Archive for the ‘Indian’ Category
Avatar Foods
Hauptstraße 171 69117 Heidelberg
Considering that Kebab Haus next door was superior in virtually all aspects, it was only a matter of time before Super Fast Food packed up and left the Hauptstraße. A few months later, a new fast food establishment took up shop in its place – Avatar Foods. A completely renovated dining area, a new touch of paint, and the addition of Indian cuisine to the menu all make this recent addition to Heidelberg’s main street worth a visit for a quick meal.
Outside, elements of its predecessor still linger. The place still looks bare. The same white and orange shades remain; the name Super Fast Food merely blotched out. The only restaurant sign, very tiny and hard to discern, can be seen through the windows. Upon entering the single door entrance, the ordering counter is still the first thing you see. Further inside, the place has been given a nice beige coating – a definite improvement over the ghastly orange hue of its predecessor. The dining area has also been smartly refurbished. The contemporary, marbled tables are a step up from the ancient wooden slabs. Seating is either crimson red booths along the walls or cushioned wooden chairs. Pink blossoms and green flora liven up the place. Candles at each table also add a nice touch. The flat screen television still remains, along with the hip hop tunes blasting from the speakers.
In regards to the food, Avatar still curiously retains components of its predecessor. You can still find döner and other typical German fast food items here (again, why come here when its next door neighbor does it better?). However, the menu is chiefly dominated by Indian specialties – curries, gosht, and Tandoori items, amongst others. Drinks include Indian lassis with mango, banana, and cocoa. Instead of offering student discounts, as Super Fast Food was known for, Avatar offers a special ‘Happy Hour’ after 7 PM. During this evening exclusive, you can have any Indian dish (outside of the tandoori specialties) for only 5,00 €! As many of the dishes normally range from five to seven euros, this is definitely a good deal.
The chicken tikka masala on basmati rice is a must. In this dish, roasted chunks of chicken breast marvelously absorb the rich, orange colored tomato sauce curry. The chicken possesses a striking amount of flavor; the sauce thick and creamy. The fragrant aroma and delicate nature of the basmati rice is also a perfect complement to the bold flavors of the tikka masala. You certainly won’t be complaining about the lack of meat – there is probably enough chicken to share the dish among two people. Although the presentation is nothing to be excited about, the dazzling orange and red on the chicken is enough to make any fan of masala happy.
It’s hard to say whether this restaurant took full advantage of the Avatar craze by using it namesake. Regardless, the buzz generated by the name alone doesn’t seem to have accomplished much as the place is seemingly empty on a weekday evening during their ‘Happy Hour’ special. It’s too bad because Avatar Foods serves up enjoyable Indian food at very affordable prices. Although the selection isn’t as large as other Indian fast food places in the city, the food they do offer is executed well.
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Summary:
Located along Heidelberg’s Hauptstraße, Avatar is a good Indian fast food restaurant with a fairly limited number of items on the menu. ‘Happy Hour’ past 7 PM – all Indian dishes are 5,00 €. Outdoor seating available. Quick and efficient service.
Overall – 4 stars
- Chicken Tikka Masala – 4.5/5
- Service – 5/5
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Indian Palace
Kettengasse 11 69117 Heidelberg
One word sums up Indian Palace: majestic. The elegant ambiance inside this restaurant is extraordinary. The chairs are uniquely crafted and designed and simply exude royalty; merely sitting in one gives you a feeling of extravagance and nobility. You probably won’t find chairs like these anywhere else in Germany. The numerous sculptures decorating the room, from wooden elephants to religious deities, continuously remind you of the rich Indian history and heritage. Even the ceiling panels feature beautifully carved designs. Pleasing Indian music, humming from the speakers, completes the authentic Indian dining experience.
The dining room correctly sets the mood and the food smartly follows through. The menu here at Indian Palace is authentic, featuring numerous traditional Indian dishes. You will find a pretty good list of soups and appetizers, bread and side dishes, tandoori specialties (tandoori refers to the tandoor clay oven used in the cooking process), and several chicken, lamb, and fish dishes. For vegetarians, there is also a good variety of entrées to choose from. The menu is written in Romanized Hindi, German, and English. For seasoned diners looking for spicy Indian food, the kitchen will surely oblige to your wishes. In fact, when ordering, I was asked ‘scharf?’ (German for spicy).
As evident from the exquisite atmosphere, Indian Palace doesn’t do cheap. Most of the main dishes hover around the 10 to 15 Euro price range. Although the weekday lunch menu does include bargain prices, the portion sizes are a bit on the small side. Don’t expect to share anything if ordering from this limited menu (which is offered during the week from 11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.).
One of the items on the lunch menu is the Aloo Gosht. At 7,00 €, this lamb and potato curry seems like a bargain compared to other items on the regular menu. However, even with the accompanying basmati rice, the size of the dishes is less than ideal. Both the curry and the rice are served in oval gratin dishes – not large at all. Moreover, there are only a handful of lamb pieces and chunks of potatoes in the curry.
On the plus side, the lamb meat is quite flavorful and has a nice texture. It isn’t extremely tender, yet isn’t very tough either. Furthermore, the meat does not have a gamey taste (which can be a negative or positive, depending on your tastes!). Although I asked for a slight hint of spiciness, there wasn’t even a trace of heat present. Service shines here as the server brings out a food warmer with candles to keep both the curry and rice warm as you progress through your meal.
An order of the curry will more than likely satisfy your hunger, but I highly suggest considering one of the bread side dishes (such as the Tandoori Roti or Nan flatbreads) to accompany any curry in order to help soak up the sauce. Priced at 1,50 €, the Tandoori Roti is an unleavened type of flatbread, made of whole wheat flour and baked in the tandoor oven. The flatbread is crisp and flavorsome alone, but is a good staple accompaniment to the other dishes. There is also a trace of butter on the bread upon service.
To drink, there are a couple of popular Indian tea specialties – Chai Masala and Kashmiri Tea. The Chai Masala is spiced and aromatic. Served in its own a tea pot and accompanied by a sugar dispenser, the chai is pleasant, though the spices can be intense. The milk added in the Chai Masala adds a delightful taste in combination with the various spices.
To end your culinary journey into Indian cuisine, you may want to try one of the reasonably priced Indian desserts. Whether it’s Firni (milk pudding) or Gulab Jamun (cheese balls), Indian Palace has it. A popular dessert is Kulfi, a frozen treat similar to ice cream. Unlike typical ice cream, however, Kulfi has a slightly different texture: it doesn’t melt so easily and remains fairly dense. Here, this delight is homemade – the frozen dessert is cut into thin slices and served with sliced almonds, coconut flakes, and cream on the side. Flavored with pistachio and cardamom, the Kulfi tastes wonderful. Impressively, there are also red saffron threads hiding in the treat. Can you say expensive?
Indian Palace may very well be one of the better Indian restaurants in the region. With restaurants in Heidelberg and Mannheim, the owners and the chefs definitely know what they are doing. Although Raja Rani has quick, inexpensive fast food Indian, Indian Palace does good, authentic, sit down and eat Indian. Indian Palace captures the essence of Indian culture extremely well, from the ideal setting to the service, and concluding with the finely prepared food. A pleasant overall experience can be had without traveling all the way to Southern Asia.
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Summary:
Off one of the side streets along Heidelberg’s Hauptstraße, Indian Palace boasts tandoori and various Indian specialties. Experience the exotic and enchanting tastes of truly authentic Indian cuisine in a very fancy and appealing dining room ambiance. Prices are moderate. Service is more than satisfying.
Overall – 4.5 stars
- Chai Masala – 4/5
- Tandoori Roti (Tandoori Flatbread) – 4.5/5
- Aloo Gosht (Lamb and Potato Curry) – 4/5
- Kulfi (Frozen dessert) – 4.5/5
- Service – 5/5
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Raja Rani
Friedrichstraße 15 69117 Heidelberg
Living in a touristy city, particularly in a foreign country, certainly has its benefits. Due to its history, status as a romantic town, and its sightseeing attractions, Heidelberg attracts millions of people from around the world each year. In order to accommodate the varying tastes of visitors, countless ethnic restaurants have popped up all over the city. Raja Rani is such a restaurant. Here, visitors and residents alike can experience delicious Indian cuisine at extremely affordable prices.
Upon entering this relatively small eatery, you are immediately met with a service counter where trays of curry and soups are waiting in a buffet warmer. The menu board is well illuminated and quite large– there are over 100 items to choose from. As with any other fast food joint, Raja Rani is an order your food, get your own cutlery, and bus your own plate restaurant. This means there are no waiters, no tableside service. Essentially, Raja Rani is a no frills restaurant. Sure, there are a few Indian sculptures sitting on top of a shelf, some Indian tapestry, photos of India, and Indian music coming from the speakers. But aside from that, the place and the plates are rather ordinary. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because the food here is not only good, but also reasonably priced.
The Chicken Tandoori Masala – chunks of grilled chicken breast in a spicy sauce, served on Basmati rice – is exceptionally flavorful. The chicken is large and plentiful in comparison to the amount of rice given. It has a nice savory taste due to the sauce, which is full of spices. Although the menu advertises the sauce as being spicy, it is anything but. However, there is a small station near the counter where you can get extremely spicy green chili peppers. The only negative to the Tandoori Masala was the condition in which the food was served – it wasn’t piping hot when I got it. Although the chicken and sauce was scooped and served practically within seconds, I would have definitely waited longer to have a hot meal. By the time I was halfway done eating, the chicken was beginning to get cold. There are two sizes for this dish – a small plate for 3,90 € and a larger one at 5,90 €.
The Lamb Curry is aromatic and also a hit. The curry has a nice, pungent flavor that complements the lamb well. As for the meat itself, it has a slight gamey taste to it. Unlike the Chicken Tandoori though, the lamb curry was scooped hot and steaming.
In order to wash everything down, a tall glass of Mango Lassi – a traditional Indian yogurt drink with mango pulp – is recommended. It is sort of like a mango smoothie, though not too sweet. This drink is quite popular as there is an entire fridge full of Mango Lassi glasses waiting to be served! It is refreshing and, at 2,00 € for a 0,4 liter glass, is quite a bargain.
Without a doubt, the inconsistency in the food temperatures is difficult to ignore. Aside from this problem, though, the food at Raja Rani is delicious and bold in flavor.
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Summary:
Located near the Hauptstraße, Raja Rani is an Indian fast food restaurant serving up traditional favorites, such as curry, Tandoori, and a large selection of vegetarian dishes. Very inexpensive.
Overall – 4 stars
- Chicken Tandoori Masala – 4/5
- Lamm Curry (Lamb Curry) – 4/5
- Mango Lassi – 3.5/5
- Service – 5/5
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