Indian Oven

November 30, 2010

Indian Oven

427 East Main Street

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 220-9390

This was the last of a 15-week internship that Sydney had with me.  She would soon be heading back to the University of Akron to complete her undergraduate degree.  Since we first met, I told her I would take her to Indian Oven.  We finally made it.

Indian Oven occupies a glass-encased building on East Main Street in downtown Columbus.  It always provides a nice escape from work around lunchtime.  Very few of my friends enjoy Indian food as much as I do, so I have become accustomed to eating alone.  I typically bring my newspaper and catch up on the (by now) old news from the previous day and enjoy a variety of Indian samplings.  This day, I left the newspaper in the office and introduced Sydney to one of downtown's finest culinary destinations.

I was first introduced to Indian food in 1983.  I was working on a State Senate campaign in Orange, New Jersey.  Just down the street from our headquarters was a small Indian restaurant with very friendly and accommodating owners.  My candidate was the Mayor of Orange and we were always greeted with smiles and given a tour of kitchen and the tandoor ovens.

When I go to Indian Oven, I always opt for the lunch buffet.  The seasoning is mild to appeal to the masses, but it gives me the opportunity to sample a few dishes for a reasonable price.

This day, I sampled most everything that was offered.  I know…I know…but it is so hard to resist!  Featured on the buffet was Dal Makhani, potatoes with peas and peppers, and curry chicken on the bone with basmati race and naan.

The Dal Makhani is a combination of beans cooked with creamy curry sauce and tomatoes.  Served over the basmati rice, this makes for a delightful vegetarian dish.  The other vegetarian selection was the potatoes with peas and peppers.  It’s hard to further describe the dish other than, for those familiar with Indian cuisine, it reminded me of a version of Aloo Matar – a substantial dish in a sauce of Indian spices.

Finally, the chicken curry on the bone was very tasty, but my first bite included a bit of stray bone which is always a bit disconcerting.

One of the standards of Indian cuisine is the bread.  There are a number of varieties, but my favorite is the naan.  It is a white flour flatbread cooked in a tandoor or clay oven.  It is good by itself or to accompany the sauces that remain on your plate.

The only dish I did not have on this trip was the tandoori chicken. 

The lunch menu has a nice selection or, if you’re like me and find it hard to decide, try a little bit of variety by visiting the buffet!  Indian Oven is a welcoming restaurant with friendly and accommodating staff and very good food.

(Photo from Indian Oven's facebook page)