Indeblue
205 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
I
am sure by now you all know that my love of Indian food began after my trip to
India in '09. It has increased since then, I just really wish I found the time
to eat it more often. I am always trying new places, so sometimes I forget
about hitting favorites up again. This time was yet another newbie, but it was
something a little bit familiar because it was a Philly outpost of a restaurant
that I had heard a lot about living in Jersey called Indeblue. I had gotten my
brother to try Indian food as well and he had also come to thoroughly enjoy it,
so my fiancé and I took him out in Philly to try the new space while he was
home from college. The space was very modern, but it definitely had an Indian
vibe to it. We ordered up a few Indian brews while we examined the menu. They
had some of my favorites, and some others I had never seen before. Some of it
was very traditional, while some of it was very adapted to American tastes. We
wound up ordering some of each; the stuffed long hot peppers, a duo of samosas,
one with pork and one with spinach, dal makhani, chicken tandoori, paneer tikka
makhani and lasooni bread.
I
was having a bit of a tough time while eating when we went to Indeblue because
I had a huge ulcer, so it probably wasn’t the smartest time for me to order
something so spicy, but the stuffed long hot pepper called a deghi chili, was
on point. It was fiery, much more so than I expected it to be, but the cheese
on the inside was really helpful in making it cool off a bit. It had a nice
tomato sauce undernearth of it as well. The samosas were a bit of a misstep for
me. Definitely not traditional. They lacked the depth of flavor I have come to
expect from Indian cuisine. Also the combinations really didn’t work for me. It
was a little too Americanized for me. I like my somosas traditional, filled
with potatoes and veggies.
All
of the main course pieces came out at the same time. They were a bit smaller
portions, which at first look didn’t seem to be big enough for the three of us,
but it wound up being the perfect amount of food for us to share. I loved the
dal, the bbq spicy lentils. It was the perfect dish to accompany the lasooni, a
disc of herby, garlic deliciousness. The bread was buttery and smeared with
garlic and cilantro. It was really a heavenly piece of bread. I love lentils,
and the way they are prepared in this dish is unparalleld in any other way I
have seen it. The chicken tikka was a very good rendition. In my opinion I
think it had a bit too much sauce, but the flavor was very traditional. I love
to order paneer as well. The sauce is usually full of flavor, as most Indian
sauces tend to be, but I love finding the delicious little cubes of cheese
inside of it. The best part amount Indian cuisine to me is the ability of every
dish to be scooped over some rice and combined into tasty little mixtures.
Three
pints for Indeblue. I love what they did with the food, and even though they
had the misstep with the samosas, everything else was very on point. The
flavors were traditional and inventive and the ambiance is really great. I think Philly is
going to come to love what Indeblue is all about. It’s a great spot, so check
it out and let me know what you think! Cheers!
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