For anyone looking to escape winter’s cold, Indian Kitchen Restaurant might heat things up.
For many college students, price and location are key factors in choosing a restaurant that does not mimic standard on-campus dining halls and library cafes.
Indian Kitchen Restaurant, located at 2346 N. High St., is about a 15 minute walk from Lane Avenue and accepts BuckID.
When walking up the restaurant’s crooked stairway, the chipped brick of the building, loose cement rock and peeling red paint of the stairs can easily be mistaken for one of the shanty, dine-in establishments on Travel Channel’s “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.”
The smell of cumin seasoning and spices greets guests as they ascend the set of carpeted stairs that leads from the restaurant’s front door to its main room.
Each table — there are about eight in the entire restaurant — is lit by a tea candle that contributes to the restaurant’s easy-going environment.
The menu has several vegetarian options and features classic Indian cuisine dishes, from lentil soup and vegetable samosas to a varied selection of spiced curries.
The vegetable samosas — deep fried, triangle-shaped pastries that encase spiced potatoes, carrots and other vegetables — are offered as one of the menu’s appetizers and are served with a side of sweet, chili-tasting brown sauce and a side of murky yellow sauce with taste resembling that of citrus and cilantro.
Indian cuisine has the reputation of being really spicy, but at Indian Kitchen, the choice of spiciness (ranging from mild to hot) is at the discretion of the guest. The use of curry powder to achieve some of that spicy flavor is evenly distributed throughout the entree and succeeds in not overpowering it.
The service at Indian Kitchen is similar to its welcoming décor. As soon as you are seated, water is provided for you and the food is served in a reasonable amount of time.
The quality of food at Indian Kitchen can essentially be found at any good Indian restaurant in Columbus, but what sets it apart from other establishments is the manageable price. The average price range for an entree at Indian Kitchen is $12.50-$14.50, but for its location, the environment of the place and the quality of food, the price is well worth it.
Grade: A
