If you know me, I’m not a big Indian (Asia, not Native American) cuisine aficionado. I don’t eat Indian food but once every 5 years. That’s how little I eat Indian food. Not that I hate it but I don’t crave Indian food very much.

However, a friend of mine wanted to celebrate a big occasion with a meal at an Indian restaurant and their choice for the celebratory meal was Aroma’s in Benicia. Benicia, California is a small town in Solano County near the Napa Valley and is a sister city to Vallejo, California. A little fun fact – Benicia used to be the state capitol of California and it was for 13 months in the 1800’s according to

Aroma is located in the historic part of Benicia on First Street. First Street is filled with local shops and eateries. It’s a nice place to take a stroll on a sunny afternoon and if you walk all the way at the end, you end up at Benicia Point which juts into the Carquinez Strait.

Back to Aroma. We went during lunch on a Saturday and it was not busy at all. I was a little worried because that usually means the food isn’t good but my friend recommended it so I trusted their judgment. The interior decor is pretty nice and clean. Tibetan and Indian artwork is scattered around the restaurant. A statue of the Hindu god Ganesha has its own spot perched in its shrine, too.

Buffet counter at Aroma Indian Restaurant in Benicia

The service at Aroma was pretty good and that’s to be expected being that we were the only group dining at the time. For appetizers we ordered the assorted naan and chutney. Naan and chutney is pretty much flatbread and sauces. The garlic and plain naan were very good with the chutney. Mango and tamarind chutney are the sweet ones of the three. I forgot what the 3rd chutney was, but it was herby and green. The third type of naan in the assortment was the onion which to me was ok. Not bad, but not great tasting.

We also tried the Chicken Biryani for an appetizer and that was a delightful surprise. All of us said that we could have just had that and some naan and we’d be sated for the afternoon. It’s just the right size for a single serving that one could just have that for their meal. It’s flavorful and pretty hearty. We got it in MILD spicyness.

Chutney (top left) Chicken Biryani (middle) Assorted Naan (right)

For my main dish, I had the Chicken Tikka Masala and the level of spice – HOT. There’s one more level above that – EXTRA HOT. I love spicy. I put Sriracha in my pho until the soup is bright red and for those of you who know, even light orange is spicy for a lot of people. HOT at Aroma is probably the top of my spicy tolerance meter but it was excellent with the side of long grain rice. It came with some white sauce – I don’t remember what it was but it added a subtle creamy taste to the Masala. It was pretty good. I still rank the Chicken Biryani higher than the Masala but I would eat them both now that I’ve had them.

Rice, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala, Some White Sauce

Personally, I would come back if I ever craved Indian or if someone were to ask me to go there. My wife has developed a palate for Indian food so I would definitely come here if she were to develop a sudden desire to chow down on good Indian cooking. Check it out iif you’re in the Benicia-Vallejo area. The stroll down First Street will be a nice addition to your visit.

OH! They have a buffet for around $10 if you ever come during those times. I certainly will try to make it in one day and try all that Aroma’s buffet has to offer and maybe I, too, will develop a taste for Indian food!