TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2018
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BAWARCHI
KIDS TOWN
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GRILL & SPIRITS Greg Cox for Triangle Today
The first time you walk through the door at Bawarchi Grill & Spirits, you may well think you’ve got the wrong address. The decor yields virtually no clue that this is an Indian restaurant.
Does Bawarchi deliver on that promise? Well, yes and no.
In a way you have, though you won’t find wings or nachos on the menu. Bawarchi inherited its look from Rookie’s Sports Bar, the previous tenant where the Indian restaurant opened in January. The decision to retain its predecessor’s decor lock, stock and beer barrel was no doubt a cost-saving measure.
The food certainly holds up its end of the bargain. The “Grill” in this case is a tandoor, the Indian clay oven where veteran chef Gunasekar Arumugan turns out grilled and roasted meats and serves them up sizzling on a cast iron platter. Bawarchi’s tandoori offering is exceptionally broad, with a dozen options ranging from pomfret to mint-marinated chicken Hariyali kebab. The mixed grill is a shareable sampler of chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, lamb sausage (seekh kebab), shrimp tikka and a lamb chop. All but the shrimp (overcooked) were on the money when I ordered the mixed grill recently.
It could also be seen as setting the mood for the concept embodied in the “Grill & Spirits” part of the name. Aimed at broadening the appeal of Indian cuisine, the name promises an unintimidating experience for those less familiar with Indian cuisine.
A handful of items scattered throughout the rest of the menu reinforce the contemporary Westerner-friendly concept. Avocado kofta, for one, turn out to be delicately crisp fritters served with mango salsa and a small mixed green salad.
Everywhere you look are TV screens tuned to soccer matches, tennis tournaments and the NBA playoffs. Suspended from the rafters, college team banners and sponsor-emblazoned hoods of stock cars add to the illusion that you’ve stumbled into a sports bar.
Juli Leonard
Bawarchi Grill & Spirits 800 W. Williams St., Suite 176, Apex | 919-363-9000 bawarchiapex.com Cuisine: Indian Prices: $$ Atmosphere: sports bar Service: generally attentive, can be slow Recommended: chicken 555, avocado kofta, butter chicken, lamb korma, tandoori mixed grill, saag paneer Open: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday Reservations: accepted Other: full bar; accommodates children; excellent vegetarian selection; patio Read more at triangletoday.com.