My Top 5 Aroma Faves

Brick by brick, I eagerly watched as the Aroma Espresso Bar in Liberty Village slowly came to life in 2012. I’ve seen many – perhaps too many – buildings sprout in my hood, but the opening of Aroma made me super excited (I fell in love with the chain at their first Canadian location in the Annex almost a decade ago). Fast forward three-and-a-half years and I am now a devout LV Aroma girl…

If you haven’t been to Aroma, don’t let their name fool you: these guys go way beyond serving up a great cup of joe. Their food is super fresh, Mediterranean-inspired and delish. To be honest, I haven’t tasted anything I don’t love so selecting my fave menu items for this post was more challenging than I thought! Alas, decisions had to be made. Here are the five that made the cut:

1. Aroma Power Breakfast – The feta, the creamy avocado spread, the olives, the fresh bread… I don’t even know where to start. No need for potatoes and bacon here: this plate has all the flavour profiles you’ll need to put a smile on your face.

2. Alfajores – The highly-addictive shortbread cookies ooze dulce de leche and are dusted with powdered sugar. They basically make my heart go boom boom.

3. Freekeh Salad – Ok, this one is a newbie! What is freekeh you ask? An ancient grain that’s harvested when it’s young/green and then roasted. It’s low in carbs, high in fibre and has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. Other healthy and delicious ingredients in this salad: black quinoa, sprouted brown rice, organic baby kale, tomato, cucumber, carrot, pickle, red onion and parsley. It’s topped with za’atar seasoning, labneh cheese and served with a light dressing (olive oil and lemon juice).

4. Spiked Signatures – Yup, some of the Aroma cafes are licensed – including the one in LV – which means you can order your fave drink and ask them to kick it up a notch with a shot. Woot! I love adding vodka to their Iced Berry Tea Lemonade on a hot, summer afternoon.

5. Shakshuka – Thick, rich tomato and pepper sauce topped with two eggs. Need I say more? Drizzle some of their tahini on and devour this breakfast dish with freshly-baked bread.

Ok that wraps up my top five faves. Sad to leave off the bureka, mint tea and orange coconut cake, but I hope you give those a try too. Perhaps with the gift card that you may win?! Yup, I’ve partnered up with my friends at Aroma Espresso Bar on a $100 gift card giveaway to share the love. All you have to do is comment below (scroll down to the very bottom) and tell me what YOUR #aromafaves are (or which menu items you’d like to try). Make sure you also fill out the Rafflecopter entry below (that’s how the winner will be randomly selected). Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway