Two new Indian restaurants have sprouted up in the area and, while their locations and approaches to cuisine are different, they are both spicing things up in their neighborhoods.
In Conshohocken, Nirvana 401, at 401 Fayette St., occupies the space that used to be 401 Diner. Actually during breakfast and lunch hours, Nirvana still serves American diner food. But at night, it transitions to Indian fare created by Chef Jagmeet “Happy” Singh.
Nirvana 401 impressed from the start with its Gobi Manchurian appetizer ($9). Any time you can get us to enjoy cauliflower, you’re a magician. The tangy eggplant ($9), sliced thin and fried crispy, was a delight as well.
Traditional Indian staples like vindaloo (chicken $14, shrimp $20) are especially flavorful and spicy. The chicken briyani ($13) was hearty enough for two to share, overflowing with lovely seasoned rice and juicy pieces of chicken.
Singh’s skills really shined on dishes like the Lamb Roganjosh ($17), which is tender, spicy and elegantly presented.
Dessert was equally impressive. The orange khufi ($8), delicately flavored orange ice cream in a shell of real orange rind, was a lovely way to end the meal.
Back in the Gayborhood, Indeblue, 205 S. 13th St., is causing a buzz after winning over diners in Collingswood, N.J. And we can see why the restaurant is popular enough to open a second location.
The décor is ornately modern and classic at the same time. The live sitar and tabla player add a nice vibe as well.
Things got off to a great start with the soup of the moment ($6), a carrot-orange ginger soup that was spicy and chilled to perfection. The salad of the moment ($7) was even better, a watermelon salad topped with greens and cashews for a refreshing and texturally complex experience.
The small plates we tried were spectacular. The only problem with the samosa duo ($8) is that you want more of it, especially the spinach and feta samosa, which was addictively crunchy and rich. The pork samosa was no slouch either, with a sweet and juicy goodness. The bacon-wrapped bison seekh kabob was carnivore heaven, and the accompanying apple chutney gave the savory bite an extra bit of brightness. Equally addictive was the naan, the bread that is a must at any Indian restaurant. All of the varieties we tried we great, but the best was the mozzarella and spinach-stuffed naan. Yeah, it’s a pattern: We’re suckers for crispy things stuffed with spinach and cheese. But we dare anyone to try any of the naans at Indeblue and not fall in love.
For the larger plates, Indeblue does a great modern spin on classic dishes. The osso bucco pork vindaloo definitely has more meat than sauce as the pork was prominently featured and on the bone with marrow and potatoes, giving the dish a more substantial and elevated feel that what your average dish elsewhere offers. The shrimp-crusted salmon ($25) had a sweetness that was expected but made the dish feel exotic.
The most satisfying of the big plates was a vegetarian dish, the del makhani ($14), a hearty convergence of black beans, kidney beans, chick peas, ginger and tomato that could easily pass for a great spicy meatless chili with its thick, hearty presence.
Dessert came in the form of bananas nirvana, which was aptly named. We would have been completely content with fried banana fritters by themselves but they went the extra mile to drench them in caramel and top the whole thing with a potent cinnamon ice cream. Yeah, we had an out-of-body experience.
Fans of Indian food both in the city and the suburbs can rejoice now that Indeblue and Nirvana 401 have arrived.