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Gaylord India 201 Bridgeway Sausalito (415) 339-0172 www.gaylords.com Indian cuisine |
The first time I ever tried Indian food was at Gaylord India, then located in San Francisco’s Ghiradelli Square in the early 1990s. Just one visit, and I was hooked on this “new” type of cuisine. Well, new to me, anyway. What a joy it was to revisit the restaurant in its newest digs in Sausalito. Housed along Sausalito’s picture-perfect waterfront (in what was once Sally Stanford’s Valhalla restaurant), this particular space has an open feeling, with high ceilings and large windows with a beautiful view of the bay and San Francisco beyond. The décor is subtle, but when the food arrives, it brings the table to life with its colors, aromas and spices.
My friend, Chris, and I began with a margarita king cocktail. The menu said it’s won seven awards—and we could see why. It was tasty, light and refreshing.
For the meal, we started with the vegetarian appetizer sampler platter, which had samosas and pakoras covered in a plate-sized piece of peppery papadam. The samosas had a wonderful, flaky pastry exterior stuffed with sweet peas and russet potatoes. The pakoras (fritters with cauliflower and potatoes) were nicely spiced and moist inside. The three items were served with spicy and sweet dipping sauces, as well as some mango chutney we ordered.
Even with this subtle beginning, we could feel the spices building up in our mouths, so we ordered mango lassis. They were sweet and a bit thicker than the ones I’ve had in the past—an enjoyable way to cool things down.
The entrées were served together, to share, with fresh, perfect garlic naan and a side of cucumber raita. The first dish was chicken tikka masala, which is tandoor roasted and then simmered in a saffron, fennel tomato sauce. The sauce was thick and rich, with a smoky overall flavor (but the fennel came through strongly as well).
Next were the goa prawns. There were four tiger prawns served in a soupy, ginger and coconut milk curry with toasted almonds and pistachios. The prawns were fresh and perfectly cooked (almost sweet in flavor they were so good), while the sauce had a building heat that, according to Chris, isn’t too hot but rather “comes to say ‘hi.’” In fact, I’d say most things we tried were rich and spicy, but with a moderate rather than overwhelming heat.
We also ordered roasted sea bass, which was served on a bed of sweet red onions. Spiced with pepper and lemon, the fish was wonderfully fresh, moist and flavorful. It was served with an enjoyable lentil and basil curry sauce.
To end the meal, we tried two desserts. The kheer (Indian rice pudding) was milky and sweet and had pistachios mixed into it. The kulfi, a saffron-flavored ice cream, came out shaped into cubes that looked like butter. Its sherbet-like consistency let the saffron flavor shine right through, while a sprinkle of pistachios was a nice finishing touch.
