Pondicheri is a Modern Indian restaurant in the Upper Kirby District I have heard A LOT of positive buzz about. After some cajoling and and persuasion, I paid them a long overdue visit and was VERY GLAD that I did. So first, let's give a little background to you my dear readers.
Per their website:
At Pondicheri, we strive to bring you the best of classic, home style and street foods of India, inventively pairing these traditional flavors with nourishing, locally-sourced ingredients. We also feature daily fresh baked goods in our Bake Lab and spices, chutneys and snacks for you to take home from our Shop. Our space is casual and comfortable, with many outlets & free wifi for working or playing. Families and children are always welcome. We serve all three meals of the day, along with snacks and coffee or tea anytime.
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| Bake Lab at Pondicheri |
The proprietor/chef/designer, Anita Jaisinghani, was born and raised in India, and has been at the helm of Indika (a highly-lauded and award winning restaurant in Houston) for nearly 10 years. An avid traveler, reader, and a devoted yogi, her true passion is creativity in food. She harnesses her scientific background to experiment with ideas that blend flavors of her native Sindh culture with local Texas ingredients using techniques she has learned thru her childhood and her travels. Per the server (James C.) I spoke with, Ms. Jaisinghani goes back to India every couple of months to buy authentic tiles, artwork and cloth to uphoslter the funiture, decorate the dining area and accent the walls. A colleague of mine who visited Pondicheri compared it to a Modern Indian Restaurant you'd see in Hyde Park or London, but right here in Houston using locally sourced ingredients and a a very astute staff.
And just FYI readers: 'Pondicheri' is the original name of a small coastal town, off the Bay of Bengal in South India, where Anita was a frequent visitor in her childhood days. It's also the reference to a kind of rose or rose tea served there as well.
And just FYI readers: 'Pondicheri' is the original name of a small coastal town, off the Bay of Bengal in South India, where Anita was a frequent visitor in her childhood days. It's also the reference to a kind of rose or rose tea served there as well.
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| Dining at Pondicheri |
I ordered a very good house iced tea to drink which had a chai/cinnamon essence to it--very refreshing. The restaurant itself has a wonderful ambience--I loved the post industrial reclaimed interior mixed with Indian accents.
I orderd a tasting sampler called the Rancher Thali which came with three meat dishes, a vegetable dish and a yogourt dessert, along with a pice of naan bread. The butter chicken was tender, had mild curry & chile essence, was buttery and moderately spicy. The ground beef keema was peppery and herbal, slightly sweet and savoury. The sayel lamb was extremely tender, savoury, had a sourness like a little vinegar that was offset with sweet & regular potatoes. The kachumber had cucumbers mangoes herbs and a little juice to provide a cool contrast to other dishes. The quinoa khichiri was grainy, semi spicy, not too starchy, savoury and a little sour; naan bread: soft puffy with black sesame; would have liked a couple of more pieces of it, but I didn't quibble. The Kheer stewed yogurt has carrots almonds & cardamom; very sweet & a nice palate cleanser between dishes. I detected various curries in the dishes along with chai & cinnamon essences, and the spice selection was all over the taste range from sweet, to sour, to bitter, to burning, to savoury, to umami and everything in between. There was such wonderfully varied selection of smells tastes & textures. These elements made it almost like LSD for the taste buds--and the trip was VERY VERY GOOD!!!
The kids ordered the Tuk Tuk Thali for : it had chicken and naan bread with desi fries and a selection of berries, sauteed greens and an elephant chocolate chunk cookie. There was a mixed reaction from them, though I encouraged them to keep an open mind and try new things. Our server James C. showed my kids A LOT of patience and especially accomodated my daughter, which I know is not always easy for anyone to do.
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| Tuk Tuk Thali |
FYI: My daughter found even the chicken in the Tuk Tuk Thali to be too spicy, though my son loved it and gobbled it all up! Thankfully for my daughter, our server James C. gave her a yogourt dish with some naan bread that she was able to eat happily. She also loved their house made lemonade and REALLY LIKED the brownie we ordered that seemed to have a Chai/Cinnamon essence in it. She wanted to buy a whole box full of those brownies they had! They also had an elephant chocolate chunk cookie both kids liked, and I saw some Chocolate Chip Chile Cookies in their Bake Lab that I definitely want to try next time I visit.
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| Rancher Thali |
The Foodie Professor's Report Card
for Pondicheri:
Rancher Thali: A
Fish burger: A-
Tuk Tuk Thali: B+
Service:
Speed: A
Friendliness: A+ (Special thanks to our server James C., who was patient with my daughter's complaints and found something bland she liked)
Atmosphere: industrial modern western mixed with Indian & London A
Cleanliness:
Dining Area: A
Men's Room: A-
Overall Grade: A-
Pondicheri is located at:
2800 Kirby Drive
1 comment:
This sounds great, and I've been wanting to try this place. Though I admit the first thing I thought when I read the description of your dish was, "Only one piece of naan?" LOL.
Thanks also for the tip on the kids' meal. Like you, I have one who tolerates spice and one who finds even the mildest spice to be too spicy, so the advice is much appreciated!
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