“Let them eat curry” should have been the words of Marie Antoinette, as it is far more satisfying and warming than cake, especially in winter. It may be icy and snowy outside, but inside India Palace, your palate will feel like summer.
Located in historic downtown Provo, India Palace offers all sorts of delicious wonders. From North Indian Tandoori Specialties to traditional favorites such as Chicken Tikka Masala, and many vegetarian dishes as well, one can’t go wrong. Especially if the meal is accompanied by the chewy and soft Naan bread.
Whether by itself, seasoned with garlic or drenched in coconut korma sauce, this bread offers a satiating texture and taste. Naan comes flat, the top decorated with air bubbles, as it is baked upon order.
The food at India Palace is fresh and can be made to one’s desired spice level. Shocking enough, if ordered hot, the dish comes nice and spicy. Not usual fare in the state of Utah. However, for the daintier palates, the dishes may be ordered without spice, or mild.
Let’s start the eating adventure with an appetizer, Onion Bhaji. If you like onion rings, then you are in for a treat. Thin sliced, aromatic spiced, lightly battered and fried crisp, these fried onions make regular onion rings dull. No ketchup or fry sauce here, though; you have a choice of a tangy, sweet tamarind dipping sauce or a spicy mint sauce. Both are divine and delicious together as the contrast explodes upon the tongue.
The meal is served family style. So, if you get the chance, go with a group and try many dishes. Try a vegetarian dish, such as Saag Paneer. Saag is spinach, and Paneer is homemade Indian cheese. However, Paneer is not a melting cheese; the texture is similar to very firm tofu. Imagine slow cooked spinach with spices and cream until it is nearly a sauce, studded with soft pieces of cheese.
Or perhaps a lamb specialty, like Lamb Coconut Korma. Tender, boneless lamb smothered in a golden coconut curry sauce, which is fabulous on the rice and the afore-mentioned Naan bread.
Maybe curries and sauces fail to stir your appetite. Then let yourself be seduced by the fires of Tandoori (Indian Barbecue). Baked in the Indian traditional clay oven, the Chicken Tandoori comes sizzling and fragrant right to the table. This chicken has been marinated in ginger, garlic and yogurt, a natural tenderizer, and cooked with spices and fresh vegetables. All of the entrees are served with white Basmati rice, one of the aromatic rice varieties.
Do yourself a favor and don’t order a soda, as tempting as that root beer may be. Go traditional and have a full experience: order a Lassi. There are three flavors to choose from: mango, strawberry and sweet. A Lassi is a yogurt “milkshake,” a blend of fruit and sweetened home made yogurt, or rose water and sweetened homemade yogurt, with the Sweet Lassi. Tangy yet sweet, cooling to the palate and calcium rich, Lassi’s pair beautifully with any Indian dish.
No dinner is complete without a sweet ending. There are three different dessert choices: Mango and Kulfi (Pistachio) homemade ice cream; Kheer, a cardomon scented, creamy rice pudding; and Gulab Jamun. Sweet and chewy, this delectable pastry is served in a dessert goblet. Looking not unlike doughnut holes, the pastry balls are soaked in sugary syrup and served warm. It is a sensational ending to a perfect meal!
India Palace has both the service and the ambiance one appreciates when dining out. The decor is tastefully done with lovely Indian pictures adorning the walls and soft elegant lighting. The servers are more than polite and treat one as a guest dining in their home.
For More Information:
98 West Center Street
Provo, UT 84601
Phone: 801-373-7200
Fax: 801-373-0003
All you can eat lunch buffet: $9.95 + tax, M-F only
Dinner entrees: $9.95-$15.95 + tax,
4:30-10:00pm, M-Sa, closed Sundays
Call for: Take out, reservations of 6 or more, catering or banquets.
