I was staying at Lake Forest and in the mood for some Indian food - Social Aroma was within walking distance so I decided to try it. It was inside a Comfort Inn (not a place well known for their cuisine). There was a modest sign for Social Aroma on the sidewalk that had seen better days, so I was not sure what to expect. Well, the cover definitely did not match the book inside! This place was excellent!. I was seating in the same space used for the hotel breakfast, but the combination, Greeter, Waiter, Cashier guy was friendly and answered all my questions while I had a glass of Chardonnay . I had a Lamb Vindaloo at Indian Spice levels with the Chili Garlic Naan and wow! The spice level was just right - after the first 2 spoonfuls I was about to ask for some additional chili. My eyes teared up on the 3rd bite and then it was fire all of your guns at once and explode into space! Really, really good with excellent heat and fantastic flavors. The lamb was very tender and tasty. I would highly recommend the Social Aroma. While the setting is a bit modest, their menu is extensive and my choice made me wish that I had the capacity to try something else, but that will have to wait until next time. If you like Indian food, you need to visit the Social Aroma. read more

Social Aroma - Lamb Vindaloo Indian Spicy - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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We were in mood for spicy Chinese Hakka noodles. Found social aroma and ordered Hakka Noodles , Manchow soup and butter chicken. We asked the spice level to be mild of the soup and medium of the noodles but to our taste buds it was quiet much so beware of the spice level that you choice. The butter chicken was delicious. Would love to visit someday in person. Halal read more

SOOOOO delicious and authentic. I highly recommend the chicken tika masala with garlic naan. The staff is super amazing and courteous and welcoming. Highly recommended read more

We tried this place for the first time They have two other locations as well Do try their Kathi roll vada pav and pizzas They are awesome read more

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Got takeout. The butter chicken and chicken tikka tasted identical. Asked for both to be mild but were spicy. Garlic naan was good, as were the rice and noodles. On the pricier side but not outrageously so. read more

Wow! Wow! We found this hidden gem inside the Comfort Inn in Irvine. The owner runs the entire restaurant by himself with no wait staff or additional chefs. His food was outstanding! I had lentil soup and samosas with an amazing tamarind chutney, so delicious. We also had a paneer wrap, garlic Naan, and goat curry , all were freshly made and full of flavor. We highly recommend you give them a try. read more

I tried the tandoori paneer tikka. The flavor is quite underwhelming and could use some chutney. Ambiance is nice and modern but they were still. Leaning up from. Breakfast, I felt like I was infringing even though their lunch operations had started. The waiter was friendly and offered me water. Location: cut through south county eye care to get here, its right next to McDonald's. read more

Social Aroma - Paneer tikka with cabbage - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We ordered take out. Arrived a bit early but the food was ready. Looks like this place is part of a hotel and no one was around at first. After that service was quick. We had Butter Chicken. Sauce was delicious, ate some with a spoon, but there wasn't much chicken. Expected more for the price. Garlic Naan was crispy and tasty. Hakka Noodles were plentiful and tasty. Food 4 + stars. Price 3 stars. read more

Social Aroma - Hakka Noodles. Famous Butter Chicken. Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

My husband has been looking for Vada Pav/Pav Vada for a long time. We finally found it here, and it's delicious! We ordered Vada Pav, Pani Puri, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Paratha, and Garlic Naan. The Vada Pav hit the spot, the Kashmiri Dum Aloo was so tasty, and the garlic naan scrumptious. The pani puri was good to try for our first time. We'll be back! read more

My first thought walking up was "hmm" (not bad just interesting lol) as i was not sure what i was expecting walking up but the restaurant was different than i assumed. The restaurant is inside a Comfort Inn hotel and basically consists of a handful of tables (from what i could see there may have been another seating area but unsure) attached via stairs to the "continental breakfast" room of the hotel and has outdoor seating couches as shown in images on Yelp! It was not what we were expecting in the slightest lol - the employees were very kind and helpful and explained that the majority of the menu is gluten free so if you see a "(G)" it actually meant it had gluten (we completely had that backwards before asking). We tried the fried Cauliflower (Desi Gobi Manchurian) as an appetizer which was really good however could have used slightly more crispy (8/10); we also got the chicken Tikka Masala which was delicious (9/10) however could have used more chicken and the chicken Biryani - this was our first time trying this and the spices were very good we just weren't a fan of a seed that's in the recipe that has a strong bitter like flavor when you bite into it. Avoiding whatever the seed was - another good item!! Lots of people think "hotel in a comfort inn??" But it's worth a try absolutely!! read more

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Social Aroma is one of the more unusual dining experiences I have had. This Indian restaurant is located on the first floor of a Comfort Inn. They were still cleaning up after the breakfast service, when we came for an early weekend lunch, and you could see into the hotel lobby and watch the guests coming and going. The menu is pretty large with appetizers like pani puri and papdi chaat, curries, tandoori and even pizzas! We ordered a couple of dishes - Desi chicken curry and saag paneer. We ordered our dishes medium spicy, but they leaned more towards mild. The saag was very good. The chicken curry was tasty but was cooked in a lot of oil - otherwise we would have probably gobbled all the sauce up! Probably would not recommend for a first date because it might look kind of sketchy driving up to or meeting at a hotel. read more

Social Aroma - Desi Chicken Curry - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Decided to try out this place. I got Tikka Masala and garlic naan bread. It was super delicious. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone. They have something for everyone. The people are kind and helpful. It is located inside of a hotel. read more

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Hidden Gem Worth Visiting! Social Aroma is a fantastic spot for modern Indian cuisine -- bold flavors, beautifully presented dishes, and a menu that puts a fresh twist on traditional favorites. Everything tastes freshly made, and you can tell the chef cares about quality. It's also super convenient, located right off the 5 freeway, so it's perfect for a quick lunch stop or an easy dinner out. The space is clean, comfortable, and welcoming. They truly deserve more attention -- the food is excellent, the service is friendly, and the prices are fair. If you haven't been yet, make the trip... you'll be glad you did! read more

Food is good. Tried the butter chicken and the lamb saag. Portions were unexpectedly small. They claim that they're enough for two, but it's actually a decent one person serving. Naan is $6-ish, no bread or rice included with entree. On the pricy side for a meal for two, especially considering the Quality Inn setting. read more

This place is a gem! Super lowkey inside a hotel. We got the butter chicken, kadhi chicken and curry prawns and everyone was amazing. The garlic naan was also perfect too. Def coming back and would recommend!! read more

Social Aroma - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We are staying in the hotel and decided to order in. Food was okay at best, we ordered butter chicken, lamb, tika pizza and a side salad. The side salad was just raw red onions and raw jalapeños. There was two options for a side salad "indian side salad" and "side salad". The last thing i expected from a regular side salad was a box full of raw jalapeno and red onions. It went straight in the trash. The restaurant manager is also incompetent. The way she responded to my call regarding my order made it seem like she barely spoke or understood english. That is the only logical explanation for her daft responses. Hard miss. read more

Social Aroma - Side Salad - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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super delicious indian food! we ordered appetizers, drinks and mains and wow everything was so yummy. my family of 4 went for a birthday and the portion sizes were great to enjoy while dining in and we took leftovers home. it was a good amount of food for the price. the saag is so delicious all of us were obsessed with it as well as the papdi chaat. soo yummy. i definitely recommend the saag and naan. everything we ordered was delicious and we will definitely be back. we highly recommend! read more

This review is solely for my takeout experience! I was craving some late night butter chicken but wanted something with a good level of spice. I ordered the extra spicy butter chicken, and it was exactly what I hoped it would taste like! The location is a bit odd and portions are small, but the taste hits the nail for that late night craving after a long day. read more

We were greeted warmly upon arrival and seated right away. We ordered paneer tikka masala, kadhai paneer, and garlic naan. Each dish was so flavorful and delicious! Prices are very reasonable, will definitely return!! read more

I'm not sure how the place has so many great reviews. The place was sub par by all means. We got a pizza and two dishes. Nothing tasted great. It was all okay. The pizza was inedible. The place was empty and service was okay. But nothing to talk about. The place is in a hotel so very clean and looks nice. They have an outdoor area which looks nice. But we won't be going back. Maybe because it's in a hotel they made the blandest dishes ever for us. But we went to Indian food for Indian food. We won't go back. read more

Deserves 5 stars for sure! If you eat with your eyes first then you will be pleased with the presentation of your dishes. The service was great each time we have visited this place. You will leave feeling welcomed and appreciated for choosing to dine here. They have a rewards program to show their appreciation for loyal patrons. Hands down the best Indo Chinese cuisine within 25 miles or more. The flavors are complex and provocative. The textures reflect the careful thought of authenticity. The mulligatawny soup packs bold flavors full of fresh ground spices and herbs. The Manchurian balls are so flavorful and should be every vegetarian's fav appetizer. Try it out while it's Hot & New. Be the first in your friend group to know about this hot, new place for IndoChinese cuisine read more

Social Aroma - Manchurian Balls - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We had a wonderful dining experience here! The food tasted incredibly fresh, and every dish was prepared with care. We tried the Gobi Manchurian, Cashew Paneer, and Dum Aloo--all were delicious. We requested a mild spice level, and the kitchen nailed it perfectly for my family's palate. Great food and even better service! read more

We ordered our usual dishes , chicken tiki masala and chicken saag it was surprisingly delicious, the service was also great. Definitely recommend. read more

I had the BEST experience with this place, Fiye was our server and she was by herself and was so busy, but she was beyond AMAZING, she was always making sure we don't need anything... Highly recommended this place if you want a great Indian food, and make sure ask for Fiye ;) read more

My daughter found this restaurant on yelp! What a wonderful gem! Amazing service the food was fabulous and priced well! Don't let the fact that it's attached to a hotel detour you. Honestly some of the best food I have had in a long time. Great gluten free options too! Delicious Check them out. read more

Ok, this is the most unlikely spot for really good Indian food. One less star 'cause there's no ambiance (none), it's literally attached to the lobby of a Comfort Suites hotel, but the service was warm & friendly, and the food was really good. The spicy was spicy, the moist chicken was moist, the portions were generous. Strongly recommend. read more

We tried this place for the first time and really liked it! It was a bit surprising that it's inside a Comfort Inn, but once I went in, it felt like a nice restaurant. The place was clean and bright, with seating inside and outside. We ordered chicken tikka masala, and wheat rotis. Everything tasted amazing! The tikka masala had a nice bit of spice! (next time will order with medium spice level). Service was excellent. read more

Social Aroma - Chicken Tikka Masala /w Wheat Roti - Indian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Ordered poutine. Called to confirm if it was thw classic poutine and they guys said yes with a touch of Indian spice. The fries were served separately and they gave a container full of tika masala with cheese in it. It was not edible. Straight in the trash. Big mistake read more

The most amazing chicken tikka masala I've ever had! My kids also loved that the mild was mild enough for them to enjoy! Soooooo delicious!!

This is a great spot with great food. I didn't expect from reading reviews that this was inside a Comfort Inn, so it was a little strange to pull up to a hotel when I was expecting a restaurant. We had the butter chicken and the chicken tikka masala, and two garlic naans. Everything was cooked perfectly. The setting is clean and bright during the day, with inside and outside seating. This restaurant seemed empty for lunch time, however. Overall a great choice for Indian cuisine. read more

This is a "must do" for me every time I'm in OC. Tucked away in an unassuming dining room in the Comfort Inn, first impression's may not be positive. BUT the food and service place this easily among the very top Indian restaurants I've found in the US. The Biryani, in particular is a revelation. read more

This is a great vegetarian spot. Ambience is awesome. Great place to grab a bite. Stay on the healthy side and enjoy with friends and family. read more

We are so glad this restaurant came to our neighborhood. Truly a great eating experience and dining experience. The food was fresh and the flavors were fabulous and the twist on Indian food was a lot of fun. They are traditional Indian food also, but they have a lot of fun things on their menu, see you soon guys, will be back read more

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Had nothing else to do while waiting for food so ended up writing this review . Went for lunch on a Sunday afternoon with family. Half of the food ordered came in while rest of the family members were waiting for theirs . This is restaurant 1:1 , you serve the tables' food all at once and not one at a time . Food was good no complaints about it. I would suggest either increasing the staff or reducing the variety and focus on quicker service. read more

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Great food at a cozy local spot. Tucked in the lobby of a hotel, the location is closed on Mondays.

Great tasting food. The Vindaloo and Famous Butter Chicken was outstanding. Must eat with the Garlic Naan. The service was excellent. Thank you Riy for your recommendations for next time! See you soon read more

What a wonderful find. The food and service were perfect. You can tell everything is made from to order from scratch. Don't miss out on this hidden gem in Lake Forest. We will be back!! read more

Food was on point with the flavors! All the drinks we orders (Jal jeera soda, Kala Khaitan). We ordered a bunch of apps and vegetarian entrees. Very satisfied. read more

This is a new Indian restaurant located inside a comfort Inn. We had some good food and the service was really good. The inside is also quite nice. The ambiance inside is modern and bright. The manager of the restaurant took our orders and stopped by to chat. He made recommendations like the desi gopi Manchurian which was very nice. We were not looking for anything heavy. Besides the gopi Manchurian, we had the pani puri (a hit), chicken fried rice (very good), and malai chicken tikka (also very good - creamy and flavorful). The husband had an Indian beer (Taj) as well. What's better was that they were playing the highlights of the 20 20 World Cup game which was a nice bonus. I'll be back to try more on the menu. read more

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This restaurant surprises with a menu that is different from the usual. Excellent service. Would recommend and definitely would revisit.