The night we visited (a Tuesday), there was a special where, if you ordered two glasses of a particular wine, you were offered the bottle—how could we resist? We went for a food-friendly Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay.
A pair of vegetable samosas (crisp, golden pastries filled with spiced potatoes and peas) were served with three sauces ranging from hot to sweet. We also ordered some mango chutney and cucumber raita to use with them and other things. A hot and delicious cream of tomato soup was next, garnished with fresh cilantro and green onions that added a nice texture. The chicken tikka appetizer was spiced on the exterior, sliced thin and tender and served on a bed of shredded cabbage leaves. It’s cooked in the tandoor oven, where the skewered meat cooks from the inside out because the rods get so hot in the 800+ degree temperatures. We also learned how naan is cooked (Indian flatbread). We ordered the garlic basil variety, and watched as the dough was flattened, smothered with ingredients, then slapped onto the oven’s side where it cooks almost instantly.
Next came the dosa (off the Southern Indian menu list), which is a crepe made with rice flour and lentils. It was large (enough for two) and filled with potatoes and onions. We went for a medium spice level, which was mild to us (but might be hot for some). It came with vegetable soup and a couple sauces. One was called “gun powder,” but we thought the coconut cilantro (I know, it sounds harmless) had more of a kick.
Our second entrée was off the menu area where you can customize a dish by choosing a sauce, a meat or vegetable and a spice level. We went for hot jumbo prawns with the kadhai-karahai sauce, a blend of ginger, garlic, vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs and 21 spices. It was so much fun to eat, I felt like there was a spice party going on in my mouth.
To end this particular flavor adventure, we ordered housemade pistachio saffron ice cream (delicious) and gulab jamun (bite-sized fritters in coconut syrup). Another good thing we discovered at the end of our meal is that a second location is set to open at the corner of Dry Creek Road and Healdsburg Avenue at the end of June.
