Warm naan arriving beside a bowl of curry is a simple pleasure, but it sets the tone nicely at this St. Louis Indian restaurant. The bread is soft, fresh and made for swiping through sauces rather than being left untouched in the basket.
The dining room has a comfortable, clean, relaxed character that suits an unhurried dinner. It is easy to settle in, talk across the table and spend some time deciding among a menu that ranges well beyond a single familiar curry.
The aroma of spices is noticeable as you come in, then the menu starts asking a pleasant question: chicken, lamb, seafood, vegetarian dishes, rice, tandoor specialties, or perhaps a little of several things.
A Menu Built for Mixing and Matching
This is a good restaurant for a table that does not want to order alike. There is a substantial vegetarian selection alongside chicken, lamb and seafood dishes, making it possible to put together a varied meal without anyone settling for a second-choice option.
Chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, chicken curry and chicken tikka masala give the chicken side of the menu plenty of range. A chicken ginger kabob can add another direction to the table, with its grilled presentation making a nice change from bowls of sauce-based dishes.
Chicken korma is a particularly appealing choice for diners drawn to creamy curries. It has been described as flavorful and balanced, with moderate spice rather than an overwhelming blast of heat.
Several of the curries have a relatively light character instead of landing as dense, heavy cream dishes. That makes it easier to order more than one preparation for the table and still have room for bread, rice and dessert.
Vegetarian Dishes With Their Own Place on the Table
The vegetarian choices are not an afterthought. Dal makhani brings a rich lentil option, while palak paneer, paneer makhani and paneer do pyaza give paneer several different treatments to consider.
Eggplant with potatoes is worth noticing, especially for someone who wants a vegetable-centered dish without a cream sauce. It is a flavorful alternative to the paneer selections and helps give a shared meal more variety in color, texture and seasoning.
Kachoombar salad is listed among the house specialties. It can be a refreshing counterpoint when the table is working through richer curries, grilled chicken and warm bread.
The Naan Has a Following
Naan is more than a side order here. The menu has included six varieties, with garlic naan and paneer paratha among the options, so a group can easily order more than one kind and pass the basket around.
Garlic naan is an obvious companion for chicken tikka masala or curry, while paneer paratha gives the bread course a more substantial, filled option. The important detail is that the bread arrives warm and soft, ready to pull apart and use with every remaining bit of sauce.
For a meal with several curries, extra naan is not excessive. It is practical.
Biryani for a Different Kind of Main Dish
Rice dishes hold their own here rather than merely supporting the curries. Chicken biryani offers a full main-dish route for diners who prefer a layered rice preparation to a saucy entrée.
Nawabi biryani is another house specialty and gives the menu a second biryani worth considering. Ordering one biryani alongside a curry or tandoori dish is an easy way to create a more varied spread without putting too many similar plates on the table.
Start With Samosas and a Shareable Platter
Samosas make a natural opening course while everyone studies the larger menu. They fit the pace of the restaurant well: something to share, something to nibble, and a little time to decide which direction dinner should take.
Chicken platters are also available as a starter or shareable beginning. For a group, that can be the sensible bridge between appetizers and entrées, particularly when a few people want grilled chicken before moving on to curries and biryani.
Sunday Buffet for the Curious
The Sunday buffet offers a useful alternative to choosing one or two individual dishes. It gives diners a chance to sample a range of preparations in a single visit, which can be especially welcome for someone still getting acquainted with the menu.
An older weekend brunch offering included stuffed crepes with a little heat and no meat, along with a broad buffet selection. That detail suggests how much variety can turn up in a buffet setting, though current brunch and buffet schedules are worth confirming before making plans.
Busy buffet periods can draw a wait, so the rhythm of the visit may be different from a regular dinner. Once seated, though, the buffet format makes it easy to try a bite of something unfamiliar without committing the whole meal to it.
A Relaxed Room for Groups and Everyday Meals
The restaurant has the easygoing atmosphere that works for a casual dinner but also holds up for a larger table. It has hosted team lunches, and the broad menu gives a mixed group plenty to discuss and share.
Service is attentive, courteous and welcoming, with quick seating noted during dine-in visits. That matters with Indian food, where a table may need a little guidance simply because there are so many appealing paths through the menu.
Portions are generous, both in the dining room and in takeout orders. A table that orders several entrées, naan and rice may find there is enough food to extend the enjoyment beyond one meal.
Save Room for Something Sweet
Gulab jamun provides a classic finish: a small South Asian dessert that is especially fun to order if it is new to someone at the table. It is the sort of final course that can turn dinner into a small introduction to another corner of the menu.
Mango ice cream offers a cooler, simpler dessert option. After spices, grilled dishes and a few rounds of naan, it makes an easy final order to share.
Useful Details Before Dinner
Parking has generally been plentiful, a modest convenience that helps when the meal is meant to be relaxed from the start. Indoor dining is available, and the restaurant also works smoothly for takeout.
Meals commonly fall around $20 to $30 per person, depending on what the table orders and how much is shared. With generous portions, a couple of curries, a biryani, bread and an appetizer can make a satisfying group-style meal without every diner needing a separate full spread.
The Sunday buffet is a strong option for sampling, but its current timing should be confirmed before heading over. The same goes for the full range of naan varieties, since menus can change.