Avatar Indian Cuisine

By: Epicurious Em My husband and I were recently invited by friends to a special dinner for 50 people sponsored by the Canadian Club at a new restaurant in the city, Avatar.  The restaurant is the joint venture of two Canadians, Avatar Singh and Sanjay Seghal, who are committed to this project and the food that they offer. 

To put it in a nutshell, we were overwhelmed by the cuisine at this event, and the way the kitchen easily handled all 50 people at one time.  We started with a Pakoras Platter, vegetable and onion deep fried fritters.  I’m not a fan of fried foods, but the fritters were flavorful with a hint of curry and not greasy.  The second dish, Murg Tikka, succulent boneless tandoori chicken kebabs, came straight from the grill and fork-cutting tender.  Next came Chicken Makhani, also known as Butter Chicken (chicken cubes in a cream tomato sauce), Beef Rogan Josh (beef slow-cooked in kashmeri spices), and Dal Makhani (black lentils enriched with spices), accompanied by cumin flavored basmati rice and, of course, Naan (Indian bread).  We ate and ate and ate, then wiped the dishes clean with the rest of the Naan.  As my friend said, “The Indian spice rolls off the back of your tongue”—and it did!  We definitely experienced the Indian “crescendo.”  This event, so well organized, was truly a great opportunity for us to sample Indian cuisine.

We promised Avatar that we would return soon to reward our taste buds with more Indian delicacies, although it will be difficult not to order what we ate at this dinner.  The menu offers 11 different starters, including their famous Mulligatawny Soup, a South Indian delicacy made with coconut and rice ($4.99-8.99).  Main treasures vary from fish, prawns, numerous chicken dishes, beef, lamb, to at least a dozen vegetarian dishes ranging in price from $3.99-$15.99.  There are several rice dishes and breads, including steamed basmati rice, and Pudina Prantha (multi-layered tandoori bread), Bharwan Kulcha (leavened Indian bread filled with spiced onion/potato/cottage cheese), and Naan.  Our dessert, Rice Kheer, is a flavorful Indian style rice pudding, but they serve a variety, including Indian ice cream with nuts and mango and cottage cheese dumplings ($4.99-$5.99).  They have a full bar at reasonable prices.

Avatar Indian Cuisine is located 10 meters from Via España on Via Argentina.  They are open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.  Telephone:  393-9066

TIP:  Trying an unfamiliar cuisine can be a little daunting, but I would highly recommend that you take your palette on a gastronomical adventure at this restaurant.  Menu items are very clearly described in both English and Spanish, and Avatar Singh promises you will not be disappointed.

QUOTE:  “Indian food is like classical music raja—it takes time to build up to a crescendo.”  --Shobhaa Dé, Superstar India—From Incredible to Unstoppable

Epicurious Em welcomes your comments and suggestions.  As always, the information in this article was accurate at the time of the writing, but restaurant owners have the option of changing prices, menu, and hours at any time.  Feel free to e-mail me at em@playacommunity.com.