Weighing in which Indian restaurant to go to, my high school friend, Bing, suggested we head to Aroma. The name captured images of exotic spices and elegant desserts. It was going to be an exciting lunch.
Located at 287 King St. West [Toronto, ON M5V 1J5]. Don't get lost, its on the 2nd floor so make sure you read the door decals if you're on the King Street side. We headed towards a window table and then immediately buffeted 
our way through Vegetable Samosas, Chat Papri, Chicken Mirch Tikka, Chicken Tikka Masala, Goat Masaledar. And top it with Kheera Raita and Katumber Salad (yup I mix my accompaniments). Naan gets served on your table. Tummies were happy after a second heaping of servings (hey, I was hungry). Crowd comes in right after noon so make sure you're there when they open. This All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet in only $9.99! Reasonable, eh?
Downside? Desserts. Would be nice to have more than just ice cream or this gooey mazaplan like balls (its actually Gulab Jamun). Their online menu doesn't have desserts listed either. I wonder why? Their confusing hours of operation can make one a bit perturbed especially tourists. Get one schedule down and post it. None of these 30 minute open or close variances - it wouldn't make a difference in the long run. We should know, we opened our own restaurant in San Francisco a decade ago that made it to Time Magazine[article on Continental Divide].
Upside? Open till 11p on most days. The manager (or was he the owner?) was cordial and said "thank you and hope you had a pleasant lunch" to us - which is very 'world class' service. Since were were one of the first guests for the day, the manager immediately moved his pile of paperwork from one of the end tables to clear for guests. A good move. Waitstaff was attentive. The buffet area was immediately cleaned after my miscalculations of holding dish-spoon-to-my-plate turned into a small pile of Biryani dribble on the counter. I like the immediate response from the nearest waiter who was actually paying attention to what's going on in dining area!
Overall? Its almost world class - just minor modifications. I love the fact that I don't have to wear the aroma (got it? a purposeful double entendres) of my meal the whole day. The place was well ventilated. There have been some Indian restaurants that we've been to that unfortunately tended to remind you of their existence long after you've left the establishment. This wasn't one of them. That was important to me.
Tel (416) 971-7242 | Fax (416) 971-9354
E-mail gbjoshi2000@yahoo.com
Hours of operation: Open till 11p on week ends
Monday - Thursday: Lunch: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm | Dinner: 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Friday: Lunch: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm | Dinner: 5:00 pm - 11 pm
Saturday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Dinner: 3:00 pm - 11 pm
Sunday: Lunch: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Dinner: 3:00 pm - 11 pm
