Southern Draw

Indian restaurant blends style from South, food from North

By Karen Miltner (kmiltner@DemocratandChronicle.com)
Democrat and Chronicle

Article link at Democrat and Chronicle

THE PLACE

(Nov. 8, 2001) -- Thali of India: Northern Indian cuisine served in humble strip-mall scene.

THE FOOD

A thali is a silver platter that typically carries an ensemble of small metal ramekins with an entire tapas-style meal on it. The thali is a style of serving in southern India, where meals are often vegetarian. However, many other regional Indian restaurants, including this newcomer that opened last winter and recently changed ownership, borrow the tradition.

Thali of India specializes in food from the North: tandoori, biryani, yogurty rogan josh with beef or lamb and a variety of fresh-baked breads (roti, paratha, poori, naan). Heavier and meatier than southern Indian cuisine, Thali's thoughtfully spiced fare and intriguing sauces deserve silver-platter praise. Eating there rates as one of the more pleasant ''new restaurant'' experiences I've had in a while.

Every table receives a basket of crisp pappadams (fried wafers made with lentil flour) with two bright and bouncy chutneys: one tamarind and one mint. These sauces went just as well with the Veggie Appetizers ($5.95), a platter of battered and fried vegetables (eggplant, cauliflower, onion) and potato samosas.

Unlike a lot of ethnic menus, Thali's does a decent job of describing selections in a straightforward manner -- a bonus for newcomers to the cuisine. While northern dishes aren't as

Thali of India gives local palates a spicy, meaty taste of India's northern region.

Thali of India

Address: 3259 S. Winton Road, Henrietta.

Phone: 427-8030.

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (buffet lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Seating capacity: 50.

Accessibility: Yes.

Things to know: MasterCard, American Express, Visa accepted. Children's menu consists of chicken tenders and french fries. Take-out available. No smoking. Reservations available but not required.

MID-RANGE:
$8.95-$17.95 DINNER $5.99-$7.99 LUNCH

spicy as their southern counterparts, the servers do give you a choice of customizing the heat. I ordered my Chicken Shahi Korma ($10.95) medium-hot, and it was pretty tame. But hardly lame. Spicy here means aromatic. One bite and this delicious vapor of cardamom and cumin rose to the roof of my mouth. The creamy sauce was sweetened with raisins and cashews.

Vegetarians, relax. Despite Thali's generous offerings of fish, chicken, beef and lamb, there are plenty of ''safe'' dishes, such as the Paneer Akbari ($9.95) my partner tried. Blocks of soft, chewy paneer (India's cheesy alternative to tofu) wade in a delicate, creamy tomato sauce. We savored both entrees with basmati rice and steamy, white-flour naan bread.

Unfortunately, our visit fell days before Thali's new Balti dishes made their debut. Balti, a cooking technique that uses wine and is similar to stir-frying, is apparently all the rage in England, says owner Jagdish Kaur.

We ended the meal with a fairly runny mango custard ($3.50). Another unfortunate flaw: Several of the fruit chunks were still frozen. Thali's also makes its own kulfi (Indian ice cream, $3.25 to $3.50).

THE DRINKS

Wine, beer (four Indian), and sweet and salty lassi, a cooling, cultured yogurt drink ($2.25). If you're having dessert, try a cup of masala tea ($1.50), a warm, soothing blend of milk, spices and black tea. Or stir some sugar in and skip dessert altogether.

THE SERVICE

Well-mannered and eager to please, our two young servers checked on us several times, asking with each course how we liked the food. Dealing with multiple dishes was a little awkward, but these guys get an A for effort.

THE ATMOSPHERE

Simple yet formal, almost romantic. Red carpet and stiff, matching napkins, white linen tablecloths, candlelight and soft Indian music.

QUIRK OF NOTE

No breath mints, but you can freshen up -- and aid digestion -- by chewing on a few cumin seeds. They're in a bowl by the cash register.

Have a favorite local dish? Do you have a favorite wine? Have you found a tasty new coffee? We want to know what you're drinking (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) and eating. E-mail Karen Miltner at kmiltner@DemocratandChronicle.com. Include your name and daytime phone number.