Good News for Indian Food Addicts, Curry Cravers and Bewildered Brits
When you must have a curry, and nothing else will do, finding fabulous Indian food
anywhere in America isnt easy. But there are good people out there who make it
easier. Heres a good list to begin with, though by no means is it complete.
Click here for that
list.Acha!
Florida presents a special challenge for Indian food fans.
Yes, Ganesha, there are Indian restaurants in the Sunshine State. But finding the ones
with food you can bear to eat is trickier.
Mostly, the Florida water is to blame. You notice it---with knobs on!--- in Orlando
when you ask for a glass of drinking water. It arrives, you sip, and nearly spit out a
sulphurous swirl of what seems like swamp water. The H2O also tastes too Oh-Oh (terrible),
but in a different way, all along Floridas West Coast. And that water, when used in
cooking, fouls up the flavours enough to make eating out an exercise in mediocrity.
Why though, do the curries taste even worse than the local pizzas? Start with the
locals. Most of them dont know the difference between a balti and a biriyani..Your
yuppies and bubbas and demoralised newcomers mostly end up chowing down at greasy chain
restaurants. Perhaps thats why they revel in road games, tailgating and honking if
youre driving under 70 mph. The bubbas and Barbies of Florida havent stopped
to even wonder where the subcontinent is. They dont know about the delights of
curry. Nor do they try it.
So the lazy curry cooks, who know better, dont bother. The cooking is
unbelievably lousy. Shame on them. If you think I am perhaps too harsh on most of the
Indian restaurants in Florida, you are welcome to brave the burnt and oily offerings at
Punjab in Boca Raton. Or the nasty soapy slimy dishes all along the buffet in the only
Indian restaurant (on Route 41) in Fort Myers. And watch out: there are three Indian
restaurants listed in Tampa---Raj, Angithi, and Bombay Masala, and all will depress you
severely. Stick with the International House of Pancakes.
But your Roving Reporters found a few gems. And were hunting for more. If you
know of any treasures, please let us know. The winner will receive a packet of pappadums.
Here are a few greats, with more to come:
Boca Raton: Bombay Cafe
Oaks Plaza, opposite Florida Atlantic University, 628 Glades Road Tel 561 750 5299
(Just off the Interstate Highway 95)
All Southern Vegetarian, fresh daily and made to a high and delicate standard, this is
gently explosive, right-on cuisine. This is no swanky date restaurant. Its a new,
spotlessly clean little Deli where you can sit and select from Uttapams, Dosas, Bhajis,
Curries, Bhel Puris, Alu Chats, Samosas, Kachori, Pakora, Vada dishes, Idlis, Sambars,
Lassis, Chais, Papadums, and Gulab Jamun, Shikhand, and Kulfi. I guess it helps to be near
a university, especially in a spot as silly as Boca.
Tampa: NS Foods and Gifts
in Cacciatore Plaza, on Hanley Road, just off Hillsborough Ave. (between Hillsborough
and Waters Ave. Cross Street is Paula.)
5522 Hanley Road, Tampa Tel. 813 243 1522
Nobody knows about this place. Nobody but the happy people---mostly Indians and
Pakistanis---who pop in and out of this grocery store garnished with a few picnic tables.
It isnt even listed in the local hip Weekly Planet newspaper, or anywhere. But
man, can they cook! The owner is rumoured to be a brilliant mathematician...the elegance
and complexity of the flavours is definitely a winning formula. This one is worth a
special trip.
The menu changes daily, and is purely vegetarian, they will proudly tell
you, when you ring up to check the hours. (Happilly, they are open 7 days a week.)We paid
just five bucks for a suprisingly subtle all you can eat buffet, set up in crockpots on a
small picnic table; this included three desserts, millions of papadums, one chapati, a
sensationally succulent mango rice, curries, sambars, delicate, succulent, thin crusted
samosas and a generous selection of fruits. They also make superb dosas.
Naples: I think there may still be a pretty good one on Neapolitan Way in a Strip Mall
Well report back to you on this one.
South Miami: Just off the Florida Turnpike, there was a wonder called Shalimar, and a
proper sit-down little restaurant it was too, with a full traditional menu. Sometimes we
drive there all the way from the Keys just to stock up on take-aways. Its
conveniently just off the off-ramp and the food....the food is delicious, just like Rama
used to make. Is it still there? Well find out soon, and get right back to you.
RESTAURANTS WARNING LIST----CAVEAT DINERS!
In Coral Gables: Skip Darbar (the fancy-schmansy one) and the desultory India House.
Darbar sneaks meat into their vegetable dishes and doesnt ever tell you upon
ordering, even when you say you are vegetarian. We found out the hard way. Say no more.
In Fort Myers: Keep driving. Go to Naples for lunch.
In Boca Raton: Avoid the Punjab at all costs. Oily, burnt curry, and high prices.
Lets get them some competition, please. With the tabloids moving in with all their
ex-pat British reporters, doing their year in the sun, the community will be able to
support another Indian restaurant or three.Hopefully, the delightful Bombay Cafe will
expand and add a comfy dining room with low lights and a sitar. Perhaps one day. If you
are truely desperate, and in Boca when Bombay Cafe is closed, try Delhi Darbar, 1739 NW
2nd Avenue, Boca Raton, Florida 561 417 7007. The food rates about a B-, which for Florida
is almost good enough.
In Palm Beach: On U.S. 1 (Federal Highway) skip the dismal Khyber India Restaurant
and the Indian Gardens Restaurant, both on the east side of the road near the cross
street of Forest Hills Blvd. There is a good Indian grocery at the Khyber, at 7108 S.
Dixie Highway, W.P.B. FL 33405 Buy your own pappadums.