Surya | Page 3 of 3 | Mass Food & Wine

Chicken Tandoori from Surya Indian Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

When I heard the foodies group was heading to Surya Indian Restaurant, I was excited for some nan. I have to admit; I have limited experience with Indian food. I luckily sat next to someone that knew all the dishes and was a huge help explaining and offering suggestions. Thank you! I ordered the cheese nan – clay oven baked bread stuffed with homemade cheese & spices. I honestly don’t think any form of nan could disappoint my love for this bread. The cheese nan was very good; not overly stuffed and the flavors of the spice were a perfect balance. For my dish, I decided to not be very adventurous (I know shame on me.) I ordered the chicken tandoori – fresh chicken marinated in tandoori sauce and BBQ in a clay oven. I was told that often this is prepared with a dry rub on the chicken however; mine was more in a sauce. I was not disappointed. While the serving was far too large for my appetite the flavors was just spicy enough and went well with the rice and yes the nan. The service was also fantastic. Going to Surya has definitely piqued my taste buds to venture towards more Indian flavors and well…. more nan. -LB

Lamb Saag from Surya Indian Cuisine on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Surya Indian Restaurant is generic from the outside as well as the inside. Flat screen TV’s appeared in the medium sized dining area show casing an Indian related movie, the volume was low and did not distract or interrupt your conversations but my eyes did seem to be drawn to the colorful outfits and energetic dancing on the screens.

The wait staff; a young Indian lady who was our server was efficient and very personable, she spoke good English and you was able to get your questions answered pretty clearly. My husband and I started with an order of the “meat Samosas,” an appetizer that we have shared together many times at other Indian Restaurants. While the deep fried dough was cooked nicely and had a great texture the ground/minced lamb meat filling was a bit different from my previous experiences, it was not as compact as I’m used too and it was a little dry however, it was flavorful.

We ordered plain nan, this is flat bread made from pressing inside a very hot Tandoor oven, and one of the best items any Indian Restaurant can offer in my own personal opinion. We typically go with the plain however there are many flavors and varieties to go with. This nan was just okay.

For my meal I ordered the Lamb Saag, this is a spinach based dish with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic and a whole lot of flavorful spices simmered in a gravy, at the end they finish it off with heavy cream to give it a rich flavorful taste. The chunks of lamb were plentiful however I thought the lamb was a bit gamey tasting and possibly overcooked, I have had this dish on many occasions in other restaurants and while I didn’t dislike my meal I would not go back and order it again. It was pretty ordinary. My meal came with a good portion of jasmine rice and that and the nan rounded out the meal.

I was a little disappointed, I was really hoping to find a new Indian Restaurant that I would want to return to and keep in my food rotation but at the end of the day I would not recommend this place to anyone and I probably won’t have a return visit. -RL