Eating Across Asia At Carrigaline’s Aroi

Eating Across Asia 

At Carrigaline’s Aroi

Gyoza (Aroi pic)

I had visited the new Aroi Restaurant in Carrigaline when it opened a few weeks before Christmas and had promised myself I’d go back to continue eating my way across Asia. 

Nasi Goreng (Aroi pic)

Not too difficult to do that here in this impressive space as the wide-ranging menu features dishes from Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Menu headings include nibbles, starters, soups, and salads. Mains include Signature, Rice, Curry, Stir Fried, Grilled, Wok Noodles. Sides of course and yes they do desserts as well! Full bar and a long cocktail list as well.

Was in the area last week and decided to call in and do some more “research”. It wasn’t the best of nights outside on the main street but the restaurant was well heated and there was a warm welcome from the staff.

Soon we were seated in one of the comfortable booths and studying the menu, avoiding any dish that we had eaten on the first visit.  No shortage of starters available, all reasonably priced between six and seven euro. 

Yangnyeom Chicken

We had enjoyed Gyoza, Japanese pan-fried dumplings, in Electric a few months ago so I picked the Vegetable Gyoza (Japanese crispy gyoza filled with vegetables, carrots, cabbage). An excellent opener, full of flavour and enhanced by spicy sesame chilli dipping sauce (€6.50). 

Udon Noodles with seafood

We moved on to Korea for our other starter: Yangnyeom Chicken is Korean style crispy (Chicken drumettes, seasoned with sweet and spicy gochujang sauce, spring onion and sesame seed). A more substantial starter (7.00), very tasty indeed and again the sauce, the gochujang sauce, did the business.

By the way, we can recommend the starters from our first visit, the Porpia Bpet Tod (Crispy homemade Duck spring roll served with sweet chilli) and the really excellent Kajang Satay (their authentic recipe from the town of Kajang in Malaysia, Chicken thigh meat skewer marinated with local spice served with peanut sauce).

Kajang Satay (from first visit)

Now, we were up and running and looking forward to our mains. Most of these are under fifteen euro except for the signature dishes which range from 16.50 to 20.00. Previously we loved The Teriyaki Salmon (Baked sesame-crusted Salmon Teriyaki on a bed of wok-fry Asian green vegetables, ginger, garlic garnished with pickled ginger). 

Amazing how they (Asian restaurants in general) always seem to get these green vegetables spot-on. Also the flavourful and aromatic Isaan style Crispy Roast Duck. This was Sliced half Duck cooked to perfection, bedded on top of those marvellous Asian green vegetables with tamarind sauce.

On this occasion, I struck “gold” with the Kuala Lumpur Nasi Goreng (17.00). It is very well presented with the Malaysian spicy fried rice with Prawns, Chicken, chilli paste, mixed vegetables, building quite a dome in the middle and topped with fried egg; it is served with Chicken satay skewer and Prawn crackers.

CL meanwhile took her time as she savoured every little bit of her Seafood Yaki Udon (Wok fried Scallops, Prawns, Mussels, Squids with Japanese Udon noodles, ginger chilli paste, green beans, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, scallions and toasted sesame seeds). A top dish indeed for 20 euro. Total bill, excluding tips, on a no-drink night was fifty two euro. Good food, friendly service and good value we thought. And still more regional Asian dishes left to explore on that menu!

Aroi open beautiful new Asian restaurant in Carrigaline

Aroi open beautiful new Asian restaurant in Carrigaline

Aroi returned to Cork in some style with last Wednesday’s “soft” opening of their beautiful new restaurant in Carrigaline. 

Don’t be fooled by the narrow frontage (just south of the bridge on the main street). When you walk in, you gasp at the high ceiling, the comfortable booths and the row of high tables. And more of the sparkling pleasing decor is revealed as you walk further into the long, narrow and high space and you realise they also have a large room upstairs (and more space outside when the weather turns warmer in the spring).

Salmon

Aroi had a popular restaurant in Cork’s Huguenot Quarter up to a few years ago when a fire knocked them out.  The Carrigaline outlet is linked to their Kilkenny
venue.

We were guests at the soft opening and it took us quite a while to read the extensive menu. They’ve got dishes from Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Menu heading include nibbles, starters, soups, and salads. Mains include Signature, Rice, Curry, Stir Fried, Grilled, Wok Noodles. And yes they do desserts as well!

Sitting comfortably in our booth and sipping a couple of beers ( one Asian and one non alcoholic Italian), we finally made our choices.

My starter was the Kajang Satay, their “authentic recipe from the town of Kajang in Malaysia, Chicken thigh meat skewer marinated with local spice served with peanut sauce”. Three pieces of top quality chicken, along with the well-known sauce and some raw veg (including cucumber sticks) was quite a treat.

Our other starter was their Porpia Bpet Tod (Crispy homemade Duck spring roll served with sweet chilli). Another Asian gem, lifted by the sweet chilli dip. 

All starters are reasonably priced, between six and seven euro. Most of the mains are under fifteen euro except for the signature dishes which range from 16.50 to 18.50.

Duck

The Teriyaki Salmon (€17) is Baked sesame-crusted Salmon Teriyaki on a bed of wok-fry Asian green vegetables, ginger, garlic garnished with pickled ginger. That was one of our choices. A lovely well-cooked piece of fish. The sauce came in its own little bowl so you choose how much you wanted yourself which is handy. Amazing how they (Asian restaurants in general) always seem to get these green vegetables spot-on.

The salmon came with brown rice while my bowl was full of jasmine rice. My main was Isaan style Crispy Roast Duck (14.00). This was Sliced half Duck cooked to perfection, bedded on top of those marvellous Asian green vegetables with tamarind sauce. Full of flavour and aromatic and very satisfying indeed!

Quite a satisfying occasion overall with the management and the new recruits getting to know the dishes and all doing very well indeed. Well worth checking out! They have room, lots of it and, at present, can seat somewhere between 120 and 140. And, genuinely, the food is excellent, well priced with lots of variety. And I almost forgot to mention, there’s a large selection of Asian Cocktails, no shortage of wine, plenty of beer and also the local Stonewell Cider.

Aroi. Happy Birthday Boy! Plus Tips on Cooking Asian.

Aroi. Happy Birthday Boy!

Plus Tips on Cooking Asian.

Duck rolls

Aroi are celebrating twelve successful months serving Asian Street Food in Carey’s Lane. They have quite an extensive menu there. If you are not familiar with some of the Asian words, the staff will help you out and will also point out the spicy dishes (even these are marked with an “S” on the card). All mains cost a tenner and the sides a fiver or less.

I have eaten there a few times, enjoying mostly the duck dishes. This time I picked something different, the Pad Se-lew which consists of  Pork strips, Thai green vegetables, egg, keoteow, Thai soya sauce and is from the Wok Noodles section. I very much enjoyed the pork, cut into slivers the size of a small finger, and the amazing crispness of the green vegetables.

Chicken skewers

The other main dish we picked was Khao Pad, tomatoes, broccoli, Thai pepper, onion, egg, and chicken (or beef) and this came under the Rice heading. This too, with the chicken, was a winner, full of flavours. By the way, they have two sauces on the table for you, one a hot chilli sauce, the other a soya.

The main dishes are quite substantial and quite a few people settle for that, great value at a tenner. But we usually get a side or two, a fiver each, as well. On one occasion we ordered three but that was too much!

Pad Se-lew

The two we shared the other night were Porpia Bpet tod: duck rolls, sweet chilli, pickled chilli and cucumber and Satay Gai: -  chicken skewers with peanut sauce. Those duck rolls - I’ve had them here before - are simply outstanding, quite spicy with the chilli. The chicken skewers are a much calmer dish but delicious.

Aroi has a short wine list but we ordered a couple of Asian beers: a Bottle of Chang and one of Tiger. Lots of soft drinks on the menu too including refreshing palate cleansers like ‘white tea with lemon and ginger’.

Khao Pad, with Chicken

We spoke with Vincent Richard, Manager of Aroi Cork: “Our healthy cuisine avoids the obscure chemicals and additives so common in our food today. We do not use M.S.G. in any of our preparation, and our focus is on market fresh local produce, that is naturally low in fat.   You can single-handedly battle the winter sniffles with our spicy beef noodle soup - it heals you from the inside out.  Our fresh and healthy approach, along with the phenomenal value of dining at Aroi, is what sets us apart from others.”

But it is not just the food Aroi had to get right, after all they had being doing that in Limerick for several months before opening in Cork. He emphasised that getting the right staff and giving them the right training is also key. And Aroi have passed on some tips if you’d like to try Asian at home.

~ Tips on cooking Asian food ~

·         Always cut, wash and prepare ingredients in advance of cooking.

·         Use a wok when steaming vegetables for a stir fry – the curved edge allows for varied cooking temperatures which is beneficial when cooking meat and vegetables together.

·         Ensure you have other necessary utensils for Asian cooking like a steamer, sharp knifes (for cutting ingredients), tongs and a pestle and mortar (for grinding spices).

·         Use chop sticks only with rice bowls as they don’t work well when eating from a plate.

·         Rice cookers are the quickest way to cook rice and can be used in microwaves.

·         Use natural flavour enhancers like mushrooms, herbs and spices which do not contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).

·         Always use fresh vegetables.

·         Choose dark soy sauce over a lighter colour as it is low in salt.

·         Use fresh ingredients like ginger or garlic for delicious taste and strong smells. Garlic has many health benefits too as it is rich in vitamins and low in calories.

·         Use different mixes of meat and vegetables to create optimum flavours. Asians like to use the ying and yang method in their cooking – They balance flavours by using both hot (ying) ingredients and cooler (yang) ingredients. An example of this would be having a hot sauce over plain chicken pieces.

• We were guests of the restaurant, as part of its birthday celebrations

Aroi’s Tubby Buddha’s A Good Food Sign

Aroi’s Tubby Buddha’s A Good Food Sign

Char-grilled duck

There’s a tubby Buddha in Aroi - you’ll see him on the stairs as you enter. It’s a good sign. You’ll be well fed here. And at a fair price.

On your entrance, you’ll see lots of well-dressed staff. Another good sign. They'll take good care of you. You won’t even have to ask for your water glass to be re-filled. And there are smiles all round.

You’ll also notice lots of customers here in the Carey's Lane venue. You may even have to wait a few minutes for a table. Another good sign. You are in an excellent restaurant, serving Asian street food, all mains for a tenner.

Aroi started in Limerick about twelve months back but this is the Cork Aroi, boy. Both are proving very popular and there has also been much praise from the critics for chef Eddie Ong Chok Fong.

Aroi's menu is on your table when you arrive along with the chopsticks (don't worry - knives and forks and spoons too!) and it looks neat and tidy but there is much reading in it, great choices under headings such as Curry, Stir Fry, Grilled, Rice, Wok Noodles, Noodles Soup, and Salads. Twenty four dishes in all described in detail for you, the hotter ones marked with an “S”.

Each of the mains costs €10.00. But do check out the sides as well. There are about nine of them, most of them costing a fiver, great to share if you are part of a group. By the way, the lunch-time menu is the same and the usual deal here is one mains and a gelato dessert for ten euro.

We had previously been impressed with some of the curry dishes, including the Red Duck and the Yellow Fish, so we went for something different on this occasion. Nuea Pad Khing (stir-fried beef strips, scallion, ginger, chilli and wood mushrooms), was one under the general Stir-fry heading. Superbly cooked, this went down well.

No shortage!

The other mains was the Char-grilled duck served with Thai green vegetables and Tamarind sauce. Again, both the meat and vegetables were perfectly cooked, a joy to eat.

And then there were the sides. Went a bit overboard there! Rice in a separate bowl came with the beef and, in addition, we ordered: fish cakes, full of flavour in their own delicious sauce; superb crispy duck rolls, again with a delicious sauce; and a small stack of the crispiest chicken wings with dipping sauce.

After all that there was little room for gelato - their only dessert! No shortage of drinks here, by the way: wine, beer, soft, teas and coffees. No shortage of anything really! Excellent food, excellent value for money.

Asian Street Food in Cork City

Asian Street Food in Cork City

Enjoy Eddie's Asian Experience

Red Duck Curry

Asian Street Food hit the streets (well, one street!) of Cork City last Friday night when Aroi opened its doors in Carey’s Lane. Aroi means delicious or tasty and has had a successful six months in Limerick and now Chef Eddie Ong Chok Fong has brought the Asian experience to the heart of Cork.

If you like dishes like Pad Thai Noodles, Red Duck Curry, Som Tam Salad and Pandan Chicken, all served, street food style and perfect for sharing, then make a date at 6-7 Carey’s Lane (021) 427 2388.

The ethos in Aroi (pronounced Aroy) is to serve market fresh, locally sourced ingredients. “Our healthy cuisine avoids the obscure chemicals and additives so common in our food today. Aroi sources authentic herbs and spices and we do not use M.S.G. in any of our preparation.”

Yellow Fish Curry

Sounds good and tastes pretty good too as we found out on opening night when we called to sample. I absolutely enjoyed my Red Duck Curry (with peas, aubergines, baby corn, long beans, lime leaves and cherry tomatoes). Where else would you get it? The duck perfectly cooked and those lovely crisp vegetables.

CL went for the Yellow Fish Curry (with cod, salmon, smoked haddock, calamari, prawns, cherry tomatoes, baby corn and beans). Another bowlful of spicy deliciousness. By the way, the very spicy dishes are marked with an “s” but if in doubt ask the very helpful staff

No starters here. Just pick your mains. All curries and stir-fries are served with rice and mains cost a tenner, aside from a couple of rice dishes that come in at nine euro.

Some side dishes

If you want to add to the mains, then there are a bunch of sides dishes, most of them costing a fiver. We loved the Pandan Chicken, the Satay Gai (chicken skewer with peanut sauce), and the Thai calamari. But there are many more, including Chicken Wings and a Crispy Lotus Salad and each with its own sauce.

Lots of choices too when it comes to mains: Noodle Soups, Wok Noodle dishes, Salads, Rice Dishes, Grilled Dishes. Check them all out on the website here.

How about a drink? No shortage. We enjoyed Singha and Tiger beer and they also have Chang. Three choices each of red and white wine, most at a fiver a glass. Plenty of soft drinks also, plus teas and coffees.

Chef Eddie: Drop by some time

Valerie O’Connor, who does the PR for Aroi, says chef Eddie has enjoyed extensive attention from the food media since the setting up of Aroi in Limerick. “Hailing from Malaysia and cooking street food in Thailand since his schooldays, former Michelin star chef Eddie was nominated in the Best Chef in Munster category as well as best casual dining and best ethnic food at the prestigious Food and Wine Magazine Restaurant of the Year awards this summer. He has received glowing reviews from the country’s toughest food critics and been featured in the top food publications across the country.”

“It is not just the authentic Asian food, made with fresh herbs from his native Malaysia and Thailand, but the terrific value that customers can enjoy. With no dish above the €10 mark, groups can indulge in mains with as many side dishes that their appetite can manage, rounded off with delicious home-made gelato and coffees. Noodles dishes are created using rice noodles which are naturally gluten free, and everything is made with an abundance of fresh vegetables and are low in fat yet full of good things. With Asian beers and wines to match your feast, Aroi is sure to excite the discerning palates of Cork food lovers.”

“Drop by some time,” the smiling chef said as we made our exit. We will.