Indian

Everest Cafe

by Stephanie on May 4, 2012

in American, Dinner, Indian, Lunch, Vegetarian

Good morning! I hope you’re having a wonderful Friday. Can you believe it’s May already? This year is just flying by! I’m in an especially good mood, because tomorrow I leave for a trip to sunny California! I can’t wait to eat lots of delicious food and run in the OC Half Marathon! Smile

Enough about trips. Let’s talk about food!

A few weeks ago I went to Everest Café with some friends for an early dinner.

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This cozy restaurant is located in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. It’s more commonly referred to as The Grove.

I arrived a bit early, so I flipped through the menu and soaked in the atmosphere as I waited for everyone to arrive.

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Soon enough, friends started to arrive!

 

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Time to eat. Smile

Some pappadum arrived first, along with some sort of dipping sauce. I’m assuming it was some sort of chutney.

 

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Honestly? The rest of the table scarfed this stuff down, but I’ve never been a huge fan of pappadum, and this was no different. It’s really tasteless to me. If I’m going to fill my belly with food, it better be full of flavor! I don’t want to waste any precious room in my stomach. Smile

Anyway, for my entrée, I went with the hot and spicy Chili Chicken.

 

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It consisted of boneless chicken sauteed with hot chili peppers, onions, green peppers, and cilantro.

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I was a huge fan of this! The chicken was definitely spicy, but it wasn’t so strong that it overpowered the other flavors. I enjoyed the contrasting textures of this dish as well — the tender chicken, the crunchy green peppers, the soft onions – it all worked wonderfully.

Service at Everest Café was friendly and fast, especially considering the size of our group. At the end of our meal, they brought out complimentary chai tea for everyone.

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Boy do I love chai. It was piping hot, and it was perfectly creamy, rich, and a little spicy. So good!

The owner of Everest Café, Dr. Devi Gurung States, has a strong commitment to healthy, high-quality food. No processed food, butter, or cream are used to prepare any of the meals on the menu. All of the produce used in the dishes are fresh and organic. Dr. States believes that diet is an important factor in preventing disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it’s evident in the dishes that are on the menu. Yay for healthy eating! Smile

I would definitely recommend Everest Café. I can’t wait to come back again; I hear that their lunch buffet is to die for. Smile

See you next week!

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Indian food baby!

by Stephanie on December 16, 2010

in Dinner, Indian, Lunch

I had an Indian food baby a few days ago. Oh, it was wonderful.

I love Indian food. I’d eat it everyday if I could. So when Andy suggested we go out to dinner, House of India was my first choice. Located on Delmar Blvd, it’s pretty much a St. Louis institution.

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For me, House of India is the standard by which all other Indian restaurants are judged. Yes, it’s that serious.

Let’s get right to it. We were seated immediately and presented with this:

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Pappadum accompanied by mint chutney and some other sort of spicy chutney. Think of pappadum as the chips and salsa or bread basket of the Indian culinary world. It’s offered at most good Indian places. Honestly, I’m not a fan of pappadum (it tastes like cardboard to me), but I still manage to scarf it down every time. Maybe I’m just hoping that one day my mind will be changed. So far, it hasn’t happened.

I also have an obsession with chai, so when I saw it on the menu, I had to order it.

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It looks like coffee! It was flavorful, and a bit spicy. I loved it! So creamy.

We ordered a few appetizers. Vegetable Samosas:

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and Paneer Pakora:

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The vegetable samosas are described on the menu as “patties stuffed with lightly spiced potatoes and peas”. It was good, and I wish I would have taken a picture of the inside for you guys. I would have loved a different dipping sauce for these guys, but no dice. Just mint chutney or that other red stuff. Oh well.

The paneer pakora were described on the menu as “homemade cheese fried in chick pea batter”. Andy chose these, and I wasn’t impressed, honestly. Way too dry for me!

Food time!

I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo. It’s one of my favorite Indian dishes, and was described on the menu as “Boneless chicken and potatoes in a hot tangy curry sauce”.

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One thing I’ve discovered during my time as a food blogger is that there’s really no way to make Indian food look appetizing on camera. You just have to trust that it’ll taste good, even though it doesn’t look too appetizing. Have faith, fellow foodies!

And yes, this was GOOD.

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And you can’t have Indian food without naan!

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Soft warm bread, perfect for scooping up mounds of food.

Our waiter was very pleasant and efficient. He kept our glasses of water full, and checked our table frequently to see if we needed anything.

House of India, I love you so. I can’t wait to come back!

Scores, anyone?

Food: 5 stars (out of five)

Ambiance: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

Value: 4 stars

{ 3 comments }

Mayuri Indian Restaurant!

by Stephanie on May 16, 2010

in Dinner, Indian, Lunch

I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve been seriously slacking when it comes to going out to eat! Darn you, diet! I still manage to make it out every now and again, but I still struggle with finding healthy things on the menu that I want to eat. Salads just don’t appeal to me when I’m going out! Le sigh.

Anyway, moving on. Me and my friends went to Mayuri! I’m a HUUUUGE fan of Indian food, and luckily there are tons of amazing Indian restaurants in St. Louis. This was certainly no exception.

Mayuri is nestled in a strip mall in Creve Coeur, St. Louis.

There must be some correlation between strip mall eateries and REALLY good food. Hmm. A little bit of research is in order!

Anyway, the food. I went with the Chicken Vindaloo: curried chicken with potatoes. It’s one of my FAVORITE Indian dishes! I requested it to be made very spicy…because I’m a spicy kind of girl. It definitely didn’t disappoint! It was SUPER spicy, and super duper flavorful. It came with fluffy basmati rice. Delish!

don't let the neon-orange sauce fool you! This stuff is GOOOOD!

I received a LOT of food with my order (definitely enough for leftovers!) and it all came to about 12 bucks. Not bad!

The atmosphere was nice and clean, and the service was friendly and attentive.

Was this a short review? Yes. But sometimes you just have to let the food speak for itself! And after my Jeff Ruby’s megapost, I’m sure you all are sick of me. :)

Time for scores…

Food: 4 stars (out of five)

Ambiance: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

Value: 4 stars

There are so many Indian restaurants in St. Louis that I’ve yet to try, so I’m not sure when I’ll be back to Mayuri. However, I highly recommend it for those who live in the area!

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