Aroma India

Ordered the special curry and tandoori chicken, both were great! Server was very nice.

Wow, first review in a while and once again I wrote a book. If TL;DR, just skip to the pics. I'm a Gone-Dark Yelper, having submitted only 3 reviews since 2017, my hey-day being the era prior to that. This wonderful new (as of October 2024) spot for Indian cuisine in downtown Phoenix motivated me to dust off the Yelp login:In town from Dallas for a Friday night only (work conference), I was delighted to find something other than burgers/wings/etc. in the walkable area. I had to choose between this and the hotel staff-recommended Zen Thai, but I was feeling Indian so made the 17-minute walk from the Hyatt Regency to this quaint, intimate spot that features a nice covered patio and has somewhat limited indoor seating options--I chose the bar to allow the one free table to remain available--and as always was pleased I did.Didn't get anyone's names, but the gal behind the bar was extremely helpful and accommodating while also very busy and running orders. Got an Old Monk rum & coke because not just everyone carries Old Monk, so you get it when you can!Long sentence alert: The menu features a variety of items, and among them are dosai, which isn't always readily available so I knew I'd have one of those, and then the goat or lamb curry choice was too impossible for me to make so I asked a guy running food from the kitchen on his way back to recommend one, which he did after giving it a thoughtful look over. He vanished back into the kitchen and moments later, the chef comes bounding out, beaming and happy to tell me which to get: he said the Butter Masala Dosai ("thin rice crepes filled with potatoes and onions") and then, after warning me that the goat would feature bones while the lamb wouldn't, I said I don't care about that. I love them both--which do I need to get? He responded, get the goat. And I did.Wow, couldn't believe what they brought me--the dosai was beautiful! And enormous--I put my drink glass in the pic for scale. It was delicious and somehow light & delicate with 3 featured sauces to either dip or spread on. Only teeny regret was not getting the Spl. Rava Dosai as it also had chillies and I like hot.The goat curry? Oh yeah. A rich, thick deep brown sauce covering tender cuts of goat (yes, with some bones occasionally) over the standard rice that comes with. I went into this knowing that it would be more food than I could consume and planned on taking it back for breakfast in the morning, haha. But I darn near ate all of both.The whole time either the food runner or server would stop to see how I liked it. They were very fun and personable, and it was obvious they took pride in their craft.On leaving, I shook the hand of the runner to say goodbye and he grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the kitchen to tell the chef how I'd liked it! I only wish I'd gotten a selfie with them, but was all too happy to thank the man himself and enjoyed my constitutional back to the Hyatt.Zen Thai, I'm coming for you on the next conference!

I was excited that an Indian restaurant moved in downtown, but unfortunately it did not leave me feeling very inspired. As others noted, it moved into the old Topaz space and did little to change anything up. It felt very half-finished with blank walls and so forth. As for drinks, I think even the old alcohol from the bar moved with it, but it looked like it was there just for display purposes. While they had a drink menu of Indian whiskeys you could sip, there was no actual cocktail menu. We asked about wine, and the server looked over and said, "Uh, I think we have some red." So, basically either drink Indian whiskey or Indian beer. It was weird. The food was hit or miss. We started with a dosai to share for the table that was quite good, and the sauces on the side had a great flavor profile. I ordered paneer makhani ("butter paneer"), and the server didn't ask me the spice level. What I got was below the standard mild at any other Indian restaurant. I don't know if he assumed we couldn't handle spice, didn't want spice, or if the food just doesn't come with spice, but it was the most bland Indian dish I've ever had. There are a lot of ways this place could be great, and maybe it will improve with time and some attention to the space and menu. Otherwise, this will be something else in the revolving chain of restaurants at this location.

The best thing about our dinner at Aroma India? The spinach and potato dosa! Stunningly tasty and unusual in my experience.The worst things? (1) The Gobi Manchurian appetizer which was salty beyond belief--we sent it back after one taste. (2) The obnoxiously loud music! My husband didn't get what he ordered, presumably because the manager/waiter who was standing right over him couldn't hear his order!Everything else was "ho hum."

Wow, this is the best Indian food in the valley! I loved everything here. From the desi bao buns, to the tikka masala, to the butter chicken, to the tandoori chicken, to the garlic naan... it was all fantastic! The food was delicious and made with love. We picked mild for spice level and it was perfect; not too hot but also had a kick. The service was outstanding. Everyone was very attentive and made sure to check on us multiple times and made sure we loved everything. It's a cute little place with intimate vibes, which I love. The prices are more than fair and we got a lot of food for what we paid. Overall, I will be returning!

Aroma India was a fantastic find! I stumbled upon their $9 TO-GO vegetarian lunch special while taking a walk around downtown Phoenix. I was blown away by the value. A generous portion of rice, naan, red paneer curry, and a green lentil dish, all packed in a sturdy container I can reuse. The inside felt a little lacking in decor but it's a new place so I'm sure they can work on that. Also, there is a wonderful outdoor space that would be great when the weather is nice. Staff were friendly when I placed my order and it came out quickly. If you are vegan I would recommend asking about the ingredients, I was unable to eat the curry dish because I don't do dairy but that's okay. It was a good price and I was able to share it with friends. I'll definitely be back to try dining in.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. I'm always on the hunt for a good Indian food restaurant and this one didn't disappoint. Everything we had was flavorful and tasted fresh. I especially liked the garlic naan and the tikka masala. We will for sure be back in the future.

Me and my girls really enjoyed this place. They've got good flavor and the food didn't take long at all. My only part that bummed this experience was our naan bread was burnt we were able to eat a lot of it, but one round we had the bottom and entire round was black worse part was it tasted such. So over all we didn't have any issues. And we took food to go! Our server was amazing and I think we got a chance to meet the owner who checked in to see how everything was. The spot is nice and cozy for some good authentic Indian food. I had the Kadai chicken and they got the vegan options of the paneer. The white pea soup was delicious. We got some Lassi's too.

I ordered a dinner to go a few weeks ago and I'm so glad I did. Food is reasonably priced and delicious. I ordered the garlic naan and chicken biryani. Both were delicious. Chicken was tender and the rice was very flavorful. Garlic naan was yummy too. Definitely recommend if you're craving indian in downtown.

Kumar was a great server and the food was amazing!! Indian food is my favorite and I'll be back her for sure! Thank you!!!