Saba (Clarendon St.)

It was early 2006 and I had found a location on Clarendon Street that felt just right. I wanted to ensure that the food served was as authentic as possible. I had worked with Taweesak (Tao) previously but had heard he had gone back to Thailand for good. My father and I travelled together to Bangkok and met Tao for lunch. I told him about my plan for the restaurant and that I was looking for chefs. He said that he already had commitments in Thailand himself, but he would make enquiries on my behalf.

Later that night we met again for dinner in a restaurant on the Chao Praya River. Tao brought four familiar faces: Paek, Lek, Ting and Addy — I had worked with all of them before. Tao announced that he and the others all wanted to be a part of the new project and would come back to Dublin and work with me. It was an emotional moment. By the end of April, we got our keys for SABA and we opened our doors to the public for the first time on September 12th 2006. Since then, our family has grown. As we celebrate another branch to our tree in Baggot Street, I’m delighted to say that many of the original team are still with us. We continue to grow together.