An Experince of India without a Fork
By Nam-Doo Kim
If you want to experience India without spending a small fortune on airfare, thereâs one thing you can do in Austin ö looking for a nice Indian dining spot. Ruchika Joshi, a journalism graduate student from India, recommended Taj Palace for my dining venture and willingly joined me.
It can be a little trouble for those who spot the place for the first time. Taj Palace is located in a storefront center along Middle Fiskville Road in north Austin. The road is one block off west of Interstate 35.
Since 1990, this restaurant has featured its buffet options - lunch buffet everyday, dinner buffet every Monday, and vegetarian evening buffet every Tuesday. Ruchika and I visited the place on a Monday evening of October, so we had a chance of enjoying a little of many things. The large assortment included Indian-style chicken, beef, lamb and veggies, as well as several colors of curry sauce and so forth.
For starter, I had some green salad and a bowl of Madras, which was lentil soup garnished with rice and chicken. Then I filled my plate with Tandoori Murg ($8.50 for an individual dish), Seekh Kabab($10.95), and Barra Kabab($11.95), as well as some vegetables, Bastami rice, and finally, curry sauces - a little pleasure to look at its varied colors ranging from orange, yellow green, green, even to black.
Tandoori means that the food was cooked in Tandoor, a traditional Indian clay oven, Ruchika gave me a piece of information. Tandoori Murg was one half chicken marinated overnight in yogurt and several spices, and barbecued in a Tandoor.
Ruchika's another detailing: Kabab is morsels of meat marinated and cooked usually on skewers.ä Seekh Kabab appeared minced lamb, which was mixed with fresh herbs, onions, and bell peppers and grilled on skewers, while Barra Kabab was another cuisine of lamb, which was marinated in yogurt and spices and charcoal grilled.
Aside from these special dishes, we had fried rice and Indian bread Naan, reminiscent of pita, with curry sauce. Rather mischievously, I asked her about the traditional Indian manners of having food with their bare hands. "Yes, it's true," replied Luchika. Yet it never means they have no rule. To the contrary, they make it a rule keeping their left hands away from food.
"It's no big deal. Actually you don't need more than one hand during your dinner." In my case, unlike her comment, it turned out more difficult than I had thought. Can you imagine my struggle tearing off a piece of Naan only with my right hand? Fortunately, it's just one dining option for a challenger here.
For dessert, we had Mango custard and Gajar Halwa, minced carrot with nut delicacy. The warm Gajar Halwa was Ruchika's favorate, while I preferred the sweet taste of Mango custard.
Perhaps the best thing in this place lies in the exotic and charming ambience. From the lamps with little tassels to the hand-made fabrics covering the table, all of those suggested its upscaleness. The menu provided us detailed descriptions of all entrees and the quality of service was pretty good. The restaurant also offers home delivery service on phone call. Taj palace is a place where you can immerse yourself in the experience of India without going there.
Address: 6700 Middle Fiskville Road St 406, Austin, TX 78752
Phone: (512) 452-9959.
About Nam-Doo:
Nam-Doo Kim is a Ph.D. student studying media sociology, political communication, and digital media communication at the University of Texas at Austin. He was a life-long resident in Seoul, Korea, before he came to Austin, Texas in 1999. He received his masterâs degree from Seoul National University in the same year. He has an undergraduate career of a reporter and an editor at Seoul National University Press. Now he works as a translator for a Korean publisher Media Lab, which has the license of publishing a Korean version of a by-weekly magazine Business 2.0.