On a side street off Kilkenny's bustling High Street an unremarkable entrance sits between an electrical shop and a fishmonger, and it would be easy to pass by.
But that would be a pity, as Aroi (pronounced Aroy - meaning 'delicious') is a younger sister to Eddie and Jenny Ong Chok Fong's popular Asian restaurant in Limerick, and it is far from being the usual Irish interpretation of food from the Far East.
The decor is less industrial than its Mid West sibling, which almost has the feeling of a takeaway with seating added; in Kilkenny there's plenty of the trademark grey and orange, but there's more of a restaurant feel with its buttoned banquettes and well padded chairs, and a big bird cage repurposed as a lamp that casts a warm glow over the polished wood tables.
But it does have a hint of the Thai street market about it. The whole of the back wall is given over to a huge painting of a lady cooking street food in an unknown place in Asia - and, with the open kitchens beside her, it’s not hard to imagine this very lady cooking your food...
For first timers unfamiliar with this style of casual dining, the concept of 'single course dining' may take a bit of getting used to. The menu is divided up into sections (soup, noodles, stir fry, curry, rice, grilled) but, although starters are listed as sides and dishes like Char-Grilled Duck with Thai green vegetables and tamarind sauce sound like mains and you may think you're ordering courses, everything arrives to the table at once.
But the key to everything that's so good at Aroi is the authentic flavours - and that's down to fresh local ingredients, carefully sourced herbs and spices and the fact that there's no flavour enhancing M.S.G. (Monosodium glutamate) used in any of their food. And luckily the prices reflect the simple street food style too - everything is pretty much in the €3 to €12 range, with drinks, from juices to beer and wine, from €2.50-€7.
With pocket friendly prices, friendly staff providing excellent service, a relaxed atmosphere and such tasty, healthy food that is easy to share, it’s not hard to see why Aroi has become one of the city's most popular destinations for families and friends alike.
A place to seek out for authentic Asian food in Kilkenny.
