Namaste India

Last dined: 6/12/08

Namaste India (located at 7500 University Avenue in Clive, IA) is an Indian restaurant and grocery located in a strip mall where Sam & Gabe's was formerly located. We visited the restaurant for dinner, although they do also serve lunch.

As you walk in the front door of Namaste you will see a surprisingly large grocery off to your right and the restaurant off to your left. The restaurant is brightly decorated with a wall sized photo of the Taj Mahal as well as smaller pictures of goings on in India.

This was my first visit to Namaste, primarily because I am hooked on Tandoor, a stone's throw away (I am sad to report it looks to be closed indefinitely). We ordered an appetizer of lamb samosas, but were told they were out, so we ordered chicken instead. For those not up on Indian cuisine, a samosa is a thin pastry shell stuffed with meat and/or vegetables and deep fried. It turned out they were out of chicken samosas as well. They asked if I would like something similar, but could not describe what it was. It amounted to batter dipped chicken pieces, fried, served with a spicy creamy sauce and a thin sweet sauce. I never learned the name of the dish, but they were just average. Like an American chicken nugget with snazzy sauces.

For a main dish, my dining companion ordered the Lamb Bryiani. Bryiani is a traditional dish of seasoned rice with meats or vegetables. They delivered a heaping portion, definitely large enough for two meals. The seasoning was very good, spicy, but not too spicy (believe me, I am a light weight when it comes to heat). But the lamb seemed to fall short. It was over done, not tender, which really detracted from the dish.

I ordered chicken Choorma, which was a chicken curry dish. Bits of chicken with the bone still in the flesh in a large bowl of thick, creamy yellow sauce which was served along side basmati rice. This dish was perhaps a smidge spicier than the Bryiani, however, still not too spicy for my tastes. I thought that the flavor was creamy and complex. My dining companion felt that there was a bit too much citrus flavor. I attribute the citrus flavor to cilantro, which the menu stated was in the dish, and did not find it to be too much. On the contrary, I had to stop myself from consuming the entire heaping portion.

I found the food at this restaurant to be good, although not excellent. The prices however were in the $10-15 range, which I thought were perhaps a bit too much given the fast-food ambiance and the average dishes. The prices here are in line with Tandoor, although below Tandoor's standards. The staff also was not terribly attentive. We had to ask for water refills.

They do offer a lunch buffet Tuesdays thru Sundays. If you are unfamiliar with Indian food, this is a great way to discover what it has to offer and explore what tastes suit you.

Their website domain is currently down, but should they renew it:
http://www.namasteindiaia.com/

phone: 255-1698
hours: Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
Closed daily 2:30-4:30
and all day Monday