Sometimes your best made plans don’t always work out, and that can be a really good thing. It happened this past weekend when we headed to West Ave., the new mega development at Kirby and Westheimer.
We planned to have lunch at Cru having had a good experience at their location out at the Woodlands a few weeks ago. The closer we go to their store front we could see that this Cru wasn’t open for lunch.
The sun was blazing. It was close to a hundred degrees, so the thought of getting back into a hot car wasn’t all that appealing. The restaurant right next door to Cru was open, and the place was packed. So, we decided to give it a try.
Turns out we sort of stumbled onto one of the hot new restaurants on Houston’s culinary radar.
No doubt you’ve either been to or at least heard of Indika. Their innovative Indian dishes have created a loyal following here in Houston and beyond.
If you’ve enjoyed a relationship with Indika, you’ll like getting to know Pondicheri…Indika’s new sister restaurant. The second you walk in the door the energy is contagious…the décor very cool – sleek, minimal and stylish…and the food good!
Desserts are your first temptation here. Cookies, brownies and other goodies are displayed on the counter as you walk in the front door. Don’t pass them by. We had the most incredible chocolate chip cookie with chile that I’ve ever tasted!
I digress…back to the meal. The Rancher Thali, a sampler plate of sorts, with butter chicken, lamb korma and beef keema was a nice choice for a first visit. But, the fish curry dish was over the top good! The red snapper filet was cooked perfectly, and the curry sauce with its tomato, ginger and cilantro was incredibly tasty. The tiny bits of sweet potato were a nice touch with the spice in the dish.
Wine fans, you’ll have fun playing on Pondicheri’s list. It’s a good one. I thoroughly enjoyed the crisp, dry rosé from a producer in Oregon called Charles & Charles.
Pondicheri also serves dinner and breakfast—I can’t wait to go back for more!
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