Taj Mahal: the Ritz of Indian Cuisine - Dallas Magazine
By Waltrina Stoval (excerpt)
By its name, this should be a grand place. But the Taj Mahal restaurant in Caruth Plaza is a long, narrow shoebox of a room, all done up in nursery pink and white and a holding a mere 13 tables.
A mirrored wall does give the illusion of greater space, and two crystal chandeliers add a posh note. However, comfort and practicality seem more to the point: The blond, low backed chairs are upholstered in a nubby beige fabric, and the plum carpeting is the low-pile industrial type. On the wall there are pictures of the real Taj Mahal and romantic Indian prints such as might illustrate the The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam.
The clientele at this Indian restaurant can't be easily pigeonholed either. No age group predominates. Nor is there a uniform dress, though it is mostly casual - no ties for men, summer frocks or pants for women. Some of the younger people undoubtedly come from the nearby apartments; two older couples talk as if they have driven a considerable distance; one customer we recognized as an SMU professor and writer.
The many repeat customers quickly become evident. Open since mid-May , the restaurant was awaiting its liquor license when we visited last week; fully half the customer had come prepared with beer or wine. And just as many customers seemed to know the tall man who made occasional rounds with a pitcher of water, refilling glasses and solicitously asking if we were enjoying our food. Only toward the end of the second visit did we learn that he was chef/owner Vir Singh, who formerly cooked at the old Sahib and, for the last 51/2 years, at the Kebab-N-Kurry in Richardson.
Singh's solicitousness is echoed by the waiters, who freely make suggestions about what you should order, seemingly out of concern that you may be disappointed with your own choices - and, in our case, also concern that we were ordering too much. In fact, on our first visit, we had to be adamant about both appetizer and entree selections; on our second visit, we meekly took the dessert we were told we would enjoy.
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Diners are greeted with a complimentary serving of peppery lentil wafers called pappadums and two chutneys, one a thin tamarind sauce, the other a wonderful green paste of mint, green chilies and fresh coriander (which is cilantro in Tex-Mex cuisine and which sparked many of the Taj Mahal dishes).
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Taj Mahal should have received its liquor license earlier this week: planned bar offering include the Indian beer Kingfisher, which a co-worker says is worth searching for. Our recommendation: simply pay attention to the waiter's pointers, as well as those of your friends who are more knowledgeable about Indian foods. If you do, we don't doubt that you'll have a fine experience here.
