wellington | table
It’s All About Quality Ingredients And Great Presentation At India Grill & Bar
Imported Spices
BY MELANIE KOPACZ
For nearly a decade, India Grill & Bar has been serving authentic old and modern Indian cuisine in Royal Palm Beach.The restaurant has developed a loyal following of customers from all over the region, happily welcoming new patrons as well. The restaurant is designed to look like an Indian palace with hues of gold and a circular 400-gallon saltwater fish aquarium as the centerpiece.That ambiance, mixed with fresh, imported spices, is what restaurant manager and owner Soye Thomas said it’s all about. “I’m from the land of spices! That’s one primary thing for us. Much of it we import straight from India.We never use powder,” he said.“We get the cardamom and organic cumin. We have dried cumin straight from India.We roast and grind all our spices right here. The flavor and aroma is so fresh and real. It’s amazing. Next, we focus on getting the best produce. Once we have that, the rest is easy.” One of his favorite spices — cloves. “It has a spark to it,” he said.“A burst of flavor.” The daily lunch buffet is a great way to get a taste of it all.
A look at the main dining room at India Grill & Bar.
For starters, try the Sambar lentil soup, Tandoori chicken and vegetable samosa. Buffet entrees include chicken tikka masala, lamb roganjosh, chicken biryani on the bone and daal makhni. For sweets, you can enjoy galab jamun and Punjabi phirni. The entire buffet is offered daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., all for $9.95.
A wide selection of light and fluffy naan is extremely popular with guests. Flavors include cheese naan that’s mildly spiced, there’s also garlic with cilantro and Kashmiri naan, which is mildly sweet with cashew and pine nuts, coconut, saffron, honey and raisins. When it comes to dinner entrees, there are a number of Tandoori specialties to choose from — all made to order.
(L-R) Chicken tenders marinated in southern spices and curry leaves; vegetable curry in a copper pan; and tiger shrimp marinated in traditional Tandoori spices.
wellington the magazine | march 2020 105