India Garden is a Hidden Gem in Tosa

Perhaps one of the best ways to introduce yourself to India Garden and sample the widest range of their food, is to try the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet offered daily.

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The greater Milwaukee area is blessed with many excellent world cuisine restaurants. One that could be a challenge to find without precise directions, but is well worth seeking out, is India Garden. Located on a tucked away street, in the shadow of Highway 45, this Indian restaurant has been putting out excellent food from its opening day some 10 years ago. The moment you step through the door, the exotic aromas will transport your senses to faraway lands. The warm welcome from the friendly staff and the ambiance of the beautiful dining room creates a feeling of comfortable well-being, preparing you for the delicious meal to come. 

There are many tasty ways to begin your meal at India Garden. Offering an extensive list of appetizers, it could be tough to choose just one. A safe bet is the samosa ($5.95), which consists of two delicately fried pastries stuffed with nicely spiced potatoes and green peas. Or try the mixed vegetarian platter ($8.95), which includes a variety of fried vegetable-based bites. Meat lovers may prefer the mixed non-vegetarian platter ($9.95), with a sampling of fried chicken and fish goodies. Each version is excellent, so if your party is big enough, or hungry enough, you may want to order both. For those who like to start with soup, try the spiced lentil vegetable mulligatawny soup ($6.95) or the sweet and creamy coconut soup ($6.95).

All That Naan!

The various bread offerings at India Garden are remarkable. If you’ve only ever had grocery store naan and thought it was good, welcome to your new obsession. There are about 15 different fresh naan breads available ($2.95-$7.95) with different preparations and fillings, plus several whole wheat paratha breads ($2.95-$3.95), and unleavened kulcha breads ($3.95-$4.95). It’s definitely worth selecting one, or more, to go along with your meal. 

Entrees at India Garden generally tend to be curry or tandoori dishes. If you are unfamiliar with the differences between them, curries are cooked over a long period of time at lower temperatures to achieve tenderness and instill deep, rich flavors. Tandoori dishes are marinated and prepared in a tandoor charcoal clay oven which cooks food quickly at high temperatures, also achieving maximum tenderness but the flavors generally are smokier, and the spice is more on the surface. 

Tandoor cooked standouts include the chicken tikka ($17.95), perfectly spiced and served in a flavorful sauce with rice. Or go with the tandoori mixed grill ($24.95) to sample a variety of the different grilled specialties like kebabs, achari chicken and tandoori shrimp. 

There is a vast array of curry available at India Garden. With chicken, beef, lamb, goat, seafood and vegetable curries of varying preparations to choose from, it could be a bit intimidating to make a single choice. Diners decide their spice (heat) preference when ordering, so concern that a dish could be too hot shouldn’t hold you back. Try the lamb curry ($17.95) spiced to your palate and cooked with garlic, ginger, and onions. Or go with the popular, and always delicious, butter chicken ($16.95), which combines tandoori chicken with a rich and creamy sauce, served with rice. 

Noodle dishes ($14.95-$15.95), rice dishes ($14.95-$20.95), and deserts desserts ($4.95-$7.95) round out the menu. 

Perhaps one of the best ways to introduce yourself to India Garden and sample the widest range of their food, is to try the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet offered daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3pm. (Monday-Thursday $16.95, Friday $17.95, Saturday and Sunday $19.95). Whenever you choose to visit, there is sure to be something for everyone at India Garden. 

India Garden