Yes, please…
I love pizza, sushi, cheeseburgers, steak and Thai duck. And bacon, which author Sarah Vowell called “the food of joy.”
But Indian food is the food I lay awake at night thinking about.
Alas, Indian food is troublesome to prepare at home. It often requires exotic ingredients not found locally. And you’ll usually need to take long, fussy steps in a very particular order to get the taste you’re after. (Saute this, toast that, then grind; sweat these, steam this; then combine the first 3 in the pan until browned; then remove, add the ground blah blah…)
I like to cook — I can hold my own. But more than any other type of food, I think I’d rather go out for Indian. Which is why I’m so grateful that every meal I’ve ever had at Sitar of India — and I have had many, many meals there — has been positively wonderful. I always leave full, happy and at ease with myself and the world. Is there a more consistent restaurant in Charleston?
So yeah, the weather has been hot; yes, I have what some might consider strange tendencies. In miserably hot and humid weather, I like to eat Indian food. Spicy, heavy, filling Indian food. But it’s hot and humid in India too, so maybe they’re onto something.
I’ve you’re not familiar with Indian food — well, it’s a large country, and I’m not the guy to explain the totality of their cuisine to you. But we can start with one of the big classics: chicken tikka masala. Usually considered the most popular of all Indian dishes, chicken tikka masala consists of chicken tikka (chicken marinated in yogurt and spices then baked in a rocket-hot clay oven) covered with a luxurious orange gravy, made with such varying ingredients as ghee, coconut milk, ground nuts, tomatoes, cream and lots of fresh spices.
Anyway, I guess that’s how they make it. Despite its popularity, there is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala. But the chicken tikka masala at Charleston’s House of Sitar is of the first order, I tell you. Just know that if you’ve never had it before, you’re seriously missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. Indeed, until you’ve tasted this combination of moist smoky chicken and sumptuous orange gravy, you cannot fully appreciate what it means to be alive.
I also recommend getting vegetable pakoras as an appetizer — deep fried dumplings spiced with fragrant coriander. And nothing goes better with your Indian meal than garlic naan, a warm round flatbread slathered in garlic and baked in the aforementioned rocket-hot oven, perfect for sopping up that wonderful orange sauce. The service at Sitar is top notch too — sometimes bordering on ridiculously friendly. It’s as if they live to keep our glasses full and make us happy.
I sometimes try sneak a peak back into Sitar’s kitchen, trying to catch a glimpse of their exotic methods. But I always end up turning my head away prematurely, not wanting to spoil the magic. Just knowing I can stroll down to Sitar and order chicken tikka masala brings me peace and joy. That’s what a great meal can do — it is one of those rare things that can take away the pain that living brings.
IF YOU GO (and you should): Sitar of India, 702 Lee Street East, Charleston, WV 25301, (304) 346-3745
HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 11:30 am to 10 pm (closed from 2:30 - 5:00), Sat. noon - 10 pm, closed Sundays
August 18th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Talk about food porn. You’re right on, but reading this made me feel dirty, as though I should be leaving your alone with your thoughts. I’ve decided I physically and emotionally won’t be able to get through the weekend without Indian food, though, so thanks.
August 19th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Oh my God. I miss that place, though I preferred the mali kofta. Also, besides Rio, it’s the best place in Charleston to eat after a couple or nine drinks. They’re friendly even when you’re passed out in your raita!
August 19th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
Anyone know why the buffet went away? That was the best lunch in town.
August 20th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
I do believe buffet went away because they lost a cook.
I wonder if they’d hire me?
August 20th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
A had a friend who worked there briefly and would bring over “leftovers.” Man oh man, those were the days.
They do take-out, too. That was dangerous for me to learn.
August 21st, 2006 at 12:01 am
Yeah, they initially quit the buffet because they lost a cook, but then they just never brought it back. My hunch is that it’s because it wasn’t cost effective, but the thing is, they could’ve charged more and people would have kept coming in droves.
August 23rd, 2006 at 7:29 pm
I, too, love Sitar. I hate to hear that they did away with their lunch buffet -loved their hot pink chicken! By the way, I now buy naan at the grocery store -they just started selling it here in the Northeast, where I currently live. I wonder if it is being sold in WV?
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:17 pm
The best thing about my hood in North Portland are the five Ethiopian restaurants within walking distance. Granted, that spongy bread has nothing on the garlic nan.
August 24th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
The Indian/International market in Kanawha City (close to Southern Kitchen) sells Naan… they also sell a frozen naan made by the Pillsbury factory in India. They also sell all the spices needed to make Indian food at home. Of course, nothing can quite compare to Sitar of India.
August 27th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
Sitar’s food is the utmost in comfort food! You just feel good after eating there.
But what I like best is the sly smile that comes across the face of the servers when some unsuspecting novice orders their meal spiced to HOT.