So Micki (one of my best friends) and I went to dinner last night. We decided to try Flavors, an Indian restaurant. Neither of our husbands is big on "different" foods, so we need each other for this. We had both studied the menu for a while before arriving, so we kind of already knew what we were going to order. I wanted to try Vegetable Samosas, Mulligatawney Soup, and Lamb Vindaloo (partly because I was in the mood for spicy, and partly because the name is fun to say). Micki wanted to try the Lamb Tikka Masala as well as the soup. We both also had the hot chai tea. And our waiter suggested the Garlic Naan.
Our waiter brought us a complimentary appetizer. As he said "an appetizer while you wait for your appetizer." I'm not sure what it was, but it was delicious. It was spinach, fried in something to make it crunchy. It came with lentil bread and two sauces. One sauce was green and very flavorful. The other sauce was red and tasted a bit like barbecue sauce.
The vegetable samosa came out, and they look like really big wontons. It definitely had peas and potatoes in it, and a few other vegetables too. Everything was cut very small or mashed up, so it was hard to identify, especially with whatever seasonings and sauce that they were mixed in. I preferred the spinach appetizer. It had a more subtle flavor but was a lot less filling.
Next came the soup. It was very yellow and had a little bit of rice in it. I had one taste and wanted to drain the bowl in one gulp. We, of course, were trying to be polite, so I continued eating with a spoon like a civilized adult. It had a tiny bit of a grainy texture to it, but I'm guessing that was due to the various seasonings. The main thought I had at this point was how well all the seasonings go together in each of the dishes. There isn't one flavor that stands out above the rest; they just all go nicely together and complement each other.
During this time, we had our chai tea too. It was good tea, but had a very tea-like flavor, a bit more than coffee shop chai tea has.
Next came our main entrees. I tried one bite of Micki's Tikka Masala (creamy tomato sauce), and she had a bite of mine. On the menu, there is a choice of one to three peppers for your spice preference. Mine was already labeled with two peppers on the menu, but I like spicy, so I thought I'd be fine with "medium." With the bite of Tikka Masala being a bit spicy (not burn your face off spicy, just a little kick), I was mildly concerned at how spicy my Vindaloo was going to be. It had some major kick to it. But it was the good kind of spicy where you can still taste all the flavors, and not just "hot." Out waiter was very nice and checked with us a couple of times to make sure the spice level was tolerable for us. I was amazed afterward that I didn't have the usual burny lip feeling that I normally get after eating spicy food. I am impressed at the use of spices and seasonings to create the richy, spicy flavor but none of the bad side effects (runny nose, chapped and burned lips, upset stomach later). The Garlic Naan was a perfect side to the two sauces too. I could easily have eaten all of it dipped in the Vindaloo sauce.
And last came the complimentary sample of two of the more popular desserts. Our waiter brought out kheer, which is a rice pudding like dessert, but with more flavor than just cinnamon. I know it had cardamom in it, only because I have baked with that spice before so I recognized the flavor, and it had raisins in it. The other dessert, which I don't think was on the menu, was mango pudding. I love mangos and I love pudding, and the combination of the two was just as delicious. It was a little strange having the texture of pudding but with the flavor of mango, but overall, it was a delight. I could not have chosen a favorite from the two desserts.
During our discussion about the food, Micki suggested I start a blog reviewing restaurants. Well, I'm not the best writer, so I've decided to include recipes I make at home too. We also talked about how fortunate we are to not have any food allergies, so we can actually try foods that we've never had before without having to ask about ingredients. At one point when we were eating the Samosas, Micki said "I don't know what's in it, but it's good."
Flavors:
service: amazing and attentive
food: delicious and the perfect amount of filling (full, but not so full that I was uncomfortable; of course, it may have helped that I brought half my entree home)
price: even more amazing (our total for the two of us was only $44, and that was an appetizer, two teas, naan, soup for each, and our entrees)
overall: I will definitely be going there again, but what to try next time?
