Indian Restaurants

[susruta]

One of the best Indian restaurants I've ever dined at is in Houston, of all places: Indika at 12665 Memorial Drive (though they are moving closer to downtown.) The service is excellent, the dishes superb, especially the roast lamb which melts in your mouth, the wine list nice, and the prices very reasonable. In my books, it's superior to some of the very expensive places in London and Delhi. The chef/owner anita Jaisignhani used to be the pastry chef at annie's cafe, perhaps Houston's top restaurant. Her clientele was originally American but when I was there recently most of the tables were filled with people of subcontinental origin.

[Jammin]

Bearing in mind that this is the India Forum any chance of some recommendations in India?

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bukhara seems to get all the hype in delhi, but i found dum pukht also in the sheraton maurya to be outstanding as well (my last meal there was this past thursday). the food was classical mughal and the gosht biryani was particularly well done imho. if you get shut out at bukhara (which only takes reservations in the 7 - 8 pm slot with the rest first come) don't hesitate to bingo across the hotel to the other great restaurant.

[JayBassin]

The best in Washington DC is "Heritage India". There's a thread in the DC forum at Heritage India

It's on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park. Phone 202-333-3120

[DocDougherty]

Dallas Texas

India Palace

12718 Preston (in Preston Valley shopping center at I-635, next to Chili's)

outstanding food, good service

Zyka (Hyderabadi? cuisine)

100 S Central Expressway #? (Richardson Heights mini-mall) a few doors down and to the right from Udipi Cafe

This is on the Southbound side of the I-75 service road, just North of Spring Valley

quick takeout or bare bones eat in - good food, fast service, very affordable

my choice for a quick meal - try the chicken biryani

(same family also runs Zyka in Atlanta which I have not tried)

Udipi Cafe (South Indian vegetarian cuisine)

100 S Central Expressway #35

nicely appointed, excellent food, moderately priced

Saffron House

5100 Beltline Road, suite 728

Addison, TX 75254

many specialties, quiet, excellent food

Edited September 19, 2006 by DocDougherty (log)

[Ted Task]

"twas back in 2004 that Mathew Grant asked about INDIA the country, not where in the US....I am searching for the same information. Going to be there (mostly North, but in Kerala too and Mumbai) later this year and would like some suggestions in Amritsar, Delhi and Mumbai. I understad that the Hotels (which cater to tourists) are USUALLY the safest, but am open to suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Ted Task

[beebah]

Hi Ted,

Checkout the forums at Indiamike and Indiatree both in the food section and in the areas you're going to be travelling. There's lots of interesting and useful info and if you can't find exactly what you're after then they're pretty friendly and I'm sure someone will have some ideas.

Nick

[petdol]

Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Indian Restaurants; Here's my contribution: Bombay Cafe on Andrews Avenue just south of Oakland Park Blvd. It features a daily lunch buffet with no less than 13 items...including samosas, vegetable fritters, Chicken Tikka Masala and unbelievable Goat Curry. Every guest receives a sizzling platter of tandoori chicken and poori when they sit down. There's also a full condiment bar with raita, coriander chutney and numerous other items.

Unfortunately there are very few restaurants to speak of in Fort Lauderdale (I lived in New York City for 21 years and LOVED Little India on East 6th Street). But Bombay Cafe is like an oasis in the desert.

This is my first post...I'm really happy to be here.

Peter

[brucesw]

Some resources for Houston:

Indian restaurants

Pakistani restaurants

Indo-Pak restaurants

You will see that there is some overlap.

I have eaten at only 2 of the Indian restaurants, Shiva in the Village, which is good, and Bombay Sweets, in Little India on Hillcroft, basically a candy shop with a small buffet. There have always been lots of Indians at Bombay Sweets but I've not been impressed with the food; the buffet is not kept very fresh and isn't very good, but it is very inexpensive.

I have eaten at 3 of the Pakistani restaurants: Sabri Nihari, which is a branch of a restaurant in Chicago. This is very good, on a par with Shiva, with excellent beef nihari and naan on a lunch buffet that is very inexpensive.

However, it is outclassed by Himalaya across the street (which is on all three lists but is really Pakistani). The food here is just outstanding. This is one of my 'don't miss' recommendations for Houston. It is a very quirky place - the owner's desk is in the dining room, the lunch-time special is served on a divided, plastic school lunch tray, etc., but none of that matters.

I have also eaten at a Pakistani place not listed, Salaam Namaste, which bills itself as Indo-Pak fast food and Paan corner. This is as much a game room as restaurant and English is very halting; food is not as good as Himalaya, though it's not bad; the menu is small and not everything on the menu will be available everyday.

There are any number of restaurants not on the lists which probably represent only about 60-70% of the restaurants in Houston. I am aware of at least 2 others, Desi Play Zone which is just down the street from Salaam Namaste on W. Bellfort (both just around the corner from Savoy) and also serves food, and Mefdi Grill and Pan Corner, a very new place on Bissonnett, just outside Beltway 8.

I have intentions of getting to Aga's in the near future as it is near me and I am looking forward to the opening of India House this spring or summer, also very near me, which will eventually have restaurants and a food court.

There are posters on the Texas board on eG who know more about the Indian restaurants in Houston than I and you will find many who will also endorse Himalaya so if you're headed our way come on by and post

Bruce.

EDIT: I see Sabri Nihari is not listed for some reason. Here is a direct link on the same site.

Sabri Nihari

Edit again: Out looking for lunch today I spotted another, Eliya's Sabri Nihari (?!), about half a mile up Hillcroft from the other Sabri Nihari, near Richmond. I'll try to check it out.

Edited April 6, 2008 by brucesw (log)