That’s Aroma

That’s Aroma has closed as of August 27, 2012. I don’t know the reasons, but there’s a sign on the door thanking people for 26 years of patronage. It will not reopen.

I’m enjoying the leftovers as I type this. Mmmm… delicious!
I was a huge fan of That’s Aroma (the garlic restaurant!) when I discovered it about 10 years ago. When the Mr. and I lived in the NAIT/​Kingsway/​MacEwan area, it was the go to place for a few years. We’ve moved a bit further North, and I can’t recall a visit in the last 5 or 6 years. That all changed yesterday!
I was the winning bidder of a silent auction package that had a certificate for 2 entrees and desserts at That’s Aroma. The coupon was good for Sunday — Thursday, so I quickly picked a date and called to make a reservation (w/Sorrentino’s head office as certificate stated). The lady was pleasant and advised that the restaurant would know about the certificate.
The restaurant was quiet for a Wednesday evening. There were maybe 4 — 6 other tables occupied. We were not rushed to take our orders, and enjoyed cocktails and an appetizer (calamari with a fantastic garlic/​dill dip) and entrees + dessert.
I tried the Chicken Breast Scaloppine which had 2 very tender chicken breasts with a marsala sauce and mushrooms — almost a bit sweet, which I like. The roasted potatoes were a bit crunchy on the outside, and creamy on the inside, seasoned perfectly. Absolutely delicious!
My friend and I both tried the same dessert, Chocolate Fondant. A chocolate cake with layers of ganache. I didn’t feel that this cake was the freshest. One side of my piece was a bit dry, and the top seemed like the chocolate had ‘dried up’ it seemed a bit rubbery.
The one thing I missed from ‘the past’ (they’ve recently renovated and updated the menu) was they used to serve bread with a head of roasted garlic as a complimentary starter. It’s now baguette with butter, the roasted garlic is a menu item with a charge (wish I could remember just how much $). So, I didn’t quite get my fill of garlic ;)

We saw this place in the Hys Center while looking for a snack and a way to spend thirty minutes before an appointment.
From the décor I was thinking this was going to be a higher priced place than we were looking for. When we announced to the hostess that we were looking for coffee and dessert she directed us to the lounge. Normally I prefer the restaurant side of restaurants with lounges but decided to give it a try.
We were pleasantly surprised. Menu pricing was fair and the food was good. My wife had a coke and I had a fancy coffee drink that I have no hopes in remembering how to spell. We shared a piece of New York cheesecake.
Convenient and quick were what we were looking for. We got that plus very high quality food and quick service.

I really wanted to like this place.
I had to go to the Hys Centre for a stress test, and that meant arriving in the morning, having a drink of a high protein shake and an injection or an IV. I had to make myself scarce for an hour or so, then go back up. They gave me the cautionary note that I needed to eat something with some fat in it for the chemicals to bind to.
So I decided to go downstairs for lunch, since I’d been wanting to try That’s Aroma for a while. It’s in our neighborhood, and we’d driven by it lots of times. I was in a quandary, since I’m on Weight Watchers, and didn’t want to eat TOO much fat. I knew a salad would be good, and I could have something with olive oil to get my necessary oils for the day. But I wasn’t sure that would be enough. Everything on the menu sounded good.
The décor was nice and subtle, and it was a pleasant space, with late morning light coming in the big picture windows.
They put me on the far north side, and it took a while to get served. My waitress just didn’t seem all there. She was quite young– possibly still in high school, and didn’t seem very serious about her job. She kept disappearing, and I could hear her gabbing in the back with someone.
I ordered the Bocconcini salad, which was very good, and I also had a mineral water with lime. Both good. For my main course, I had the shrimp in butter sauce (I figured I could let some of the butter drip off, providing a little more fat). Seems like I got it with a vegetable alongside, but I can’t remember what they served. All were good in the taste department. Nice and hot and the flavors were good.
To ensure the eating of proper fatness, I saw that they had vanilla gelato on the menu with another dessert dish. I asked if I could just have a small scoop of vanilla, maybe with a little raspberry coulis or something. The girl looked at me like I’d grown two heads. I tried to clarify why I wanted it, being stuck between WW and the medical request. She nodded, and with all the bravado of the uninformed, told me that WW doesn’t work.
«I beg to differ, I’ve just lost 40 pounds with it.»
«It doesn’t stay off though. My mom did it, and she gained it all back.»
«Well, excuse me for saying so, but your mother wasn’t doing something right. WW is all about behavior modification. She obviously didn’t learn to modify her behavior enough during the experience.»
«There wasn’t anything to modify. The minute she quit eating their food, she gained it all back.»
«Weight Watchers doesn’t make you eat ‘their own food.’ You can eat anything you want as long as you count the points. That’s why I like it.»
Suddenly she backed up.
«Oh, well I guess that wasn’t what she used.»
«It sounds more like Jenny Craig.»
«Yeah…that’s it. Jenny Craig. That’s what she used.»
So I spent 15 minutes arguing with her and she didn’t even know what she was talking about. Can I get my freaking ice cream now?
Yeah, the food was great. I’ll go back if it’s not at lunch time, and if I don’t get her table. But the experience just really turned me off. Maybe I’ll wait a year or so. If she’s pissed off enough customers, it should be safe.

We returned to That’s Aroma having seen and heard that it had gone through two renovations: the actual restaurant and the menu. The first time we went here was about a year ago to the month and it was okay…
Last year, it still operated under the «Garlic» theme and when we ordered champagne (which was on the menu), our waiter was not only surprised, by they couldn’t find glasses. One thing is sure, the folks that work there and run it are very kind and personable.
That was then, and a year later… The renovation of the restaurant is a definite improvement… it is more updated and seems to have more light. The menu no longer has the «garlic» theme and in fact, when you read the signage outside it does read: «That’s Aroma Italian Kitchen». With this said, they have changed the menu a bit, not by much (the garlic soup is no longer available along with a few other things). Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your own take, the food hasn’t changed much in its presentation or preparation. This is not to say it is «bad», however, it is the same… If you are looking for what you all call here «traditional» Italian (North American) food, this is your spot… if you are looking for something a bit more on the delicate or evolved side, maybe not.
However, I should tell you all what we did order: The bruschetta platter (full) which had about 8 brushette (2 with olive tapenade, 2 of traditional bruschetta al pomodoro, 2 with artichoke halves and goat cheese [not a great combo in my opinion], and 2 with a shrimp salad. All nice and could order again, if so moved and in the mood. For the entrée, I chose the «Penne al Vodka» and my companion the «Penne Puttanesca» with whole wheat penne. Again, both cooked al dente, which is ALWAYS a plus. The taste for both was not bad, however, both were overwhelmed with sauce, respectively. Our desserts were quite good, I ordered the «crème caramel» and my companion the «chocolate pâté’ «. My reason for the «crème caramel»? Well, upon realizing the chef and also owner (father and son who now own half the restaurant along with the Sorrentino Group) are from South America (Ecuador, to be exact), I couldn’t resist and glad I didn’t :-] The crème caramel was quite good with a hint of orange.
As far as the wine, again, they still have a beautiful bar in the main dining area that hasn’t seen any human activity, EVER, I don’t think since it is quite pristine and as I said, a great space to be considered where folks could sit for «un aperitivo» or to have something small… Ah, the wine, well, we tried to order a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine, however, they only had the spit size bottles. We opted for a Zinfandel and it was fine, but nothing to write to anyone about ;-]
Again, the people who run the restaurant are truly nice and pleasant people as well as the staff… My wish is that they break away from the «Sorrentino’s» cookie cutter menu preparation and reconsider redefining themselves, really…

This was the spot I chose for my birthday dinner last year. I follow the theory that adding garlic makes any dish better, so this restaurant seemed like a natural fit for our tastes.
Our server was friendly, albeit somewhat forgetful. Although he forgot a couple of order requests, he did overhear that it was my birthday and brought me free dessert :) super nice!
The food here was pretty good. Not quite as outstanding as I might have expected for a joint that’s part of the Sorrentino’s chain, but not bad. I liked that you can choose what level of garlic you want (on a scale of 1 – 5 cloves) added to your dish.
It was odd that the restaurant was so empty when we went, but maybe it’s busier on the weekend. The décor was a little bland, but the place was clean. All in all, fun and pretty tasty night out with family.

I had a pretty bad experience at That’s Aroma.
The place didn’t seem all that busy so we thought the service would be quicker, it wasn’t. The food came out unbelievably slow. They took forever getting our drinks and then they took even longer refilling our glasses. It was really hard to get some attention.
Everything here has garlic in it but we found that in all our meals the garlic flavor didn’t really come through. It left our group really disappointed.

One night I was being chased by vampires, so I ran into That’s Aroma!, where the garlic is in EVERYTHING.
I really enjoyed my experience here. The décor was very unique and pretty, with a strong Asian influence. The atmosphere, especially in the evening can be quite romantic as well.
I ordered the Chicken Fungi with the roasted potatoes and veggies. Everything was delicious, especially the mushroom sauce on the chicken, and the potatoes were to die for. The only complaint I have is that the chicken was a bit dry. Also, the appetizer (roasted garlic with bread) wasn’t overly delicious, but it was all right.
I was all paranoid that I was going to leave this restaurant reeking of garlic, but that was not the case. Everything does have garlic in it, but it’s incorporated well and doesn’t overpower the food.
The meal was pricey, but I thought it was worth it, especially for a special occasion. So next time I’m craving garlic or just need to get away from some vampires, I’ll make my way to That’s Aroma!

Here’s yet another restaurant in the city owned by the Sorrentino’s group. It’s hard to know what constitutes a small business these days. There are so many powerhouse corporations around. At least, that’s Aroma! has an original gimmick, in a sea of mainstream restaurants that offer the same popular foods, just in a different box with different-​coloured walls. (And we open our wallets and call it fusion). At That’s Aroma!, every dish has garlic in it. I like the concept. When you sit down, they bring you oven-​roasted garlic cloves to spread on your bread. If you’ve never had this, just roast a bud of garlic in the oven for an hour, drizzled in a little olive oil, and eat. It’s delicious. The food is fairly middle-​of-​the-​road here. It’s neither fine cuisine nor chain derivative. Moderate prices for a moderate experience, I suppose. But at least it’s original. Mmmm, garlic.