oversight – a brainstorming session that skipped a Google search. In 2024, with diners increasingly attuned to the stories behind the spaces they occupy, invoking the legacy of colonialism to sell crab samosas and halibut curry doesn’t sit well with everyone. For that reason, I hadn’t visited Indo-Chine, though friends had been raving about it for some time. So, on an unassuming Tuesday evening, before the festive chaos truly descends, I find myself utterly transported by the sultry allure of Indo-Chine’s evocative and moody lighting.
The irony, of course, is that the menu itself is vibrant, confident and deeply respectful of southeast Asian flavours, integrating Irish produce in a way that feels celebratory rather than appropriative. Starters hover around the €12 to €14 mark, and mains range from €24.95 for lighter dishes like yum woon sen to €30.50 for the green halibut curry.
It’s a fun room, humming with chatter – just audible beneath the rhythmic clatter of cocktail shakers – where locals are clearly enjoying the Sunday to Thursday deal of two classic cocktails for €20 until 8pm. We opt for a three-course route with two margaritas, although a selection of small plates with those bargain cocktails would be just as enticing.
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The crispy runner beans (€6.50) from the “bites” section are exactly the sort of thing you want in one hand while balancing a cocktail in the other. Cloaked in a whisper-light tempura batter, they crunch gloriously with each bite, leaving behind the faint heat of the red curry aioli.
The kanom jeeb (€13.75) follow, four dumplings in a basket, soft and glossy, their steamed skins barely containing the plump, sweet Dublin Bay prawns within. Dipped into the sweet, sticky soy sauce, it’s the sort of dish that feels almost too easy to love, so simple and so good.
The lobster won tons in bone marrow consommé (€13.25) are also very good, with small slices of barbecued pork mixed through. The burnt caramel-coloured broth glistens with beads of Banhoek chilli oil and bone marrow, the bone marrow no doubt adding to the savoury flavours of the clear soup. The three won tons, although a little chewy, are well-filled with lobster tail.
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For our main course, the green halibut curry (€30.50) has perfectly cooked fish, holding up under a rich, coconut-laden curry that’s spiked with bamboo shoots, peas, green beans, and a whisper of Thai basil. It’s three-star spicy (the level of spice is indicated for each dish, from one to three stars), but it’s the kind of heat that builds in layers, keeping you coming back for more. Rice has been served at the table, which tempers the heat nicely.
The Mekong duck (€26.50) is not at quite at the same standard. Slices of twice cooked duck have been stir-fried with morning glory, mange tout and onion, with Shaoxing and garlic bringing some aromatics. Perhaps it feels just a little pedestrian in the shadow of a spicier dish.
Desserts at Indo-Chine (€8.50) have a playful, light touch, particularly the spiced beignets: fluffy, cinnamon-dusted bites paired with a velvety crème Anglaise that deliver an addictive balance of sweetness and spice. The flourless brownie, on the other hand, arrives with a miso caramel chocolate tart and bourbon vanilla ice cream, aiming for elegance but settling somewhere closer to competent. It’s pleasant enough, but lacks the effortless appeal of its fried, sugary counterpart.
What makes Indo-Chine work is as much about the atmosphere as the food. It’s a buzzing spot filled with the warm glow of the kind of service you often find in neighbourhood restaurants; friendly without being overbearing, and polished yet effortlessly efficient. It’s the kind of restaurant you want to head to with friends before Christmas, grazing through the bites and starters, splitting a few mains, and inevitably surrendering to the cocktail list.
Dinner for two with two cocktails and two beers was €140.70.
The Verdict: Tasty dishes with global flavours in a buzzy room.
Food provenance: Kish Fish, Robinson Meat, Asia Market and Caterway.
Vegetarian options: Most dishes can be adapted for vegetarians and vegans as neither fish sauce nor oyster sauce is used.
Wheelchair access: Accessible room with no accessible toilet.
Music: A global mix of Kujipy, Manu Chao and Claude Fontaine.
