Out to Lunch

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Latest Additions:

10/5/07:		AmerAisa & Sumo Sushi
1/31/07:		Slate Street Cafe
1/29/07:		Yanni's Mediterranean Bar
1/21/06:		2000 Vietnam
1/21/06:		Siam Cafe
11/21/05:		Bun Huggers
10/4/05:		Cafe Miche
10/4/05:		Socorro Springs
9/24/05:		Sammy's Deli
9/24/05:		Acosta's Mexican Restaurant

Highest Rated:

	Cafe Miche:	4.2
	I Love Sushi:	4.1
	India Kitchen:	4.0
	Siam Cafe:	3.8
	Socorro Springs:	3.8

Lowest Rated:

K-Bob's Steakhouse:

1.6

Latest Comments:

5/15/08:	Best Burgers
10/4/07:	Slate Street
1/29/07:	We haven't been back.
11/30/06:	hi jp
11/30/06:	hi
10/16/06:	Wow!
8/8/06:	good home cooking
8/8/06:	I think the Manny's Buckhorn the best
8/8/06:	good food
8/8/06:	THE BEST EVER

India Kitchen

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Review:

Located in a small, rather unremarkable strip mall, the India Kitchen is a hidden, culinary gem. The restaurant itself is somewhat small, maybe only able to hold about 40 or 50 people, but the cozy atmosphere is evident from the moment you enter. The staff is friendly and courteous, and the food is cheap, plentiful, and memorable. An excellent place to eat that I do not fail to recommend.

We first encountered The India Kitchen while starting our adventure-eating tour of Albuquerque a few years ago. It was the second time we had tried Indian food, the first being The India Palace, which we confused for this place… a mistake that we will not repeat (just to note, India Palace was not bad -- it was just expensive).

At first, we were a little wary. The restaurant was crammed into the corner of a small strip mall and didn’t look especially interesting. Upon entry, though, the smell of fragrant spices began to ease our doubts. The lighting was low and subdued, and a small fountain in the front bubbled softly while low-key Indian music played overhead..

We were greeted by Rajul, the hostess and wife of the chef, Gupta. She seated us, provided us menus and, not recognizing us, asked if we were familiar with the food. When we told her we were new, she began to explain the menu choices, the spice ratings, and made recommendations for our first dinners.

We started off with the two-person appetizer sampler platter. It had several appetizers, including samosa (a savory pastry made from a combination of spiced vegetables), a thick cracker topped with yogurt and tamarind, and a kind of trail mix made from various dried seeds, crackers, and spices. These were all very tasty, especially in combination with the small jars of Indian pickles provided at the table. The pickles are various levels of spicy and salty, and can be an acquired taste.

We had Lassi to drink; a flavored drink made from yogurt, rosewater, and fruit nectar. It was very flavorful, refreshing, and we were told it would immediately cut the burn if we happened to eat something that was too spicy for our taste.

Right now would be a good time to make the point that, contrary to popular belief, Indian food is not overly hot. It is heavily spiced, but the spices are mostly flavorful, not hot. Also, the heat is much different than the chile burn that many New Mexican’s are familiar with; it tends to make your tongue more sensitive to what it is tasting than to desensitize it. Although you can choose the level of spiciness your dish comes with, most (with the exception of the vindaloo, of course) do not come hot at all.

Heidi had the tandoori chicken, tender chicken that has been marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a special tandoori oven. It was flavorful and just a bit spicy, and practically melted in your mouth.

I had the chicken korma. Once again, it was very tender chicken, but this was made in a spiced yogurt sauce with sliced almonds, and again it was delicious. Both entrees were served with an ample portion of saffron rice and puppadum (a paper-thin tortilla-like constuct made from lentil flour and fried). We added some garlic nan to our dinner, a flatbread made in the same tandoori oven that Heidi’s chicken was cooked in. It was a good addition to the meal, although it didn’t reheat well when we took it home.

For dessert, I had the gulab jamun. It was described as a fried cheese ball in sweet syrup. The definition of cheese they are using must be a loose one, because it was more akin to a fluffy ball of cake soaked in a warm sugar syrup. It was an excellent way to top off the meal, although the raisin in the center was a surprise.

Heidi had the kheer, which I was told was a rice pudding that she greatly enjoyed. Not being a fan of rice pudding, I really can’t comment on it.

All of this cost us about $30 total, less than a third of what a dinner at the India Palace did without appetizers or dessert.

Since our first visit, the Indian Kitchen has remained on our list of regular visits when in Albuquerque.