For someone who's mastered the art of Northern Indian cuisine, I am very picky when it comes to dining out at Indian restaurants.
Clay and Coal is one of the few restaurants that gets my tick of approval. Indian paintings adorn the walls; ghazals (classical Indian music) lends a soothing and relaxing ambience to patrons as they enter into a gastronomical affair, appeasing one's mind and soul.
A regular here, I highly recommend the Lamb Rogan Josh ($11.50), Beef Vindaloo ($11.50), Fish Bengali Curry ($14.50) and Goat Curry ($16.50). The meat is tender, creamy and almost melts in your mouth.
If you can't handle the semi spicy flavor, dive into a tall chilled glass of Mango Lassi ($3). Almost like a smoothie, it's perfect concoction of blended yoghurt, bits of mango, mango juice and sugar.
Vegetarians would love the creamy Palak Paneer ( $8) and two of my favourite vege picks, Aloo Gobi ($8) and Vegetable Kofta ($8). It definitely goes well with a warm bread of naan ($2) or bhatura ($2.50).
No Indian cuisine is complete without tucking into its colourful and rich desserts. Pick the milk dumplings soaked in sugar syrup and flavoured with cardamom seeds Gulab Jamuns ($5) or sample the homemade Indian icecream, Mango Kulfi topped with generous toppings of pistachios.
It's a perfect family restaurant, kids are welcome with open arms and there is a fairly good wine list that will make your dining experience extra special. They get extra stars from me for adding gluten free, nut free and lactose free codes in their menu.
Ask for chef/owner Hemant Gusain who will gladly recommend some of his favourite dishes. read more