Flavor of India

The service was slow, the food was average, and the prices are very high.

Flavor of India is of course not soul food, but it is food for the soul. Every time I eat there I find myself stopping between bites, food sitting on my tongue, making a pleasant grunting sound as my eyes roll back in my head for a moment. You are always served several little delicacies with each meal so you get a plethora of different flavors to savor. Here is a tour of what your palette will typically experience. Upon sitting down in the nicely appointed dining area you are speedily served a basket of chip-like, crisp, salty cracker breads. These get the juices flowing. Salad and soup come with most everything. The lentil soup is the usual recipe but done to perfection. Big bay leaves bob throughout alerting you to homemade quality practiced in the kitchen. Everything has this artisan quality, it all feels like it comes from the same assured hand. Everything goes together that well. The Naan breads come in garlic, onion, cheese, plain among others. The garlic is my favorite by far and three sauces accompany the Naan. I don't know what they are but they are amazing. Samosas are stuffed with seasoned potatoes and peas and the pastry crust is like one you might find on a perfectly baked pie. These are heavenly and not to be missed. I always order the Chicken Tikka Masala. The clay-pot-roasted chunks of tender all white meat chicken are an indescribable treat. But the sauce steals the show. A creamy, lightly spiced, sweet, tomato-y concoction of sheer perfection. This comes with the tastiest, lightest white rice I've ever had. This is not your sticky white rice served in most Asian restaurants, this is a wholly different preparation that is delicious. When you rave about rice there isn't much left to say! I've never had room for desert. Though the sweets on offer all sound amazing and I'm sure they follow in the quality of the rest of the wonderful dishes at Flavor Of India.