Mel's Munchies: Delicious Londonlicious

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: MELANIE ANDERSON
Grilled tilapia in a savoury mango shrimp butter was my main course at Aroma Mediterranean Restaurant when I dined there during this year's Londonlicious.

Londonlicious "The Blizzard Edition" has fallen in London and is melting mouths across the Forest City. This year there is a wide variety of restaurants with flavours and dishes from across the world just waiting to cater to any adventurous eater.

You can try a taste of Hungarian and European food at Budapest Restaurant, try Curry's authentic Indian cuisine, or cozy in to Fellini Koolini's for some delectable Italian pasta. I chose to attend one of my all-time favourites: Aroma Mediterranean Restaurant.

It's a fairly pricy place, so this culinary festival gives me the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal without breaking the bank. The 35 participating restaurants are offering three-course fixed price menus that range from $15 to $35. Aroma is offering a $25 threecourse menu for the chicken, tilapia or vegetarian option or $30 if you're craving the New York steak.

On this particular evening, I was craving seafood. Aroma has some of best seafood in town, imported fresh from the Iberian coast in Southwestern Europe. For an appetizer, I had the choice of Cream of Seafood Soup, Petit Village Greek Salad, and Aroma Soup du Jour. I chose the seafood soup because it's to die for. The rich and creamy soup is filled with large chunks of lobster among other sea creatures and is made with grilled fennel and a dash of port wine. Absolutely delicious.

For my main course I chose between Stuffed Chicken Supreme, Grilled Salmon, and New York Steak. I surrendered to my seafood craving once again and chose the Grilled Tilapia. It was a large portion-size and beautifully arranged. The thick pieces of tilapia were topped with three medium-sized prawns in a mango shrimp butter sauce. After squeezing some fresh lemon on top, the sauce was light and refreshing, mixing sweet mango taste with a bit of zest.

The mound of scented rice was garnished with a mix of juliennecut peppers, onions and zucchini. The seasonal vegetable medley included fresh carrots, green beans, zucchini and red and green peppers.

My third and final course looked so gorgeous I almost didn't want to touch it... almost. The Chocolate Bailey Truffle Ganache Cake was beautifully displayed as it sat in a plate-sized pool of homemade strawberry sauce. The actual cake was a little bit too dry for my liking, but the ganache was rich and creamy.

For $25, I would say my meal was more than well worth it. Aroma doesn't have one of the biggest menus, but as a seasoned Londonlicious participant, I can tell you that it definitely has some of the freshest food and largest portion sizes out there. Aside from the amazing food, the ambiance, atmosphere and live music on the weekends make for an outstanding dinner out. Remember, Aroma is just one of the 35 participating restaurants across the city. You have until February 3 to get out there and taste what London has to offer.

Don't flake out on this winter festival — it doesn't require your snow pants, just an open mind and eagerness to try some of London's greatest original meals.

For more information and a list of participating restaurants, visit londonlicious.ca.

If you have a restaurant or recipe suggestion for Mel's Munchies, email her at m_anderson6@fanshawec.ca