Aarzu in Freehold Borough named a place to find a 'once in a lifetime meal'

Here in New Jersey, we know the food is great.

But it is nice when others recognize it, too.

Eat This, Not That, a website featuring journalists and chefs, along with nutritionists, personal trainers and dietitians, scoured online reviews and publications to compile a nationwide list of restaurants to visit for the "best once in a lifetime meal in every state."

In New Jersey, the honor went to Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro in Freehold Borough.

"Since 2016, Aarzu has been serving modern, elevated Indian food in Freehold," they shared. "The restaurant serves everything from smoked quail eggs and duck tacos to beetroot tikki with goat cheese and chicken tikka with smoked tomatoes."

The name Aarzu, printed above the door to the Main Street restaurant, means "to wish" or "desire," owner Archana Sharma told The Asbury Park Press in 2021.

She opened the restaurant in 2016 to provide something she thought was missing while growing up in New Jersey.

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"There were no great Indian restaurants, nothing fine dining," she said. "Indian food is very vast. It can get very complicated. I feel it's not given the superstar status it should be given."

"I didn't want it to be a curry-in-a-hurry place. I wanted it to be something special," Sharma said. "The food has to look as beautiful as it tastes — that's something we really work hard on. We try to change the plating, the presentation, all the time."

For this, she turned to Shravan Shetty, Aarzu's co-owner and chef, who trained in India. He stuffs beet patties with goat cheese and serves them with yogurt sauce; roasts lamb chops in a tandoor oven with cumin, ginger and mustard oil; and finesses the familiar butter chicken with a smoked tomato cream sauce.

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"The flavors are very clean, but people just love them," Sharma said.

"Our restaurant, at first, more Indian people were coming. Now we have a more mainstream crowd, which we're very proud of," she added. "I wanted to put Indian food on the map in New Jersey, and I think we've done that."

Go: 30 E. Main St.; 732-333-0933, aarzu.com

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey restaurants: Eat This, Not That mentions Aarzu in Freehold