Malaysian chef Eddie Ong Chok Fong and his Chinese wife Jenny took the Limerick dining scene by storm when they opened Aroi in 2014. In no time at all, this simple little takeaway/diner became one of the city's favourite casual dining destinations - and earned a bagful of accolades to prove it.
The aim being to offer "a single course dining experience and service with the minimum of fuss", there's no dish over €10 on the menu - yet there's plenty of choice and everything is based on fresh, local produce, with no MSG or any of what Eddie calls 'the obscure chemicals and additives so common in our food today'.
The menu is organised by cooking style, with noodles (both noodle soup and wok noodles) taking pride of place, followed by rice dishes, grilled meat and fish, stir-fries, curries, some lovely salads and a good range of interesting side dishes.
Far from the predictable variations on a well worn theme that are typical of so many Asian restaurants in Ireland, freshness and flavour take the lead in no-gimmick cooking that's lifted simply and healthily by the judicious use of authentic herbs and spices.
Prepare to be delighted with dishes such as the char-grilled catch of the day, for example, which may be local hake wrapped in banana leaf and served with sambal olek, onion, lime leaves and coriander (and all for a tenner).
Vegetarians have plenty of choice too, with vegetarian options under several headings - Stir-fried tofu with Thai green vegetables, chilli and straw mushrooms is typical - and coeliac friendly dishes are marked up, as are the spicier ones (considerately marked with an 's').
Although billed as a single serving experience, homemade gelato is offered (and priced by the scoop), and the drinks list includes a much more interesting choice of hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks than most restaurants, alongside Asian beers, half a dozen wines by the botte or glass and (tellingly priced at nearly three times the cost of the dearest main course), Prosecco.
Despite its cheap and cheerful ambience, excellent service is also a key feature of this friendly spot, and another reason for its well deserved success.
But above all, this city centre restaurant is well named: Aroi, in Thai, means delicious.
