Bib of the Month: BIGFAN, Dublin

For our first Bib of the Month since The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony 2026 in Dublin, we’re focusing on one of our three new Bib Gourmands in the Irish capital. A fun, affordable night out, BIGFAN showcases the flavours of China and beyond with skill and exuberance. Here’s some more detail from one of our Inspectors:

“Bright, fresh flavours abound at this immensely likeable restaurant that’s understandably a go-to for Dublin’s food lovers. The authenticity and care poured into each dish on the extensive menu is clear, with high-quality produce providing satisfying flavours and textures in every bite. What’s more, as its recent Bib Gourmand award suggests, the sensible pricing means you can try a variety of dishes without breaking the bank.”

To delve even further into BIGFAN’s success, we spoke to owner Robert Hayes about his ethos for the restaurant.

What was the idea behind BIGFAN? How would you summarise your approach to food and cooking?

From the beginning, it was about more than just food; it was about creating a world.

When designing the space, we built a fictional backstory (in order to give us direction) around a character called ‘Da Ge’ – Big Brother Big – whose family had owned the restaurant in 1970s Hong Kong. In the 1990s, he refurbished it, layering new elements over the old. That narrative shaped the interiors: a space that feels rooted in the ’70s, with ’90s additions slightly and deliberately imposed on top.

It reflects nostalgia, migration and lived-in evolution – influenced in part by time spent in Chinatown in San Francisco in the late ’90s. We designed and built much of the space and furniture ourselves, keeping it personal and hands-on in the belief that the more visible craft [there is] in the restaurant, the more it will frame the craft coming from the kitchen.

Conceptually, we often compare BIGFAN to an exhibition opening that happens every day. The kitchen is the studio, the chef the artist, the staff the facilitators, and the owners the designers and curators. It's a living, breathing environment that evolves constantly.

In terms of food, our kitchen is Chinese at heart but not confined by geography. We have deep respect for regional traditions and technique – shokunin kishitsu, that craftsman's spirit – but we also want freedom. We draw on our different backgrounds, nostalgia and experiences, combining classical training with a love for vibrant street food energy. Our approach is ingredient-led, technique-driven, and ultimately focused on pleasure and layers of umami. We want dishes to be playful, packed with flavour and generous, rooted in strong technique and thoughtfully executed. We hope you leave craving for more.

What price range can customers expect and how are you able to keep your prices affordable?

Accessibility was always central to BIGFAN. The menu is structured around small plates and sharing dishes at an approachable mid-range price point. This allows guests to explore, experiment and share without overcommitting. If someone wants to try something new – even something unfamiliar – the smaller format makes that leap easier.

Everything is made from scratch in-house, from dumpling wrappers to sauces. While that increases labour costs, it reduces reliance on factory-produced goods and gives us full control over quality. We believe in investing in people rather than packaged shortcuts.

We also keep prices affordable by running a tight, efficient operation. As owners, we are deeply involved in every aspect of the business – sourcing, fixing, refining systems and preventing small issues from becoming expensive ones. Strong supplier relationships, a focused menu and a loyal, well-trained team allow us to maintain value without compromising standards.

You are one of three new Bib Gourmand restaurants in Dublin. How would you describe the city's dining scene in 2026?

Dublin in 2026 feels electric. When we first opened, we wanted to bring something we felt was missing – but now the city has transformed. There's real confidence in regional cuisines and cultural specificity. The public appetite was there and now the industry is delivering – quickly and ambitiously.

There's also a renewed professionalism in hospitality. Younger chefs, bar professionals and front-of-house teams increasingly see it as an exciting and rewarding career rather than a transient job, which raises standards across the board.

It feels collaborative, diverse and open-minded. Guests are more curious than ever, and independent restaurants are pushing creative boundaries while still offering value. Being recognised with a Bib Gourmand in this environment makes us especially proud to be part of that community.

What is the dish to order at BIGFAN?

Enoki Fan: our signature from day one and the quiet superstar of the steam section.

It looks simple. It is not simple. The enoki is chosen for its distinctive shape and delicate springy bite – long ivory threads that drink in flavour. The sauce is a half-cooked garlic blend made from both golden crispy garlic and fresh garlic, creating a layered aromatic paste that melts into the mushrooms. House stock, chilli and fragrant oils weave through it all. Each bite builds in layers of umami, gentle at first and progressively warming. It is humble on the surface, complex underneath. We cannot imagine taking it off the menu.

Our XLB [xiao long bao] honours tradition and craft.

We carefully select pork belly, debone it to create a rich stock, remove the skin to cook down into gelatin, then finely trim and mince the meat. The ratio of lean meat to fat and the coarseness of the grind are precisely controlled by us so the filling stays juicy but textured.

The result is a dumpling that is fresh, folded to order, comforting and designed to be shared. When you lift it, the soup trembles inside like a tiny secret waiting to spill. That balance of technique and comfort food in a short-burst experience is part of the BIGFAN spirit.

Sweet and Sourdough Prawn Toast: a guest favourite and one of our must-orders.

We reimagined the bread to enhance both flavour and crunch, creating a crisper, more aromatic base that lets the prawn shine. The filling is sweet, juicy and boldly prawn-forward. It is paired with our house-fermented chilli and a pineapple sweet-sour chilli sauce that cuts through richness and brightens the palate. Crunch, sweetness, heat and tang collide in the best possible way.

If you can only choose a few dishes, start with these.

What atmosphere are you trying to create at BIGFAN and how important is it to the overall experience?

Atmosphere is everything!

BIGFAN is lively, relaxed and welcoming – somewhere you can come for a spontaneous midweek dinner or a big celebratory night out. The design, music, lighting, energy of the room and the interaction between staff and guests all matter just as much as what's on the plate. The more relaxed you are, the more you can enjoy the food. We built it to be an experience with lots of tiny elements that distract you from the world outside, the phone, your troubles. These elements are embedded in the space, the service and the dishes.

The goal is that people leave not just having eaten well, but having felt something. The food is essential, but the emotion and memory of the experience are equally important.

Tell us about your cocktails, as they form a big part of your drinks selection.

Our cocktails are a major focus and an integral part of the BIGFAN identity. The drinks programme is designed with the same care and intent as the food. We integrate ingredients from our kitchen in the production (waste duck fat, house-made chilli oil, house-fermented black garlic, as examples). We also put some of the cocktail production byproducts back into the kitchen for dishes, in an effort to be as low-waste as possible.

The wider Asian cocktail scene is incredibly exciting at the moment, and we want to be part of that conversation. For us, cocktails are not an afterthought, they are quite often the first thing you taste in a restaurant and should set the tone for your intentions; they're another expression of the same creative energy that drives the kitchen.

Hero Image: The signature 'Enoki Fan', from affordable Chinese restaurant BIGFAN in Dublin. © Robert Hayes/BIGFAN