Aroma Royal Thai Cuisine, Franklin Park

Thai food... the fun and unique marriage of spicy, sweet, salty and bitter. When it's good, it's realllly good, and when it's not, it's still kind of good. Lucky for me cousin J and Dad had BOTH been telling me about Aroma Royal, and I have now seen the light. This is hands down some of the best Thai food I have ever eaten. Somewhat elegant, but completely delicious, it is not to be missed.

Over my last few visits there I have enjoyed several of their dishes (I have tried not to re-order any one thing so that I may provide you with a variety). This is a highlight of my favorites so far (and I will be sure to update as I re-visit... I don't want any of you to miss a bite!) I am also including a 'steer clear' dish or two so that you don't waste your time ordering sub par eats.

The first thing I ever ordered at Aroma Royal was the chili garlic fried rice. Wow. You get to add your choice of protein (shrimp, beef or chicken). I went with chicken, and it provided a nice, calm contrast to the serious flavor in the rest of the dish. It was spicy and garlicky, and so so SO fragrant. There was something that was providing an unexpected (but really delightful) toasty crunch. Upon some inspection it seemed that there were some fried up garlic and onion pieces. A totally welcome addition, these provided some serious textural contrast and warm rich flavor. I thought this was awesome.

Next up on my greatest hits list here was the Tom Yum King soup. A shrimp based broth filled with so much flavor it almost makes you dizzy. Lemongrass gives it that tart bite, earthiness from all of the mushrooms, the shrimp broth and three huge shrimp give it a sweetness, and there is a good amount of heat (so don't ask for it 'spicy' like i did the first time... OY! FIREEEEEE! 'medium' is hot enough and if you have a delicate palate you'll still get a huge wallop of flavor when ordering 'mild'). My Dad truly believes that Tom Yum soup is the cure to whatever ailments you may have. The spice cleans out your sinuses and warms up your guts, wakes up your brain and fills you up. It's the Thai twist on medicinal food... consider it the new Jewish chicken noodle! Super tasty and a really generous portion.

One of my 'don't bother' dishes would have to be the Aroma beef salad. The beef was a bit chewey and the dressing was a bit off. There is lime juice and mint atop this dish and the combo just wasn't working for me...it almost tasted bile-y. I know. Ew. It was also super heavy handed with the onion, which took it to a bitter and angry place. If you're in the mood for salad get the simple Thai salad... its clean, fresh and delicious, with a sweet and salty peanut dressing and strips of crisped up tofu. Skip the beef salad. Seriously.

The emerald Pan Dan leaves are a real treat. The presentation is lovely... they look like little presents wrapped up and piled on a plate. Basically what it is is succulent chicken and spices wrapped up in the Pan Dan leaves and then thrown into the frier. The leaves get crunchy but the chicken on the inside just gets jucier and jucier. When they bring it to the table they will remind you that THE LEAVES ARE NOT FOR EATING! (Yes I tried it despite the warning... not tasty) You unwrap your little package and a perfect little piece of chicken plops down on to your plate, ready to be dipped into the sweet and spicy sauce that comes on the side. The chicken gets crazy tender... falls apart on your fork, and literally explodes juices of happiness into your mouth. Yum. ohhhh yum!

The Lard Nar is my next 'eh' dish, but it may be my fault. They give you the option to order crisped egg noodles or flat rice noodles and I went the crisp route. While the mixture of vegetables and shrimp that the dish came with were lovely, the noodles were really inconsistent. Somewere super crunchy, almost to the point of being inedible, but some were soggy and not at all crisp. I feel that if I had gone the flat noodle route I would have had a better over all experience, but I won't find out as I turned myself off to the whole concept.

Last but oh so certainly not least is the Pad See Ew. This is the best dish that I have had at Aroma Royal, and I cannot live without it now. A very respectable portion of stir fried flat noodles, topped with a protein of your choice (I've now had it with shrimp and beef) and what the menu calls Chines broccoli, but what I call leafy greens (not sure if it's spinach or what). The greens are a little bitter, the sauce is a little sweet, theres garlic and those crunchy onion bits that I mentioned before, and some heat and some salt and its just soooo good. The green onion really makes each bite pop and the noodles are artfully cooked and give you a serious mouthful of happy. If you have to order ONE thing at Aroma Royal Thai Cuisine, this should be the dish. It is the true epitome of Thai cuisine, the delightful merge of all taste sensations and a true culinary experience. Get this. You'll be glad you did.

Once again, this place is really easy to miss (seems like a trend with my reviews, eh?) It's stuck in a strip mall on a major road, but don't let that fool you. The food is awesome, the service is attentive (overly so at times!) and it's actually really nice inside. Lots of artwork and deep colors provide a really great ambiance. Also, there are specials! Every day for lunch all rice or noodle dishes (even the Pad See Ew) are half price! Every Wednesday ladies eat half price. Every Thursday students eat half price. You can't beat these deals with a stick!

Aroma Royal Thai Cuisine

3175-3 Route 27 South

Franklin Park - 08823

732-422-9300

Paratha Junction, Franklin Park

There is no shortage of Indian food in Franklin Park, but I think I've found my favorite. Paratha Junction has amazingly fresh food, an extraordinarily friendly staff and is down right cheap. Not reasonable, not cost efficient... we're talking CHEAP. And it's good! REALLY good!

My Dad took me there recently for lunch and I have been back three times since. Their specialty is their namesake, the paratha. I like to think of it as an Indian quesadilla, because of its shape and style, but they're really stuffed breads. This is typically a vegetarian dish but Paratha Junction has several non-vegetarian versions. You can also choose the flour that you want them to be made with (whole wheat, refined white, or chick pea) at no extra charge!

On my first visit there my Dad and I ordered the Lamb Keema Paratha and the Gobi (cauliflower) Paratha. After some prompting from the waiter, who assured us that we should order something for dipping, we threw in the Daal Makhni. Oh. My. God. SO good! The parathas were perfect; crispy and warm! The lamb paratha was AWESOME. The crumbled bits of lamb had a tiny bit of heat and were so deliciously seasoned it took me a while to even remember to dunk it in the Daal. I have had Mahkni dishes before and they work amazingly with meats, but I had never even heard of a Daal Makhni. What an amazing idea! There were lentils and kidney beans in a well seasoned tomato base. It was thick and tasty, perfect for dipping. There was definitely some kind of fresh herb, I'm thinking perhaps Cilantro, possibly mint. I mixed some raw onions into the whole shebang and WOW... flavor explosion! The cauliflower paratha was equally fantastic. The cauliflower was minced into such tiny pieces it was almost paste like... the filling literally melted in my mouth. Another perfect compliment to the Daal Makhni, every bite was loaded with flavor and just outstanding.

The meal discussed in this post cost .... get this... 11 bucks. Dad and I were both STUFFED and couldn't have fit another bite in to save our souls. I am telling you, this place is the best deal in town. On my more recent visits I have had a spinach stuffed paratha and some mango chutney for dipping (both out of this world!), but everytime I go I order the Daal Makhni... it's THAT good. The staff there is attentive and charming, and cannot fill water glasses fast enough. Oh, best part?? It's just as cheap for supper (the same menu is provided for lunch and dinner) so there are no excuses! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Paratha Junction

http://www.parathajunction.com/

3201 Route 27,

Franklin Park, NJ 08823

Phone: 732.940.1005

Pho' 99, Franklin Park

Went out for quite the lunch with Dad today. I have never had Vietnamese food before, so when he told me he discovered a place nearby I quickly agreed to try it out. Located in a strip mall on Route 27, it isn't much to look at from the outside, but let me tell you, Pho' 99 is a darned nice looking joint once you walk in. Brightly colored walls, dark wooden tables and chairs, and simple, tasteful art on the walls... modest but inviting.

We were welcomed right away by our server and had a steaming pot of tea on the table before our tushes even hit the seats. It was tasty... nothing too fancy, just nicely brewed hot tea. We took a quick minute to go over the menus and made our choices. I went with a namesake dish, the Pho Bo Vien, which was a beef broth soup with rice noodles and beef balls, while Dad went with the Vietnamese Crepe stuffed with shrimp and pork. As we waited for the food to come out we noticed that while the menu was somewhat limited, there were plenty of specials posted on lists throughout the restaurant.

Lunch came out and it was gorgeous. Colorful and nicely presented we couldn't wait to dig in. My Pho was delicious. The broth was nice and beefy, but not overpowering or salty, the way beef based soups can be. There were a lot... nay... an abundance of noodles settled nicely into the center of bowl. they were perfectly cooked and really absorbed the flavor of the broth well. The beef balls were a whole different experience completely... not a bad one, just a unique one. The consistency was startling... it immediately reminded me of eating a hot dog. It had the texture of a hot dog and the color of a polish sausage, but it was really really dense, much like a pâté. It was peppery and meaty and just over all tatsy. My only complaint would be that there were a few too many green onions in the dish, even for me ( and I am allllll about green onions). All in all I was very pleased with my selection!  
Dad's dish was also good. The crepe itself was a rich yellow, and looked like it would be incredibly spicy, but, SURPRISE!, it wasn't. I couldn't quite make out what the crepe batter was composed of, but if I had to take a guess (and I do) I would say lentil and eggs. The shrimp and pork were cooked nicely, not dry or chewy like crepe filling can be. Again, I noticed no spice, but a lot flavor. My Dad clued me in to the fact that apparently Vietnamese cooking uses hot spice in their condiments only, not in their food (which is fine with me!) Along side of the crepe was a garnish plate that held cold, crunchy bean sprouts, a lime, and some jalapeño slices. For dipping there was a sweet vinegar sauce that was refreshing and delicious... I think it was meant for the crepe but I couldn't stop myself from dipping the cold bean sprouts in it, much like fries in ketchup.

The meal was cheap, quick and delicious, which is my Holy Trinity for lunches. Although it was my first experience with Vietnamese food, I can assure you it won't be the last. Pho' 99 has scads more soup dishes to try, and I saw some appetizers on the special list that I can't wait to get my hands on. In the words of the Terminator, "I'll be back".

Pho' 99

http://pho99nj.com/

Somerset Shopping Plaza

3151 Rt. 27 Unit K

Franklin Park, NJ 08823

732-821-1828