Picture finding the perfect culinary oasis tucked away in a small shopping plaza in a nondescript building. It’s small but not cramped, colorful but tastefully so, and serves some of the most delightful cuisine off the Las Vegas Strip. Sounds like a daydream? That’s how we felt when we stepped inside Aroma Latin American Cucina. We were invited in to sample the menu at lunch, but what we enjoyed was more than just the meal. From the service to the ambiance, this spot felt like a hidden gem. We talked with Chef/Owner Steve Kestler to get the inside scoop on Aroma and what diners can expect on their own trip down the rabbit hole.
An Exotic Home-Cooked Experience
Dining in Aroma felt less like an ordinary sit-down experience and more like an exotic home-cooked meal in a different world. From the colorful sofa to the candles and the vines strewn around the lamps, every detail felt charming. “We wanted to share the feeling of having dinner back home at a Guatemalan restaurant,” Kestler explained. “All the decor was brought from Guatemala. We traveled to different parts of the country and collected iconic objects and ornaments that represent our culture, the masks, the pork tripe balls and the paintings, which are made 100% by Guatemalan artisans. As time went by, I started bringing artisanal kitchen gadgets that you can find in any mercados through the country (kitchen gadgets that, to this day, are used in Guatemalan modern life). The design and process were actually supernatural as the bright colors and everyday things speak for themselves.”
Showcasing Diverse Latin American Flavors
Chef’s Guatemalan upbringing greatly influenced the restaurant’s entire concept—not just the decor, but the very heart and soul of the menu. “I always wanted to eat at a restaurant where I could order a Lomo Saltado from Peru, a taco from Mexico, empanadas from Argentina, and a lot of other dishes from Latin America, but all the restaurants focused on one type of cuisine,” Kestler explained. “I always think there is so much flavor profiles from Latin America to be shown, that is when I started to think about the concept, a restaurant that can showcase the flavors, ingredients of the Latin American region, on top of that I always felt the responsibility to cook the food that I’ve grew up on, Guatemalan food it is still in the unknown, we have enough millennial gastronomic culture, with ancestral dishes that are 3 thousand years old, that is one of the reasons our menu changes often, there is so much to explore, we’ll never stop bringing new flavors to the table.”
Balancing Tradition and Innovation in the Kitchen
The chef’s menu at Aroma is steeped in tradition, but not always the kind you’ll find in schools and textbooks. “Traditions are the starting point to create ideas for dishes, formal training allows us to convert them into restaurant-quality dishes,” Kestler said of the restaurant’s style and concept. “At the restaurant we have guidelines when developing new menu items, for example; if the final dish is so traditional that people will be able to cook it at home it won’t make it to the menu, if the final dish it is too complicated that people won’t be able to understand it it also won’t make it to the menu, Balance is key.” Of course, a chef always has his favorites, and we had to ask. “Hard question… but probably will go with the Peruvian ceviche, the Guatemalan churrasco, and the Fresas Con Crema, all three dishes with bold, vibrant flavors that represent the restaurant really well.”
The Art of the Churrasco
While the menu items might look and sound fairly basic, the flavors and presentation are anything but. Each menu item at Aroma is presented on the plate (or in your mouth) with unique essences you likely won’t find elsewhere. “The churrasco is a good example of it, it is composed by eight different things on the plate, all ingredients available to everybody at any supermarket, but each component cooked with a different technique to bring it to life, the creative process for this dish was to recreate lunch on a Sunday at my mother’s house.”
From Strip Establishments to a James Beard Nomination
Chef also drew on his extensive experience working at prestigious establishments on the Strip like Bouchon Bistro and Bazaar Meat. “Both establishments gave me so much knowledge, to name a few things, Bouchon gave me discipline, a sense of urgency, and the soigné aspect of a professional kitchen, Bazaar gave me freedom, creativity and the soigné aspect of becoming a chef.”
Acknowledging Hard Work and Team Effort
If you’re not yet convinced why Aroma is definitely a spot to watch, note that Chef Kestler was nominated last year for a James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southwest Award. “So many chefs that I admire are recipients of this award so it was a great feeling to be there, it was a recognition that made us proud of all the hard work we have put in the restaurant for the last 3 years, a recognition not only for me but for all the team and for all the people that has handed a hand so many times, as I’m only an extension of all off them.”
A Bright Future for Aroma
“The future looks bright, I can envision a slightly bigger location with full bar menu, open fire pit with a huge comal for handmade tortillas and an A+ team, we’ll continue evolving by exploring new ingredients new techniques new countries new dishes but most of all by renewing ourselves everyday to make better food than yesterday.”
