Hot Dish Review

It had a been a long, long time since I last ate Indian food, other than the frozen tikka masala or palaak paneer dinners that are actually quite palatable.

But I had a craving so I talked LC into going to Desi Spice, just a few minutes away, located above the Midtown Art Cinema. The decor is not fancy, with only a few ornate gold Indian pieces set against a background of red and turqoise, puncuated with plain white tables and cheap black chairs. It was getting late and only a few guests remained. Preferring to keep my dining experiences geographically authentic, I ordered a King Fisher beer imported from India.

More familiar with Indian cuisine than LC, I decided we should share a couple of my favorites, including the spiciest Indian dish, vindaloo, available with your choice of proteins. Nevertheless, he spotted tandoori wings on the menu, so we tried them. They were an unnatural shade of red and not nearly as spicy as we had hoped.

I steered away from fried samosas in favor of naan, traditional Indian flatbread cooked in a tandoori oven, with two dipping sauces, a spicy chili and a refreshing raita made with yogurt and cucumber, a strange call for me, the cucumber hater.

An order of palaak paneer and shrimp vindaloo, would be plenty for us to share. We snacked on the pleasingly chewy naan, alternating between the spicy and the cool dips. The dishes arrived with a side of jasmine rice which we spooned onto our plates, topping it with the shrimp vindaloo. LC noted right away that the shrimp were overcooked. It seems they had been simmering in the sauce for hours. I was surprised to find no vegetables in the dish, just twenty of the tiny rubbery shrimp. The sauce displayed some depth, but I’ve had hotter vindaloos.

The palaak paneer was more pleasing. Cubes of cheese with a firm, dense texture were buried in the rich creamed spinach.

My last experience here was a bit better. The place is consistently busy and I’ve read both glowing and negative reviews online; some say it is the most authentic Indian food they’ve had in Atlanta, while others say the exact opposite. All I can say is, don’t get shrimp.

931 Monroe Drive NE 404-872-2220

Bhojanic is just around the corner from B’s house, so she has become a regular, especially since the owners have started showcasing live music on Wednesday nights. Gauruv, one of the owners, is a musician, and can often be found sitting behind his bongos, playing with several of the acoustic bands that have performed there.

B’s impromptu dinner invitation was perfect, both because I wanted to wish her happy birthday in person, and also because I thought the spicy Indian food might help relieve the congestion left from the cold I had a few days before. Not surprisingly, I was the first to arrive so I ordered a glass of red zin at the bar and watched the band set up.

Bhojanic’s menu is unique in that it offers a variety of tapas-size plates including the traditional samosas and chat, which is great for those of us that like to try several dishes without getting fat….or going broke.

B came with her friend AV and we took the table closest to the stage. It was getting late and I was ravenous so I took it upon myself to order some naan with tamarind chutney and raita for dipping. Raita, much like Greek tzatziki sauce, is made of yogurt and cucumber…a curious craving for me since I detest cucumber. Weird? Very.

We nibbled on the naan and listened to the band while discussing dinner options, deciding to share one appetizer and two entrees. For our starter we chose the Bhojanic shrimp, five huge ones flavored with tomato, garlic, and Indian spices.

AV wanted to try the chicken tikka masala. I laughed to myself remembering the frozen chicken tikka masala dinner from Ethnic Gourmet in my freezer that I would probably have eaten if I didn’t end up at Bhojanic. B suggested the lamb curry. We all agreed and raised our glasses for a toast to the birthday girl.

Two bowls arrived, their contents piping hot. The three of us scooped a bit of rice onto our plates, adding a spoonful of chicken first. Tender chunks of chicken were bathed in the creamy red sauce, fragrant with cardamom, cumin, and garlic. The lamb was even better with a darker, richer sauce that had a bit more kick….unfortunately not enough to clear up my sinuses!

With a second location opening soon next to Lenox Mall, Bhojanic’s homestyle Indian cuisine is becoming a staple in Atlanta.

1363 Clairmont Road, Decatur 404-633-9233

My neighbor LG, her friend RT and I had an impromptu (OMG, like spontaneous!) dinner at Desi Spice Indian in Midtown Promenade Saturday night. It’s been years since I’ve had Indian food. I love it and couldn’t wait to get my hands on some naan!

The restaurant is small, with a standard ethnic decor. The staff, all of whom came to our table at one time or another, is dressed in matching traditional tunics and pants. Service was OK, although my questions about the wine seemed to perplex them.

We started with naan and raita, plus some mango chutney, which was more like syrupy marmalade. The raita was great except for the huge chunks of cucumber discovered at the end. It’s so strange that I like raita since I thoroughly hate cucumbers. But I like tzaziki sauce too….go figure! LG and I split a bottle of Gewurtztraminer….something sweet to cut the spice.

RT was in the mood for chicken tikka, marinated chunks of chicken cooked in the tandoori oven. LG had the kashmiri chicken in a yogurt sauce redolent of banana. I chose my favorite Indian dish, vindaloo with shrimp. The spiciest of Indian curries, the menu warned “don’t blame us tomorrow”. Whatever! Pussies.

RT’s mango lassi was more juice than yogurt. The added ice watered it down too. Along with the entrees we decided to get the rice with peas and raisins and the sag paneer which is cremed spinach with cubes of homemade cheese. The flavor of this dish was good but it was served barely warm.

LG’s dish was creamy and rich, although on the sweet side with raisins and banana. My vindaloo hit the spot but I’ve certainly had it hotter. I sampled RT’s chicken tikka which was very tender and flavorful.

We ended on a sweet note with creamy spiced rice pudding with raisins. Everything was good but nothing was amazing, however, satisfying on a cold Winter’s night.

931 Monroe Drive NE 404-872-2220