aRoqa — Restaurant in New York

We were planning on going to Junoon for my daughter's birthday but they wouldn't allow us to make a reservation as one of my children is under 10 years old. We ended up making a reservation at aRoqa with "reservations" of our own about what the experience was like.

Making the reservation via phone was easy and when we arrived to the restaurant, I was a little disheartened to see a no-frills exterior. The interior was not what I expected. The place was so dark! The walls, tables, chairs were all painted black. I don't want to dwell on the decor though. Let's move onto the food and drinks.

For drinks, my wife chose a Southern Sojourn (descriptions of all drinks in the picture of the drink menu). I got the Marigold and Smoke. My kids got a Lady Crush and a Soul Train. Not a big fan of the Southern Sojourn. It tasted like celery and pepper juice with alcohol. The rest of the drinks were good with flavors mixed in just the right proportion.

For appetizers, we ordered the Lasuni Gobi, Paratwala Paneer, Chicken Shami Kebabs and the Chicken Fritters. Didn't like the kebabs since they felt like paste in my mouth. The Chicken Fritters were so good we ordered another round. The cauliflower was good also.

The main course consisted of the aRoqa Okra Special, Dal Makhani, Paneer Tikka Masala, Butternut Squash ke Kofte and Fenugreek Murgh. To accompany, we had a variety of naans. Everything was tasty, fresh and hot. Food was served quickly and service was excellent.

For dessert, we had the Hazelnut Chocolate Flute which was light and chocolatey. The Coppa Pistachio and the Rose Pudding w/Gulab Jamun was alright. But the Coppa al Limon Di Sorrento was magnificent. All in all we had a great time. Our server Manelly really made the experience great. She even gave us a sparkler candle to put on my daughters' dessert and sang Happy Birthday to her with us.

The dark dining room I couldn't...

Went here for dinner on Friday and had made reservations for a table for 6 for 7 pm. The place was relatively quiet at 7 and we were seated on our table. The seating itself was a bit tight, but we managed to seat somehow! The hostess was friendly and welcoming.

For drinks, I ordered the Right Bank ($16) which wasn't that great and lacked that punch in the drink that I was looking for. Presentation was pretty good though.

I did all the ordering for our table and we got a few amazing appetizers which included Lasuni Gobi ($12), Habanero Tikka ($13), Kasundi Prawns ($16), Bhatti Murgh Ki Champ ($16), and Paratwala Paneer ($12). All appetizers were absolutely delicious and the Bhatti Murgh was a clear winner. The way they serve it and the flavors of this dish were absolutely mind blowing. It wasn't that spicy at all either, so spice level was manageable on this dish. Lasuni Gobi and Kasundi Prawns were our 2nd favorites.

For mains we ordered 4 entrees between the 6 of us, which was sufficient food and included Dal Makhani ($18), Butternut Squash ke Kofte ($20), Fenugreek Murgh ($21), and Chicken Tikka Masala ($22). We also ordered Garlic Naan and Butter Naan ($4 each) and a Paneer aur Hari Mirchi Kulcha ($7). Fenugreek was my personal favorite with a nice spice kick to the dish but Chicken Tikke Masala with heavy cream on the side was a table favorite and disappeared within a few seconds after hitting our table!

We finished off with 2 desserts, aRoqa Daulat Ki Chaat ($10) and Coconut Kheer ($10). The Kheer was a little too sweet to our liking, but the Daulat ki Chaat was absolutely delicious. Presentation was spot on!

By about 7:45 pm, this place was packaged and noise levels were high, so having a conversation was a little difficult.

Service was absolutely amazing and our server was...

We had a party of 7 at aRoqa on a Saturday night. Our experience was stellar on all fronts: food, service, and ambience. First and foremost, the food! We started with a sampling of several appetizers, with helpful recommendations from the owner. The lamb chops really stood out – they were tender and delicious, with spices that really brought out the flavor of the meat. The jumbo tandoori prawns and tandoor charcoal chicken were excellent. Tandoori chicken is always tricky as the meat sometimes dries up, but this preparation was just right. The main courses: we tried a variety of the dishes, including the lamb shank – highly recommended – and Chef AJ’s Special Chicken Bhuna, which was different from the typical fare you may be used to at Indian restaurants. We finished with the gulab jamun crème brûlée. I was worried that it might be too sweet, but it had just the right quantity of gulab jamun on top of a perfectly set crème brûlée! A perfect end to a perfect evening. About the service: The owner stopped by our table multiple times throughout the evening and gave us excellent recommendations on what we should order based on our preferences. She really made the evening special for us! The waiters and waitresses were prompt, attentive, friendly, and efficient. Finally, the ambience: Even though the restaurant was full, we were seated promptly (even though our party did not all arrive at the same time), and we had a cozy dining experience. The restaurant is very tastefully decorated, and if you are looking to impress your party with an upscale dining experience, this is the place to go! We were celebrating a milestone birthday for one of the members of our party, and all of us were so happy that we...