Wendy Logan photo

Rezala: The perfect poultry option

Tawa Indian Cuisine
211 Summer St., Stamford. (203) 359-8977, www.tawaonline.com

It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s oversaturated food and dining marketplace that form often doesn’t follow function. Sure, we food fanatics are all about great menus, the artistry of cooking and the expert execution of a classic recipe. Yet how many times has the experience of a raved-about restaurant fallen flat in the face of a condescending hostess, a rude server or a careless food runner (“Who’s got the sea bass?”)? Even the most masterfully prepared dish can leave a bitter taste when hospitality is overlooked.

Star ratings not withstanding, I can name a slew of restaurants that would be well-served to take a page from the gracious book of Tawa, the newly-opened Indian restaurant and bread bar on Stamford’s Summer Street. And at Tawa, the exquisite food completes the dining picture.

Before delving into the extensive menu, grab a seat at the long, elegant “bread bar” on the first floor and enjoy small plates and a variety of Indian breads, stuffed and topped with a host of options. The nan, a classic thin bread made by slapping the dough onto the side of a giant tandoori oven, is light, slightly crisp and chewy (without being greasy, a common pitfall). Available with a variety of toppings, we tried the soft, sweet onion version. For a buttery, rich mouthful, there’s the layered paratha, a puff pastry–style bread that doesn’t really puff but instead holds its crispy layers tightly after baking in an iron skillet. The roomali, a paper-thin, lighter bread, is the house signature, baked on top of an inverted half moon–shaped skillet.

If you’re into artistry, call ahead and ask if there are seats available at the tiny chef’s bar at the back of the first floor barroom. There, you can get a firsthand look at how the breads, as well as the other heady, aromatic dishes, are made.

As easy as it is to go bread-wild, save room for other appetizers and entrees. To lighten up and cleanse your palette after your carb-loading, try the Tawa corn and asparagus chat. The fresh, crunchy salad is much like an Indian succotash, with bright green asparagus tips, roasted sweet corn kernels, sharp red onion, mint and a crush of red pepper for a light kick. Asparagus is an unusual component for Indian cuisine: They don’t grow it in India. But chef Kausik Roy loves to take Indian flavors and marry them with non-traditional ingredients.

If you like seafood, do not miss the heavenly Konkani crab and shrimp pocket, which I had a hard time sharing with the rest of the table. The “pocket” is a kind of Indian crepe, thin and savory and packed with fresh crab meat, beautiful crisp black tiger shrimp and a touch of amchoor powder, made from crushed dried mangoes for a slight tang. Black pepper gives the dish some heat.

Another exceptional appetizer is the lamb shammi kebab. Not kebabs in the American sense, these are served as patties made from whole leg of lamb, which is de-boned and ground together with lentils and spiced generously with coriander and cumin. The patties are then grilled and served a deep golden brown with a smooth, zesty eggplant, tamarind and coconut sauce. The exotic spices, the crunch of the patties and the tomato-y sauce round out every bite to perfection.

Heading back to seafood and into entrees, we sample another unusual combination of classic and non-traditional Indian. Sea bass tikka offers a kind of barbecue take on the non-native fish, whose white, sweet flesh is moist and made smoky with its seasoning of garam masala, a classic Indian spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and saffron. A light lash of cayenne adds a mouth-tingling treat to the finish.

For a poultry option, a good choice is the rezala, a bay-leaf-and-curry-infused white meat chicken “stew.” Whole, dried red chili peppers bring the heat to this otherwise mild and creamy dish. It’s topped with crispy potato straws and served with currant and almond-studded rice.

While lamb has never been my meat of choice, Indian lamb preparations never fail to surprise me. The lamb “fry” is a bowl of deep, dark brown chunks of meat — redolent with aromatic ginger, fresh curry leaves and red onion. The rich, savory and tender meat has an almost brisket-like consistency.

Chef Roy’s partner, J.P. Agarwal, brings a wealth of wine knowledge from his days at Morton’s Steak House, and the extensive wine list at Tawa reflects his experience. As Rieslings are especially well-suited to the spices of Indian cuisine, for our tasting he chose a 2006 Markus Moliter from Germany. But in keeping with the exotic vibe here, Tawa also offers an entire menu devoted to cocktails made with fresh fruits, like watermelon, strawberries and peaches, and spices, like ginger and mint.

Every single staff member we encountered, from host to bartender to server to food runner, was exceptionally warm, well-trained and well-versed in the intricacies of the culture and cuisine they represent. The place has got that elusive total package.