Wendy F.
Yelp
This restaurant does not take reservations under a party of 6, so to avoid a wait line, we arrived at 4:20 pm. The Sea Island strip center is well lit and offers ample parking spots. It was a smart choice to arrive early, as surprisingly, there were only 10 people waiting. We had our choice of seating and picked a table in the back on the bar side where I would not be close to any other diners. The dining room is lovely. The owners did it great job in utilizing the space. The decor is inviting and welcoming.
Before I could blink, a basket of two large pappadum arrived with two different sauces. Unfortunately, I did not get the names. The pappadum was fresh, crunchy and oh, so tasty. Surprisingly, our server did not come for our drink order until after we finished. With knowledge of the portion sizes (thanks, Yelpers), I did not ask for more though I really love a salty crunch and probably could have munched my way through at least two more.
I ordered the Bombay Gin-Gin, their version of a gin and tonic, prepared with (obviously) Bombay Gin, a lime ginger juice and tonic water. It was clean, crisp and a good choice. My husband abstained. The wine list is adequate; however , I was surprised that prices started at $14.00/glass, a bit pricey for the area, with no option for a less costly glass of house wine.
We started with an order of Kheema Samosa, 3 large, crisped pastries, filled heavy with spiced ground lamb. Served with a dipping sauce, (tamarind?), they were filling and really delicious.
My husband loves hot, spicy food so he immediately went for the Lamb Vindaloo, a 'three pepper' dish prepared in a hot Goan red chili sauce. The portion was huge and served with a more than ample order of a fragrant rice. He also ordered a side of honey ginger naan. He was happy, full and yes, took home 2 of the four naan and enough of his entree for a second meal.
My entree, unfortunately, did not meet my expectation. The rack of lamb, marinated with herbs and spices, grilled in a tandoor, served with vegetable biryani, broccoli and garlic naan was huge and was beautiful. The four large, double lamb chops were stacked high over a generous portion of vegetable biryani. At the server's suggestion, they were ordered medium rare; however, what arrived was medium to well done. They were neither warm or fresh tasting. The broccoli was almost cold to my touch, brown, very off putting. The naan was hot, fresh and delicious. The biryani was tasty, but left to take home, along with 2 pieces of naan. Perhaps, I should have sent the lamb and broccoli back. Perhaps, I ordered the wrong dish. By the time our entrees arrived, the dining room was full and frankly, I was full already so I chose not to 'rock the boat,' so to speak.
The menu is large with options for any diner. We will return as there are other selections that I know will delight. Welcome to the 'hood, Spice Palette!