One of these places has opened up beside my work here. For the month of June they are giving away main Thai courses for 6!! You’re making money by getting it. Downright delicious they are as well.
The reason for posting this is that I recall some of you talking before about an Aya in the IFSC and how it was the greatest place in the world until it closed down. Some of you may have even wrote a poem about it or something…
Well here’s your platform - take it away…
What a fucking place Aya is. I’m not much of a guy for the exotic foods - Swedish Food Company was as foreign as it got for me, until I happened upon an old college mate one day who was clutching a Chicken Katsu curry to his chest. He told me about the deal they had with a free can of fizzy pop and a salad with every Katsu purchase. Made my first tentative trip to the IFSC branch in the company of Bandage and can safely say they were the best steps I ever took.
The katsu curry is sensational. Curry is provided in a separate vessel so can be added to the rice and chicken to your taste. The rice is lovely and fluffy, none of it is stuck together and it’s nice and warm. The chicken is the great lottery. Never worse than adequate but often scaling the dizzy heights of brilliance. There was nothing like the rolette of sitting down with your buddies at a lunch table, opening the styrofoam container and assessing who got the best portion of chicken. The thrill of the victory was matched only by the tingling fusion of exciting tastes that greets you on your first forkful.
You’d think that was everything but just as a league victory is sweeter when you’ve a cup tagged on, any lunch can be amplified by a dessert. The caramel slices that Aya sold in the IFSC were simply peerless. I’ve purchased caramel slices in large quantities over the years from my school on the Fingal Riviera right through to the odd DART snack from Tara Nova, but none have approached the quality available from Aya.
The highest compliment I can give Aya is to rank it second in my all time favourite lunch time snacks.
I’ll close here with the email I wrote to the good people of Aya when they shut their doors soon after I left the IFSC.
To whom it may concern
It has come to my attention that Aya will no longer be operating out of the IFSC, after a period of lengthy rennovation. I am writing to convey my dismay at such a decision, as the deli has provided me with many fine lunches over the past number of years.
I find it difficult to believe that the operation has been closed for business reasons as it seemed busy any time I frequented it. Perhaps the rent for such prime real estate was simply too much or some other factor contributed to its closure?
Either way the IFSC is much the poorer for Aya’s departure and I would certainly welcome any return of the deli in whatever guise in the future. I hope you will pass on my gratitude and that of my colleagues for the fine service we received from the staff there over the past years.
I have found it difficult to convey my dismay in words, as I find it hard to do justice to my enjoyment of your establishment. To that end I have composed a short poem below, and though a haiku would probably have been more fitting I am not yet sufficiently skilled at abbreviated poetry to express my feelings in such a format.
Aya Deli, Mayor Street, Dublin
A weary young man sits alone in Custom House Square
No park bench provided, so he fashions a seat there
On the cold, damp unforgiving concrete
Nothing much: just a place to rest his feet.
And though low on cash and late with his rent
The young student accountant is suitably content
For he holds an Aya bag tightly in his hands
A chicken katsu curry with a complimentary can,
And to top it all off a caramel slice
A little piece of heaven, a taste of paradise.
And then one day gone.
I curse the few times I ignorantly walked by ya,
My lunchtime love, my life, my Aya.
Best wishes for the future and thanks for the memories
Regards
Rocko
What a place. What a fooking place. Outstanding poetry there too by Rocko and I’m emotional even thinking about it. I remember for a period back in 2003/04 we went through a phase of buying 2 Aya Katsu Curries each at lunchtime, taking them back to the canteen in work and having a curry eating competition. Pagey, now one of our Australian based members, was able to wolf down 2 full curries in about 5 minutes but the rest of us would be sitting there half an hour later with curry sauce rolling down our faces and rice stuck to our chins, while gallantly battling it out for the minor placings. I fooking love Aya.
And then one day gone.
Superb line that. I can feel your pain with the suddenness of it all…
Aya, back of BT is quiet pleasant also, Sushi is far more hit than miss, and is always top of my list for raw fish when in the capital.
to the tune of ‘Hey Ya’-
Others think they’ve got it
Ohh, they think they’ve got it
But got it just don’t get it
Till’ there’s nothing at
AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaallllll…
We get together
Ohh, we get together
But seperate rice and curry’s always better when there’s hunger
InvooooooOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOooooooOOOOOlved
If what they say is “Aya is forever”
Then what makes, Then what makes, Then what makes
Then what makes, Then what makes IFSC (IFSC the exception)
So why you, why you
Why you, why you, why you leave me crying
When you knew we were happy heeeerrreeee…
(Altogether)
AYaaaaaaa… (OHH OH)
AYaaaaaaa. (OHH OH)
AYaaaaaaa… etc
Tremendous. By all accounts the IFSC has seen better days in terms of lunchtime options. They opened a new Starbucks in CHQ and I’ve never bothered checking it out for obvious reasons - it’s generic overpriced rubbish. But now with the uproar caused by the Luas works going through the place, Excise Bar have only gone and closed down to be replaced by, yeah you’ve guessed it.
There’s a new place opened beside Chronicles called MYO, which stands for make your own, I’m going to check that out, possibly tomorrow, apparently it’s a flat fee and you make your own sambo, triple decker the lot, whatever you want.
I’m afraid I might be a little slow or something but I don’t have any guesses as to what Excise has been replaced by - unless it’s Starbucks but that would be two very close together.
It’s always struggled for good eateries. Aya and Swedish Food Company were notable exceptions to the dross served elsewhere. Never bought into the paninis in that Italian place.
Pikeman’s poem/song is a bit advanced for me - can’t work out the tune as I’m reading along.
Couldn’t figure out the Excise thing either. The Excise actually was the best of a bad bunch in terms of places to eat there. Lagoona was shit - some dude with jewelery all over his face and hands giving scampy portions for €12! I think not my friend
I used to go to Reads beside Busarus a lot. Was always decent and reasonably priced. Guaranteed a few celebrity spots there - Jimmy Magee and Ray Treacy often dined in there…
Ray Treacy is a prick. A celeb alright but a prick nonetheless.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]One of these places has opened up beside my work here. For the month of June they are giving away main Thai courses for 6!! You’re making money by getting it. Downright delicious they are as well.
The reason for posting this is that I recall some of you talking before about an Aya in the IFSC and how it was the greatest place in the world until it closed down. Some of you may have even wrote a poem about it or something…
Well here’s your platform - take it away…[/quote]
Farmer - is this the one in Sandyford by the way?
Iv seen one in town too, off exchequer st or somewhere but its down a back street kind of, unless there is another entrance
Don’t want to give away too much information about me to you (you seem to know too much already) so I’ll decline to answer that if you don’t mind.
I’ll take that as a yes so farmer!
I can confirm that it is Sandyford Mac.
farmer, you might be a bit of a weirdo, rock, you seem a bit odd, bandage, you seem a bit of a fool, but by god you lads know good food. Ate in the Aya in Sandyford last night - I can honestly say it was the nicest curry I have ever had. They do main courses during the day for 6 which seems a steal as farmer pointed out. Pity I’m not close by during the day.
Had you the katsu curry Mac?
the massaman curry rock - only gorgeous
Bumped for Tinnion
Are there any Ayas left. The one behind BT is a Yo Sushi now