A stylish and warmly welcoming sister restaurant to the popular Aroi in Kilkenny, Aroi Carrigaline opened just in time for Christmas 2022. Here, behind a deceptively narrow frontage, the building opens up to reveal an impressive two-storey restaurant with comfortable and spacious dining areas that are imaginativly furnished with booths and banquettes in varying styles, while sympathetic lighting makes for a relaxing ambience.
Executive Chef Fadilah Mokhtar presents the same wide-ranging menu that is enjoyed by their Kilkenny customers - and, on the back wall, a TV screen runs a constant loop of Aroi's Asian fusion dishes being prepared and plated up.
The food is excellent, well priced and with plenty of variety - you'll find dishes from Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia and more.
Menu headings include Nibbles, Salads, Soups (most of which are more than a soup). Among about ten starters you'll find Kajang Satay Chicken skewers (“Our authentic recipe from the town of Kajang in Malaysia”) alongside Thai Calamari or Prawn Katsu, or their Crispy Lotus Salad among dishes from all over Asia. Mains include Khao Pad (Thai), six Curry Dishes (of varying spice intensity), Stir Fry choices galore, and Noodle Dishes such as the Classic Pad Thai (they also have a Tofu version).
The half dozen Signature Dishes are especially worth a look, notably the tempting Lamb Shank Rendang; a speciality from Minangkabau, Indonesia. This 'king of curries' is a slow cooked, dry and fragrant curry dish, that is complex rich and nutty with toasted coconut base sauce which take up to 4 hours to cook.
There is a full bar, with a few beers on draught and more in bottles, plus the local Stonewell Cider, and a wide range of spirits. The Aroi Cocktails merit a page on the menu and include It Takes Two to Mango (Caption Morgan, Absolut Lime, Bols Blue Curacao, Peach Schnapps, Mango Purée & Orange juice).
The dessert list is short but there are also two Dessert Cocktails. It may be hard to pick between the Espresso Martini (Vodka, Kahlua, cacao liqueur, vanilla syrup & shot of espresso) and the Tiramisu Martini (Coffee, Galliano vanilla, cacao liqueur, amaretto, bailey, Kahlua), but a dessert cocktail is sure to end a meal here on a high.
