The spice is the limit

Eating at Indian restaurants can be a very filling experience. And we mean that literally. In a recent visit to Tandoor Indian and Middle East Restaurant, we felt like Lilliputians staring at a huge plate of a lumpia-like dish called dosa, among other goodies. The dishes kept coming and, overtaken by curiosity, we kept eating and eating. Well, the torrential rain that day contributed to the added pounds as we were stuck – willingly, that is – in the resto for a good three hours getting a crash course on Indian cuisine from our host Ram Sadhwani.

"In India, a huge dosa can feed 10 to 12 people. It’s a popular breakfast and snack in South India. But don’t let the size scare you. It’s very light and can also be eaten as appetizer," he assures us, adding that Tandoor is the only restaurant that serves jumbo dosa, which is good for two to four persons.

Made from rice flour and filled with spiced potatoes, the dosa is crispy and is just a wee bit thicker than a lumpia wrapper. Best eaten hot, it goes well with the sweetish coconut chutney and lentil sambar, or dhal soup. For light eaters, these three items are a meal in itself already.

But, as it is, a trip to Tandoor would be wasted if you don’t try the other dishes as well. Just don’t be overwhelmed by the more than 400 items (we counted ‘em all and gave up after the 400th dish) on the menu. Tandoor has items for meat eaters – beef, chicken, lamb, mutton, fish, and seafood – and vegetarians, as well as halal food. There are tandoor meat and vegetable dishes, salads, tandoor bread, rice meals, appetizers, soups, desserts, and even familiar Filipino food (think sizzling gambas, calamari, tuna and chicken sisig and longganisa) given an Indian twist (it’s in the spices, my dears).

"Indians usually don’t start their meals right away," says Ram as if to warn us of the long night ahead. He told us that Indians typically start their mealtimes with appetizers – oh, about four to six, if not more. Well, look at it this way: it’s a good bonding time for family and friends.

A popular appetizer served at Tandoor is the naan, a flat bread that is thicker than chapati. It can be eaten as is or taken with three kinds of chutneys – the sweet-spicy mango, the herby cilantro, or the sweet-sour tamarind.

For pica-pica, the papadom topped with spices and chopped tomatoes goes well with liquor. Other popular appetizers include the kicha, or kropeck, and the fried chapati with dahl (chickpeas). The ever-popular samosas, of course, shouldn’t be ignored. The Indian counterpart of our very own empanadas, samosas are usually filled with potatoes and spices and are great when dipped in tamarind chutney.

There’s a wine bar in one corner of the 50-seater Tandoor, which serves a wide selection of drinks, all imported from India. Otherwise, you can opt for the "safer" lassi to salve those burning tongues after savoring those spicy dishes. Made from yogurt, the lassi comes in different flavors, one of which is the exotic-tasting rosewater, which we tried and loved to bits. Or you can have a refreshing sip of Uncle Ed’s Cooler, a specially blended iced tea drink.

But, as the name implies, the restaurant’s main reason for being is to offer authentic tandoori dishes. Says Ram, "There’s no restaurant in the Philippines that specializes in tandoori dishes so we thought of opening up one. Our two tandoor ovens came directly from India so it’s authentic as it can be."

Vegetarians need not panic as Ram assures us that vegetarian dishes, or tandoori, are cooked in one tandoor oven exclusively for vegetarian foodstuff. "One tandoor oven is only for vegetarian dishes; the other one is where the meat dishes go in. We even separate the plates and utensils used by vegetarians because we have strict vegetarian clients," says Ram, who is also behind the Uncle Ed’s chain of stores. Since the kitchen is separated from the dining room by clear glass, guests can readily observe how their orders are being prepared.

Halal food, likewise, is strictly observed. In fact, Ram tells us, they source their meat from Maharlika Village, a Muslim community, to be absolutely sure that what they’re serving is halal meat.

Needless to say, one of the bestsellers at Tandoor is the chicken tandoori. Tender and tasty (it’s in the spices, my dears), the tandoori chicken is one reason to visit the restaurant. Taken with either a pulao (a kind of biryani rice) or the fragrant basmati rice, the tandoori chicken is a winner. Squeeze a few drops of calamansi juice on the piping hot chicken for a bit of Pinoy touch. This also brings out more of the flavor of the meat.

But of course, the tandoor oven is not only meant for chicken alone. One can also cook Indian breads in there, as well as beef, mutton or lamb, even vegetables.

Since this is also a family restaurant, the kids need not feel left out. There are samosas, hotdogs, and chicken kebabs, as well as the sweet treats like the kulfi and the gulab jamun (deep-fried milk dough balls with syrup), to name some.

The prices at Tandoor are wallet-friendly as well. Prices range from as low as P30 to P800, with the latter a whole leg of lamb good for four to six people. Ram plans to put up more stores by next year. Tandoor currently has branches in Uncle Ed’s UN Avenue store, Makati, and will soon open in West Gate Alabang.

The Makati outlet is open seven days a week, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 6 p.m. onwards. There are packed nights, says Ram, with closing time reaching as late as well past 2 a.m. Well, with a penchant for having six appetizers and hundreds of choices from the menu, we won’t be surprised if Tandoor just finds itself open for almost 24 hours.

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Tandoor Indian and Middle East Restaurant is located at Kamagong corner Dao Streets., Makati City, with tel. nos. 890-7971.