Absolute Aroma — Restaurant in New South Wales

Despite the 3-star review we believe this is actually the tastiest Indian food in the Cessnock/Kurri area. The butter chicken is probably the best I’ve ever had anywhere, and the Goat Curry, Rogan Josh, Samosa Chaat, the Dhal, Chickpea and Paneer options - all absolutely excellent. So why 3-Stars?

1. because the “Barramundi” Curry we ordered this week was inedible. The fish was truly revolting quality, and the sauce it was in wasn’t at all nice. They are so great with their sauces, it’s bewildering how they missed the mark so badly with this dish. But worse still, the quality of the fish was totally sub-standard. 4 adults and none of us could stomach this dish.

2. it’s good business to be generous, it’s bad business to be mean, and there was so little beef in the beef dish, so little chicken in the chicken dish, so little lamb in the lamb dish, so little paneer in the paneer dish. 70% sauce, 30% protein? Come on!

3. buyer beware - they charge 10% surcharge every weekend, all weekend. This of course is their prerogative (yes staffing costs are more on the weekend and they want to pass that cost onto the customer) - but my beef is them not letting the customer know prior to doing a takeaway phone order. Nowhere on their website does it say you’ll be paying 10% more for weekend takeaways, and nowhere on their takeaway menu either. This is not cool. After I voiced my feelings on this, the owner very begrudgingly waived this amount, giving me an angry little lecture in the process.

In closing we would order take-out here again (on weekdays only), as it’s hard to find good Indian in the area, but I dearly hope they take some of the above feedback...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An absolute gem in the Hunter Valley!

We had the pleasure of dining at Absolute Aroma, a lovely family-owned Indian restaurant, and it was truly a standout experience. From the moment we walked in, the warm hospitality made us feel right at home.

The dosas were absolutely fantastic — crisp, perfectly spiced, and better than even the ones we've had at one of the famous restaurant's in Harris Park! Every dish we tried was full of authentic flavor — the butter chicken was rich and comforting, the naan soft and fresh, and the rice complemented everything beautifully.

To finish off, the kulfi desserts were a perfect sweet touch — creamy and just the right amount of indulgence.

Highly recommend this spot if you're in the area. Authentic, delicious, and made with love — Absolute Aroma truly lives up...

What a fantastic experience had by my family (including one picky eater who devoured everything on his plate) the food was amazing some of the best Indian cuisine I have tasted, the service was amazing we were served and had our meals in a timely manner even though they were quite busy!! The staff were more than happy to explain what was in the dishes and took time to ensure we knew what we were ordering (including the level of spicyness). The staff were all so friendly and happy going above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The atmosphere was lovely, was enough seating for our family without feeling squished. I would highly recommend Absolute Aroma in Cessnock to satisfy you Craving for authentic Indian cuisine- I only wish I could give more than 5 stars!!! We will definitely be...