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Show Your independent student source for music, film and the arts Thursday, February 7,2008 4 "PERSEPOLIS"WINS OVER HEARTS. AND MINDS ON SALT LAKE CITY'S INDEPENDENT SILVER SCREENS 5 UP-AND-COMING ROCKERS WEATHERBOX PLAN TO TAKE THE CITY BY INDIE-ROCK STORM 6 CHRISTIE FRANKE PROVIDES AN INSIDE SCOOP ON THE UPCOMING ONCE UPON ATIME FESTIVAL L2 From New Delhi with love The West's finest Far-Eastern eats call Salt Lake City home Danny Letz REDUX EDITOR When it comes to Indian restaurants, the Wasatch Valley is blessed with quantity and quality such that one would be quick to overestimate Salt Lake City's demographic diversity. One thing is certain: The culturally homogenized have their diverse brethren's cuisine to thank, because Utah's Indian restaurants are among the best restaurants in the state. With so many options to select from, there's almost no going wrong when it comes to Indian cuisine in Salt Lake City. But alas, this is America and there's a need for the superlative, which is why we've selected the best restaurants from around the valley in a number of different categories. So, without any further ado, here's a quick run-down of the best these Indian restaurants have to offer. India, the cuisine is well worth the trip. The differences in quality between Royal India and the Bombay House are few, but the lamb curry and lamb vindaloo (prepared in a sauce that includes garlic, ginger and tomatoes) are particularly choice at Royal India. Either way, neither of these restaurants are to be balked at: They're the best for a reason. BEST BUFFET (TIED) Star of India 55 E. 4 0 0 South 8OI-363-7555 • r /.-.'•' Romantic: No Kid friendly: No S15 to S20 per person : , , -.' • • • , Tandoor Indian Grill 2731 E. Parley's Way 801-581-0222 U discount: No Romantic: Yes ;;,, Kid friendly: No .. „ 1 ''' $15 to S20 per person Royal India (Sandy) ? -.;£• ^ komantic: Yes '•Kid friendly: No ' $15 to $20 per person From the field of prospective subcontinental treasures, Sandy's Royal India and Salt Lake City's Bombay House stand as joint kings of the realm. There's a reason these restaurants are on a near first name basis with Salt Lake City's culinarily educated: combining the best in food, atmosphere and variety, it's hard to deny these are hands down the best in the state. The Bombay House (located conveniently off Foothill Drive, on Parley's Way) is close enough to justify a jaunt into cuisines unknown. With a variety of options, ranging from the traditional (the rogan josh—a Iamb dish prepared with coconut milk, cashews and curry—and chicken curry:; are-perfectly crafted) to the new (the:,BpUywopd:chicken—named after India's burgeoning film industry—a delicious blend pif pindarjpje and chicken BEST FAST INDIAN Curry in a Hurry ;: Although tn3SB|^5nd the cost of gas are the biggest cons against Sandy's Royal • • • • • • • Brush off the sweat pants—last year's Chuck-a-Rama-gravy-binge is nothing compared to what you'll experience at these buffets. As is the custom for most Indian restaurants in Salt Lake City, both the Star of India and the Tandoor Indian Grill double as buffets for lunch and sit down, traditional restaurants for dinner, which means that the set-up and atmosphere for the buffet leaves something to be desired—thankfully for lunch, this doesn't matter much. The Star of India has the best selection and variety day-to-day for its buffet and, with its close location near the Salt Lai;e City and County. Building and The-City Library, it makes for the perfect pi* Stop after classes. : •!.,,' If you've got time to spare, the trip to the Tandoor Indian Grill is worth the drive. Tandoor bests the Star of India with its briyani (a spiced rice and vegetable dish) and its naan—prepared fresh as you sit. The naan alone is worth the price of the buffet at Tandoor—if s just that good. 2020 S. State Street 801-467-4137 U discount: No Romantic: No Kid friendly; Yes $5 to $7 per person \ LAWRENCE SOYE/IhttelyUtali Gambit The Star of India, located downtown, was ranked as one of the best Indian buffets in Salt Lake City. The restaurant doubles as a buffet for lunch and a traditional sit-down restaurant. ,. , .,.. -,w...;> •: 729 E. 3300 South 801-486-4542 U discount: No Romantic: No Kid friendly: No sro to $15 per person Bombay House ; : U discount: No BEST OVERALL (TIED) 10263 S. 1300 East 'x~ 801-572-6123 •- XJ discount: No , -., •% ' " • ,\ • :• ' • In this instance, the name says everything. Located near 2100 South on State Street, Curry in a Hurry specializes in exactly what its name signifies— deliciously prepared curry dishes made quickly enough' to rival any of its burgerand-fries, fast food competition. Granted, the food occasionally leaves something to be desired (the naan is substituted for pita bread, the samosas are fairly pedestrian), considering the price (roughly $7 for a full curry dish with a side and drink) it makes for a great alternative to other fast food choices within the valley; and since the drive is perhaps the biggest con at present, here's hoping for a new extension closer to campus (I propose the vacant hole that used to be Lucy's Chinese near the University Pharmacy). • .. • ?}--:^m%g? BEST AMBIENCE/SERVICE Royal India (Bountiful) 55 N. Main Street , 801-292-1835 "j U discount: No , "' Romantic: Yes ; \ Kid friendly: No ; $15 to S20 per person - ) Sadly, since the Bombay House c its doors on Foothill and relocated.to the gutted interior of the old Outback Steak House on Parley's Way, it's been difficult to find an Indian restaurant with the proper blend of elements to create the perfect Bombay House 801-581-0222 Menu available at www.bombayhouse.com $15 to $20 per person If culinary trends follow those of the political world, it will be some time before Indian cuisine rivals the growth and integration into U.S. society of its bigger continental brother China. In the meantime, Indian take-out remains one of the greatest overlooked take-out options available in the valley. Most Indian restaurants offer take-out options, but the best of these is undoubtedly the Bombay House. The service is prompt, the portions are hearty (most dishes seem larger than their sitdown equivalents, although this isn't an empirical fact) and their menu is available online for easy access and use. All in ah1, there's no reason to avoid a boon in Indian take-out purchases—if political trends are mimicked, that is. BEST VEGETARIAN Bombay House Bountiful's Royal India. , ^ 7 ^ . Located on B o u n t i e s quaint Main Street, the Royal India (itself an iteration of its Sandy-based equiyaleiit) is :worth the 15-minute or SO; drive froni campus. The service is excellent, with aknowledgeable staff that doesn't mind answering any number of language-barrier-based questions. The openness of the diningfloorpreventsrfhe^at.mosphere from being classified.' as strictly "romantic" per se, but the' many -available booths offer a decent arnpiiitt of intimacy—enough that the dining joorri is an excellent date option. All things considered, the Royal India is the best restaurant around when it to service and setting. BEST CHICKEN COCONUT K 801-581-0222 $15 to { Tandoor Indian Grill igans; alike, Inie better suited able, especially when eatiAgSSjWjgptafii&riety of reasons; Indian restauiS^crffer a large selection of vegetarian and vegan options, dishes flavor varietstaurant with the 'tions is none £ghborhood essica Bassett and Jason Van Damm, a nurse from St. Mark's Hospital, regularly enjoy fod ndian Grill. Tandoor was praised as having one of the two best Indian buffets in the vail/ ' ; of vegetables in the traditional coconut kurma sauce) or the channa raja (a garbanzo bean based dish accompanied by a mild sauce). For appetizers, don't skip the vegetable, pakoras (a variety of vegetables" mixed with chickpea flour and deep fried) or samosas (peas, potatoes and spices wrapped dumpling-style in pastry dough and deep fried). ,aloo gobi •ed with [egetable variety This dish deserves to be set aside tof" its own. Chicken coconut kurma—a chicken dish prepared with a sauce that includes curry, coconut milk arid ginger—is offered by all of the major restaurants throughout Salt Lake City, but none does the dish the justice that the Tandoor Indian Grill does—which is saying a lot. Tandoor's iteration offers subtle hints of anise (a spice that resembles the flavor of black licorice) with thgjjerfect consistency. Hands down^J^SfiBta;getting better than this. v*— tV "•'--:• i^!95vSu\ |
