The first thing you will probably notice about Indika, newly ensconced in diverse and trendy Montrose, is how loud it is. You will hear the din of everyone else's conversations, but maybe not your own. When you taste the food, though, you might not have very much need for conversation anyway. Chef / owner Anita Jaisinghani's flavors are brash as pinball machines, louder even than the noise in the room. Those flavors are what compelled Robb Walsh, one of Texas's most eminent commanders of knife and fork, to wonder publicly whether Indika is this country's best Indian restaurant. With all due respect, I would disagree with that claim… unless by "country" he meant the Republic of Texas, in which case I would have no argument.
Those flavors certainly make their case heard. Charred, silky rare lamb chops sit on buttery sweet potato puree that hums with a ginger warmth and pops with unexpected mustard seeds. Sweet and tart bursts from pomegranate seeds add sparkle to a mellow pinenut-stuffed quail. Jaisinghani's flavors are so huge she doesn't show timidity towards bitterness, a taste most cooks in America steer away from: The bitter finish of her spinach and paneer cheese, far from being off-putting, seems to expand the palate, pushing the flavor of the greens and cream out to their limits. Not all the food was as exciting as it should have been, though. A braised lamb shank was bland, and doughs—from samosa skins to an unfortunate nan crust that trapped an otherwise lovely vegetable stew in a pot pie-cum prison—could have been more tender. But these gripes don't take away from an appreciation for Chef Jaisinghani's vision, her attitude towards flavor. I wanted to stop and talk to her for hours about those flavors and, as she explained her herb paste called green masala, I smiled, nodding excitedly, remembering the taste of it. Of course, I couldn't hear a word she was saying. 516 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX; 713-524-2170
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