Photo Credit: Rachel Buth
With all of the hustle and bustle around the new retail development along Highway 45 and Burleigh Street in Wauwatosa, it could be easy for area residents to miss the recent opening of India Garden restaurant. Owner Charnjit Bolla revamped the space formerly occupied by the Open Hearth, turning it from Germanic supper club to Indian elegance with glittery chandeliers, high-backed leather booths, tables bedecked with crisp white cloths, comfortable leather chairs and warm soft yellow-colored walls. The overall effect is cozy, yet refined.
India Garden’s food follows along with the decor. Diners will feel cozy and warm on the inside if they begin a meal with a bowl of the delicious, spicy rasam soup ($3.95) or the sweet, creamy coconut soup ($3.95). Other tasty starters include chicken pakora ($6.95), deep-fried, chick pea-battered chicken bites. Or, try one of the many breads on the menu. India Garden serves everything from a simple nan ($1.95), the thin, round, white flatbread that’s reminiscent of pita, to whole-wheat flatbreads like paratha ($1.95) and puffed, deep-fried poori ($2.95).
As all good Indian restaurants should, India Garden offers a multitude of curries. Lamb curry ($14.95), beef, chicken, goat and fish curries ($13.95) are a solid starting point. Well-known classics like chicken tikka masala ($14.95), and chicken Madras ($13.95) are pleasantly spiced and well prepared. The tandoori chicken ($14.95), chicken marinated in spiced yogurt sauce, then baked in the charcoal clay tandoori oven, is delectable.
If you prefer to go meatless, you’ll have a lot to choose from at India Garden. Try the aloo gobhi ($12.95), cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes cooked together with flavorful spices. The vegetable Manchurian ($11.95), carrot, green bean and cabbage fritters tossed in a spicy sauce, is also quite good. A vegetable curry ($11.95) is also available.
Rice dishes ($9-16.95), noodle dishes ($11.95-15.95) and thin rice crepe Dosa dishes ($9.95-10.95) round out the menu.
If you are an Indian food novice or just like a good deal, come for India Garden’s lunch buffet, served daily ($9.95, Monday through Friday and $11.95, Saturday and Sunday). You’ll get to try a wide range of dishes and sample several different sauces and chutneys. It’s a great way to discover a new favorite food.
India Garden
2930 N. 117th St.
414.235.9220
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
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