Fine dining piques the mind. White tablecloths, shiny silverware and an air of sophistication prep diners for every bite, for each careful ingredient. Yet food just as good (perhaps in a different way) comes from many a hole-in-the-wall joint.
You know the ones – small, dark and sometimes rickety. Plates come drenched in flavor, spices waft in from the kitchen, ethnic music dances in the background noise. This stuff stirs the soul.
Aabha Indian Grill arrives somewhere in the middle, defining the gray area where fine dining and best-kept-secret gems meet. There’s something almost elusive about what chef/owner Bhupender Singh is bringing to Monterey. But you want to catch it, for as Singh puts it, “Every meal has a story to tell.”
After a year and half of success at Aahba’s first location in Carmel’s Barnyard, Singh and his team recently expanded onto Alvarado Street.
Nothing illustrates the meeting of elegant and edgy quite like Aabha’s butter chicken curry ($20). Indulgent tomato creaminess flows over free-range chicken as tender as it gets. A whiff of Indian seasonings take one’s mind to a crowded, shouting market, but the delicacy in everything from the dainty basmati rice on the side to the succulents on the table speak of a dish that demands more attention – taking in the union of herbs and spices, mindfully observing how the chicken almost melts in the mouth, contemplating the skillfulness of the chef.
The butter chicken also, ahem, butters one up to forgive for the less tender lamb in the rogan josh ($22). Still, the darker curry provides a rich tomatoey goodness alongside meat only a hint too tough.
It’s the only inkling of less-than-perfect, as every item to follow makes it impossible to put down the fork. The chana masala, a stew of chickpeas, lends a unique aroma of Darjeeling tea leaf to the table that expands with each bite. Also pleasing to vegetarians and meat eaters alike is the buffet’s ($12.95 daily) tofu matar, in which tofu remains just the right amount of firm while marinating in cumin, turmeric and chili spices.
For more fiery palates, try the gobi pepper curry, a chunky turmeric-rich bowl of cauliflower and bell peppers (also vegan-friendly).
Step away from the curry for a moment to savor the deep orange tandoori chicken ($22), almost crispy over supple white meat. The clay oven cooks each thigh and drumstick at a high heat, producing subtle smokiness and deep char.
There’s not one bite at Aabha that isn’t enhanced by an array of toppings, from sugary yet piquant tamari to bright and lively mint sauce to a chunky pickled vegetable sauce that’s cool on temperature and hot on spice. Except perhaps for dessert – like kheer, a traditional Indian treat of cinnamon and cardamom rice pudding. The sweet comforting rice is inspired, like most of Singh’s dishes, by his mother: “I used to help my mom make amazing food with very simple ingredients.”
It shows.
AABHA INDIAN GRILL 414 Alvarado St, Monterey. 11:30am-2:30pm daily; 5-9pm Mon-Thu; 5-9:30 Fri-Sun. 641-7924,aabhaindian.com