Namasté Indian Cuisine (Closed)
76 E. 33rd St.Edmond, OK
I was only able to visit Namasté Indian Cuisine a couple of times before it closed, but the food was
so interesting I thought it would be worth a follow-up to the report I made after my first visit.
Namasté opened in 2006, but it did not take long for it to become known by word of mouth,
even before the phone number was listed or it had a working web site. Perhaps the fact that this small
establishment relied on the food quality rather than allowing customers to gorge themselves on a buffet
set it apart from other Indian restaurants, but I think it was also the variety of menu selections that made
it popular. With combination plates, Tandoor dishes, Biriyani rice, meat and vegetable entrées, and
south Indian breakfasts, there was something for just about everyone. The food was not over the top on
the spice scale, in fact much of it was quite mild.
Namasté went through several changes, including an expansion of the dining area, then
a downsizing to the original restaurant space before it closed. The owner tried several
promotions including breakfasts served on Saturday, and a Monday night all you can eat dosa
night. It was the latter that made me want to return for more visits, but before I could do so the
restaurant closed in the summer of 2008. I am just glad I found out how good the restaurant
really was before it closed.
I usually like to start my visits at Indian restaurants with a sampler plate. Several combination
platters were served at Namasté, all but one containing meat dishes. On my initial visit, then,
I tried the vegetable platter containing two vegetables served in sample sizes, along with
white rice and naan. While everything was good on the platter, my hunger could not be
alleviated without consuming large portions of the rice and bread that filled most of the plate (but
this was not too unusual for Indian restaurants). Althought the naan bread was fresh and
flavorful, the white rice seemed to lack the herbs and spices normally associated with Indian cooking.
Channa Masala is normally one of my favorite dishes, and the one here was flavorful,
although not as spicy as at other Indian restaurants (but probably average for Oklahoma Indian
restaurants).
Aloo Saag Wala, a potato dish with herbs and spices, was probably the best item I tried
at Namasté. While many restaurants make the mistake of serving undercooked or unflavorful
potatoes, the ones in this dish were just right, with the spices making it even better. The heat level
was about medium on the scale of Indian food, and this was the only dish I tried that approached what
I have found to be the typical Indian spice level.
Baingan Bartha was a dish that took eggplant, one of my least favorite foods, and gave it
not only a good flavor but a non-repulsive texture as well (not an easy feat when it comes to eggplant).
Pakora fritters made with spinach were served as appetizers with all meals, along with three
sauces (tamarind, mint, and cilantro). Although the fritters were somewhat greasy, I really thought this
enhanced the meal quite a bit, with the sauces being far superior to the ones served in most restaurants.
The hot Chai was sweeter than any other version I had tried, and although at first I did not
know quite what to think about it, this is actually the way many Indians like to drink it.
When I discovered the Monday night all you can eat Dosa special, this was the highlight
of my experience at Namasté. Several types of dosa were prepared fresh, and I liked not only the
quality but also the variety. I found myself ordering more, not because I was hungry, but because
they were so good. Several sauces were served, and I thought this was one of the best experiences
I have had at an Indian restaurant.
The Iced Indian Tea was also very good, and perhaps better than the hot tea I normally
order.
In my original review I wrote:
I think many people regret, as I do, that we did not have more opportunity to experience the
different types of food that were served here.
A new dining room added more space to the original one, shown in picture
Monday night offered several types of dosas
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RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 22
Cuisine: Indian
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Tea: Chai
MSG: No
Smoking: No Smoking
Buffet: Lunch
Special Features: Serves breakfast on Sat.;
All you can eat dosa Mon. night
Most Recent Visit
Jul. 21, 2008
Number of Visits: 2
Best Items
Dosa, Aloo Saag Wala
Special Ratings
Dosa:
Aloo Saag Wala:
Channa Masala:
Baingan Bartha:
Pakora:
Naan:
Rice:
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