"Hello and welcome to India Grill. Light or dark?"
"...?..."
"Light or dark?"
There's a first time for everything. And if you happen to have the good fortune of coming upon Tempe's India Grill, this curious question (not "table or booth") will be asked of you at dusk, alluding to which side of the window-walled restaurant the sun hasn't set on yet. (Sorry, Obi Wan, I prefer the dark side.)
And if your taste for the country's cuisine leans toward the creamier, richer, and moderately spicy dishes and cooking styles of its northern region, the comfortable and affordable India Grill may pose a second question, albeit one asked of yourself.
"Should I order the butter chicken?"
Here's an excerpt from my review this week:
"When it comes to India Grill's most popular chicken dish, you had better like butter. With its origins in Punjab, one bite of butter chicken -- boneless chunks of oven-roasted marinated meat lazily resting in a thick, creamy orange sauce of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, various spices, and butter, butter, butter -- goes a long way. Best to share this slightly spicy and nearly instantly filling dish generously, or just ask for a large to-go box when ordering."
Hungry for more? Read the rest of the review of India Grill here.