High-end South Asian Restaurants

[Aoede]

Hi folks -- Looking for your opinions of high-end South Asian places in metro Boston. I've gotten some info from past posts on Indian food, widely defined -- Tamarind Bay, Kebab Factory, and Lala Rokh seem to be in the mix.

Yup, "South Asian" covers a lot of ground. I'd be ok with food from anywhere; there's no individual preparation I'm looking for. I'd rather have good food from a regional tradition I don't know yet, instead of the same-old same-old North Indian (Good North Indian would be fine, though!).

That said, I'm not interested only in the food. If I can combine good food, a well-decorated space, and a room that's not too loud, I'd be thrilled. It's not that I dislike hole-in-the-wall take-out joints, but I'm looking for a good place for a special occasion.

Western suburbs inside 128 would be ok, but Boston/Cambridge would be much better.

Thanks in advance for your advice! I promise to report back about wherever we go.

PS -- please, no buffets!

[robertlf]

Tepthida Khmer in Lowell fits the bill.

[Aoede]

Thanks for the suggestion. The menu looks good, but I'm actually looking for South Asian, not Southeast Asian. Perhaps I should have been more explicit.

Also, I'm more interested in recommendations in Boston, or at least inside the ring road.

[Prav]

Kathmandu Spice, in Arlington, for superb nepali food

[Aoede]

Ah -- Nepalese potato salad! I didn't know about this place -- thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[nasilemak]

Masala Arts in Needham could be what you are looking for.

[Aoede]

Looks very good from the website. Have you ever done the "interactive cooking session" at the bar?

[nasilemak]

No i have not, but i've heard good things about it.

[RoyRon]

I would suggest The Pongol Restaurant on Rte 3A in Billerica. Although they do have a buffet they also have a great menu too and it includes many South Indian specialties.

[Aoede]

Billerica is a little too far for me. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[Taralli]

A little mystified why (Persian) Lala Rokh was included. Higher end suggestions w/nice decor are:

Mantra: http://www.mantrarestaurant.com/
Mela: http://www.oneworldcuisine.com/Restau...

[Aoede]

Well, people often find me mystifying in real life, too. *g*

For what it's worth -- one reason I mentioned Lala Rokh was that, knowing more about Mughal miniature paintings than I do about Mughal food (and still not knowing much!), I'm familiar with Persian influence on Mughal culture. MC talks about that below.

The other reason for bringing up Lala Rokh was that some folks had mentioned it in old threads about Indian food on Boston Chowhound. Like I said, widely defined....

About Mantra -- I wasn't really thinking fusion for the dinner I'm planning at the moment, but it's always good to have another place open late. Have you eaten off the lounge menu?

Regarding Mela -- I can't actually figure out how to look at the menu on the webpage. That ownership group uses an awful lot of flash, huh.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[limster]

Parsi cooking (a very small group of immigrants from Persia to India) is hard to find in the US. Not the same as Persian food, and distinct from many North Indian cuisines (e.g. Punjabi).

P.S. High end traditional regional Indian cuisine here in London isn't exactly easy to find either. You can hear howler's howls if you go through the UK board.

[MC Slim JB]

I haven't spent much time on the UK/Ireland board. Is the issue with London Chowhounds about traditional-ness, i.e., the high-end places getting too precious or innovative or Anglo? I was pretty wowed by places like Benares, Amaya, Tamarind, and Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, would love to have just one place at that level in Boston.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[limster]

Briefly, howler wishes that they were less innovative for purely the sake of being innovative; but best to let him speak for himself. Here's are some examples: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/268447#1414324
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/357787#2162861
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6486...

[MC Slim JB]

A fascinating perspective: I love the idea of a litmus test based on vegetarian dishes. I don't think I'll ever have that sophisticated an appreciation for the vast diversity of Indian cuisines. I'd still love to see a more fine-dining approach to it here.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MC Slim JB]

I don't typically talk of Persian food in the same breath as South Asian cuisines, either. I think of those as including the many regional Indian cuisines, plus Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan.

But there are strong affinities between Persian cuisine and the Mughal dishes that I mainly see at North Indian restaurants here. Those influences survive from the old Persianate Mughal Empire that ruled most of the sub-continent for centuries. That's where many dishes with nut pastes and dried fruits originated from: think navratan korma and rogan josh.

I guess "high end" depends: I don't think we have anything like the high-end South Asian restaurants that you see in London, where the food is traditional, not fusion-y, and done at a very high level of technique in beautiful settings with rather formal service. I think the closest we come on that score is perhaps the two Tamarind Bays, but they're not really in that league. We do have a few places with nicer-than-average atmosphere: Diva, Mela, Kashmir, the South End's new Bombay Club, etc.

Mantra is very fusion-y (and not worth its breathtaking prices, in my opinion.) I don't think we have anything that belongs in the top tier of Western-tradition restaurants in Boston in terms of ambience and service. I think Tabla and maybe Tamarind in Manhattan might qualify.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Aoede]

MC -- What you're thinking of in London is exactly what I was looking for. I'm hosting a small-but-formal occasion for a British woman who grew up at postings all over India and Afghanistan in the 40s and 50s. That's why the particular region doesn't matter to me as much as good food and ambiance in general.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Prav]

Upscale, Afghani: The Helmand, in Cambridge.

[MC Slim JB]

We're getting better and better in terms of geographic breadth for South Asian dining, but that Tabla level of place is still missing.

Hmm. Maybe Lala Rokh on Beacon Hill might fit the bill: high-end Persian cuisine, excellent service, pretty ambience, some good wines. It's a bit dressier and more romantic than most.

Not formal or pricey, and limited on the wines front, but here's another idea: Jasmine Bistro in Brighton. The owner is Baluchistani, and his menu is a mix of French bistro, Hungarian, and a few specials from his homeland. Lovely food. Maybe you could dress this option up by arranging to splurge on some special wines, a tasting menu, or the like. They're very nice, accommodating people.

The Helmand is a good idea, and while a fine-dining restaurant, it has a somewhat casual, comfy feel: it's not a place where many people get dressed up for dinner; I do like the food a lot.

I haven't dined yet in its new South End location, but from the street, Bombay Club appears to be a very attractive space. I had an Indian friend tell me its food is very traditional, but it didn't strike me as such when it was in Harvard Square. It's now a neighborhood place for me, so I expect to report on it soon. Beyond that, I think you're left with those above-average-looking Indian places I mentioned, but I think you'll find they lack the formality you seek.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[lipoff]

One additional suggestion is Ginger Park. The food is more "East Asiany" now than it was as Banq, but I had a terrific Goat Biryani with saffron rice there just the other day that was exactly "High End South Asian."

I would also second Tamarind Bay, and the Helmand for Afghani food that's very similar to Punjabi food in a very nice setting.

I haven't been to Masala Art, but I get the impression that it might be what you are searching for! The Kebab Factory might not be a bad choice either.

I don't think we have anything quite like Washington DC's Raisika or Indique, or London's Tamarind or Rasoi Vineet Bhatia here, but I think there are many places to try that are along that direction.

[BobB]

If you include Thailand in South Asia (and why not?), I'd add Khao Sarn in Coolidge Corner to the list. They serve some of the better Thai food in the area in a quiet, white-tablecloth atmosphere with a full bar. I'm planning to have my birthday dinner there this year.

[MC Slim JB]

I quite like Khao Sarn, but the geographic breakdown usually goes something like this:

South Asia: the Indian subcontinent -- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan -- and more broadly, also Afghanistan, Tibet, sometimes Iran, sometimes Myanmar.

Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and sometimes Mynamar

Northeast Asia (sometimes called East Asia): the PRC, Taiwan, Japan, and the Koreas.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/