Amidst the hustle and bustle amongst the busiest of Kandy’s streets, smack dab in the middle of town, lies the Cafe Aroma Inn. If you’re in need of a quick getaway from the noise, vehicles and people, just slide into the cafe. The cafe, situated in the ground floor of the building, also has rooms for tourists, local and foreign, who visit the historical capital of Sri Lanka to explore the city and the smog-free areas around it.
Food
Cafe Aroma Inn serves a range of food suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also they’ve got a variety of snacks for a quick fix.
The Cheesy Garlic Bread (Rs. 400) we had was the perfect starter, the flavour properly infused into the bread, and with the cheesy topping, it tasted great!
The Fish Fried Rice (Rs. 690) we had, unfortunately, was not rich with chunks of fish as we would have liked. Instead, it had chunks of dried fish, that we would not complain of, if not for the expectations we had of having fresh fish. The rice was not dry or too oily and had vegetables thrown in the fray. It was a satisfactory meal, although there was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Chicken Naan Wrap (Rs. 690) is probably one of our favourite dishes from Cafe Aroma Inn, and one we would definitely try again. The naan was moist and had a grilled-like texture that we really enjoyed, and it was filled to bursting with a delicious filling. It also came with a horde of well prepared fries.
Slightly more milky than cheesy, the Chicken and Cheese Penne (Rs. 890) was served in a portion that could easily feed two. With an ample amount of strips of chicken, the dish was quite satisfying.
The Chocolate Brownie (Rs. 590) looked quite appetizing, but the texture and the taste was a tad bit dry, and the ice-cream, strangely, tasted slightly bland.
Drinks
The Cappucino (Rs. 450) came with a frothy surface with a beautiful coffee art adorning it, and we were almost reluctant to stir it after adding the required amount of sugar. The coffee itself was a bit bitter and did not have that slight sweetness, but after the addition of extra sugar, it gets better. The Hot Chocolate (Rs. 350) was a bit too diluted, and the taste of the milk overpowered the taste of the chocolate.
The Avacado and Yoghurt (Rs. 390) was perhaps one of the best renditions of an Avacado juice ever! With a hint of yoghurt an also honey (yum!), would definitely go back just for a taste of this juice again.
Service and Ambience
The cafe does a very good job of muting the buzz of activity around it, which we daresay, is quite admirable. It doesn’t have much of a customized or personalised feel to it, but it is certainly quite clean, prim and proper.
The staff too were friendly and accommodating, although there might have been hints of a condescending tone used by, not all but a few, of the staff members when dealing with the locals. Although some dishes might take around 20-30 minutes to arrive, on a general basis, they’re pretty fast.
Conclusion
Although it can be quite convenient for those who are staying in the rooms to have a quick breakfast from downstairs, compared to the other places in Kandy they’re a tad bit overpriced. However, the food will most definitely rival any other restaurant of the calibre.