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Namaste India lives up to its name
MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — The word “namaste” (num-uh-STAY) is an ancient Sanskrit greeting still in use in India today, and it means something along the lines of “the spirit within me recognizes and honors the spirit within you.”
The family that operates Namaste India is honoring the spirits within a growing number of Miami Valley residents every day, judging by the steady business the relatively new restaurant across Ohio 741 from LexisNexis is doing.
It’s not hard to see why. The restaurant has a large menu, and executes most of it well.
The Namaste India menu includes entree choices from northern India, southern India and Indochina, as well as the lighter offerings called Chaat and Indian-style wraps — fusion cuisine done right in their marriage of Indian flavors with eat-on-the-go Western sensibilities.
Among the entrees, Lamb Korma ($10.99) is a hit: Tender chunks of lamb cooked in a complex, creamy sauce reminiscent of a Thai Panang curry sauce, but richer. It left me wanting a few more pieces of lamb. It’s a better choice than the Gobi Manchurian ($7.99) from the Indochinese section of the menu, with fried rounds of ground cauliflower nestled in a garlic and soy sauce with celery, green onions and ginger.
Under the “Chaat Corner” section of the menu is a thoroughly satisfying highlight called Special Aloo Tikki ($3.99), small potato patties served with chickpeas, yogurt, onions, tamarind and cilantro. The flavors come together beautifully, the serving is generous, and the price is a bargain.
From the South Indian menu, the Masala Dosa ($5.99) is a stunning presentation — large rice crepes filled with potatoes and onions and served with red-lentil soup and chutney. The large crepe is thin and crispy, delicious when torn into pieces and dunked into the soup. Garlic lovers will take to the Garlic Naan ($1.99), the Indian-style flat bread baked in a Tandoor oven, then brushed with butter and sprinkled with a generous amount of minced garlic. Its aromas arrive to the table before the bread does.
The naan shows up again as a wrap for the Chicken Tikka Wrap ($5.49), which blends chunks of Tandoor-baked chicken with onion, tomato, lettuce, cucumber and a piquant curry sauce. A vegetarian wrap is also available, and there are a dozen vegetarian entree options offered as well.
Chicken Biryani ($8.99), in which chicken breast is cooked with vegetables and spices and blended with Basmati rice, arrived at the table with a spice level a bit more robust than the other dishes, although the Raita yogurt sauce helped soothe the burn.
Spice level choices range from 1 to 5. Tender Western palates are taking chances in ordering anything above 2.
And that’s advice that your inner spirit will thank you for.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant reviews
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By Xenia Mom
April 25, 2010 4:04 PM | Link to this
I have been to Namaste once and it was very good. I had the Chicken Tikka Masala and naan. I asked for very mild, and it still have a “zip” to it. I would recommend you try it! I live far away, or I would have been back many more times. The young woman at the counter as very friendly and helpful too!
By Rob
April 23, 2010 12:19 PM | Link to this
My Buckeye tongue just isn’t trained to curry. That said, those folks do seem to have a pretty steady customer base…at least they did the two times I went in there.