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JUL
08
2011

Of Course He Was There Before Me!

The thali begins (clockwise from 11 o'clock): Aamras (sweetened
mango puree), kachumber? (an Indian version of pico de gallo), papadum

I was leaving the restaurant when I happened to notice a framed copy of an LA Weekly review of the same restaurant penned by none other than Jonathan Gold. Of course he ate at this restaurant before I did! Did I really think that I was first to discover the New World?

Okay, I admit, the scene wasn't half as poignant as I just related it, but I did not expect to see Mr. Gold's review on the walls of Rajdhani, a vegetarian restaurant on Little India's main drag (Pioneer Boulevard). At this

restaurant, they serve AYCE "Gujarati- style" (in the words of the maître d') thali - a selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray.

Rajdhani is a cleanly decorated restaurant on the second floor of a 1990s-built commercial building at the northwest corner of Pioneer and 186th Street. Inside the dining room, there is a bar and tables of varying sizes to accomodate everyone. The chairs are plush and I like the hefty stone dining tables with inlaid decoration. Outside, there is a patio with shaded tables for those who fancy dining al fresco.

What I ate: 1) Lunch Thali (13.99 USD).

After taking my seat in the dining room, the first course arrived almost immediately: Aamras (sweetened mango puree), kachumber? (an Indian version of pico de gallo), and a papadum. The mango puree was sweet and luscious - very pleasant. I was surprised to see the kachumber? I had no idea that Indians had their own version of pico de gallo! It tasted much like any pico de gallo you might find at a

At the height of the thali (clockwise from 9 o'clock): Aloo bhindi (okra
and potato), buttermilk curry, sambar? (lentil stew), navy beans, puri, pakora, chapati, bhindi masala (spiced okra), minced coconut sandwiched between purple yam

Mexican restaurant. The papadum had a hint of asafoetida, which brought to mind rather frightening memories. Also at this time, the maître d' brought two beverages to the table: water and salted buttermilk. The salted buttermilk proved to be a good palate cleanser and appetite stimulant, being both tangy and salty.

As soon as I had started in on the introductory course, the bulk of the meal began to arrive. From a handy serving apparatus, a server filled my empty bowls with navy beans, bhindi masala (spiced okra), aloo bhindi (okra and potato), buttermilk curry, and sambar? (lentil stew). Another server brought the breads: Puri, chapati, and pakora made with dal? and curry leaves? Still another server placed a purple yam filled with minced coconut on my tray. What an overwhelming abundance of food it was!

And as if the former wasn't enough, a friendly, yet somehow sinister, Nepali spooned heaps of basmati rice and khichdi - a kind of rice-dal porridge - onto my tray, which pushed me over into the abyss.

I must not forget the condiments! There were two chutneys - sweet tamarind? and coriander - and intense, salty preserved items - okra, lemon, lime, and red bell pepper? These condiments added a lot of interest to the meal.

My favorite item of the thali? Probably, the buttermilk curry because I had never thought to combine the two. My least favorite item was the purple yam item.

Rose-flavored ice cream with basil seeds (also notice the table!)

For dessert, I chose the rose- flavored ice cream with basil seeds; there are other desserts like gulab jamun and shrikhand, to name a couple. The inherent flavors were redolent of the garden. I thought it was an appropriately light ending to a big meal.

This was my first thali experience and I must say that I enjoyed it very much. I was a bit let down, however, with the repeat of okra in two dishes. Not that I don't like okra, but in my professional

opinion, two main ingredients should not be repeated from one dish to another (well, unless you're doing a special tasting or something similar).

I thought the FOH staff at Rajdhani were pleasant. The maître d' was kind enough to guide me through the menu upon arrival and he was attentive throughout the meal. The servers were friendly and generous.

Parking: There is a parking garage connected to the restaurant. The entrance is off 186th Street.

The Bill: 15.35 USD.

My Rating: An enthusiastic two stars

out of four stars (very good). Open daily for lunch and dinner. Major credit cards accepted.

Last Word: With all the vegetarian dishes, afterwards, I really felt the need for some murgh makhani, or butter chicken, to balance out my system. I am an unapologetic carnivore!

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