Ingrid H.
Yelp
I've walked past this place a few times and was intrigued so I decided to give it a try.
It has a beautiful, well decorated interior and was kept warm and cozy on a snowy day. They provide complimentary popcorn, which is well seasoned and rich with ghee.
I was seated in a chair that was very low to the ground. While outfitted with comfy cushions, I was not sure what the proper was to sit on this chair was and I was too embarrassed to ask. My best guess is that it's meant to be a criss cross applesauce type situation, but I had on wet snow boots and didn't particularly want to do that. This isn't a complaint, but just something to consider for anyone with mobility concerns who might be considering visiting. There are some normal style chairs in the front of the restaurant that I'm sure I would have been switched to had I requested as such. Anyway, onto the food.
I ordered the "Lahana Ko Faarzi Bhoj" which arrived on a large round platter with a variety of different dishes. I am very new to this type of food, and most of it was completely unfamiliar to me, which was very exciting. The grain at the center of this platter is "chiura," a rice product which has been pounded flat and dried. It has a light and crunchy texture, and pairs well with the thinner, wet curries it was served with as it really soaks up the liquid and expands in size. I've never had this before and it was very interesting to try.
The platter comes with two bowls of warm curry, one with black eyed peas and maybe some potato and the other was darker with meat which I preferred. Both were rich and deep in flavor, but the darker one (pictured on the right) was so savory and well balanced- definitely my favorite part of the meal. They both have some heat to them, the kind that builds at the back of the palette throughout the meal, but none of this food was excessively spicy.
The main plate has a ring of various cold dishes around the edge, all of which were unfamiliar to me so I can't necessarily identify them. My favorites were the pieces of well seasoned dark meat chicken and the deep fried egg in the center, but it also included some pickled elements, some ground meat and a small skewer, which I found to be quite tough.
I really enjoyed trying new, interesting food in such a beautiful space. The servers were kind and there are many other items on the menu that I'm interested to try. I feel lucky to have this place nearby.