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AROMA BUENA CATERING - Hispano World Cuisine We offer you and your guests a wonderful, unique array of delicious, fresh, authentic, and healthy fare -- for corporate catering, meetings, conferences, classes, company retreats, picnics, special events and occasions, public and private engagements, receptions, celebration of life and memorial observances, social functions, family gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, and more.

Our pleasure is to exceed your expectations! When you need a San Francisco caterer, or caterers elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, we look forward to the opportunity to assist you.
Services
Aroma Buena Catering proudly celebrates the vibrant richness of Spanish, Iberian, Latino, and Caribeo life, spirit, and culture through delicious, fresh, authentic, and healthy cuisine. We have an enthusiastic commitment to quality, taste, professionalism, and polish. We strive to help you make your event a success -- and an event where your guests feel special.
The following menus are just a sample of the selections we offer. Please let us know if there are any dishes you like that you don't see in the menus, or if you have any special requests we can help you with. We enjoy working with our clients to accommodate their needs. Following each of 4 Menu Sections are Sample Client Menus from previous events.
We at Aroma Buena Catering are especially proud of our earned reputation of providing delicious, quality, fresh, and healthy cuisine for our clients and their guests. We continually strive to maintain and improve our highest standards to keep our customers happy and looking forward to their next event with us.
We at Aroma Buena Catering want to help ensure your experience with us is a quality one. We especially value any feedback you can give us regarding any services you have received from us. Please contact us below if you have any questions, comments, requests, or suggestions we can assist you with.
Reviews (18)
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Sylvie P.
Jan 06, 2022
These are THE BEST caterers ever. I cannot say enough good things about them. From the very first phone call, Patricia was super responsive and helpful, and extremely patient dealing with my numerous emails, questions, special requests, and order changes. And the food, OMG, the food, soooooooooo delicious! Everything was exactly as requested, delivered on time and with a smile, looked beautiful, and tasted amazing. I wish they had a restaurant, because I would go all the time. I cannot recommend Aroma Buena highly enough, they are phenomenal!
Margaret S.
Mar 06, 2017
Totally Exceptional! I couldn't have been more delighted. Ivan Valencia is an awesome caterer. He was alongside us every step of the way: planning the menu, doing the walk through before the event, providing helpful tips along the way, the cuisine was delicious and the presentation was out of this world. I highly recommend Aroma Buena. In addition, he was highly responsive to any questions we had. Thank you Ivan and to your staff.
Deborah H.
Feb 16, 2017
A winner! As I discovered this caterer via a Google search for South American cuisine, I had no idea about what the results would be. As it turned out, it was a joy to work with Ivan on setting up the menu The day of event planning when as promised, the cuisine was fabulous as was the presentation and I received many complements from my 65 guests.

The servers were very nice and professional and it was a total success! For my next milestone birthday, I would like to use Aroma Buena again. Muchas Gracias to Ivan, Ro and Chris!
Daniel P.
Feb 25, 2016
I've had the food at a friends party and the food is definitely 5 stars. This time I reached out to Ivan for a small intimate party I was planning on having at a spa in west portal and figured Aroma would be the perfect place to cater this event. However, I don't know if Ivan was having a tough morning but he was totally put off because the size my party was not big enough for him to cater. Without even knowing what I was looking to order or the date I was looking for he immediately just said no. Just found him really unprofessional.
Lauren T.
Dec 04, 2015
Aroma Buena Catering just catered my office holiday party. Working with Ivan was really easy, and he was very accommodating. I have people in the office with food allergies/dietary needs and he made the menu so that there was something for everyone. I had a couple last minute requests and he did everything I asked and always got back to me in a timely manner.

During the event everyone commented on how great the food was. Before the event started there were a few people not with our party inside the venue. They came over and asked what we were serving because it smelled so delicious & looked amazing. I told them and made sure they got a card so I hope that helps business in the future. Thank you again for your wonderful service!
Milan D.
Mar 03, 2014
Ivan did a fantastic job at my wedding on Oct 19 2010. We had rented out city hall and he was there early and ready to set up the food. All of our guests says the food was a huge hit. The Empanadas based on what I was told were amazing. I unfortunately didn't get to eat the food (I WISH I DID) because I was running around talking to guests but everyone was in love with the dishes. Hot plates were kept hot and cold food was kept cold. Great work.
D. J.
Nov 09, 2013
We hired Ivan and Aroma Buena to cater our wedding in October and from the moment we first called Ivan to the end of our reception, it could not have gone better. We first compiled a sample menu to do a tasting. Ivan brought over all the food and a few extras for us to taste. The food was delicious! For the price and the quality of the food, we knew that Aroma Buena would cater our reception. Ivan was very responsive during the whole planning process and he reassured us (multiple times) that on our wedding day, he would take care of anything.

For those who have planned a wedding, you are very appreciative for that! Ivan has many contacts around the Bay Area for services that he does not provide. He took care of the rentals through Classic Party Rental so that we would not need to coordinate with them. He also directed us to a beverage company to handle the liquor for us. Coordinating all of this for 100 people was no easy task but Ivan's help was appreciated!

The day of the event went great! Ivan was at the venue early to receive all the rentals so that we could decorate the tables etc. The true test was the food and Ivan did not disappoint! Everything we had on the menu was great; below is a list of items that we got. Pinchos Argentinos con Chimichurri were fresh and hot since he cooked them at the venue. Assorted Cheeses and Seasonal Fruit Platters Empanadillas de Espinaca y Queso Rusula - Setas Rellenas de Perejil y Ajo Aroma Tropical Salad Caribbean Chicken Breast Caribbean Fried Plantains Quinoa Pilaf We had the dinner buffet style and everyone was going up for seconds.

I don't think there was any leftover food. Everyone was commenting on how the food was delicious. The rest of our reception was great! Ivan's crew was very professional and they left the venue spotless. We were very pleased with Ivan's service and recommend him to anyone planning an event needing catering of any size!
Sunil R.
Aug 14, 2013
The sign for the catered lunch said Hispanic cuisine which was a odd, kinda like saying European cuisine since it is so broad. Anyway, the food was pretty good. Really enjoyed the meatballs, grilled chicken and mango salad. The accompanying rice and beans were good too and despite my best efforts, ended up going back for seconds.
Francisco S.
Mar 02, 2013
Our wedding venue breached their contract just 2 MONTHS before our wedding and we were in such a bind! Aroma Buena Catering and Ivan were amazing! Ivan was professional, accommodated our menu & budget, helped us with table settings and was a true pleasure to work with. He gave us several menus to work with, all of which looked amazing. The menu we decided on was WONDERFUL!

May I recommend the ceviche?! We received compliments on decor, presentation, food and service for months following our wedding. We HIGHLY recommend Ivan and Aroma. We will definitely use them again in the future. Thank you Ivan for making our special day even more memorable.
Genevieve S.
Jan 25, 2013
We had to find a catering business in SF for a memorial service. We live in Seattle and it's not always easy to do something like that long distance. Ivan was very helpful and professional from the start. We had to make several changes to our original plan and he was always willing and able to do so. He did not confuse or misrepresent anything, which was impressive since we only talked over the phone.

Every time the plan changed, Ivan got a new invoice out ASAP. I wish I could remember what exactly we ordered, but it was a busy and stressful time. I will say that everyone who attended the service LOVED the appetizers we chose. Many people wanted Aroma Buena's business card. The staff was very polite, professional and helpful The memorial service was for our mother, who loved well made (and well served) food from around the world. I feel we did her memory justice by chosing Ivan and Aroma Buena Catering to cater her service.
Carlos K.
Apr 24, 2012
We (the bartending company I own) worked with Ivan and Aroma Buena Catering at a private event on Saturday. The food was fantastic (I especially recommend the mushroom empanadas) and the cake was delicious (I rarely eat cake and ended up devouring three slices). The servers were very efficient, polite and well dressed. As an industry expert, I highly recommend Aroma Buena!
Victoria J.
May 31, 2011
Aroma Buena Catering did a wonderful job catering for BAVC's staff retreat! The breakfast was great and the lunch was even better! They were a big hit with our staff. The food selection was healthy and tasty at the same time. The owner Ivan was very pleasant to work with. He created an amazing menu for us that accommodated those with dietary restrictions by providing excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

I was also impressed with their quality of service. They were quick to responded to emails, phone calls, they showed up on time and their food display was very elegant. Overall, Aroma Buena is the best choice anyone can make who needs catering service for any occasion. Highly recommended!
Erica S.
Dec 28, 2010
Aroma Buena catered our July 2010 wedding (125 people) and was excellent in all respects. We discussed a menu by email, then Ivan brought samples of the food to our venue/home for everyone to try -- so tasty! He helped us plan out areas for food preparation, serving, dining, and clean-up, and he was very flexible and reliable. In particular, Ivan went out of his way to check that everybody was satisfied with what we were discussing, soliciting feedback from the even quiet men involved.

He brought an experienced team of servers promptly on the wedding day and they took care of everything. We were really pleased with the distinctive, fresh flavors, attention to detail, and hearty portions (lots of leftovers). Amazing value and highly recommended!
Alexis W.
Nov 05, 2010
All of the Yelp reviews pointed towards world class food, service and quality, and I'm happy to report that they were right on! We recently gave our quarterly all-hands meeting at our company. Not only was Aroma Buena able to work nobly with our timeline, budget and needs - but they did so elegantly and efficiently. I even had co-workers asking me if they had a regular restaurant where they could just go for a meal because the choices were so delicious.

All of the food was healthy, tasty and fresh. The salmon fillets, for our pescatarians, were cooked excellently (not overdone at all! which is hard from a chafing dish) and served with mango salsa. The rest of our meal which included: plantains, rice, chicken, beef skewers, seasonal salad and empanadas was all delicious! Ivan is great; a consistent and responsive contact who worked with me to tailor our menu towards a team that has vegetarians, pescatarians and omnivores.

Not an easy feat. I also have to give 5 stars towards our two servers. They had to work within tight time lines - which was set up in 40 minutes, including linens, tables, silverware, chafing dishes etc. and did so incredibly professionally. Aroma Buena runs a first class operation with fantastic food and a staff that caters well to the clients needs. Pricing is more than fair/competitive with what is out there. I would recommend them to people any day! Alexis (Flixster/Rotten Tomatoes)
Nini T.
Sep 14, 2010
Healthy and delicious food for lunch - yes, please! I'm responsible for ordering catered lunch for my office every Tuesday and always looking to keep the 40+ staff happy with a variety of choices. Yelp always comes to the rescue. I wasn't sure if Aroma Buena would cater our company lunch because of our limited budget and the last minute notice.

I emailed them on Friday and Ivan was quick to respond, emailing and calling me back. He was such a pleasure to work with. Ivan provided me with a sample menu, I altered it a few times and he accommodated my requests. Ivan showed up early with the food and his staff was extremely pleasant and professional. I'm always afraid of not ordering enough food, but that definitely wasn't a problem and it wasn't due to lack of interest in it.

The cilantro rice, veggies and achiote chicken breast were all a HUGE hit! A number of my coworkers inquired where the food was ordered from and raved about it. I'll definitely be keeping this catering company in rotation for our weekly lunches.
Vince G.
Jan 25, 2010
After reading all the reviews on YELP I decided to hire Aroma Buena Catering for my 40th Bash at Space Gallery in San Francisco. Let me say that Ivan and his crew are INCREDIBLE! What a wonderful experience. I have worked with many caterers in the Bay Area and have planned many parties and I must say.hands down Ivan is the best I have ever worked for.

He met with me to plan out the food and really delivered way beyond my expectations. His food was amazing and was seasoned to perfection. Presentation was fantastic and everyone raved about the food. Ivan, thank you so much for making my 40th birthday celebration a total success. Your food is sooo good and you really know what service is all about. Ivan worked with me on budget and food selection and set-up.

He is a real professional. You will not be disappointed. I would recommend Aroma for any event. In fact my boss attended the party and stated that the food and presentation at my party was far superior than that of our company Holiday party! Ivan. Thank you.thank you.thank you.we will definitely call you again when we have catering needs.absolutely loved it!
C. F.
Jun 07, 2009
EXCELLENT! I've used them twice for luncheons at my company and they completely impressed me both times! I would definitely use them for my personal events. Ivan is fabulous, extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He'll work with your budget and whip up an amazing menu for you. His staff is very professional and will set up a beautiful presentation. You will NOT be disappointed.
Alex D.
May 11, 2009
Ivan and his crew at Aroma Buena Catering are FANTASTIC! Our organization at UC Berkeley throws a party for 200 students staff every May. This year, I wanted a catering company who could give us a good rate, set our celebration parties even better than previous years, and provide food/service that our students/ staff would love. Let's just say Ivan and his folks at Aroma Buena catering hit a home run on all criteria that I had in mind. Ivan is an amazing organizer.

I made one inquiry and within an hour he called me, pitched ideas, and had a proposal of a menu! He then ( a month in advance) came to scope out the party space, brought his computer with pictures of his past events/menus and sought feedback about how to prepare and decorate the food tables! His professionalism, timing, creativity are what set him apart from other caterers.

On the day of the event, there was one tiny mishap. I faxed aroma buena a map of directions (unfortunately. someone on campus gave them faulty directions once they arrived). This made them 15 minutes late. (not their fault). but they rolled with the punches and got everything set up on time. Even amidst challenge, this company rose to the occasion!

This speaks to their planning, organization, and ability to just deliver! The food: it was superb. They served achiote chicken skewers with a cilantro sauce! Delectable, flavorful. so much so that this dish is was the most popular. We also had the spinach and cheese empanadas! They were warm, flaky, and packed with flavor. The agua fresca choices of hibiscus (jamaica) and cantaloupe were divine!

I also loved their madrid style meatballs. Students and professional staff alike raved that the food was amazing. And the food was warm at all times. I must say, the event was an amazing success thanks to aroma buena catering. The food tables: Ivan is an artist. The flowering branches as a tall centerpiece was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen on a food station.

I told Ivan about the party decor, and he delivered on a food station display that coordinated with the overall room decorations! Ivan works wonders! Thank God for Yelp. this is where I found them! I recommend them wholeheartedly! I would love the opportunity to work with them again.