VILLAGE TANDOOR ELEGANT, TASTE-FULL.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic The new Village Tandoor tan·door n. pl. tan·doors or tan·door·i A cylindrical oven made of clay, heated to a high heat over charcoal or wood, and used in India for baking bread and roasting meat. in Northridge is unquestionably the most handsome Indian restaurant encountered to date in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . Plush, colorful furnishings and appointments along with an appropriately costumed staff give this restaurant a classy look. Yet with such an upscale appearance, along with generally above-average fare, prices are surprisingly low. The highest-priced menu listings are $13 (tandoor-roasted rack of lamb Noun 1. rack of lamb - a roast of the rib section of lamb crown roast rack - rib section of a forequarter of veal or pork or especially lamb or mutton lamb roast, roast lamb - a cut of lamb suitable for roasting or chef's choice dinner) and main-course vegetable curry orders are ticketed as low as $6. For those familiar with Indian food, there are no big surprises on the menu other than the four goat curry offerings dubbed ``mutton'' here. Tandoor oven items denote a baking expert in the kitchen. The result is marvelously moist tandoori chicken in all forms, from the whole yogurt- marinated bird, pulled apart and served sizzling on a platter ($10.95) in all its golden glory to the triumphant reshami kebab version ($7.95, this utilizing only the white meat cut into tender, biteable strips). The goat curry won't appeal to some, but assuredly it's very meaty, flavorful and will be welcomed by most stew fanciers. It arrives savory and not too spicy in a straight masala curry rendition ($7.95) with onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes, and perhaps a bit stronger, more definitive, in a pudhina (mint) gravy, also with ginger and garlic. Starters are the usual samosas ($2.25 or $2.95), pakoras ($3.50 or $4.50) and onion bhaji bhaji Noun pl bhaji or bhajis an Indian savoury made of chopped vegetables mixed in a spiced batter and deep-fried [Hindi] ($2.25). With the exception of a dryish fish pakora Pakora is a type of Indian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine created by taking ingredients such as chicken, onion, eggplant, lentils, potato, spinach, cauliflower, tomato, and chilli, dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them. , they're quite tasty, nicely crunchy and can be dipped in complimentary mint, tamarind tamarind (tăm`ərĭnd), tropical ornamental evergreen tree (Tamarindus indica) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to Africa and probably to Asia, but now widely grown in the tropics. or carrot-jalapeno chutney for added enjoyment. For the indecisive, there's an assorted starter plate ($5.95) holding a puffy vegetable samosa sa·mo·sa n. A small fried turnover of Indian origin that is filled with seasoned vegetables or meat. [Hindi samos , onion bhajis (India's answer to our onion rings), a diminutive piece of ground lamb seekh kebab and a tidbit of tandoor-baked chicken tikka, also out of the tandoor oven. The saag (spinach) items here are definitely worth trying, whether with lamb ($8.95) or chicken ($7.95). The latter was exceptional one day. The only soup is a mulligatawny mul·li·ga·taw·ny n. pl. mul·li·ga·taw·nies An East Indian soup having a meat or chicken base and curry seasoning. [Tamil mi recipe ($2.25), here rather thin, revealing tiny bits of diced chicken at the bottom of the bowl, served steaming hot and nicely spiced. Tandoor-baked breads here are about as good as they get, from the onion kulcha For Australian band, see . For Kulchawheels, see . Kulcha is a north India bread, usually eaten with Cholay. It is typically made with Maida flour. Kulcha is a typical Punjabi recipe, like any other ethnic food available in its true style in the state of ($1.95) to the garlic naan ($2.25). Incidentally, papadums, those delicious, thin, crispy, lentil flour rounds arrive with the trio of chutneys as complimentary nibbles after customers are seated and are busy perusing the menu. Village Tandoor is waiting for its beer and wine license approval. Meantime, lassi las·si n. pl. las·sis A beverage made of yogurt and water and flavored with spices, fruit, or other ingredients. [Hindi lass , the Indian yogurt drink (served sweet or salty, $1.50) provides a refreshing beverage accompaniment and Indian pistachio kulfi Kulfi is a popular South Asian dessert made with boiled milk. It comes in many flavours, including pistachio, malai, mango, cardamom (elaichi), saffron (kesar), the more traditional flavors, as well as newer variations like apple, orange, peanut, and avocado. (ice cream, $2.25) is a soothing ending option. If you really want to save, there are weekday buffets at lunchtime for $5.99 and more elaborate champagne brunch buffets on weekends (noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) for $8.95. Eating in this lush setting at such low prices could almost be euphoric. VILLAGE TANDOOR Where: 18530 Devonshire St., Northridge. When: Open for lunch from 11:30 to 3 p.m. daily, for dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly, to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Recommended items: Samosas, reshami kebab, whole tandoori chicken, alu (potato) masala, chicken tikka masala, goat curries (pudhina or masala), chicken saag wala, basmati rice, onion kulcha, garlic naan, lassi. How much: Appetizers and salads from $2 to $4.50, main dishes from $5 to $13, desserts $2.25 each. Wine list: No alcohol. Beer and wine license pending. Reservations: Not on weekends. Taken Monday through Thursday. Call (818) 366-2820. Our rating: Three stars for food; Three and one half stars for service; Three stars for value. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Tandoori chicken, right, is one of many offerings on Village Tandoor's buffet. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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