Mark’s Score 8.5
Indian food is my favorite Asian cuisine. I can actually recount the exact moment when I came to that realization. I had been working in Beijing for a number of years. It was a cold grey winter’s day in January. There was a brisk wind blowing down from Siberia. It was time for lunch, and though I love Chinese food, I was bored with it. There was a little Kashmiri restaurant just around the corner from my office, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the Chicken Shahi Korma dish, a creamy picante dish originating from the royal kitchens of the Mughal Emperors. It was the perfect dish for a cold grey day in Beijing, and I was forever hooked on Indian cuisine.
Twelve years later and it is another cold blustery day in January, with a cold wind blowing from Canada, bored with American food, my thoughts once again turned to a warm Indian dish. Indian Aroma had opened a few months ago, I had been hearing good things about it from my neighbors, so I decided to give it a go. I was raised in New England, cold wintery weather is just part of the background, nothing to be concerned about. But this is Salisbury, and even the tiniest bit of snow brings the city to a screeching halt. I walked in the door at 12:10, and save for the help, the place was completely empty. There was a small group of employees forlornly standing around the bar. There was a look of surprise on their faces as I entered. I asked, “aren’t you open?” To which the waiter replied, “yes, but we weren’t expecting any customers.”
After reading the menu, I decided to go with another Mughal dish, the lamb Biryani. But unlike that first dish in Beijing, this one was much further down market. The waiter told me that lamb biryani was the dish the Mughals served their soldiers. The Mughals were actually invaders who had conquered India, the army was vital to their survival. This dish was fed to the soldiers because it provided energy (through the rice) and power (through the meat). Biryani is merely meat served on a bed of rice spiced with saffron and turmeric, giving the dish a welcome sunny orange and yellow hue. It was delicious, but the plate was huge, I ate less than half of it. The lamb was perfectly cooked and the basmati was light and fluffy, just as it should be. For the less adventurous eaters, Indian Aroma allows you to choose your spice level, I chose moderate heat.
I also liked the fact they provide linen tablecloths and napkins. Even high-end restaurants have long since abandoned linens. I appreciate the extra effort. In the end, I wouldn’t rate this the best Indian Restaurant I have ever visited. But it is a welcome and worthy addition to Salisbury’s remarkably diverse and extensive Asian cuisine scene.
Leave a Reply