Cross Culture Indian Cuisine Redux

We visited Cross Culture in Doylestown, PA, for a second time, earlier this evening. It's very easy to park in the center of town on a Sunday evening, without having to feed a meter, so we decided to go back for another meal.

This time we started out with the appetizer sampler for two ($8.95). It was tasty, and filling, but nothing spectacular. On the other hand, the entrees were wonderful. I had the shrimp tawa, and my partner in eating crime ordered chicken vindaloo.

I'm used to entrees at Indian restaurants being served in bowls, with rice on the side, and a clean plate on which you can splop your food as you wish. This wasn't the case with the shrimp tawa. It arrived on its own plate, reasonably artfully arranged, although no chef would win a prize for its presentation. The sweetness of the tamarind sauce was balanced nicely by the bite of the fresh cilantro, which I love. The crunch of the raw veggies was a good contrast to the texture of the shrimp. I'm not sure whether the thinly sliced raw red onion is typical of this dish, or peculiar to the Philly area.

The chicken vindaloo was served in a bowl, with rice on the side. The sauce was hot, as expected, but not enough to produce eyebrow sweat. The chicken was tender, with no odd bits of bone or cartilage. I've tasted spicier vindaloo sauce in NYC on Curry Row (E. 6th St., between 1st and 2nd Aves.), or up in Curry Hill (Murray Hill, along 3rd and 2nd Aves.), that also had a lot more oil in it. Still, this was nice and spicy, without the excess oil, which I think is a plus.

As before, service was courteous, but this time we had leftovers. The waiter had no problem bringing them back to the kitchen to box them up for us, and came back with a paper bag with handles. Hey, it's a little nicer than something that looks like a grocery bag -- not that it would have mattered. Service was a bit faster this time, even though there were more customers than the last time we visited.

The shrimp dish was a bit of a splurge (for Indian food), at $25.95, but the chicken was a more reasonable $18.95. I also ordered a glass of sweet iced tea, which might be too sweet for the average northerner in America, but it was just like anything you'd find south of the Mason-Dixon, which suited me just fine. Altogether, our tab came in a little under $61.

As you can see, the decor isn't overdone, nor is it underlit. I waited until the other parties in the room had finished their meals and left, before I snapped this shot. It wasn't this empty when we arrived.

Dining at Cross Culture is a pleasant experience, overall.

What you need to know:

• parking can be an issue during the week, but there is a pay lot a block away
  
• they do not deliver, but take-out is available for both lunch and dinner (phone in your order ahead of time, for faster pick-up)
  
• it's BYOB
• the lunch menu is the same as the dinner menu, with each dish priced a few dollars less
  

Review: Cross Culture

Type: Indian
Location: 62-64 W. State St., Doylestown, PA
Phone: 215-489-9101
Fax: 215-489-9104
Price Range: $6-$12 for soups/appetizers; $16-$25 for entrees; $4-$5.50 for desserts
Take Out: Yes
Catering: Yes
Hours: Sun. - Thurs. 11:30a - 10:00p; Fri. - Sat. 11:30a - 10:30p
Liquor License: BYOB
Website: http://www.crosscultureindiancuisine.com/

Last Sunday, I got a craving for Indian food. We got a brief break in the rain, and decided to try this place. When we arrived, around 8pm, the place was almost empty, with only a few other tables occupied by people who seemed to know the staff. The decor was fairly modern, and brighter than I've come to expect from Indian restaurants -- more naked wall space than ornate art, if you will.

The seating was comfortable. We skipped the appetizers and just ordered two entrees (chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo), plus naan. I was a little disappointed that chicken dhingri was not on the menu, but the available choices were all familiar. The vindaloo had the heat that it's supposed to have.

The tikka masala was a little different than I'm used to having on Indian Row or Curry Hill in NYC, inasmuch as the tomato-based sauce was creamier, with less ghee floating on top. The flavors were right, so I was pleasantly surprised with what seemed like a slightly lighter version of this rather rich dish. I may try the korma or achari next time we visit.

Service was good. Indian cuisine always seems to take longer to prepare and serve the food than other Asian cuisines; as such, this was about average. Our waiter was quick, however, to top off our water glasses. Portions are about average. We would have taken home leftovers had we ordered appetizers, but without any, we managed to finish our entrees, and left feeling quite full.

I would recommend this restaurant for those in the Bucks/Montgomery/Hunterdon area. There don't seem to be many Indian restaurants around, but this one holds its own with the many others at which I've eaten in NYC or Northern NJ.

Chicken Dhingri

Review: Neelam

Type: Indian
Location: 295 Springfield Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ, 07922
Phone: 908-665-2212
Price Range: Entrees $13 - $20, with most in the low - mid teens
Liquor License: BYOB
Delivery: Yes
Take Out: Yes

There is another location for Neelam in South Orange, but I've never been to that one. Entrees include tandoori specialties, chicken, seafood, lamb, and vegetarian dishes. Some Indian restaurants have beef dishes, but Neelam doesn't. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try one of the combination dinners (individual, or for two) that include soup, an entree, and dessert. These vary from day to day, so it's worth asking what the dishes are before you order a combo meal.

Papadum, along with onion chutney and some sort of green sauce are brought to the table, the way other restaurants bring out bread baskets.

The vindaloo dishes are reliably hot, but not quite spicy enough to induce sweating eyebrows. Some of my favorite dishes are chicken tikka masala, chicken dhingri, shrimp dhingri, and chicken vindaloo. I don't particularly like lamb, but have dined with others who say the lamb is nice and tender.

This location of Neelam doesn't seat that many people, so it does a lot of take-out, from orders that are phoned in for pick-up. The atmosphere is cozy, and a bit on the dark side. Service is attentive, if a bit on the slow side. This may be a function of how long Indian food takes to cook; I've never eaten at an Indian restaurant in which the food arrived fairly quickly. Parking can be a problem at the restaurant, which is in a tiny strip mall that also has a fairly popular pizzaria, but can be found within a block in some other lot.

Neelam has been around for almost three decades, which indicates to me that it's been reliable for a long time. I think the entree portions are rather large. Appetizers are available, but if you're tempted to order any, it's best to share them among the table, or you may easily be too stuffed to finish your entree. The staff is certainly willing, however, to pack up any leftovers for you to bring home. Everything I've ordered over the years reheats well, either on the stovetop in a pot, or in the microwave at low-medium power, so as not to vulcanize the animal flesh.

If you believe their yellow pages advertisement, Zagat rated it "excellent," NJ Monthly wrote "Best Indian food," and the Star-Ledger rated it 3-1/2 stars. I tend to agree.