Saffron South - Review - Westlake - Austin - The Infatuation

"The sign outside of Saffron reads “Indian Fusion,” which might conjure up memories of drunken tikka masala tacos from Velvet Taco at The Domain after a night of regrets on Rock Rose Ave. Here it just means that Saffron offers a mix of Indian and Nepalese dishes, most of which are very good. Trying to represent two countries with a combined population of 1.5 billion obviously necessitates a long list of items. So, to help you out, the menu is broken down into Indian and Nepalese sections. We like to start with an order of momos, then work through as many of the Indian curries as possible—they taste even better the next day or maybe at midnight alone in your kitchen. Saffron is the type of place that works well for a casual meal on any random weeknight, but it's not nearly as dinky as the strip mall exterior might lead you to believe. The inside has sleek dining chairs you'd find at a restaurant that liberally uses the words "farm to table." There’s also a bar offering beer and wine, but for a small corkage fee, you can bring your own bottle of vintage Dom Pérignon and turn the meal into a party on a Tuesday night. photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel Pause Unmute Food Rundown Samosa Chat The tomato sauce and chutneys on here make this a little sweeter than the samosa chaats we’re used to, and it’s delicious. The base of crispy, fried samosa works as a slightly dense and flaky platform for the rich, spicy chickpea curry on top. Get this to share with the table. photo credit: Richard Casteel Chicken Momos We haven’t met a lot of momos we didn’t like, and the chicken dumplings at Saffron are no exception. The chicken inside stays tender and juicy, while the dumplings get lightly fried with nice, crispy edges. If you don’t start your meal with the samosa chaat, this is a great alternative. Better yet, just get both. Lamb Rogan Josh If you’re unsure where to start in terms of hefty dishes, look no further. Lamb falls apart with barely more than a gentle nudge. And the curry base comes as spicy as you want it to be (we asked for extra-hot), with cardamom and ginger aromatics that smell almost as good as the whole thing tastes. photo credit: Richard Casteel Saag Paneer A fairly standard saag paneer with lots of creamy spinach and some mild, tasty paneer. There are no wildcards here—we weren’t looking for any, either—but it’s a good addition to any table spread. photo credit: Richard Casteel" - Nicolai McCrary