Aroma Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Ninh Bình Province

There are 3 Indian restaurants within a stone’s throw of each other in Tam Coc. Saffron, Aroma and Curry King. We went to Saffron and Aroma.

They both serve pretty good food (some of the better Indian food I’ve had – and I have had an enormous amount plus I cook my own). Aroma has a slightly wider menu and includes both north and south Indian food, but essentially, both have the usual favourites (you know the ones). We liked that Aroma provided several chutneys to go with their food. I won’t say which restaurant had the better food but say that both served great tasting food that had its own distinct flavours. However, we did have the Mutton Korma at Saffron and it was absolutely delicious. We had garlic naan at both - they were huge but we preferred the one at Saffron as the bread was puffier and wasn’t as damp as the one at Aroma.

Saffron had a definite feel of a more welcoming and professional team – smartly dressed, very polite and enthusiastic. Almost all, if not all staff were Indian and always smiling. The restaurant was well decorated and had comfortable furniture. Sadly, we didn’t have a very welcoming smile from the local staff at Aroma – it was just a job that they didn’t feel too attached to. Our meal at Aroma was definitely less expensive, however, there was a very high % charge to use a credit/debit card, presumably to encourage the use of cash - which we did. There was no surcharge at Saffron (the first place in Vietnam that didn't charge us that extra 2.x to 3%).

Again, both had fantastic food and you wouldn’t go wrong with either, but if I was given the choice to only go back to one, I’d pick Saffron for its environment and a more pleasant dining experience.

I've also posted a photo of the food we ordered at Saffron on their...

One word: Disappointing.

I really wanted to give this place a good rating. The evening started well as we made our orders and the food arrived quickly. The portions were generous and well-presented, unfortunately the taste didn’t live up to it. Although Im Indian myself, I am aware this is Tam Coc and my expectations were adjusted. However, the food really was disappointing. The chicken tikka masala was bland (I did order mild but the dish still lacked taste), and the Naan was raw in some sections so we didn’t feel like eating it. When we asked for the bill, I also asked for the manager so I could give feedback. The owner himself overheard me and came to ask what happened. I explained I felt the naan was raw in some sections and thus left most of it. The owner’s expression changed drastically and he started speaking loudly and repeating “this is how it’s cooked, didn’t I know? and the naan is fine!” He then mentioned we took 2 hours sitting on his table, and now are telling him at the end of the meal about the naan. My husband had to interrupt him to remind him this is not the way to speak to any customer. I then replied saying nobody came to check on us, so I am providing feedback on why you have full basket of naan still seating there. (Btw, dear owner, if you are reading this, know that I work in Indian Punjabi catering as a full time job, but it doesn’t take an expert to know when the naan is still raw). He then walked away angrily and just announced he would remove it from our bill and ordered the staff to get a new bill. We still paid the full bill and left. We don’t need any charity and are just genuinely disappointed with this restaurant’s food, and now unfortunately the service too. I recommend you choose somewhere else...

We were in Tam Coc for only 2 nights and we came to Aroma both nights for dinner because it was that good! I can’t believe this place doesn’t have 5 stars. The quality of the food is spectacular! We tried a few different items the second night but had to stick with some of our favs from night one including the Aroma special naan, Raita, and Kashmiri Pulao rice! We also had the veggie coconut curry, chicken vindaloo, lamb tikka masala, chicken samosas and chicken tandoori. All of which were exceptional! My fiance asked for his dishes to be the highest spice/heat level and he was not disappointed. The flavors in these dishes are amazing. The owner and staff are very attentive. It’s also a cool experience to sit in the back and watch the chefs at work thru the glass. Prices are extremely reasonable. Our entire meal was ~$19 USD without alcoholic beverages. Would recommend to anyone...