Passage to India, Philadelphia

Passage to India 1320 Walnut St, Philadelphia, 19107 - (215) 732-7300

With a thoroughly trite name, and mixed reviews on Chowhound (couldn't find the better-reviewed Minar Palace - I must have been off by a block), I tried Passage to India tonight.

Their $9.95 buffet looked uninspiring... actually, it had a few dishes I don't normally see (and can't remember now), but no samosas, and I had a hankering for samosas.

Good thing I did. The meatless ones come either 'regular' for $3.95 or 'with toppings' for $4.95. I almost orderd the $6.95 keema samosa but the topping sounded like a worthwhile gamble, even though the menu just described it as "mint and tamarind chutney."

Oh, was it worthwhile!

The samosas were flatter than I've had elsewhere, closer to an apple turnover in shape and size than the usual pyramids. The chutneys arrived with it, and I thought my gamble had gone sour. Moments later, the woman serving me (I'm guessing the wife of the owner) returned with a large plate of chana, spicy with onions, and foiled nicely by the sweet tamarind. This would have been more than enough food for lunch, and I left a big mound of the chana just to have room for the entree. Spicy, sweet, sour, crunchy, smooth, hot and cold, it's got everything in one dish.

The paneer makhani, one of my favorite dishes, was competent, but nothing special. I give them high marks, though, for delivering it spicy as I asked for it -- I needed a good sweat. The order of naan was chewy and puffy, crispy bits like the best pizza dough.

They weren't packed, but doing pretty good business for a Tuesday night.
They were somewhat slow in coming back to offer me the check, but it could have been they were giving me space while I was reading my book (Ten Thousand Light-Years from Earth, a collection of short stories by James Tiptree).

I've groused about going to Philly, but not because of the food -- Center City has plenty of chow and fine fare, I'd just rather the conferences I go to were in, well, beach-weather kinds of places.