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Amber India – SOMA – San Francisco

Sometimes when searching for a place to dine for the evening, I have often lamented a lack of higher end Indian restaurants. So many of the places are carry out or delivery worthy, that I had almost forgotten what it was like to eat Indian off of proper plates and bowls. Amber India fills that need by providing a slow food alternative in an upscale setting.

Amber India has many member in its family who have helped to pave its way. The group of restaurants includes the Palo ALto and Moutainview locations as well as other restaurants that are slightly different conceptually, resembling cafes more than upscale dining. The cuisine in all places is quite wonderfully assembled Indian and all of the restaurants hold their own comparatively.

The interior of Amber is full of rich earth tones with accents of color that are similar to the hues of the fare. The tables are made of dark wood with buttery leather chairs in yellows and reds. The banquettes are a rusty orange and the accent walls in the dining room are red with vibrant artwork.

The dinner menu is quite stunning, with over 40 items to choose from. There are far more hits than misses here, so selecting items is a safe bet. The palak chaat is an excellent place to start. The flash fried spinach is served with yogurt and tamarind chutney. Fried spinach never fails to surprise and delight me, this was no exception. I love samosas and the aloo peas samosas were fried crisp with warm potatoes and split peas on the inside.

The dinner menu offered a delicious tandoori half chicken which was as good as I have ever had it. The lamb chop frontier was outstanding and consisted of Australian lamb rack served with signature spiced mixed yogurt. The butter chicken is a much debated dish at Amber. It is considered a signature dish and is highlighted on the menu. Upon actually being presented with the chicken, some folks found it to be underwhelming, while others were delighted. It is shredded tandoori chicken served with a tomato sauce. I think one could describe it a Indian comfort food and leave it at that.

There are  a wide array of tandoori breads to be chosen from. The offerings include classic nan and lacha paratha which is flaky, layered whole wheat bread. There were also two kulchas, which are stuffed leavened bread, one with peas and potatoes, one with Amul cheese and Serrano chilies.

After or before dinner, there is a delightfully over the top lounge with many, many cocktails to choose from. The bar has backless purple stools facing a display backlit with led lights is a changing array. Some have likened this show to a sort of light therapy. There are also generous happy hour specials; five dollars for a menu of drinks and appetizers. It is often difficult to get a seat at the bar due to these bargains. There is auxiliary seating in the lounge and handles he overflow nicely. This is definitely a date destination and you won’t have to worry about dry leaning your clothes  to get rid of the curry aromas afterwards.

 25 Yerba Buena Ln, SOMA San Francisco, CA Click to see Google map.

Ruchi SOMA San Francisco

So, you consider yourself a fan of Indian food. You have had Tandoori, vindaloo, Curry dishes and samosas. You love naan and basmati rice and have had a million lassis. You consider yourself to be well-versed in Indian and think that you have the whole concept of Indian food figured out. Been there, eaten that. And then, you come across Ruchi.

Ruchi is a restaurant located in the tech-boom neighborhood of 3rd street, near the ball park. It is pretty unassuming from the outside. In fact, it is so unassuming, I passed it a number of times, thinking it was no more than an Indian fast food joint, nothing special. Whilst satisfying a craving for Indian food one day, I discovered how incorrect I was.

The food is a sensory experience. The aromas, the flavor combinations and the textures are probably far different than most of what you have eaten if you are anything like me. I am often excited to try new foods, but while dining alone, i often go for what i am familiar with. Taking server suggestions at Ruchi is the best way to go. Everything is made fresh daily, so trying new things is a great way to get the most out of your dining experience.

Most dishes that I was familiar with are from the northern region of India. That seems to be the American standard of Indian cuisine. Ruchi brings its dishes from the southern regions, such as dosas (a dosa is a crepe made from rice and black lentils) and vadas (a vada is an appetizer made from black lentils or chickpeas) and a variety more specific dishes that are called house specialties and are different on a daily basis. This is where a one should go for true taste experience.

Upon ordering a thali, or house specialty, one can expect the main dishes to change but the accoutrements remain the same. Each one is served with the long-grained rice, a bowl of yogurt with soft curds, triangles of naan, bowl of soup called rasam and sambar, or creamy golden dal. These are all meant to be combined with the dish in proportions suited to each diner, thereby tailoring each experience to each guest’s tastes. I especially appreciate this, because I am usually more inclined to go lighter with my sauces and let the main ingredients of any dish shine through. I like being able to control this myself, without seeming like a high maintenance woman in the process.

Ruchi is much much busier during the lunch time rush. Be prepared to wait a little for a table and be surrounded whilst eating by raucous groups in lunch parties. That should, in no way discourage you from venturing there whenever the mood strikes. The food is so different in wonderful exciting ways from the standard cuisine that it is totally worth whatever wait there is.

The waitstaff there is knowledgable and attentive. They will happily be your guides into the menu and you should absolutely let them. They will help you navigate the daily dishes and the other item s on the menu with ready descriptions and suggestions. In addition, the menu actually has a glossary of sorts. The author firmly suggests delving into this new land of culinary delights with the confidence these tools provide. Do it, you will not regret it.

474 3rd St. San Francisco – Click for Google Map

Masala Indian Cuisine

The concept behind this establishment is simple: Take a well-loved style of cooking and apply that to a menu along with Eastern sensibilities and you have Masala Indian Cuisine. As the website points out, the word masala means “any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in Indian cooking” and the masala dishes on the menu are quite good. The other well-represented items include the paratha, the tikka masala and the lamb curry. The rest of their items can be a bit inconsistant and vary was wonderful to bland.

This is probably not a good date destination. The interior isn’t much of a stand-out and there are better places for that sort of dining close by. It’s nice but not special. That having been said, they do deliver. That makes this an excellent place for a night in. Open a bottle of wine, light some candles, put a Ryan Gosling movie on and order some take out from here. And make sure to include the paratha. You won’t regret it.

Below is a link to Google Maps, you can easily get to the Inner Sunset via the N – Judah train via Muni if you are looking for a way to get there on foot.

Located at 1220 9th Ave -San Francisco -Inner RIchmond

Tabla Montreal

Tabla is the go-to place in Le Village for great Indian food. With an extensive menu and lush decor, it’s the perfect spot to spice up the evening. It big enough to accomodate large parties, so if you have a birthday to celebrate, you can definitely share lots of food around the table. Yet, you never really lose the intimate atmosphere, so it’s also a great restaurant to have a quieter meal with a close group of friends or just one special person.

During the summer, the back patio is open – so you can take whatever celebration to the back and be pretty much as rowdy as you want to be. The staff is very friendly and definitely open to accomodate you and your party. There are not many food options in Montreal that venture into more exotic cuisine, so it’s good to have an Indian restaurant that not only serves great food, but it gives off a great atmosphere and an enjoyable experience.

1329 Rue Ste Catherine (514) 523-6464

I am a big fan of Indian food and Bombay is always a great choice, you can count on them for a decent meal in the Castro any day. Bombay even Delivers, not a common thing from an Indian restaurant in San Francisco. You can even order online, this is a big plus in my world. I often time find that mistakes for delivery are from communications issues and or just staff who want to be as fast as possible.  Bombay is near 22-23, Peet’s Coffee and not near Home.

They are located at 2218 Market St. between Noe and Dirty Sanchez. 415-861-6655

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Kasa Castro Indian Food

Indian restaurants are very common and are good but they all seem to lack creativeness. Kasa breaks that common feel and has a unique menu and presentation that I have never seen before. They have options similar to wraps called Kati Rolls and Ala cart called Thalis. The flavors are very bold and well put together, I have seen Chefs from major San Francisco restaurants eating at Kasa.

This is an order at the counter and sit yourself type place, pricing is that of a normal restaurant with wait staff. But it’s worth the extra money, you will remember this place. The Naan is amazing here! It’s a great addition to the Castro and its limited list of dining choices.

They are located at 4001 18th St 415-621-6940

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