We love a curry on a Saturday night, and now the viral food sensation has finally landed in Vancouver.
Emerald Dragon is a new ghost kitchen that has opened in Vancouver, claiming to be the first spot for Irish-style Chinese food in the city.
So you may be wondering, what is Irish-style Chinese food?
Known as one of the ultimate hangover foods, the spice bag is a fast-food dish popular in Ireland inspired by Chinese food. It typically consists of deep-fried salt and chili fries (or chips, as the Irish would call them), salt and chilli chicken (either shredded, balls, or wings), red and green peppers, sliced chili peppers, fried onions and a variety of spices. Typically, it is all accompanied by a tub of curry sauce for dipping, as well as prawn crackers.
But how did it come about? Liam Geraghty, a reporter from RTE, tracked down the creation of the first spice bag to 2010 from a restaurant called The Sunflower.
“We kind of looked for something different as a staff, you know for when you’re finished with work. The food is always the same so when you work here you like to have something different,” said a staff member from The Sunflower in an interview with RTE. “We tried a few different things one night, and we came up with the spice bag, and it was quite tasty. Then a friend tried it, and told their friend about it, and they asked would you do it for their friend, and it snowballed from then and I suppose the rest is history, it just grew and grew.”
Since then, the spice bag has taken the internet by storm, with many people taking to TikTok to share their love of the food. For example, TikToker nasti_2k has amassed over 400,000 followers as of the time of publication, just for his reviews of this Irish Chinese delicacy, alongside other food content. There’s even a Facebook group called Spice Bag Appreciation Society with nearly 17,000 followers.
@nasti_2k Love a Curry on a Saturday Night. #spicebag #chinese #takeaway #irish #nasti2k #nastispecial #xyzbc ♬ original sound – Nasti
But Emerald Dragon is doing much more than just spice bags. It is also serving up its signature curry meal and something called a Munch Box, which consists of salt and chili chips, your choice of salt and chili chicken balls or shredded chicken, egg fried rice, spring rolls, and a large curry sauce served in what looks like a giant pizza box perfect for a multi-person feast.
“Experience the perfect blend of flavours where tradition meets innovation,” shared Emerald Dragon on Instagram.
Located at 1780 W 3rd Avenue in Vancouver, the spot operates as a ghost kitchen. This means there is no storefront, and orders must be placed for pickup and delivery through Uber Eats.
Will you be checking out this first-ever Irish Chinese food spot in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments.
Address: 1780 W 3rd Avenue, Vancouver
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