Restaurant review: We sampled the fabulous menu at Burnley's long established and multi-award winning Aroma restaurant in Church Street

The restaurant is Aroma and the owner is Abdul Majeed. One of the town’s longest serving restaurateurs, Mr Majeed saw his unwavering commitment to hospitality recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th English Curry Awards last year. The popular Church Street restaurant also scooped the North West Customer Experience of the Year Award on the night.

So I simply had to sample the menu at this well respected eaterie. We were given a warm welcome at the ultra modern designed restaurant that has a really fresh and clean feel to it. I noticed as soon as we entered that Mr Majeed, who was busy behind the bar, appears to know all his customers personally, some of them are on first name terms. It’s hardly surprising, for Mr Majeed is synonymous with dining out in Burnley.

It wasn’t long after arriving in the town in 1979, aged just 21, he opened his first restaurant, the Koh-i-Noor in Manchester Road. Eight years later, he opened Shalamar Tandoor restaurant in Church Street, which went on to be renamed Aroma following an extensive refurbishment in 2007.

His journey to success has been long but well worth it in the end and he admits the early years were quite ‘bumpy’ due to a communication gap, and a lack of knowledge about Asian cuisine, lifestyle, traditions and customs.

Mr Majeed has said: “ Eventually though, our relationship, our bond, built up and became stronger over time. Gradually, people began to realise that curries weren’t something to enjoy after a few beers, it’s something to enjoy even more when you go sober.”

He credits the people of Burnley for their ‘love and support’ which he describes as ‘overwhelming.’ Indeed Mr Majeed has said he feels like he is part of a ‘very large family here in Burnley’ and that’s what has kept him going all these years.

In 2022 he was honoured with a medal and certificate, at Burnley Town Hall by the then Mayor of Burnley, Coun. Mark Townsend for his decades of service to the town and also to thank him for the many charity events his restaurant hosts.

The menu at Aroma is extensive, you really are spoilt for choice with 12 different types of rice and an assortment of naan breads also to choose from. There is also an excellent vegetarian menu. I am not keen on anything too hot or spicy but fancied something a little bit different from my usual ‘go to’of chicken korma. So I opted instead for Chicken Hyderabadi from the signature dish menu. The meat was marinated and laced with cashew nut paste and poppy seed and infused with milk and cream. What a fabulous dish this was. Although selling itself as a ‘mild dish’ it was bursting with flavours, zingy and moreish.

My partner, Ian, opted for the Murgh Harabara which is chargrilled chicken infused with spinach, mint leaves, green chillies and yoghurt. He loves spicy food and makes a mean curry himself from scratch so he is something of an expert when it comes to curry. He said the dish, classed as medium to hot, was delicious and spicy without being too hot.

We were joined by my son Robbie who is 17 with a gargantuan appetite. He chose chicken tikka massala and cleared his plate! We enjoyed light starters of poppadums with a variety of dips and also garlic naans to complement the meal. Aroma certainly has created a winning formula which the restaurant is proud of and lists on its menu, citing aromatics, herbs, spices and seasoning as the ‘initial core’ of the Aroma culinary excellence. It was an absolutely delicious feast and the service was impeccable, the restaurant has a welcoming and chilled vibe and atmosphere. We are already planning a return visit.