Why I could not wait to go back to Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

We discovered Aarzu, a modern Indian restaurant in Freehold last year and I was really looking forward to going there again. This place is simply amazing, from the elevated dishes they serve to the presentation, without forgetting the service, this cannot be missed. No wonder why the owner picked this name, Aarzu meaning “desire” in Hindi. Ordering is a bit of a challenge because their menu is mouth watering, but for sure, we had to get their eggplant chaat ($16): these crispy Japanese eggplant chips were covered with pomegranate, a date chutney and candied ginger, giving to this dish an incredible sweet and savory taste. This is a must have! We also shared the Calcutta Gobhi Manchurian ($16), that is fried cauliflower covered with a sweet and slightly spicy soy ginger glaze.

Calcutta Gobhi Manchurian at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Calcutta Gobhi Manchurian at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Eggplant chaat at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Eggplant chaat at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

For the entrees, we decided to try different dishes than last time, my mother in law loving shrimp and chicken, we shared two dishes from their tandoor: the basil chicken tikka ($22) and the Truffle Malai Jheenga ($26), that are charred shrimp cooked with fenugreek and truffle oil. The large shrimp were perfectly cooked and the truffle oil was not overpowering at all. But my favorite was definitely the basil chicken tikka that was moist, smokey and packed in spice flavor. A must have for sure. Jodi got their mushroom malai mutter ($26), served with rice and for which we added some butter naan ($5) that was fluffy and nicely charred. The dish was good, but I admit that this is not something Jodi or I would reorder: the wild mushroom patty were nice and crumbly, bathed in a spicy mushroom sauce with a bit of truffle oil that I did not really taste. And by the way, to tame the spiciness (or just to enjoy in fact), I had a mango lassi ($8) that I always order in Indian restaurants. We finished the meal with a delicious chai ($5) that had a nice cardamon taste, and rasmalai ($10), these cheese dumplings that are bathed in sweetened milk flavored with cardamon and saffron. Rich, milky and nicely sweet, this is a desert not to miss. We also tried their black sesame kheer ($10), a rice pudding that I was looking forward to try, intrigued by the presence of black sesame and matcha ice cream. It was good, but I preferred the rasmalai or gulab jamun we had the last time. The presentation of the desserts, with dry ice giving a dramatic effect was a nice way to end the meal.

Mango lassi at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Basil chicken tikka at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Truffle malai jheenga at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Mushroom malai mutter at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

rice at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Butter naan at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Rasmalai at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Back sesame kheer at Aarzu in Freehold, NJ

Overall, this was a great meal, even if I did not love all the dishes as I did last time. Still, this is a place I highly recommend and would look forward to visiting again.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Aarzu Modern Indian - 30 E Main St, Freehold, NJ 07728