Aroma held their first Media Night last Tuesday, providing a VIP tasting of selected new winter menu items and I was honored to be a part of it. Executive Chef Madan Lal, and his culinary team prepared the night’s delights just how he always does any other night, with fresh, local ingredients, mixing Western food (spoiler alert: salmon and lobster) with sultry Indian spices.

There are new winter menu items (including dessert!) ready to be served at Aroma, an Indian restaurant located in Shirlington (Arlington), Virginia. Of the many new winter menu samplings, my favorite ‘must try’ items include:

Apple Puff Pastry

1) Chicken Corn Soup: Made from scratch, this thick chicken stock soup was bursting with fresh corn, chicken bits, and topped with hints of nutmeg.

2) Masala Lobster: Generous pieces of lobster marinated overnight in yogurt and garam masala. The butter does not overpower the flesh of the lobster and sprinklings of cilantro offer a nice herbal counterbalance. I’ve experienced overcooked lobster plenty of times, and I’m relieved to say Aroma’s version does not fall under this category.

3) Apple Puff Pastry: My absolute favorite dessert of the night; A baked apple pastry meticulously shaped into a rose, laced with apricot jelly and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. It wasn’t too sweet and left me wanting another…and another…

Hats off to pastry Chef Ravi Verma for his delectable creations at Aroma.

The other new winter menu items include:

• Polenta Fries: Spiced and baked cornmeal fries with fresh chopped jalapeno peppers
• Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup: Mulligatawny (vegetable soup with Indian spices) that translates into “pepper water”
• Tava Meen: Pan seared tilapia in a citrus beurre blanc sauce, served with a quinoa salad
• Khatta Meetha Baingan: Eggplant marinated in red wine, seared on a grill, layered with potatoes, topped off with coconut milk sauce and Indian spices
• Kandhari Lamb Chops: Marinated overnight with fresh herbs
• Salmon Puff Pastry: Lime-seasoned salmon baked with Indian spices into a puff pastry with spinach, served with mashed potatoes
• Chicken Banjara Kabob and Lemon Chicken Kabob
• Shahi Paneer: Homemade curd cheese served with green peas, onions, tomatoes, yogurt, and of course, Indian spices
• Roasted Cauliflower- Steamed cauliflower that is sautéed with tomatoes, potatoes, and, you guess it—Indian spices
• Dal Makhani: Lentils cooked with spices in a special iron wok
• Fresh Fry Okra- Fresh cut okra that is sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and a variety of Indian spices
• Chocolate Mousse: Served in a creative tulip-shaped flower
• Bread Pudding: Served in a chocolate cup, garnished with a strawberry
• Blueberry Panna Cotta: Cooked cream with sugar, rum, vanilla, and layered with blueberries

So, next time you’re craving Indian food in the Arlington/Shirlington area, make sure to swing by Aroma and check out their updated menu. And if the weather permits, you can bring your furry companion and sit in their dog-friendly outdoor seating area in front of the restaurant.

-EHY (Elina)

Editor’s Note: They have a location in Lorton, VA as well.