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April 21, 2001 INDIA PALACE
Food: *** Pricing: Dinner for two, not including tax and tip: about $30 Atmosphere From the outside, the India Palace looks like a chalet, with fresh canary yellow paint and trim in a bright gaudy blue. Wagon wheels in the same neon shades define the sole entrance to the parking lot. Inside the India Palace, we found elaborately set tables with white linen tablecloths under paper place mats under glass tabletops. Linen napkin flowers in burgundy are arranged just so in the water glasses; vases of big, jewel-colored silk carnations and roses provide additional splashes of color. One is given a fork, knife, and an oversize spoon suitable for serving oneself from the metal bowls that contain almost all of the exotic dishes served here. Contemporary Indian pop music, sounding wildly frenzied to our American ears, plays constantly on the stereo. Though we'd prefer something a bit more classical, we still would rather hear Indian music at an Indian restaurant than any other kind. On the walls hang odd tableaux rendered in black velvet and sequins, depicting formal, and slightly racy scenes of near-ravishment. These are alternated, weirdly enough, with Swiss travel posters. Tinsel stars hang from the ceiling; garlands are wound round the narrow pillars. Food We were given menus and served water and masala papadam (a thin, crisp, peppery bread) moments after being seated. A trio of chutneys was also delivered: a hot-sweet green mint-onion blend, a red onion chutney that was just plain fiery, and a dark, sweet chutney, extremely heavy with clove. Of the dozen appetizers, several are mixed selections allowing for a sampling of flavors. We enjoyed the tandoori mix ($6.95, available as an entrée for $12.95), containing two pieces each of chicken tikka (fried and heavily spiced white-meat chicken pieces), boti and sheekh kabab (traditional skewered lamb, cubed and ground) and the ever-popular tandoori chicken and shrimp, clay oven-roasted and bright red. We were delighted with the vegetables mixed appetizer ($5.25), which included several scrumptious pakoras (veggie fritters) and a good samosa, a spicy encasement of potatoes and peas in a pastry crust. The India Palace's coconut soup ($1.95), sweet creamy coconut broth garnished with ground pistachio, is superb. When ordering an entree, be sure to indicate honestly and carefully the level of heat you desire. Mild means spicy, medium means real spicy, and HOT, when you say it at India Palace, is asking for trouble - so be sure you mean it when you say it. One member of our party requested heat, and he was able to eat it all with lots of bread, water, and lassi ($1.95), a soothing yogurt drink. Bread is an important part of dinner here. Ten different types of flatbread are available; all are suitable for scooping up bits of meat and sopping up curry, but we liked the poori best. Entrées are served piping hot in large portions with basmati rice, and dished up by diners from small but heavy copper-bottomed serving pots, encouraging sharing, sampling and leisurely dining. The Taj Thali ($14.95) is the most expensive entrée on a reasonably priced menu. This feast includes smaller portions of four entrees, soup, and bread. The chicken soup was bright and fresh, with plenty of cilantro and bits of tandoori chicken. The lamb curry, chicken curry, and spinach saag were served in metal ramekins on a metal tray, with two pieces of dry chicken tandoori in the middle, and a metal bowl of soothing raita (cucumber and mint in yogurt for dipping or spooning over hot spots). The curries are all distinctly themselves, distinctly wonderful, and offer up the occasional whole clove or cardamom pod as evidence of that distinction. The excellent chicken bhuna ($9.95) contained pea pods, cilantro, onion, green pepper, and boneless chicken, heavy with cardamom and cumin. Vegetarian members of our party tried the palak paneer ($8.45), a splendid stew of chopped spinach, homemade Indian cheese, and spices, and the baingen bhartha ($8.45), a delicious concoction of mashed roast eggplant, peas and tomatoes. Three goat dishes are available for the adventurous. We tried the goat palak ($10.95), in a savory curry sauce, rich with coconut and spinach. Except for the chicken, the goat was the only meat we sampled that wasn't boneless. Some of the pieces of goat were mostly bone, but the flavor and seasonings of this dish were marvelous.
Desserts Four desserts are available at India Palace. Try the kulfi or mango badam pista ($2.50), the former an almond ice cream, the latter a mango ice cream, both exotically good. All but the most adventurous diners should steer clear of the ras malai ($2.50) described on the menu as a 'puffy and spongy homemade cheese dumpling in cream sauce'. The mango milk shake is a refreshing treat ($1.95), as is the lassi ($1.75), a cooling yogurt beverage that either soothes the palate between bites of fiery curry or cools it down at the end as an iced dessert. Spirits The owners of India Palace have applied for a liquor license; for now, a small selection of American wines and beers can help put the fire out. People who enjoy beer and spicy food will certainly find things to their liking here! Kingfisher beer from South India would be a nice addition, a perfect accompaniment to the spicy dishes. Service There is a thick (and sometimes almost impenetrable) language barrier at work here. Unless you have a bit of Punjabi or Hindi in your vocabulary, you may have some trouble making your wishes known. Luckily, the staff is accommodating and solicitous. Doors are held open for older diners with canes; drinks are served on big platters with a flourish. However, there are some areas of opportunity. If you don't ask for a dish to be cleared away, for instance, it very likely will not be. Summary The food at India Palace is really extraordinary in some regards, with many exotic vegetable and meat dishes. Smooth curries, creamy with coconut and aromatic with cilantro; exotic chutneys, sweetened with clove and mint; richly textured vegetable blends… all more heavily seasoned than almost any other dining experience in this area. Vegetarian diners, in particular, will be very happy with the many possible combinations here. Well worth visiting more than once, the India Palace offers good values and great dishes that are unique in our area. The wonderful authenticity of the place worked in our favor; many of the dishes are true North Indian delights. But that same authenticity worked against us when we asked complex questions about the menu; we stumbled over the language obstacle several times. Our patience was rewarded with a memorable meal. Everything is served in generous portions; an single entrée and an order of bread might suit two frugal diners. Leftovers carried out in doggie bags are even better the next day. Open under new management since December, the India Palace is not to be confused with any previous tenant. The owners and staff may be the hardest working restaurateurs in this area; they're open 7 days a week, serving both lunch and dinner. Forego the common pleasures of American food and give the India Palace a try. They're too good not to have a full parking lot every single night!
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