Indian Food

[Alice Levitt]

I think it's pretty much the general consensus that Indian restaurants in the Burlington area are not good. Why, I don't know. But there has to be another way...

Strangely enough, I had a very satisfying meal at Sukhi's at the Marketplace at UVM's Davis Center. The dal makhani and roganjosh that I tried were far better seasoned and more complex that anything I've had in "real restaurants" in the area. Even the naan was okay, despite the absence of a tandoor.

I just saw that Parvin's Kitchen – once just take-out from Parvin's house in Essex – is now selling meals at City Market. I haven't tried any of her offerings yet, but am eager to.

Does anyone else have good alternatives to the lackluster Indian restaurants in town?

[VTAndy]

Does anyone else have good alternatives to the lackluster Indian restaurants in town?

Does anyone else have good alternatives to the lackluster Indian restaurants in town?

The only alternatives I've found are when I travel:

-- "Jaipur" in Putnam County in NY -- not far off the beaten path if you take the Taconic Parkway on your way to NYC.

-- "Le Taj" in Montreal.

-- "Hampton Chutney Company" in NY, which serves up dosas (Indian "crepes"), which are a South Indian light meal.

It's not too hard to outdo the options in Burlington.  Sorry to be so negative, but I've given each place a few tries and they really strike out every time.  There is a real difference in Indian food once you get an actual chef in the kitchen, in my estimation.  We also spent several weeks in South India last summer, during which we were exposed to a cuisine entirely different from what tends to be served in Indian restaurants in the U.S., which predominantly serve Punjabi food.

[Morganna]

There's a fabulous place in the Montreal area.  Shahi Palace.  LOVED IT.  Great prices, wonderful food, fantastic service, and mostly frequented by the Indian people in the area.

[Alice Levitt]

Well, if we're talking about outside Vermont, then I have some of my own favorites.

In Montréal, I second Le Taj, but prefer Bombay Mahal. So cheap, you can eat as if you were doing small plates and every bit as delicious as the more expensive places.

In Westchester County, NY, my earliest memory is eating at the Bengal Tiger in White Plains. No one can top their tandoor dishes. In the same city, Madhur Jaffrey's Dawat Restaurant doesn't even hold a candle.

In Darien, CT, Coromandel is truly fit for a Raja. The rose lassi changed my life.