Pintu's Palace, West Springfield
Had dinner here tonight on the way to pick someone up at Bradley. Very convenient halfway point between Northampton and the airport. Our first visit there since cutting out a glowing review from the Northampton newspaper a few years ago and pinning it to a bulletin board (where it curled up and turned yellow as the years passed...).
I had the vegetarian variety platter (which they call the Maharani) and spouse had curry mahi-mahi. The food is quite nice. I found everything noticeably less oily, lighter, and much less salty than the Indian offerings in Hamp (or Second Ave in NYC, where I have experienced some spectacularly indigestion-producing, greasy and not necessarily hygienic South Asian meals). Even the relish tray with the usual brown, green and orange-pink condiments were fresher-tasting than what I've had before. Whether they also came out of a bottle or can I don't know, but they tasted better.
The prices were similar to India Palace in Northampton -- $80 for three including a big Kingfisher beer. My meal was more than I could eat, and the take-out tandoori chicken we got for our traveling son was a huge portion for $15. Our son (who always has Tandoori chicken in any Indian restaurant), reported it was good but "not as succulent or flavorful as India Palace's."
Finally, the owner hovers around and we found him charming. The place was packed, with a nice happy busy-restaurant vibe.
I'd eat there again and recommend Pintu's as a place worth trying, especially if you are tired of Northampton and Amherst's limited Indian options.
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Love Pintu's and have been going there for years. At dinnertime especially on the weekend, service can be spotty and the wait for both seating and for food to arrive can be long - but the food is always worth it. (If you use insulin, don't take it till the food actually arrives - I won't make that mistake again.)
Favorites: the chicken tikka masala, the saag paneer, the malai kofta...
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JunieB
Mar 10, 2012 08:09 AM
For me, Pintu's is right up there with some of the best Indian food I have ever had. It's probably good that you didn't go when you first cut out the clipping! The service in the beginning was horrendous at times and Pintu himself was doing the cooking. The only reason we kept going back was because the food was so good. The condiments you mention are definitely homemade. The brown one is a tamarand sauce, the red one is onion chutney and I believe the green one is mint chutney ( possibly with cilantro).
For my tastebuds there is no comparison between Pintu's and the other area Indian restaurants. The sauces there are delicate and very flavorful. One of my favorite dishes is the chicken tikka masala. It has a delightful yogurt sauce that is addictive. Another favorite is the mushroom mirch masala, also in a yogurt cream sauce. We always get raita for the table. I like the plain naan, but my husband usually goes for the aloo paratha. It's naan stuffed with potatoes and peas. One of the things I always compare between restaurants is the samosa. At Pintu's the dough is flaky and just the right consistency, not thick and dry.
I don't think Pintu's takes reservations and it can be quite crowded, especially on weekends. I'm happy to see it doing so well.
