Avatar’s
2656 Bridgeway
Sausalito
(415) 332-8083
Ecclectic Cuisine
Lunch/dinner Mon.-Sat., closed Sundays
Entrées (dinner): $8.95-$16.95
Short but sweet wine list
Named for Avatar Ubhi, who opened the first restaurant in 1989 (and has since passed, with his family taking the reins right away), Avatar’s now has several locations from Marin to Petaluma. We visited the Sausalito digs and were warmly served by co-owner Ashok Kumar, who has a unique talent for customizing the dining experience for each patron.
The colorful dining room is small with a handful of bar stools toward the rear. It’s popular for both lunch and dinner among locals as well as the lucky tourists who find it. The cuisine is a blend of Indian, Mexican, Italian and Jamaican styles, with a lot of crossover and vegetarian (even vegan) options. Punjabi enchiladas or tostadas, anyone? You can choose from vegetarian, seafood or jerk chicken filling—or make up your own. Or how about “rose mango dreams” (ravioli stuffed with spinach, porcini mushrooms and ricotta in a mango/rose petal Alfredo sauce)? Or, if you’re at the Sausalito location and would like some assistance in ordering, Ashok is there to help.
When we visited, Ashok asked about our preferences (meat, seafood or vegetarian), including the level of heat/spice we liked. He asked if there was anything we didn’t like or if we had any allergies. He then said he had a plan and made his way to the kitchen. Meantime, we munched on the vegetarian samosa plate: lightly fried rice flour pastry (golden crisp and flaky) stuffed with spiced potatoes, peas and cilantro, with homemade yogurt, tamarind sauce (spicy), sweet mango puree and chutney for dipping, and sipped on our Laurent Perrier Champagne from the wine list. The menu also offers a wide variety of nonalcoholic beverages (including lassis) and a beer list with domestic and international choices. Ashok later retuned with two dishes, which he called “licking the plate” and “best meal ever.”
“Best meal ever” was Punjabi seafood enchiladas, made with corn tortillas topped with curried enchilada sauce (which had just the right amount of heat), jack and cheddar cheese and served with saffron basmati rice with green peas, raisins and chopped red peppers. Yogurt and tamarind sauces added some extra fun to the plate.
“Licking the plate” was a rice-based dish with mixed seafood (mussels, salmon, shrimp), cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus and a mild sauce with a hint of mint. On the lighter side (as compared to the other entrée), everything was fresh and full-flavored.
When we finished, Ashok asked us to choose our favorite but we couldn’t decide—they were both delicious.
Avatar’s offers only one dessert: Avatar’s Dream. It’s a slice of pie made with a chocolate crust, filled with a creamy center based with frozen condensed milk, topped with crushed pistachios, with mango and rose petal sauces on the side. Dreamy for sure.
