aRoqa

We came to Aroqa on a Thursday evening with a party of 4. The restaurant is very nice and located in the Chelsea / Hell's kitchen area. If you're vegan there are a lot of great options and of course if you're not a vegan there are even more options :)

The drinks menu is great - there Old Fashion 206 has date and raisin infused bourbon. It's very good and deceivingly strong.

I had the following which were all vegan and wonderful:
- Smoked Eggplant - with fenugreek spiced parata (excellent)
- Corn Paddu - corn and rice fritters, coconut kaffir, lime chutney (excellent)
- Vegetable Biriyani (vegan) - saffron veggies, basmati rice, spices and crispy onion (fantastic)
- Aroqa Okra Special - whole okra tossed with chefs special spices (fantastic)
- Breads (onion seed was the best)
- Coconut Kheer - mango sorbet, jaggery emulsion, almond flakes (very good)

I loved all the food and would definitely go back as there's more to try. The people who were not vegan also really enjoyed their meals.

Indian food deserves better representation-

Most disappointing dish was the corn fritters. you can't serve soggy Appe with one corn kernel ( some didn't even have one ) and call it crispy corn fritters ? They were oily, soggy and extremely salty. The Kataifi mushroom was an interesting concept but again the crispy vermicelli part was dripping with oil . Wish the paratwala paneer had some masala between its layers , it was extremely bland . The only saving grace in the whole menu was the bhatti wala murg( reminds you of Indian tandoori chicken ) . The ghost chilli chicken lives up to its name but the only spice and flavor I could taste in it - was chili . It needs to be better seasoned to balance out the heat.
The chicken tikka masala was the usual sweet creamy sauce with tough to bite chicken pieces .

Finally the desserts- the Aroqa DAULAT KI CHAAT needs to be off the menu ( yes ! It is that bad! ) . It doesn't represent the delicate flavors of daulat ki chaat you get in India . This one tasted powdery , artificial , grainy and extremely sweet .
The chocolate cube on the other hand was creamy , crispy and fluffy. Would recommend this one over daulat ki chaat!

Our son turned 40 in April and my wife and I came up from Virginia, , along with family in NY and NJ, took him to our favorite restaurant Aroqa which we have been visiting and enjoying for many years.

Owner Monica Saxena wasn't there but she made sure her staff took great care of us providing chef extras and a great Birthday send-off. This is the reason we refuse to go to any other restaurant..service and incredible food.

For appetizers: Murg Chop, paratwals paneer, prawn cutlets, prawns, chili chicken and kebab. Multiple orders.

Entrees lamb biryani, chicken biryani, chicken tikka, goan shrimp curry, and bread basket.

Drinks 206 Fashion, chipotle margarita, marigold and smoke and soft drinks.

All served timely at the perfect temperature. Jostin, the Manager and other staff made it a memorable evening.

Aroqa deserves all the stars it receives. Ms Saxena and staff YOU ROCK!!!

Kind of disappointed in this place. I wanted some Indian food and this place came recommended as a great modern Indian spot but ultimately didn't live up to expectations.

It's definitely got that modern vibe with a contemporary decor and a nice bar. We were seated pretty immediately which was good given it was a Thursday night.

We started with the Paratwala Paneer and Corn Paddu to start. Both were very good and had a playful presentation to them. A lot of different flavors going on and it was pretty good.

Then we got the chicken Tikka masala and the butternut squash ke kofte. The Tikka masala was very sweet and almost inedible because of how sweet it was. Almost ruined the entire meal for me. The kofte was nutty and flavorful and thankfully although it had some sweetness it was much better balanced.

I think as far as Indian restaurants go, you could do much better.

We were seeing a show and needed dinner in a fun and delicious spot. ARoqa really delivered. Modern fun delicious Indian food presented in super unique ways.

They are know for their mushroom appetizer which we ordered. It wasn't our favorite but what do we know? We ordered a bunch of other apps each came with a fun sauce. The corn fritters were fun and good to share. The chicken tikka masala and chicken Biryani were my favorites.

The service was helpful and polite. Of course we ordered dessert - the fried balls of heaven in a rice pudding. Perfect way to end the meal.

This has become one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the city.

Price: It's a bit pricey and many of the portions are small for the price but the taste of the food definitely makes up for it. Drinks are also pricey but they are unique.

Food: The food is amazing! I highly recommend the Lasuni Gobi and the Vegetable Sweet Potato cutlets as appetizer choices. For entrée, we usually get the Dal Makhani and the Palak Paneer. The Okra special is also really good and I thought the Butternut Squash ke Kofte were unique and different. Overall the food here is very tasty, well seasoned, and a nice balance.
Also, I'm not usually an Indian dessert person but aRoqa really knows how to make them and we always end up getting 2-3 desserts because of how delicious they are.

Service: Everyone is so friendly and open to answer any questions. They check on you often and service is quick.

Ambiance: The restaurant is beautifully decorated in a tasteful way. Everything seems to go together and they have even spent time figuring out the best dishware to serve the food in. The bar is classy and elegant. It's a good pick for date night or even a group dinner.

Indian brunch with bottomless mimosas was the perfect plan for this Saturday morning with the girls. Though our group of 5 got seated in the way back by the bathroom and kitchen, we made the most of our experience. We all opted for the $45 unlimited champagne with entree (except for our preggo friend who enjoyed a passion fruit mocktail). I was really disappointed they couldn't do the chicken and masala waffles so I got the Frankie roll. This was yummy with a little kick to it - but sort of a small portion. Luckily my table mates let me taste their paneer macaroni and cheese tikka masala - the winning dish of the table. So flavorful, creamy, and cheesy! Someone got the cheese toast for their entree which was a disappointing portion but exactly what you'd expect: just some cheese on toast. Our server was attentive and always made sure we had what we needed- including full glasses! Cheers!

This was honestly one of the best meals I've had recently. We sat at the bar and Ninad took amazing care of us. Upon his recommendation we got the kataifi mushroom, bhatti murgh chop, and chicken tikka masala. We were initially hesitant because my friend doesn't like mushrooms and I typically don't go for tikka masala when dining out, but honestly every dish was ON POINT. We also really enjoyed the cocktails and the aesthetic was lovely. This place is a gem, would definitely recommend!

My friends and I are honestly confused at the Michelin Star rating of this restaurant. We ordered two appetizers which were outrageously overpriced for the quality. The fish tikka appetizer was $21 for 3 pieces of fish that did not have any masala flavor whatsoever and 1 piece of asparagus; guess you have to fight amongst your friends who will get the lone piece of asparagus.
Now onto the kurkuri bhel appetizier: this dish is easily replicable for much less than what we paid here ($16). The bhel albeit was simple and met the minimum requirements; however, for a Michelin star restaurant, we were expecting to be wowed.

To the chef, please consult the advice of local Indian aunties.

Michelin... please get your star back.

Why this rating is 2 stars instead of 1:
Service and drinks were 10/10

greedy waitress, asked for minimum 20% tip and below average service because food was not so goo. Waitress came with a tablet and stands next to you to keep looking how much tip is given by diner.