Cafe Tandoor

Many years ago, the restaurant that introduced us to the intoxicating flavors ofIndia, the Saffron Patch was beginning to slip in quality. A newIndiarestaurant came on the scene. Café Tandoor opened and became an immediate success. The food was excellent, the staff was helpful and friendly and the dining room was always filled with anxious eaters. Since that time, restaurants serving Indian fare have come, gone and some have prospered. We have been told by reliable sources that Indian Delight onDetroit Avenueis now a kitchen that requires respect. Regardless, Café Tandoor is about a mile from home and we both had an exhausting day. After a few years absence, we thought we’d try it again to see how it has matured.

From the outset, nothing much as changed. Tables, chairs and menu are much the same as when we first visited. The crowds had thinned and there was less a buzz than we remembered. Michele always enjoyed their soups and this visit was no exception. The creamy lentil was as good as she remembered. In the past, the lightly spiced tomato soup was also enjoyable and she often shifted between the two. Jeff moved between the Paneer Pakora and Samosas. He ordered the Paneer this time and they were good, but not what he remembered, a bit of the finesse had gone, but the accompanying chutneys remained excellent.

For dinner, Jeff typically rotated among the wide collection of lamb dishes. Some are curry, some tandoor cooked, but all featured excellent raw materials. This visit he ordered the Lamb Shahi Korma, bits of lamb in a cashew cream sauce. Again, it was good, but like the Paneer, some of the cooking finesse had disappeared. It could also have been warmer, at the end of the dish it was a bit too cool to fully enjoy. Michele likes Saag Paneer, the same non-dairy cheese in Jeff’s appetizer, but this time mixed with creamed spinach and mild spices. She pronounced it average and still prefers Saffron Patch’s version. Together we shared the Saffron Pullao (rice) and Pratha Lachhedar wheat bread, both very good, especially the bread.

While we like Indian food, we are by no means experts. After over twenty-five years of sampling the food, we have come to expect a level of quality and taste. While Café Tandoor established that bar for us years ago, we now believe it has slipped below it. Yes, it is good, but we do not believe it is as good as before. Time marches on and things change. Like the food ofThailandbefore it, we remain on a quest for good food of this variety. Like Map of Thailand, hope springs eternal. Maybe Indian Delight is the answer. We’ll soon find out.

http://cafetandoorcleveland.com/2096 South Taylor Road Cleveland Heights,OH 44118 216-371-8500