Desi Village

This restaurant pays homage to Indian culinary history in every dish, showcasing seeds and herbs through traditional recipes prepared with fresh ingredients.

By: Amy Brummer

Desi Village

3133 Bellevue Ave.

Penndel, Pa.

(215) 757-1600

www.yardleycc.com

Food: Good +

Service: Friendly, a little slow

Prices: Moderate

Cuisine: Indian

Atmosphere: Attractive and serene

Vegetarian and Vegan Options: Plentiful

Hours: Sun., Tues.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Lunch buffet ($7.95) Fri.-Sat. noon-3 p.m., Sun. noon-4 p.m.

Essentials: No smoking; wheelchair accessible; major credit cards accepted; BYO.

Directions

   Before the first bite ever hits the tongue, we taste a meal with our smell and sight.
   On a recent visit to Desi Village, I began to savor our dinner within moments of our arrival, greeted by the aroma of nutty, toasted spices and beckoned by the warmth of the rosy peach walls. Decorated with intricate wooden friezes and an elaborately carved canopied server’s station at the far end, the restaurant is tidy and serene, trimmed with accents of lavender blue.
   It was a quiet night, and our young waiter seated us promptly, gave us menus and filled our water glasses. A little awkward with the pour, he quickly confessed that it was his first night, but his honesty and charm made up for the inexperience.
   The cover of the menu has a blurb about the legendary spice trail that lured European explorers to forge new paths, obliquely reminding diners that if they hadn’t been out looking for India, who knows where we’d all be right now.
   Owned and operated by cousins Farooq Sultan and Sayed Hussain, Desi Village pays homage to this history in every dish, showcasing these ancient seeds and herbs through traditional recipes prepared with fresh ingredients. Prior to opening the restaurant in November 2003, the two men had worked in different aspects of the food business, Mr. Hussain as a manager at Indian restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn and Mr. Sultan as a purchaser for American Airlines. These experiences, says Mr. Sultan, have led them to pay attention to details such as presentation, minimizing the usee of frozen vegetables and ensuring that sauces are prepared on a daily basis.
   A basket of crispy papadum, accompanied by a trio of mango chutney, cilantro and tamarind sauces, provided a welcome snack as we made our selections from the menu. Appetizers include vegetarian standards such as samosa ($4.95) and pakora, as well as a selection of green salads ($3.95-$5.95), soups ($3.95) and lamb kebab ($4.95).
   The pakora, a selection of spicy battered vegetables that included potato, eggplant and an onion cake, was somewhat greasy, but did provide a further vehicle to enjoy the chunky, astringent chutney and plummy tamarind sauce. Shrimp til tikka ($7.95), bathed in an intense paste of tomato laced with cumin and sesame seed, was a knockout. The sweetness and texture of the bright, pink shellfish balanced the dish, and we were very glad for the order of village naan ($2.95), layered with a confetti of garlic and red chilies, to soak up the remaining sauce.
   There are a dozen choices of bread ($1.95-$7.95), variations of naan, paratha, roti and poori, and the entrée selections are equally vast. Vegetarians will find familiar dishes such as palak paneer ($9.95) and dal makhani ($9.95), as well as baingan bhartha (grilled eggplant mashed with tomatoes and spices, $9.95) and sarson ka saag ($9.95), prepared with fresh mustard greens.
   Biryanis, chicken, lamb, shrimp or vegetable ($10.95-$16.95), are sealed in a pot with aromatic rice. The menu also features lamb chops masala ($16.95), chicken sagwala ($11.95) and shrimp vindaloo ($21.95). The north Indian dish chicken makhani ($11.95) is a house specialty, first roasted in the tandoor, then tossed in a creamy tomato sauce.
   We chose a tandoori mixed grill ($16.95) to get a sampling of items from the clay oven, though it was hard to pass up the leg of lamb for two, marinated in a paste of garlic, chili, ginger and spices ($29.95). Sizzling and hissing on its way from the kitchen, the mixed grill had a tantalizing aroma and offered a leg of tandoori chicken cured with smoke and spice, tender pieces of chicken tikka, a meaty lamb kebab and tandoori salmon. Overall, the morsels were overcooked, but the flavors were rich and complex, complemented by an order of raita ($1.95), which also tempered the dryness of the meats.
   More successful was the lamb bhuna, succulent pieces of lamb slow simmered in a sauce of tomato and onion, made rich from buttery ghee and enlivened with a masala of spices. Cardamom- and cumin-spiked rice rounded out the flavors and softened the fiery edge. Dishes can be ordered according to preference for heat, and we found the medium hot was the right range for our tastes.
   By the meal’s end, we barely had room for the tasty masala tea ($2) infused with cardamom and cinnamon. The two desserts that piqued our interest, a hot carrot pudding ($5.95) and rasmalai ($5.95), were not available that evening, so we decided we’ll try them, and several other dishes that caught our eye, the next time we stop in for a visit.