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| - The diverse cuisine from the Indian subcontinent varies heavily by religion and ethnicity. This place is owned and run by Indian Muslims, so the food is Halal (preparation of the food, but especially meat, is supervised by Imams, usually this means a step cleaner, more humane, than just U.S. Government inspected, but this isn't always true), and they serve beef curries (you won't find this in Hindu establishments, just like you won't find any pork in here). The minimum critical mass of South Asian customers is in the area thanks to the elite graduate programs of UW-Madison to ensure that any Indian restaurant in this town has to be at least pretty good, and this one is a step up from that.
We first dropped in after a long, cold day of protesting for worker rights, and inexplicably, every other restaurant and bar surrounding the capitol was packed with cold weary protesters, this one was empty, normally a warning sign, but we needed to sit down. A very helpful Madison police officer (who all seem ridiculously over-educated) recommended the place, but I was a bit leery since he was slim and in good shape, I usually get my better restaurant recommendations from fat cops). What a pleasant surprise, it was dhinchak (wonderful)!
The service was traditionally unhurried, the waiter was friendly and polite, and unlike a lot of South Asian Muslim restaurants, quite nice to my consort (my disobedient and independent gori wife, and chief of staff). The papadum was hot, fresh, and crisp, served with what seemed to be fresh made chutneys, we enjoyed the shrimp curry, chana dal (chickpeas), and palak paneer (a distant cousin of American creamed spinach), make sure you order an Indian bread with your meal (chapati, paratha, nan, they have a good selection). A nice basmati rice came with the meal, as it should. They have a wide selection of vegetarian dishes, almost a requirement in Madison.
The decor is pleasant, though uninspired, nicer than the usual casual Indian joints, but not as elegant as more expensive formal Indian restaurants. Instead of Indian music, they piped in some annoying Muzak-like smooth "jazz," though at a forgivable background volume. Surprising for a Muslim establishment, they have a good selection of wine and beer, some local, some Indian, there really aren't many places in Wisconsin to have wine from India. Still, I recommend the Indian beer instead.
I highly recommend this restaurant for you firangi types who want to try Indian food, but are leery of the reputed heat of South Indian (Tamil) cuisine, the food here is pretty mild. Try to eat the food like we do, with your right hand, it tastes better that way. If you're a Desi bhai who likes your food spicy, know that I wasn't successful in getting them to make my food nice and hot, but in general I've found that Northern Indian Muslim cooking isn't relatively spicy, the food here is quite flavorful, it's not bland, it's just not hot enough. I did get the waiter to bring me a "hot sauce," a red chillies paste which did have a little bite to it. Finish your meal with a sweet Indian desert, like galub jamun and masala tea (chai), and don't expect the waiter to come running up with the bill, they employ Indo-Pakistani manners and expect you to relax after eating. They're pretty attentive though, so they will bring you your check when you signal for it.
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