tanpura
one word summary: thin
we decided on tanpura after walking some twenty blocks and deciding that the kosher moroccan place we were kinda heading for was either not midpriced enough or possibly too midpriced. maybe we should have done some more walking. or maybe the crowd at the neighboring japanese place and lack-of-crowd at tanpura should have been a tip-off.
the lassi was the first item brought out and was tasty. the green chutney was good and the tamarind sauce was okay, but watery. after that, things kinda fell downhill quickly. the naan tasted more like a store-bought pita than naan. the samosas were alien to samosas — i think we finally decided that the crust was a cheap pastry crust and the filling was out of a can. if i had eaten one of the samosas blindfolded, i would not know it was a samosa. the less said about the other appetizer the better.
for an entree, i did dhal and vegetable vindaloo. at this point, i decided to try the dhal first, as the vindaloo looked sub-par and i was really hoping i could find something redeeming at the restaurant. no such luck. the dhal was bland at best. the vindaloo was even worse, the vegetables also tasting “fresh” from the can or freezer, and the spice, while present, wasn’t acceptable. i momentarily regretted not getting the vegetable kurma, but one taste made me reverse that decision.
after a substantial wait for the check, i left the table with most of my entrees uneaten. while i regret the waste of food, i don’t regret the decision. despite what menupages has to say, i can’t possibly recommend this venue.
