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| - Kohinoor has been getting good reviews. We were eager to try a new Indian restaurant, having been regulars at every previous one in town. We arrived at 4:30 for Sunday afternoon service, right when it begins.
Pre-service: The doors were open, but the lights were off and no one came out to greet us. After five minutes, a staff member walking through saw us and went to find someone in the kitchen. This person came out and told us to seat ourselves. We did. A few minutes later, a waiter came and asked us to move to another table. That waiter took our order, but returned some minutes later to say they were out of lamb (we had both ordered lamb dishes). We switched to chicken. I had ordered a beer (draft Samuel Adams lager), but that service was delayed for some time. Another customer (a teenage girl) asked if they had wifi, but their waiter said the wifi was out.
Appetizers: Finally, food began to come, with appetizers first. Those were good -- we ordered the chili chicken (which is served as is traditional with sauteed sliced onions and peppers with an eighth of lime to squeeze over the top) and the aloo tiki -- fried mashed potato patties. Both dishes were tasty -- mildly spiced but flavorful and well executed. I would order both of these dishes again. The chili chicken at Sitara is a little more to our preference because it has more acid, but this is a fine point -- I would gladly eat either version. To drink, we were also given room-temperature water, which is standard at Indian restaurants.
Three sauces were served at the table with the appetizers and remained for the rest of the meal. These were tamarind sauce, mint chutney, and a sour hot sauce. We liked all three.
Decor & Atmosphere: Plastic water glasses, china dishes, metal flatware. The decor is a variation of Escobar's but appropriate re-accessorized. Fairly plain, but clean and functional. We found the lighting somewhat dim (from the overhead pendant lamps) -- the staff re-adjusted the lighting levels several times during our meal. In nearby booths, there was also some blue strip lighting which seemed more appropriate for Kofusion and didn't "go" with the rest of the decor. Initially the music was coffeehouse, but later changed to Indian pop music.
Entrees: For our entrees, we ordered chicken vindaloo and chicken garlic marsala. We have had these dishes at many other restaurants, including versions at Sitara in Urbana. We thought that these were well made, but we like Sitara's versions better. At Kohinoor, the chicken was very tender, and the sauces had a good amount of flavor with the expected spice profile. However, the chicken vindaloo was not hot (in terms of spice) and did not have the tartness we've come to expect of a good vindaloo. The vegetable in the dish was broccoli florets. Similarly, the garlic marsala did not taste very garlicky and the marsala was overwhelmed with a tomato-based sweetness. The sauce to meat ratio was also a little off. These were wetter than usual renditions of these dishes. Even so, the amount of each serving was a reasonable value and the quality was very good. We ordered raita to accompany our entrees and it too was delicious (a smooth version, very loose, and sour as well as slightly sweet -- a good accompaniment that would be even better if the food were spicier).
Bread: I am a bread lover, and so as usual I ordered two types of flat bread to try. This time it was onion kulcha and naan with green chilis. We loved both. Each flatbread was big, warm, and flavorful. The vegetable flavors were pungent and delicious. We love the bread at Sitara as well, but here Kohinoor has a little edge. The restaurant space also has more seating than Sitara and isn't packed so close together, which is a plus.
Summation and Post-service: Kohinoor's grand opening is on Valentine's Day. For still being early in their service, the restaurant is doing a decent job. If I were able to advise them, I'd suggest they step up their game in the pre and post service. It also took us a very long time to get our check, pay, and get out the door once we were finished eating. We weren't sure why there was a delay, since we'd had good service during the meal once it had begun. I'd also advise them to spice up their dishes or at least to offer that option to diners who have an affinity for authentic Indian cuisine.
We're glad to have Kohinoor as another option for Indian dining in town. I'm sure we'll be back.
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