Mulligatawny Soup Appetizer from Panna II

Item Purchased: Mulligatawny Soup Appetizer
Location Purchased: Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant / 93 1st Ave Ste 5 / New York, NY
Price: $1.25 + tax

Purchased on: 02/01/07

Review: "Pepper Water."

That's what mulligatawny translates as, but this soup wasn't very peppery or watery. Panna II's mulligatawny is more like a tomato curry soup with little bits of rice and parsley in it. Appropriately, the soup is slightly spicy, which fits the massive amount of chili pepper lights hanging from the ceiling in this fantastic Indian restaurant. The right price and size for a soup appetizer, this small, but amazing East Village Curry Row stop serves up a fantastic mulligatawny. Though it may not be a traditional recipe, this mulligatawny introduces the base taste of Indian cuisine to your palate and prepares you for the amazing tastes that are sure to come.

Rating: 3.75 / 5

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Khan Vindaloo w/Lamb from Panna II

Item Purchased: Khan Vindaloo w/Lamb
Location Purchased: Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant / 93 1st Ave. Ste. 5 / New York, NY
Price: $6.95 + tax
Purchased on: 02/01/07

Review: Take one look at this East Village Indian restaurant and you might think that they have nothing more to offer than a surrealist mise-en-scene. When I was younger, I used to think that my mother went a bit overboard with Christmas decorations around the house. Sorry Mom, you've got nothing on this place. Panna II prides itself on its colorful display of strung lights, chili pepper light bulbs and overall weirdness. If it weren't for the tables, napkins and silverware, I would have been tempted to think that I wandered into a Coney Island fun house. The narrow dining room is so laden with lights and ornaments hanging down from the ceiling, that it is nearly impossible to stand up straight and a minor challenge to maneuver into your seat.

Beyond all of the colorful glee, however, is a restaurant that offers affordable Indian Cuisine that could put some of the more elegant eateries on Manhattan's Curry Row to shame. For only seven dollars, I received a healthy serving of tenderly cooked lamb meat and potato chunks swimming in a spicy vinegar curry mixture that will have you drinking the complimentary lentil soup that comes with it like it was a glass of soothing milk. Though spicy enough to have you breathing digestive fire, all of the complex flavors required for any lamb dish are present. Served atop the generous serving of rice I received, this lunch filled me up and sent me on my way, ready for whatever hurdles a whirlwind walk through Manhattan had in store for me.

In addition to the quality of the food, Panna II's service is impeccable. Though the typical tourist may be easily discomforted by the stone-faced servers here, they are attentive and concerned with your dining experience. It may have been due to the fact that I was taking pictures of everything on the table, but my waiter responded to my compliments on the food with a complimentary cup of tea at the end of my meal. Appetizer and meal in New York's East Village for under $10.00? You can't beat that. Even if you paid double the price elsewhere, I doubt the dining experience, atmosphere or taste of your meal would come close to equaling Panna II's output.

Mark this oddity as a regular stop for me when I visit New York in the future!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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Trader Joe's Indian Fare Palak Paneer (10.5 oz.)

Item Purchased: Trader Joe's Indian Fare Palak Paneer (10.5 oz.)
Location Purchased: Trader Joe's / 1840 N. Clybourn Ave. / Chicago, IL
Price: $1.99 + tax

Review: Palak Paneer is one of my favorite (and one of the most ubiquitous) dishes in Indian cuisine. I don't usually like to go the convenience route with a dish I enjoy so much, but while browsing the aisles at Trader Joe's I just couldn't resist.

Palak Paneer looks like a leftover fluid prop from The Exorcist, but don't let that turn you off. The pea-colored viscous stew in Palak Paneer is a mixture of pressure cooked spinach, garam masala, garlic, ginger, green chili paste and a handful of other spices. The cubed chunks are a form of mild unaged cheese (no rennet used in its making, for those of you who are strict vegetarians) called Paneer. The dish can range from mild to hold-on-to-your-hats spicy. I prefer the latter.

I didn't expect much from this modest and inexpensive box of pre-made palak paneer. It has been so long since I have had Indian food, that I would have been happy with something resembling it the way Chef Boyardee foods resemble fresh pasta.

To my surprise, this boil-in-bag convenience food was not only moderate in flavor, but extreme in spiciness. Despite all of the reaching for my water glass that eating this stuff caused me to partake in, the mild-but-competent flavor was still present and somewhat impressive.

Though nowhere near the quality of flavor that one can get on Devon Ave. here in Chicago, Trader Joe's Palak Paneer is a convenience product I can get my taste buds behind.

Rating: 3.75 / 5

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