Taste Of India (West Palm Beach, Florida, USA)

It was an absolute blessing sharing a meal, Indian food nonetheless, with my grandparents after a week-long visit.  On the way to the airport, we stopped off at the Taste of India, a fine Indian establishment.  We ordered a solid amount of food, a daring experience for a couple who has limited experience with Indian.  All in all, it was a delicious meal with unbeatable company.

Indian Kitchen & Deli (Blouberg, South Africa)

I visited Cape Town (and Ghana - the post previous to this one) as part of the Fall 2012 Semester at Sea voyage.  Although the ship was docked in Cape Town, I spent much of time in a town just north of the city, Blouberg.  Blouberg is on the coast and is the ideal spot for post-card pictures of Table Mountain.  It is also a tremendous location for Indian food. Although there are three restaurants in town, I ventured to one, twice - the Indian Kitchen and Deli.

On the first trip, I had a traditional Tikka Masala with chicken.  The portion size was just ok and flavor was nothing to rave about.  However, the conversation with the owner (a native of England) was wonderful.  I learned about Cape Town's history, the racial situation of present, and Indian-food culture in Cape Town and South Africa.

 I returned for more conversation and to try a South African Indian food staple - Bunny Chow.  Bunny Chow is essentially a bread bowl filled with an Indian curry.  Bread bowl with soup is great!  Bread bowl with Indian food - amazing!

     

Delhi Palace (Tema, Ghana)

Indian food in Ghana?!  Yes!

The Delhi Palace was situated in a corner lot of a strip mall in a town (Tema) just outside of the Capital, Accra.  I dined with the taxi driver who drove myself and several friends up to the hills just north of the coast earlier in the day.  He selected this restaurant, noting that is was the best one in that area of town.  His recommendation was on point.  The food was quite tasty and the ambiance of the restaurant was similar to most other Indian restaurants.  We dined on naan, tikka masala, and gulab jamun (for dessert).

Watch Me and Buckingham Balti House (London, England)

While I was travelling in London, I was able to spend time with a good friend who, from Sri Lanka, is familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine.  Although it was one city, over 1.5 days we delighted on two Indian meals.  This post shares about Watch Me: Sri Lankan and Indian Cuisine and Buckingham Balti House.

Watch Me was an immersion experience in English Indian food.  This was a truly a ‘locals’ restaurant.  Everyone in the restaurant, based upon skin tone and accent, was from the same region as the food.  Moreso, everyone seemed to connected to the neighborhood (South Wimbledon) and at home in the restaurant.  There was a living room feel to this place.

We ordered several plates – a diverse range of vegetarian options as well as Chicken Tikka Masala.  The food was decent.  Not the best, but not the worst.  Frankly, the company was much more enjoyable than the food.  The beer selection was solid – a Lion Beer from Sri Lanka was had – a new experience – one that should be repeated.  Especially after the second Indian food experience in London, Watch me paled in comparison.

Buckingham Balti House, in the center of town, close to the Victoria underground stop provide the most incredible tikka masala sauce I’ve ever tried.  Hands down.  The best.  I savored the sauce with a Chicken Biryani dish.  The rice dish (Biryani) was good.  The sauce took it to another level.  The tikka masala was infused with coconut that made it out of this world.  Days later, I am still salivating over this dish.      

Indian Curry Club (Dublin, Ireland)

The Indian Curry Club was my first taste of Indian in Ireland.  Not a bad start.  First they offered a solid deal.  For 10 euro, you were able to select and appetizer (I chose the onion bhajee), a main course meal (chicken tikka masala for me) and either rice or naan.  I opted for the garlic naan.  For 3.50 euros more, you could get a Guinness.  I did.

The onion bhajee was great.  The onions rolled together in what I believe was a chick-pea batter and then deep fried.   I ate two of the four and saved the other two for the when the tikka masla was on the table.  You can’t beat tikka masala as a dipping sauce.  Once the chicken arrived with the naan, it was time to dig in.  The sauce was very, very rich and flavorful.  However, there was limited chicken and the naan could have had more garlic.  Not to mention it was quite greasy.  All in all, I was impressed with the ICC in Dublin and look forward to comparing this to other European Indian restaurants.    

Onion Bhajee

Chicken Tikka Masala with a Guinness

Welcome!

Welcome to the Great Tikka Tour.  As I get ready to embark on a four month around-the-Atlantic adventure, I figured it was time to create a space for my Indian food-related reflections.  I've already travelled extensively within and outside of the USA and have dined at restaurants, homes, and other venues where authentic (and sometimes not-so-authentic) has been served.  I love it and can't seem to get enough.  With that, this blog will serve as a space for my reflections on everything and anything Indian food-related.

I begin with highlighting two of my favorites.  Mela (578 Tremont Street, Boston, MA) and Tantric (123 Stuart Street, Boston, MA)  have been my local (and favorite) spots over the last four years.  Living in heart of Boston has afforded me plenty of opportunity to explore and experience Indian food.  Mela and Tantric have risen to the top.  I've visited both within the last couple of weeks and, like usual, was not disappointed.

Since my first visit to Mela (melaboston.com), it has been my absolute favorite.  Although the size of the dining room is small and can feel crowded, the ambiance is wonderful.  (I love the copper siding on the walls!)  More than that, the food is always rich and flavorful, the portions are large, and the price is right.  The picture below displays Mela's Chicken Cocanut Curry (close) and the Chicken Tikka Masala.

Tantric (tantricbistro.com) holds a soft spot for me, being that for the last four years, I've lived, literally, around the corner.  In my early days of Boston-living I would visit once a week.  Obnoxious, I know - but delicious nonetheless.  All of their dishes (dosas, biryani, curries, etc.) are also rich and flavorful.  however, their prices are a bit steep.  This second picture highlights their Chicken Chettinad, Garlic Naan, and Malia Kofta.

Both Mela and Tantric set a high standard and serve as amazing starting point for the Great Tikka Tour!