An award-winning Indian restaurant is about to open its first spot in Cork
We can’t wait for this one.
Aanchal and Adarsh Shukla are bringing their wildly popular Indian restaurant Delhi2Dublin to Leeside, opening Delhi2Cork at The Marina Market on Friday, November 7th.
The pair, who started the business with Aanchal’s mum Chandra Sharma in 2022, have won a slew of awards for their delicious authentic dishes. Now they’ve finally listened to calls from fans to expand the business outside of the capital.
“It all started with a simple love for food — and a dream we couldn’t ignore.”Aanchal told Yay Cork.
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“My husband Adarsh and I were both software developers, working full-time in IT. But on weekends, our passion was cooking, experimenting, and sharing a taste of home. During Covid, everything slowed down, and that’s when we decided to give our dream a real chance. My mom — who’s the soul behind all our recipes — joined us,
and together we started Delhi2Dublin.”
They started small, doing pop-up food markets and festivals while still working their weekday jobs: “But people loved it — they connected not just with the food, but with the story behind it. Before we knew it, we were featured on RTÉ’s “How To Be Good With Money”, which documented our entire journey from techies to food entrepreneurs. That experience gave us the confidence to take the leap.” Aanchal added.
It was the right move. Within their first year, the pair were awarded Best Street Food in Dublin 2023 followed by Best Food Truck 2024 and most recently, Best Chef at a Casual Dining Restaurant 2025.
“But what matters even more to us are the relationships we’ve built. We’ve met people at food festivals from all over Ireland — and when they’d travel to Dublin, they’d make a point to find us again. We started getting messages saying, “When are you coming to Cork?” or “We need you in Galway!” That genuine love and support from our customers gave us the courage to dream bigger.” says Aanchal.
‘Cork has an amazing food culture’
So why Cork? Aanchal and Adarsh had long enjoyed the foodie vibe here and eventually found the perfect partner in the Marina Market.
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“Cork just feels like home. Every time we came here for events, we could feel the warmth, the kindness, and that special Cork energy. People here have such big hearts and an amazing food culture.” she explains.
“As for Marina Market — it’s everything we believe in. The sense of community, the buzz, the creativity — it’s a place where people don’t just eat, they connect. You see friends, families, artists, small business owners — all sharing space and energy. That’s exactly what Delhi2Dublin stands for, so opening our next chapter here just made sense.
When it comes to the menu, Delhi2Cork is bringing the classics — but with a twist: “Everyone knows
Indian food for its naan breads and butter chicken, but at Delhi2Cork, you’ll experience them like never before. Think soft, freshly baked naans wrapped around vibrant fillings, curries full of spice and heart, and a few surprises that celebrate both tradition and innovation.
“Our food is about warmth, comfort, and stories. Every recipe has a bit of home in it — my mom’s magic touch is in every dish.”
Delhi2Cork opens at The Marina Market in the second week of November.
