Scroll further down for The Verdict
Or read on for a brief story:
Over the last four months, as a desi homebody in foren land, I've learnt to cook. A lot.The Place: Aroma
But every once in a while I crave Indian food without having to go to the bother of cooking it.
And thus it was that I found (what is apparently the only Indian restaurant in town) tada!: Aroma
As a precautionary measure, we asked around, googled the restaurant and looked at the few reviews available before going.
I'm not a fussy eater. But Urgh.
And then I went back with great hope and foolishly against my better judgment.
Oh sigh! all over again
Address: 1100 SE 14th Street , Bentonville, AR, USA
Meal: Dinner
Number of visits: 2
Rating: 1.5 to 2 on a scale of 5
Cost: 10$ + tax per adult; 5$ + Tax for children
The Ambiance:
The restaurant is sparse clean and has a very tiffin-centre feel to it, minus the hearty fare.
But hey! its a restaurant, and you are there to eat... so lets not count ambience in our rating.
The Service:
is non existent. To their credit they do try but I don't reccomend the place at all if you you are pressed for time.
Food! Food! Food!
Food served is mainly North-Indian fare - both on the buffet and a la carte.
Your buffet options are limited to a boring repetitive fare: Biryani (mutton & veg), Rotis, 2 veggie gravy curries and two non-vegetarian curries swimming in oil, Dal, and two meat starters.
The accompaniments include a couple of salads and a raita.
Be warned, the veggie is much, much better than the non-vegetarian food.
The meat is tough, lacks in taste, and smelt mildly stale both times that I dined there.
Another disappointment is the lack of desserts on the buffet.
(hey! I love a good sweet-dish after a hearty Indian meal - my stomach also has a separate compartment for desserts ... and chaat)
The gravies (minus meat) and Dal are my favorite picks - they taste decent and make for happy accompaniments to the rotis.
The A la Carte menu offers more variety but will cost you several minutes in time.
Well, it is the Only option for an Indian eat-out in the area and ends up drawing a sizable crowd.
My verdict: give it a miss
It is definitely not work the 10 + taxes that you will pay for the buffet or more that you wil end up paying for the a la carte.
Get online, get recipes, cook - however new you are to Indian food, you'll do a better job than this.
Or heh, mail me and maybe I'll cook for you. Ha!