Of all the restaurants my family and I go to, Memories of India in Bay Hill is probably one of our most frequented, despite the distance. So when I heard they were opening a second location practically in our backyard, I was excited.
Phillip S., Kong Chang and Muhammed Hossain, the original restaurants' owners, have won many Foodie Awards, and their restaurant has been a popular, busy spot for the seven years they've been open. I have no doubt that the new location will follow suit, given that the same team is at the helm, along with the two additional owners, John Tchu and Kevin Sequeira, adding their talents in the kitchen and in overseeing service.
The foods tastes just as delicious in this new location as the original, and the service is friendly and attentive.
When you enter the restaurant, the fragrance of aromatic spices waft in the air, hinting at what you are about to enjoy. When you are seated and looking over the extensive menu, a complimentary basket of pappadam—thin, crisp lentil wafers with peppercorn—arrives with a trio of dips: onion chutney, carrot chutney, and sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce to nibble on.
A beer and wine list is available. Kingfisher beer, served in a frosted mug, goes well with the spicy dishes.
If you're familiar with Indian cuisine, I have no doubt you'll enjoy and appreciate every aspect of this restaurant, from the richness and complexity of the sauces to the high quality of the seafood and meat. The food is absolutely delicious.
For those of you less familiar with Indian food, I encourage you to try this restaurant. For first-timers and young children, there are plenty of tasty choices to introduce you to the cuisine. Every dish is made fresh to order, and can be prepared mild, medium, spicy or very spicy.
Anything tandoori, which is similar to American barbecue, is a great choice. Whether it's chicken, shrimp, lamb or kebobs, the clay oven grills the seasoned (but not spicy) foods crispy on the outside, yet the meat remains moist and flavorful inside. Try a tandoori dish as an appetizer, or treat yourself to the mixed grill entrée ($24.95), which serves two, allowing you to sample all of the above.
Nawabi Lukme ($12.50), assorted appetizers for two, is a great choice for sampling a variety of Indian appetizers such as samosas (large, crisp triangular pastry dough filed with spiced potatoes, peas and herbs), vegetable pakoras (an assortment of vegetable fritters dipped in chick pea batter and fried), chicken tikka (marinated chicken chunks cooked in a clay oven), and lamb shish kebob (minced, spiced lamb skewered and grilled over charcoal).
Biryani ($13.50-$18.95), a rice dish cooked with almonds and raisins, is a large, tasty entrée. Add your choice of marinated vegetables, chicken, lamb or shrimp to complete this dish. Chicken vindaloo ($14.50), chicken cooked with Goan spices in a tangy sauce with potatoes and onion, is wonderful. Lamb chops sikandari ($26.95), six marinated lamb chops smothered in a rich, savory sauce, is another fine choice.
The Bhuna shrimp ($19.50) is a personal favorite. Large, delectable shrimp are smothered in a wonderful sauce with garam masala and dried fenugreek.
As for vegetables dishes, the aloo gobi ($12.50), potatoes and cauliflower with ginger, onion and spices, is particularly good. So are either of the palak (creamed spinach) dishes: paneer ($12.95) has cubed cottage cheese, garlic and spices; and kofta ($12.50) is served atop mashed vegetable balls. And try the raita, homemade yogurt with cucumber and tomato. Very light and tasty on its own, it's also great for tempering the hotter, spicier dishes. Mango lassi, a yogurt-based smoothie drink, is a favorite with kids and adults.
Bread is a must with Indian cuisine. With so many choices, I recommend the nan bread ($2.50) and the tandoori roti ($2.00). Similar to pita bread, both are traditional Indian breads that are perfect for sopping up savory sauces.
With five desserts to choose from, mango ice cream is the standout. It's a refreshing finish to a most enjoyable meal.
The highlight of the restaurant for my family has always been the Sunday brunch buffet. For $13.95, it's the best value I can think of. The food items vary weekly but always include salad, one vegetarian appetizer, basmati rice, one dal (a saucy lentil dish), two vegetable selections, tandoori chicken, raita, and three meat selections, along with unlimited champagne or choice of soft drink. Fresh hot baskets of nan bread are brought to your table, as is a choice of mango ice cream or rice pudding for dessert. Such a deal!
Make Memories of India a part of your restaurant repertoire, whether for lunch, mid-week dinner, Sunday brunch buffet, or take-out. And they're available for catering holiday parties. See you at Memories of India in Lake Mary.
Memories of India
Shoppes of Lake Emma, 3895 Lake Emma Rd., Lake Mary
407.804.0920
Lunch: Mon.- Fri. 11:30 am-2:30 pm, Sat. 11:30 am-2:00 pm. Dinner: Mon.-Sat. 5:30-10:00 pm, Sun. 5:30-9:00 pm. Champagne brunch buffet: Sun. 11:30 am-2:30 pm. Reservations suggested. S
DINING