Lemon Paparadelle w/ Fava Beans

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
July 1, 2005

AROMA
36 E 4th St
(Lafayette St & Bowery)
New York, NY 10003
212-375-0100

Aroma is a brand new, sweet little Italian restaurant run by a husband-and-wife team. Location is good, decor charming, and service endearingly quaint.

Overall, the food is pretty good, but at the end of the day the prices make you wonder if it is really worth it. Actually, let me just say it right now. It’s not worth it. Appetizers are in the mid $10’s and entrées are in the high $20’s. The price/quality ratio here is horribly skewed and NOT to the the diner’s advantage.

The braised duck salad was a good starter, as the poached egg, pancetta and walnut oil had a good balance in flavor and texture, although the duck itself was entirely skipable. The lemon papardelle with fava beans was simple, refreshing and tasty, but not out of this world.

Most disappointing of all was my dessert. The mint panna cotta was $10 and admittedly the worst dessert I’ve tasted in the past five years. It tasted like badly-made, milky jello that had been sitting the fridge for too long. Mint should help a dessert taste refreshing and not artificial. This is what really ruined it for me. I would have been upset with the dessert if it had been $5 but at $10 I found it unacceptable.

Also in East Village, Italian, Pasta