When you walk into a place like Ambassador and you don't understand a thing the manager is saying to the waiter you can assume one of two things. One, you're being insulted in a different language, or two, the cuisine is going to be authentic today!
After dining on Indian food several times at Ambassador, I can assure you the latter is true and despite any foreign language the food speaks for itself.
We've come again to the lunch buffet at Ambassador. A great deal for only $9.95. Typical staples at the buffet are the traditional, slightly nutty,basmati rice and the warm, freshly baked Naan (a typical tandoori oven baked bread).
The Vegetable Pakoras, fresh cut vegetables deep fried in chick pea batter, are light, crispy, savory delights and are perfectly complimented with tamarind sauce, a sort of Indian "Ketchup".
The soup of the day was a Daal soup. What seems a simple split pea and lentil offering turns out to be a complex amalgamation which performs a warm welcome on the front of the tongue and a spicy goodbye as it rolls across the back. I'm amazed of this effect with each and every bite.
We've also tried the Tomato-Coconut Shorma which was a rich tomato soup with a hint of coconut. Not too heavy and garnered an A+ from all who got to try this one.
We then covered our plates with basmati and moved on to the "meat" of the buffet. Chicken Tikka Masala, a famous Indian dish, did not disappoint. Cubes of chicken simmered in a rich tomato cream sauce was bursting with exotic flavors.
The other chicken offering was Tandoori Chicken. If you have never tried this Indian method of cooking chicken I highly recommend you do. The Indians perfected the technique long ago.
They begin by marinating the chicken pieces in mild masala spices and yogurt. The first chefs to do this probably didn't realized that in addition to adding flavor, the enzymes in the yogurt actually break down the proteins in the chicken to make an already tender meat even moreso.
After 24 hours of marinating, the chicken is placed on skewers and cooked in a tandoori oven. The high heat seals the juices into the chicken as it cooks quickly down inside this traditional clay oven.
Most of us would not be so bold as to cook with such high heat but I assure you the Indians have mastered the technique. It produces a moist, succulent flavorful chicken like no other I've experienced.
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