[ food + drink ]
the diningin diaries BY FAIYAZ KARA
PHOTO BY ROB BARTLETT
THE BEAT GOES ON Tabla’s Park Avenue outpost brings Indian fare of a higher level to Winter Park BY FAIYAZ KARA
I
had a craving for pani puri. The last time puri; spooning in the potato-chickpea mash; I indulged in this most Indian of street splashing the tangy-sweet pani into the void staples was at Chaat House on South – each one of those actions raised the level of OBT, and it did the job. This time, I dashed comfort to a point that Chaat House’s rendioff to a place much closer to me – Tabla in tion couldn’t quite attain. Street to swank, Winter Park. I always liked Tabla, from the Prem proves he’s a deft hand in the kitchen. time I reviewed the Universal-area original You won’t find tandoori lamb chops ($32) back in 2008 to when they brought on chef that are plusher, or lamb seekh kebabs ($18) Ian Piamonte to add Chinese and Thai dishes with more flavor. No overdone edges on those to the menu in 2015. Piamonte has since left, succulent cylinders, either. His palak ghosht but the one constant through the years has ($19) with bone-in chunks of goat cooked in been chef Sajan Prem. Even when Shabber braised spinach and a redolent masala had Chowdhury ran the kitchen back in those my head wobbling like Russell Peters: “Too early days, it was Prem’s food that impressed good. Tooooo good!” I blurted to myself in – I know because Chowdhury was never in my suddenly cardamom-, garlic- and clovescented kitchen. And once the kitchen on any of my again, after ripping a shred early visits. No, Prem’s the TABLA WINTER PARK of garlic-chili naan ($5) one who made Tabla the 216 N. Park Ave., Winter Park to scoop the thick, ruddy brand it is today, though 321-422-0321 sauce: “Mind-blasting!” he’s quick to laud owner tablacuisine.com There’s potential for Nora Jain for divulg$$$ Tabla to become our ing many of her cooking very own Gymkhana, secrets to him. Recently, Prem’s been spending most of his time at the Brigadiers or Junoon, and Prem is inching Park Avenue outpost. It’s a handsome space, us closer and closer. But he’s moving laterally this nook inside the Shops on Park, always as well by catering to vegetarians, as well as has been – only now it’s got a restaurant that’s Jains, who adhere to an extra-strict vegetarnot just worthy of its allure, but also serves ian diet – onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots or the best Indian food in the city. And don’t let any other foods uprooted from the ground are forbidden. Prem even serves besan chilla anyone tell you otherwise. Cracking the shells of those delicate fried ($14.99), a savory crepe made from gram flour
served with a potato curry, raita, mango pickle and rice pudding. I’ve never seen it offered at any Indian restaurant before now. If you’re into bánh xèo or okonomiyaki or, um, savory crepes, give these a try. They’re a fixture during India’s rainy season and should be during ours. On the other hand, aloo paratha ($5) – served with many of those same sides as well as some chutneys – is great any time of year. Though they’re never my first choice, Chinese and Thai options are also offered. If you have to have the General Tso’s chicken ($16) for lunch, upgrade to the side of IndoChinese fried rice ($16). It’s battle-tested. And if there’s one dish that deserves to be attacked, and attacked with ravenous vigor, it’s Prem’s sticky toffee pudding ($7.99). It comes with a house-made chai latte ice cream that’s worth fighting your conscience for. I should mention that while the dining room looked incredibly fetching, I’m not quite ready to make the jump to in-restaurant dining. That said, all my pickups have gone very smoothly, with courteous hosts wearing masks and gloves. Plus they’re running some takeaway specials – spend $20 and get 10 percent off; spend $50 and get 20 percent off. They even throw in complimentary desserts like gulab jamun and ras malai. At Tabla, that’s just called drumming up business.
Chelsie Savage wasn’t one to wallow when COVID19 plunged the restaurant industry into a sea of uncertainty. Instead, she sprang into action by reinventing her business and launching the Real Damn Good Food Virtual Farmers Market (realdamngoodfood.com), an online ordering portal where consumers can purchase produce and foodstuffs from local farmers and purveyors, as well as meals from her restaurants, Sanctum Café and Proper & Wild. I’d availed myself of everything from heirloom tomatoes to broccolini to eggs to chai from the site when, last week, she posted a photo of a margherita pizza on Instagram that was, well, savage. I picked one up from Proper & Wild and marveled at the blistering and charring courtesy of the Mugnaini oven, not to mention the fresh basil and mozzarella. Savage says the quarantine afforded her some time to experiment with dough fermentation, and let’s just say she’s definitely got the hang of it. Her margherita rivals the best Neapolitan pies in town, plus it can be made vegan by switching the mozz out for cashew ricotta. That day I also picked up a “heartcake” sandwich; I could probably eat one every day for lunch and not tire of it. Stuffed between toasted buns are griddled hearts of palm, a nori-lemon emulsion, cabbage slaw and arugula. Yep: Real. Damn. Good. Food.
fkara@orlandoweekly.com orlandoweekly.com
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JUNE 3-9, 2020 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY
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