Couple inspired to quit day jobs and open restaurant after wedding trip to Korea

Sofie Rooney and Garret FitzGerald fell head over heels in love with Korean fried chicken during a trip to Seoul in 2016.

They became obsessed, frying chicken day and night in their small galley kitchen at home in Dublin, crafting a menu for their restaurant, Chimac on Aungier Street.

Taste of Dublin will take place in the historic Georgian park, Merrion Square, from June 13 to 16.

“It’s definitely one of our highlights of the year. It’s just so much fun,” Sofie said.

“You get to meet so many different business owners in Dublin. When you’re working in a restaurant, you never have a chance to stop.

“When you go to Taste of Dublin, it’s just so lovely to be able to meet other people and build really strong friendships and relationships.

“We’re open five years this week, which is really exciting. It’s been a crazy five years. It all started back in 2016. My husband and I took a trip to Korea for my cousin’s wedding.

“While we were there, he was like you have to try the fried chicken. We love food. Darragh is a chef, and we’re really into food and dining out. We gave it a go and fell absolutely in love with the concept.

“In Korea, the same way we have a pub or chipper here, they have Chimac shops selling fried chicken and beer.

“We fell in love with the experience, people coming together and having a nice time, people drinking and eating at the same time, which is not really something that we have as prominently in our culture.”

Their restaurant combines Sofie and Garret’s obsession with bold punchy flavours, craft beer and sauce – and they did it all with an Irish twist.

“I used to work in marketing, before we opened the business. I was working on really interesting food brands, and I was always kind of jealous that I didn’t have my own food brand,” Sofie said.

“We spent two years from when we got back until we opened the restaurant. All that time we were working on the recipes, trying to figure out what’s the most delicious.

“We worked on the menu for Chimac inspired by the food that we ate in Korea, and we use a lot of Korean ingredients, but it’s very much fusion food.

“We bring our own unique flavour which is based on our own experiences in life as well.”

Sofie believes Irish people are more open to trying new things, which is why she is delighted to be taking part in Taste of Dublin.

“I think Irish people, because we don’t have a super-rich historical culture of foods, people are really open to trying new things.

“Our culture is very much changing and it’s amazing the different types of food that we have in Ireland,” she added.