Bowling Green
Campbell Lane
Downtown
Greenwood
Northgate
31W Bypass
31W South
Scottsville Road

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Indian

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Indian cooking is the newest cuisine to hit Bowling Green. It's unlike anything else, with its Nan Bread, Curry, Mangos and unique ways of fixing vegetables and meats. Kitchen devices like the Tandoor alllow even familiar ingredients to taste quite different. Local diners are still learning how to order and appreciate food at an Indian restaurant. Northern Indian cooking features Chiles (which we're all familiar with from Mexican cooking, but Asian chiles have far different flavors), Goats Milk and Lamb, while Southern Indian cooking brings Seafood, Mangos and Yogurt into the mix.

Currently, Bowling Green has only two Indian restaurants : India Oven and Taj Palace, both on Scottsville Road. However, they are both outstanding

India Oven Taj Palace
India Oven is the smaller of Bowling Green's Indian restaurants, but the food is good. They have a very extensive menu. There are the usual Tandoori, Lamb, Chicken, Seafood and Vegetarian entrees. India Oven offers the most breads in town, 12 in all. There are six Naans, two Kulchas, a Bhatura, a Roti and a Paratha. All their breads are great. Four Soups (Milligitawny, Palak Shorba, Chicken Shorba and Spiced Tomato) and two Salads are available. The Appetizers here are interesting. A Tandoori Platter includes Seekh Kebab, Shrimp and Chicken Tikki. Samosa Chat includes Samosa with onions, tomatoes, yogurt and chutney. There are various Chutneys and Yogurts to order as sides to add to the entrees. They may do the best in town with the 10 Lamb and two Goat entrees. There are 10 Rice options. Beverages include the usual Chai Tea, Mango Lassi and Mango Shake. Their Chai Tea is excellent. Just in case you save room for Dessert, you can try their Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream), Gulab Jamlin (pastry balls dipped in syrup), and Fruit or Rice Pudding. Of the Soups, we think the Palak Shorba (spinach soup) and Spiced Tomato are outstanding, among the best versions of these delicacies we've found. The Chicken Tiki Masala is delicious, but the Lamb Vindaloo is probably their signature entree. The waitress will ask what level you want. If you're new to Indian food, you should say Mild. The higher levels are scorching hot. The decor here is spartan, with bare walls and ceilings, but the booths are very comfortable. Don't let its modest storefront appearance mislead you; India Oven is one of the best Indian restaurants in the entire state.
Taj Palace is one of Bowling Green's treasures. That a small city of 55,000 even has an Indian restaurant is commendable, but this is a restaurant the quality of which would norrmally be expected in a city 10 times larger. The Mango Lassis is creamy and tangy, not an easy balance to achieve. At least one member of your group has to try this and pass it around. There are spicy pickled vegetables to tide you over and they're excellent. At lunch they offer an excellent Buffet, which allows you to sample a wide variety of meats and vegetables. Of the appetizers, we like their Vegetable Samosa (crisp patties stuffed with mashed potatoes, green peas and coriander) and Eggplant Pakora (the eggplant is deep fried). They offer the traditional Lentil Soup, and it's good, but we like their Tomato Soup better, with its delicate mix of Indian spices. Vegetarian Dinners for two or four at $25 and $45 are very good deals. They come with A LOT of food, a grand tour of every vegetable commonly used in Indian cuisine. There's also a Carnivorous Dinner For Two or Four at $35 and $65, which includes chicken and lamb fixed various ways, such as tandoori and vandaloo. Of the entrees, the Chicken Vandaloo (spicy sauces and potatoes) and Malai Kofta (vegetarian meatballs) get our vote. Both fish entrees feature Salmon. They're good, with a unique flavor thanks to the curry and Indian spices. There are six Shrimp entrees and one Lobster option. The most unique is the Shrimp Saag, cooking the Shrimp in spinach and spices. This is the only restaurant we've known to offer this. Save room for dessert as they have some unusual ones. Culab Jamun is golden fried milk. Mango Kulfee is Indian ice cream with mango pulp.
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