Chow Down Atlanta

The road to Cardamom Hill started with a supper club: Spice Route. I’ve heard a lot of great things about this monthly event (see my good friend Jimmy’s pictures here) but sadly, I never went. Part of the reason is that I’m a full-fledged carnivore and vegetarian meals just don’t interest me at all. Enter Atlanta Food & Wine Festival where I finally got a chance to sample Chef Asha’s food. Two words: FRIED CHICKEN.

Yesterday was Cardamom Hill’s first day of business. I knew dinner was gonna be a crazy time to go, what with all the buzz they’re getting lately so we went for lunch instead. According to our server, there were only two types of meals available that day: vegetable korma and chicken curry. I chose the chicken curry. Of course. The thali (think of it as a bento box) consisted of the main dish, lentil soup, cucumber-fruit salad, and rice pilau. The chicken curry, simmered for five days, has a depth of flavor you won’t find in many Indian places. The salad had a mild lemony vinaigrette that was very refreshing. The pilau was to-die-for with slivers of green beans and golden raisins. The lentil soup was hearty and delicious. The price tag? $14.

Every meal is punctuated with their piping hot, homemade chai tea. It’s the best chai tea I’ve ever had. And comes with a pizelle that is specially made for them.

Remember the fried chicken I mentioned earlier? Come to find out they do have it but we were already pressed for time to get a third meal. So we had to content ourselves with a tiny taste. This CRACK CHICKEN is a must eat when you go here. Must. The meat is so tender and juicy. The skin is thin, crispy, and crunchy. There’s a slight, slight hint of curry among the spices used. Believe me, it’s insanely delicious.

I went opening day. Aside from the technical issues with their computer system, they looked like they’ve been around a while. Food is on the pricey side but very good nonetheless. Go try it.

Full Disclosure. They were having first day jitters — the card machine kept acting up. They offered to comp our meals. Twice. We graciously refused. Twice. Fortunately, their system finally went back up after trying numerous times. Our meals were paid in full, tip included. Cliff Bostock says he wasn’t as lucky.

Cardamom Hill
1700 Northside Drive
Suite A-5
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 549-7012

Technorati Tags: Indian, West Side, Atlanta, tidal

One thing you must eat at this Little 5 Points institution: garlic fried rice. It goes so well with their curry dishes.

I also love the naan here. They’re buttery, yeasty, and has just the right amount of char. Believe me when I say I eat two orders of it all by myself. P.S. The garlic naan is sooooo good.

The menu here is all over the place, having both South and North dishes, with not one particular specialty. Taste-wise, they’re pretty good — as good as any Indian in town can be — but with fresh, quality ingredients to compensate. Case in point, they use real paneer in their Saag Paneer (though, the one at Tandoor blows everyone away). Their creamy curries are respectable but lack the appropriate heat I long for when spicy curry cravings hit. Still, it’s worth a try. Other notables include the creamy Chicken Tikka Masala and the über tender and moist Tandoori Chicken.

Can’t decide what to get? Go for the set dinner menu ($19.99 for one person) with its assortment of dishes.

More pictures here.

Planet Bombay
451 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 688-0005

Technorati Tags: Indian, L5P, Atlanta

I have been frustrated with Atlanta’s lack of real, good, authentic Indian restaurants for some time now. Most times, the cuisine has been customized to the American palate. Such is the case here at Himalayas. I came in on a Friday night and the place was packed. With non-Indians. Bad sign. While service is good, the kitchen got slammed and the wait was a good 25-30 minutes for the food to arrive. They seriously need to add another tandoor oven.

The mixed appetizer plate came with a vegetable samosa, a pakora, 2 pieces of chicken tikka, a beef sheekh kabob, and an onion bhajee. While the samosa had a flavorful filling, the pastry shell was so soaked in oil that it fell apart as soon as you bit into it. The chicken tikka, however, was perfection. The pieces were fork tender and evidently marinaded for hours. The sheekh kabob, resembling more of a sausage due to its minced meat, was delicious with its perfect blend of spices. The fried onion patty was also a disaster with half of its weight and all of its flavor coming from the frying oil.

Perhaps the only saving grace here is the tandoor chicken, which, if anything else, is a winner (as was the beef kabob). The meat pieces are fork tender and very flavorful. You can actually taste a hint of yogurt in every bite. Best of all, there is a lot of flavor as you bite deeper into the meat.

The curries, unfortunately, all taste the same: sweet. All the ingredients are so mixed together that there are no discerning flavors. The naan, although yeasty and with lots of buttered goodness, is so stretched thin that there isn’t enough chewiness that makes naan bread the awesome bread that it is.

If you’re not a very adventurous eater, then this spot is for you. Tandoor, Royal Palace (Norcross), Udipi Cafe, and Zyka still retain my current Indian rotation with Tandoor blowing everyone away.

Insider tip:
Special dinners (combo meals) available.
Homemade desserts.

The scoop:
Himalayas Indian Tandoori Restaurant
5520 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 458-6557

Technorati Tags: Indian food, Chamblee

I’ve been craving for naan bread. So last week, I got in my car and drove up and down BuHi and Duluth in search of an Indian Restaurant that did not serve lunch buffet. I went to four. I called two. No such luck. Until my lovely friend tipped me to Tandoor.

This place is literally a hole-in-a-wall. It’s in a strip mall. It’s cafeteria style. There’s no waiter service. You go up the counter and place your order. You eat off styrofoam plates and plastic utensils. You serve yourself water from a huge plastic jug. There’s even no air conditioner. But what it lacks in ambiance and decor, it makes it up big time in food. This is the best Indian/Pakistani food in the city. I was totally impressed by the taste, quality, and value of food.

The Palak Paneer is the best version I’ve had here — much like the ones I’ve tasted in Asia. It is made with fresh spinach and paneer. It is creamy and the perfect shade of spinach-green — a welcome sight from the ubiquitous fake bright green color seen at most places. The curry is subtle but flavorful. The consistency is perfect. It is certainly delicious.

The tandoori chicken is so (finger lickin’) good — the meat is fresh, juicy, and tender then grilled perfectly. The boneless chunks of chicken in the Chicken Boti is evidently marinated for hours and the divine tamarind chutney it is served with, is a magnificent paring that provides some heat and additional contrast in flavor. The skewered leg-and-thigh in the Chicken Tikkah is also as good as the Boti. If chicken in bone is your thing, then this is for you.

The curries are all delicious. I particularly loved their Chicken Butter (Chicken Makhani). It was light yet still retained a great curry taste. The Nehari (a popular breakfast stew that is cooked for hours) is my favorite. Made of beef shank, the super tender morsels of meat are so flavorful. The stew is rich, but not so that you feel weighed down after a meal. I had my heart set out for the Goat Korma, unfortunately, they were already out.

Of course, the naan is absolutely dreamy: doughy, pillowy, buttery, charred. It took a good deal of self-control to stop after eating two (though, I could have very well eaten more). The garlic naan is equally good and doesn’t have an overpowering garlic taste as one would expect.

I am dreaming of the food (and naan) as I write this and I am already plotting my return later for lunch. Yes, it’s that good.

Insider tip:
Prices are very inexpensive (bbq items start at $4.99, curries and stews at $6.99). Three items on the menu will feed two hungry people very well.
Their Mango Lassi is the best.
Combo Platters are available daily (choice of curry, rice, and naan) and are priced from $7.99.

The scoop:
Tandoor Restaurant
279 Powers Ferry Road SE
Suite F
Marietta, GA 30067
(678) 560-2038

Technorati Tags: Indian, Pakistani, nehari, Marietta

I was really very surprised when I walked in the door. The decor screams “Midtown-Buckhead-ish” (to quote friend B). Yet the location spells nondescript strip mall in the middle of suburbia. Now occupying the spot vacated by Banaras (another good Indian restaurant which closed before I could get my post up), and just like its sister Udipi Cafe Decatur, this Duluth location offers a pure vegetarian South Indian cuisine.  Now I’m not really a big fan of vegetarian cuisine, but I found a favorite here.

The lunch menu consists of different thalis which they call Luncheon. Think of thali as a sampler platter. It’s a great way to taste most of the items on their menu. My favorite here is the Leisure Luncheon, a South Indian thali which comes with Kootu, Poriyal, Poori (fried puff bread), Rice, Rasam, Dhal, Raita, Papad, Payasam, and Pickles. All these for $7.95.

For the same price, I also get the North Indian thali which is equally delicious. It comes with a creamy Palak Paneer, Vegetable Korma, Channa Masala, Dhal, Rice, Chapatti, Rasam, Raita, Papad, and Pickles.

The carrot halwa (that came with the thalis on my last visit and is available on the menu as a dessert) was the best I’ve had. This popular dessert has the consistency of very, very thick applesauce and is made with grated carrots which is simmered in honey and butter. Here, they  include pineapple and golden raisins. Seriously, I’m already addicted.

The Paper Masala Dosa is an intimidating-looking crispy crepe made with a batter of rice and black lentils then filled with curry mashed potatoes and onions. The version here is huge — almost two feet long. The crepe is perfectly fried and the filling is a flavorful creamy curry. It is served with sambar and chutney. This makes for a good appetizer.

I love naan bread but they don’t have it available for lunch. No matter, I always get a free extra piece of chapatti every time. My meals here have always been filling and satisfying. Everything tastes delicious and they use fresh, quality ingredients.  To top it off, service is the best.

Insider tip:
Gourmet Britain provides a good description of Indian food here.
They have a nice patio for dining al fresco.

The scoop:
Udipi Cafe
3300 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 584-5840

Technorati Tags: Udipi Cafe, Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Duluth, Indian food, Indian restaurant, thali