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| - Is it subliminal messaging that Choolaah starts with Ch-? it seems like they are really going for the "Indian Chipotle" vibe.
I was already deep into my Friday night by the time I came in here so I was a little overwhelmed by the many choices on the menu. But it's actually pretty simple: to build your own bowl, choose a base (rice or salad), choose a masala, and choose a protein. I chose rice with tikka masala and the vegan croquettes. It was so delicious and the portions are HUGE!
Then, once you get your bowl, the fun part begins. You're free to pile on as many sauces and toppings as your heart desires from the DIY toppings bar. There are 8 different sauces and they're all fantastic! Be sure to try the mango sauce: it tasted like biting into a fresh mango!
A lot of people are complaining about lack of heat, but I can understand them not making the base curries too spicy so that they can appeal to everyone. If you want some heat, there are two different levels of spicy sauce. I put lots of "Choolaah fire" sauce and chopped jalapeƱo on my bowl, and it tasted perfect.
If you don't want to build your own bowl, the biryani and samosa chaat (samosas with sauces) both looked really good. The biryani is served like a pot pie with a layer of bread over it--never seen that before!
The space is very bright, clean, and cool. And though I'm no expert on authenticity, there were several Indian families eating here when I was here, so that's a good sign! Overall, Choolaah is a cool addition to the fast-casual landscape, and I would definitely return!
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