The India Restaurant

Saturday, February 21, 2009

This was the first of CJ's Wine & Dine dinners for 2009. The India Restaurant is in Artesia which is known as "Little India". About a mile strip of Pioneer Blvd is full of shops, grocery stores and restaurants where people of Indian ethnic background (along with those who love the area) come to shop and dine for items and food from their home country.

22 people attended tonight's soiree. A lot of bubblies and champagnes were brought which went excellent with the food served. Some of us die hards brought red wine which did not blend with the food but we drank them anyway because they were really good. I brought a couple of bottles of Cristalino Cava (Spanish bubbly, cheap but good) and a 2003 Rusak Anacapa (Bordeaux blend). Since I do not keep track of the wines most I cannot remember but Terry & Cora brought a 2005 Roar Pisoni Pinot Noir. I always like to try someone else's wine so I don't have to open mine. I thought its was tight but it opened up well after an hour or so. I do not plan on opening mine for several years.

CJ said this dinner was going to be different than the ones we have had at India Restaurant before and it was definitely that.

I personally found that it was too much onion for me. I know its part of this style of cooking but I was overwhelmed with the amount of onion. Everyone else seem to like it so it was my own problem.

The appetizers were:

Chicken Chat - small pieces of chicken with tomato, bell pepper, onion, black salt, lemon juice and Chat masala. The chicken was moist and tender and the masala had great flavor.

Paneer Tikka - marinated paneer (cheese) sauteed with bell pepper, tomatoes and onions. This dish also was very good.

Entrees:

Aloa Gobi - cauliflower & potatoes sauteed with spices and tomatoes

Nan - leavened bread

Garlic Nan - leavened bread with freshly chopped garlic (my favorite)

Lamb Sheekh Kebab - Minced lamb with onions, herbs, spices - skewered and tandoored. This was excellent with the Raita (yogart with cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes)

Channa Masala - garbonzo beans spiced with fresh ginger served with its own sauce. I really like this particular dish. Just enough spice to be interesting

Tandoori Jumbo Shrimp - very tender jumbo shrimp mildly spiced with masala and tandoored ( this dish was excellent)

Chicken Tandoori - chicken marinated in yogurt, herbs and spices then tandoored in the clay over (the chicken was extremely tender and flavorful)

Lamb Madras Curry - boneless lamb cooked with garlic, ginger, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, herbs and spices in a coconut cream sauce. (I liked this dish but by now the onions were getting to me)

All the food was very good, the wines and bubblies were great and the company was outstanding. My only negative would be the size of the group, the onions and how dark the restaurant was. I could not read the menu and for me I had a hard time deciding what dish was what. Even with glasses on I had a hard time. We have dined at this particular restaurant several times before but it was always 6 to 8 people. More intimate and easier conversation. For me some restaurants are better suited to large groups. I did not find that this was one of them. But that is my own personal thought. Everyone had a good time. There were several new people in the group but because we were at a long table you only had conversation with those at your side or across from you.