In the "About Us" section on the Taj Mahal's website, Sohail Ishaq says his wife, Farha, makes 90% of the dishes served at the "homestyle Indian and Pakistani cuisine" restaurant. He makes the other 10%.
The family-run restaurant prides itself on creating an atmosphere as inviting as its homestyle food is delicious. It strives for customer satisfaction across the board. "I made it a policy that I would never serve anything on my customers’ table that I would not serve my children," Ishaq says.
The downtown Indian-food staple has secured the spot at the top of the escalators on the east side of Eighth Street between Main and Idaho for a couple of decades. And yet, when you walk through the door, you feel like you've magically traveled to an exotic locale, ensconced in rich maroon and golden-hued fabrics and pillows and art and mirrors. A TV screen mounted on the wall shows Bollywood videos. Succulent scents and aromatic spices waft through the room, making your belly rumble in anticipation. Go there for lunch and it's like taking an hour-and-a-half mini-vacation in the middle of the day.
The BW Lunch Bunch took just such a trip recently — and you might want to do the same soon. Oh, yeah, this place is also kinda famous. You may have seen the restaurant on TV featured in Guy Fieri's hit show on the Food Network, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."
EMILY WHITE: WATCH THE HEAT LEVEL
After asking our server (owner Sohail Ishaq) for his opinion on what I should order, I opted for the Masala Daal, a blend of lentils and spices over a Basmati Bliss Bowl of rice. Various spice levels were optional, so I chose medium. I should have chosen mild.
The lentils were much more spicy than some of the other dishes around the table— some of them even opting for hot over medium. While the spice level did take me aback, I will say the dish was delicious and very filling. I don't think I even ate half of the lentils and rice. Needless to say, I think my order was not the best one at the table, but it was wonderful just the same.
A highlight for me was the coconut chai tea. Even though it didn't taste like the chai I make at home or pick up at Dutch Bros, the tea was wonderfully thick and hearty, opening with the thick taste of coconut milk and ending with a symphony of the lightest cinnamon flavor. The tea came at the exact right temperature—hot, but not so hot that it burned my mouth. I will be coming back for the tea, come winter.
HANALEI POTEMPA: 'AMAZING'
Speaking as someone who has never tried Indian food, The Taj Mahal was an amazing first experience. I have to make note of the ambiance inside the restaurant — upon stepping inside I was in awe of all of the decorations and the entire setup. I decided to share a plate with Naomi, and we decided on Chicken Tikka paired with the Flaky Paratha, from the lunch menu. The plate included tender pieces of marinated chicken folded into crispy and soft Indian flatbread. The dish came with two — so It was perfect to share. Overall, the dish was amazing as the smoky flavors of the marinated chicken blended perfectly with flaky and soft whole-wheat flatbread. I couldn't decide whether the chicken or the bread was the best part. I couldn’t have asked for more or a better experience for my first taste of Indian food, and I will definitely be back to try something else on the menu.
KATE NODEN: 'DIVINE' INTERVENTION
I don’t tend to eat Indian cuisine often, so I was excited to try something new. We entered the Taj Mahal and I immediately noticed how stunning the restaurant was. There was an array of colorful decor that draped across the room, and Bollywood music videos subtly played to set the ambiance just right. We sat at a cozy table that doubled as a couch on one side and got the coconut chai for the table – which I am glad I tried but probably won’t order again.
For my meal, I ordered the Alu Samosa, which is a pastry pocket stuffed with a blend of spiced potatoes and aromatic herbs. The samosa crust was perfect and flaked with each bite to reveal the delectable treasure within. The filling was divine, with strong spices that fit nicely in the cracks of the tender potatoes– which created a dense texture and noticeable flavor in each bite. The potato was soft, which contrasted nicely against the crispy shell. Although smaller in size, it was packed to the brim which ensured satisfaction.
JEANNE HUFF: BREAKING BREAD
In perusing the extensive menus — yes, plural, you can order off the lunch or the dinner menu for lunch — I was tempted to get one of the Guy Fieri specials: Goat Karahi or the Bone-in Chicken Biriyani (the menu promised the latter would take me "to flavor town.") In the end, I opted for Mumbai Alu, a spicy potato dish that the lunch menu said "captures the essence of India's vibrant street food culture." I added Golden Crispy Poori, again wooed by the description: "delicate, deep-fried Indian bread rounds."
I was not disappointed in my choices. The potato dish, which I had ordered "medium" spicy, had cubed, parboiled and fried potatoes seasoned with various spices, such as ginger, garlic, turmeric and cardamom. Every Taj Mahal dish is purported to have at least 12 and some with up to 26 different herbs and spices. All I can say is yum. It was like eating tiny potato pillows that packed a powerful umami punch. The bread rounds were golden light-as-a-feather clouds as big as your head. The order came with two so they became a table-sharing item that complemented everyone's main dish. By the end of our meal, I found myself daydreamily captivated by our pillowed comfort zone, the sounds of Bollywood making my eyelids heavy.
