Having only eaten Indian food once at a buffet at the age of 10, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for this Foodie event at Surya Indian Restaurant. My fellow foodies were obviously more versed on Indian cuisine and patiently explained the menu to me. I was told to order the Naan, a traditionnal Indian bread, and to use this as a utensil to move the food from my dish to my mouth. I was also told to order cautiously as many of the dishes can be incredibly spicy. While I do like some spice in my food, I was relieved to have taken their warning seriously. After going back and forth between chicken and lamb, I eventually decided on lamb vindaloo – lamb curry cooked with potatoes and very hot spices (although I asked our waitress if I could have the sauce to be a medium spice) and the Keema Naan, bread filled with lean minced lamb and onions. The naan arrived first and was delicious! The thin bread was filled with tender, well-seasoned lamb and sweet onions. I ate half of the order before my meal. When my lamb arrived, I was a little taken aback by its color. The sauce was a brilliant red-orange color. When I tasted the meat and potatoes, I was pleasantly surprised despite my initial response to the color. The meat was moist and tender and the potatoes were cooked to perfection. The sauce was rich in flavor and very spicy. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the spices used to season the dish, but I can assume they have alot to do with the color. My only regret was that the dish was not served with a slotted spoon because I found the sauce to be a little rich for my liking and felt that it overwhelmed the lamb and potatoes. Overall, my fist adult Indian experience was better than expected. I would return, but would need to bring one of my friends along who is more familiar with the menu. -AV
