 | | | Roos Pal (Terzetto Cuisine) reports that she and husband PJ, who makes a very nice naan (flatbread), were up for 48 hours preparing for the grand opening of New Delhi Bistro. The tables filled quickly at lunch time on opening day. Photo Andy Scheck
| | | | | | Roos Pal opened New Delhi Bistro to a crowd last week. If you've ever noshed on delicately spiced Samosas or creamy Chicken Tikka Masala while wandering through the Moraga Farmers' Market, you've tasted Pal's food and you'll find many of the menu items familiar.
New Delhi Bistro is light and welcoming. Don't be fooled by the lunch meat that fills the first half of the display case-although you can certainly get a decent sandwich if that's what you're looking for, the real treasures lie just beyond.
The menu features traditional Indian dishes such as Chana Daal (lentils), Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), and Chicken Korma (cooked in yoghurt sauce). There are only about a dozen items available right now, but Pal plans to expand her offerings over the next few weeks to include tandoori plates, vegetable pakoras, and a selection of desserts.
Don't miss the home-style Baigan Bhurta (often spelled baingan bharta), a delightful, robust dish made with smoky, roasted eggplant. Lamb Kofta Saag, dense lamb meatballs in a bright, flavorful spinach sauce is also quite tasty; you can get a similar dish with chicken-it's the spinach that will have you wiping your plate with a piece of fragrant naan.
Heat-seekers may not be satisfied - much of the food lacks the fire that some lovers of Indian cuisine look for; spice is applied with a deft but light hand. There's an upside to that: my kids polished off the Chicken Tikka Masala in short order and clamored for more.
The question asked at my house when we try a new restaurant's food or a new recipe is always, "Do we want to eat this again?" Since we are looking forward to sampling the full menu at New Delhi Bistro, the answer is definitely "yes!" L.Borrowman
New Delhi Bistro
484 Center Street (in the Rheem Valley Shopping Center)
Moraga
(925) 376-3839
(The website, www.Newdelhibistro.com, is still under construction)
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA