Archive for September 17, 2015
Tasting The Symphony – The India Kitchen
by John Weckerle
Back in the 1990s, your editor and a band of Indian food enthusiast friends with whom he worked were once or twice weekly lunch regulars at a small Albuquerque restaurant called the India Kitchen. We were regulars for all the right reasons: excellent food, excellent service, wonderfully friendly owners, and excellent atmosphere. Sadly – at least for us – the owners made a decision to move to a dinner-only strategy. Not much later, your editor changed jobs, and subsequently moved to the “other side of the mountains.” Being the only resident of New Mexico Central headquarters who enjoys Indian cuisine, he doesn’t get back to the India Kitchen as often as he would like. So it was a delight to receive a call from one of the old crowd, and a continuing co-attendee at the restaurant, inquiring as to whether tonight would be a good time to pop back in, as it had been several months.
Of course it was. When isn’t?
The India Kitchen is a relatively small enterprise located on Montgomery Boulevard, on the south side just west of Louisiana. Nestled in the corner back away from the road, it’s not immediately obvious to the casual drivers-by. The restaurant has a dozen or so tables, and is decorated in a tasteful Indian theme. One of the owners often greets customers as they arrive, and the service remains as friendly as it was decades ago – small wonder, as the owners have been there for as long as we have been going. The ambiance, cordial welcome, and attentive service combine to create an intimate and positive atmosphere that make dining at the restaurant a good experience that starts when one walks in the door. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food.
The meal began with samosa and pakora, which were outstanding, as always. We followed this with mulligatawny – shrimp for me, and lamb for my meat-eating friend. The mulligatawny was, in typical fashion for the India Kitchen, delightfully flavored and had just the right amount of “heat” (a 3 – enough to feel the heat but not enough to hurt). Next, it was time for vindaloo, with my friend selecting chicken while I once gain elected to go with shrimp. The India Kitchen’s vindaloos are wonderful – as with everything they cook, the heat is as advertised (6 for me, and 7 for my friend), and the spicing is done masterfully. The vindaloo was accompanied by delicately flavored rice and the restaurant’s delicious garlic naan (ordered separately).
This, perhaps, is the India Kitchen’s great strength. The spices in all their food are skillfully combined, with the flavors clearly indicative of the style ordered (for instance, the vindaloo tastes like vindaloo), but without overpowering the other spices in the dish. The result is always a flavor that is well-defined yet intricate and subtle and, in our experience, rare. The friend I dined with this evening arrived early and mentioned this to the owner, who indicated that he worked to achieve “a symphony of flavors.” And achieve that the India Kitchen has, time and again, for decades.
To the owners we say: Play on, Maestros! And to our readers we say: Go to the India Kitchen; it’s time to enjoy a culinary concert.
Fire On Sandia Mountain
by John Helmich
There is an active wildfire on Sandia Peak. US Forest Service fire fighting teams are aware and are inbound to the area. The fire is located north of the Crest Highway. At this point we have no more information other than it is small, with winds from the south. We will update you as we receive more information.
This is be a reminder that wildfires can and do occur in our area at this time. Please remain vigilant and prepared. As we say, report it, don’t ignore it.
John Helmich
EMIFPA Community Education Outreach Coordinator
Twitter: @EMIFPA_NM