Address:
2671 Kirkwood Highway
Newark, DE
The Meal:
Vegetable Platter
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Naan
Iced Tea
Total: about $18 (without gratuity)
The Review:
Off my usual beaten path, Himalaya Restaurant could use a good Sherpa of its own.
Service
I have to preface this by saying that I don’t know how long this place has been in business. The waiters (of which there were two) were very friendly and attentive, but not very knowledgeable. I never ran out of anything, and the wait for my food was what I’d expect, but two things stuck out about this experience. First, after I ordered, I remembered that I hadn’t requested Naan (sometimes called Kulcha depending on the restaurant), and when I asked for it later, I got an enigmatic “Well, if you’ve seen it at other Indian restaurants, I’m sure they can make it.” I’m not sure she knew what it was, let alone how much it cost or how long it would take to make. Frankly, it didn’t inspire confidence at the time, but the bread did come out as expected. Second, and this is probably just the writer in me picking nits, but the same waitress didn’t even spell the names of the dishes correctly on the ticket. I don’t recall ordering “Panner tikka masal” — it just struck me more as funny than anything else, but it does support my new staff/new restaurant theory. Despite these anomolies, the service was more than adequate. This just may not be the place for someone who’s never eaten Indian food before.
Food
The Vegetable Platter goes by different names depending on where you go, but suffice to say that it’s assorted deep fried balls, cubes, and pyramids of chopped veggies and batter. It’s usually served with a variety of sauces, but I only have eyes for the dark brown Tamarind sauce. Here the sauce had a strong apple flavor to it initially, but after a few bites, I stopped caring — it was still plenty tasty. The Paneer Tikka Masala amounts to cubes of a firm, mild cheese in a signature Indian tomato sauce (optionally) over rice. The cheese itself has a very mild, unassuming flavor on its own, but does a good job of enhancing the flavors of foods around it. The masala sauce in this case was very good. The Paneer Naan was also fresh and soft, which was great for sopping the remaining masala sauce. The tea was, sadly, fountain or bottle again, but especially if the place is new, I’ll forgive them forgoing the additional expense of a dedicated tea machine… this time.
Atmosphere
The interior of the restaurant was well lit and was decorated with classic Indian paintings and portraits, heavy red curtains, and mostly uncomfortable booths. I asked for a table when we were sat, but the tables appeared to be serving as trays for water pitchers and dishes, which took away from the otherwise clean, comfortable look of the place. Still, I was fascinated by the painting about our table, depicting some ancient Indian story most likely, and the tables/serving stations weren’t too much of a distraction. My favorite part of the place, even though I didn’t try sitting in it, was a richly decorated swing for two in the waiting area — plush red cushions with gold or silver trim, and support poles painted in silver and gold patterns. It looked so inviting I almost asked to eat my meal there.
Overall Rating: C+
Good food, adequate service, and a mostly comfortable atmosphere. I’m confident that when it grows up, Himalaya Restaurant will make a fine Indian venue, but for now, a little polishing is in order.
