Mark H.
Yelp
A brief history of India Oven: back in the day, Indian food aficionados would make the trek to India Oven in a former church in Gresham for the best Indian food dining experience. The foods was wonderful, especially the tandoris, the atmosphere was great, the service very good, and the owner was always around to ask how your food was. And as it would take an act of god to get me to go to Gresham for anything, it's clear that this was truly superior dining.
As you might imagine, Gresham was not and is not the culinary capital of the world, so after several lean years India Oven moved to the former Masonic building at 39th and Hawthorne in PDX. The owner said that he did more business in two weeks in Portland than in two years in Gresham. My wife and I ate at the Hawthorne location a few times but the food seemed to be a shadow of its former self and the atmosphere was less than optimal.
So now, after seven years on Hawthorne, India Oven is on Belmont in a very new and modern space, which is very light, clean, and open. A big change from the claustrophobia of the Hawthorne digs. And how's the food?
We started with onion naan and samosas. The naan was very very good, right out of the oven with lots of onion and cilantro, cooked perfectly. Samosas were pronounced "a bit spicy."
Next up with Chicken Tikka and Chicken Biryani. I found the Biryani tasty but couldn't help thinking about Rice-a-roni, which unfortunately my wife verbalized and I was stuck with it. I'd say it was very good initially but I wasn't inspired to keep eating. Same story with the Tikka, good but just good.
Because of what India Oven used to be and the great times we had there in the Gresham restaurant, I really want to like India Oven. But based on my experience there, I'd call it "uninspired" and "adequate." There is better Indian food in the metro area (lots in Beaverton and Hillsboro).
And...I'll bet it's difficult as all heck to cook Indian food for Americans, especially in the Whitesylvania that is Belmont/Hawthorne. It can't be real Indian food, it can't be bland, it can't be spicy.