Never judge a restaurant by its lunch buffet, especially if therestaurant happens to be Thai, Chinese or Indian. Stir-fried food keepspoorly on a steam table; meat is often used sparingly; and spicierdishes tend to be so mild as to be unrecognizable.
Thisproved the case at the new Indian Rasoi, located at the corner onceoccupied by Dancing Ganesha. While the basic layout is the same, thenew color scheme is bolder and the lighting brighter. Dancing Ganeshawas a unique Indian restaurant due to its attention to detail. Thearoma of freshly roasted spices wafting from the kitchen is now gone,but diners at Indian Rasoi will find a menu that is quite a bit largerand filled with familiar names. Expect the usual cast of characters,including tandoori entrees, flatbreads, biryani, samosa and a largevegetarian section.
The dinner experience is quitedifferent from that of lunch. Arriving first in the evening arecomplimentary papadums, wafer-thin lentil wafers seasoned with avariety of spices. These are served with mint chutney and sweettamarind sauce. The vegetable samosa ($3.50) boasts a thin pastrywrapper with a delightful spiced filling of potatoes, peas and onions.There is also a meat samosa ($5.50) filled with turkey.
Oneof the low points at the lunch buffet was the chicken vindaloo.Vindaloo is a Portuguese-Indian cooking technique that incorporatesvinegar with hot spices. At lunchtime the chicken wallowed in a nearlyflavorless sauce, devoid of any hot pepper and even any taste ofvinegar. But after 5 p.m., try the lamb vindaloo ($11.95), which thecourteous servers will be happy to have prepared to order. The resultis tender boneless chunks of lamb with white potato in a fieryreddish-orange-hued sauce. It’s what a proper vindaloo should tastelike.
Lamb appears in several other dishes, too. Amongthe best is frontier kebab ($15.95), an Indian version of rack of lamb.The pieces of lamb with the rib are marinated in a spice blend andcooked in a tandoor oven. It arrives at the table on a sizzlingcast-iron plate with fresh slices of onion and mild peppers. Ask forthe hot sauce on the side, as the lamb is already amply spiced. Thesauce, however, makes a good condiment for the long-grained basmatirice.
Following a trip to India 20 years ago, I’ve alwaysremembered an elegant restaurant in Calcutta that served a memorabledish of jumbo tandoori prawns. The tandoori prawns at Indian Rasoi areas good as my memories from that long-ago vacation. They are served inthe same manner as the lamb, with an identical sauce on the side. Thereare only four prawns, but they may be the largest in Milwaukee and arecooked for maximum flavor. It’s an exceptional entr%uFFFDe.
Diningon spicy food requires a counterbalance. A side of raita, yogurt withchopped cucumbers, should do the job, as yogurt can tame even thespiciest vindaloo. Indian beer also comes to the rescue, and the bestpick here is a large bottle of Taj Mahal.
While I willalways miss the food and aromas of Dancing Ganesha, Indian Rasoi is aworthy substitute. And as an added bonus, there is still a great dealof the menu left to explore.
India Rasoi
1692 N. Van Buren St.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
414-223-3080
