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RATING: 
(out of 4)
THE DRAW THE DRAWBACK DON'T MISS VEGETARIAN
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Curry
Up Namaste replaces the former Dehli Darbar in the Mission Trace Shopping Center on South Wadsworth Boulevard, and it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Here you'll find more than 70 appetizers, soups and entrées - including items with or without curry. Despite the restaurant's suburban location, you'll be charmed by the quiet atmosphere, array of traditional East Indian and Nepalese food, and the gracious service offered by smiling Indian women in jewel-tone saris. An added plus, Namaste is one of the few ethnic eateries that features authentic music played at a low enough pitch that you can enjoy it as a subtle addition to the ambience, without having the twanging of a sitar ringing in your ears for the next week. The single room features a clean modern design of white walls, tables topped with burgundy linens, and black lacquer chairs trimmed in a burgundy paint. Art is minimal and includes the requisite travel posters featuring icons of India. For starters, be sure to try the pappadam. the thin, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth , cracker-like flat bread is served with a light refreshing mint chutney or a delicious sweet-sour tamarind sauce. Appetizers include chicken pakora ($3.95), deep-fried chicken fritters; vegetable pakora ($3.50), deep-fried vegetable fritters; meat samosa ($3.95), Indian pastry stuffed with minced lamb; onion bhaji ($2.95), thinly sliced onions deep-fried in a flour batter; and more. While most of these fried appetizers would make a cardiologist wince, they're worth trying simply for the taste experience, and the sampler platter ($6.95) is your best bet for this. Soup choices, all $2.95, include lentil, chicken, bean, and vegetable. The lentil and chicken soups both feature a broth made with a chicken and curry stock, as bright yellow as the plumage of an exotic bird; the only difference between the two soups seems to be tiny chunks of diced chicken that grace one bowl and not the other. The tandoori mixed grill ($15.95) allows you to try an array of chicken, lamb and shrimp, cooked with the signature melange of tandoori spices and then baked in the traditional clay oven. the chicken is on the dry side and could use a side of that wonderful mint chutney. The shrimp and lamb, however, are moist and delicious. this is an enormous platter of food that easily serves two, and if you take it home and refrigerate it overnight, the flavors are sensational and even richer 24 hours later. The non-veggie thali sampler plate, at $16.95, is a steal. A large tray holds a half-dozen different options, including chicken tikk saag (chicken sautéed in a creamy spinsch sauce), lamb shahi korma (lamb and mixed vegetables cooked in a cream sauce with almonds, cashews and raisins), tandoori chicken, and more. Be sure to save room for naan, a delicious puffy-light Indian bread baked in the clay oven. Lunch at Namaste is just as good, and offers even more value. A whopping $6.95 for the buffet buys you access to more than seven entrées, soup, naan, fresh green salad, fresh fruit, and dessert. Did I mention it's all-you-can-eat? The chicken tikka masala is a must try at the buffet table, featuring tender chunks of white chicken swimming in a tomato, onion and cream sauce. On one visit, the soup of the day is a delicious chicken broccoli. The salad and fruit platters feature fresh, crisp greens, and beautifully cut, juicy fresh fruit slices. Between the authentic quality of the preparations, the service, and reasonable prices, this is a place that should be much more crowded. One can only hope that, as the restaurant takes off, the owners will retain some of that Eastern wisdom and keep the place just as it is. |
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