Amul India (October 27, 2012)

Amul India
7676 Sawmill Road
Dublin, OH 43016
(614) 734-1600
http://www.amulindia.net/

In all likelihood, this afternoon was my final visit to Amul India, located in the Olde Sawmill Plaza on Sawmill Road north of Hard Road.  It was recently announced that the entire plaza would be razed and re-developed for a new retail tenant.  Unfortunately, it appears that that tenant may be WalMart!

 

 

The plaza is mostly vacant with such tenants as Skyline Chili, Dairy Queen, Westshore Pizza, and others having already closed their businesses.  Amul India is closing on November 3 and has yet to identify a new location.

This is a dining blog, so I will spare you my thoughts of a WalMart disrupting the Olde Sawmill residential community as well as the already congested Sawmill Road.

As always, I opted for the lunch buffet ($8.99 on weekdays and $9.99 on Saturday and Sunday) this afternoon.  It is difficult to settle on just one dish and Amul India offers many fine selections.

Today’s buffet included such items as Saag Paneer, Dal Makhani Chicken Makhani, Tandoori Chicken, and Aloo Pepper.  I chose two dishes that I had never tried before.

 

 

In the photo, Chicken 65 is the red dish on the left and Ginger Paneer is on the right.  Both are served on a bed of Basmati Rice.  I also added a piece of Bhatura.

Chicken 65 is a spicy chicken offering with a rather curious name.  Wikipedia offers a variety of theories regarding the origin of the name, but it may be as simple as representing the year that the dish was introduced at the Buhari Hotel in the Indian city of Chennai.  Interestingly, the hotel apparently offers Chicken 78, Chicken 82, and Chicken 90!

Amul India eschews the typical deep frying of the main ingredient in their Chicken 65.  It is, however, marinated in several spices (most likely turmeric, red chili, garlic, and others) giving it a distinctly spicy flavor.  Combined with peppers and onions, it was a delicious dish that I will try elsewhere. 

Among my favorite Indian dishes are Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer.  These are related dishes consisting of spinach and cubed paneer cheese combined with spices and yogurt in a thick and creamy presentation.

Today, however, I tried the Ginger Paneer…and I’m glad I did.  Prepared with ginger, onions, and peppers, along with the cubed paneer cheese, it was the highlight of my lunch.

Whereas I usually have Naan to accompany my meal, this afternoon I also chose a piece of Bhatura which is a thick, yet soft and fluffy, fried bread.  Very delicious!

Today was the busiest I have seen Amul India.  They were doing a fairly brisk noontime business.  The always attentive staff keeps drinks refilled and clears dishes promptly.  Hopefully, they will re-locate somewhere in the northwest quadrant, so it will be convenient for me to visit again.