Is Indian food like Indian food in America?

I live in the Bay Area and you can find very authentic Dosa's, puri and what i find to be as much fresher Punjabi cusine compared to mumbai. In fact i found the food here to be spicier than any food i ever had in two months in india. but we have a big indian population and that makes all the difference.

Clarification understood! It did seam strange!

As for Saravana Bhavan, it is now an international chain and because it gets into all the guide books is the one that the tourists look for.

I had the smallest, meanest, paratha korma I've ever seen from one of their branches (near Gemini Flyover) the other day and the flavour was nothing to be recommended either. Nor was the price. They are also the only place I know that has realised that "no ice" means "more juice" --- so they charge more! (Radakrishnan Salai).

I would say that Australian Indian food is very similar to Indian, too. I know you are asking about America, but I would be really surprised if you found it too different.

When my husband and I travelled to Mexico a couple of years ago we were really shocked - the food there is nothing, I repeat - nothing like what we get here in Mexican restaurants. The 'Mexican' here, we were told is really 'tex mex', but my experience in Indian travel is that it doesn't work the same way. The food in India is wonderful. Phew!

And I had to comment with regard to the different dairy taste. On the whole I enjoyed dairy (always liked the yogurt), but occasionally the milk would really taste funny for me! It made it hard to accept all those friendly chais while shopping.

To this day whenever I don't like the taste of milk I cry 'buffalo milk!'

I love threads about Indian food. Just makes me so dang hungry and it is 4:00 AM.

Let me share my preference. I prefer hole in the wall restaurants versus the five star places. Nothing to do with the price, has everything to do with the taste. Spoken by someone who transports 100 % certified organic vegetables to white table restaurants here in eastern USA.

My favorite restauarnt is Gareeb Nawaz on Devon Avenue in Chicago. Has the best Biryani I have ever tasted in a restaurant here in the US or in India.

I lived in Vacouver, BC and found the restaurants there (Punjabi influences) to be horrible. Finally found a small Sri Lankan place which became a regular there.

Phobal wrote:
"Yes, the Indian food available in North America is kind of "India-lite" due to the fact that Americans and Canadians have great difficulty in eating spicy food. The Indian food available in North America is fairly bland from an Indian(East Indian) perspective."

Obviously this guy has never been to Texas!!!


I agree that most US Indian food places are norther Indain run by Gujarat's however here in Austin we have at least two Authentic South Indian places, Sawd & Madras Pavilion. Both veg & both VERY spicy and very authentic.

things you will find different-
no mexicans doing the gruntwork (yet . . .)

some of the most god-awful unsanitary messhalls outside county jail, and

some of the most outrageously lavish layouts this side of a Royal
Saudi familly private whorehouse

all u can eat for one dollar!

For me it tastes better in Silicon Valley, because it's a treat.
-and yes, home made- especialy breakfast, is the way to go.

I don't think Vikram Vij's world famous Vij's and Rangoli had started when you were in BC. These places really rock! World class cuisine at fairly resonable prices although it is impossible to get a table on the weekends. A classmate of mine was visiting from Orlando and I took him there but we were told we would have to wait at least 2-3 hours for a table since there was a long line up. You can't book a table in advance at this place, even famous Hollywood celebrities are made to wait.
http://www.vijs.ca/

just be glad that ur chicken is dead?

what is that cruelty??

If u want to try an authentic indian food elsewhere outside of India go to Hare Krishna Temple!
Its the best


Karma free!!

Was it Nooru Mahal? I was in Vancouver last weekend and went to this restaurant. The worst vegetable kurma I have ever had- imagine finding tons of corn in your kurma.

I avoid meat while there. I am not strictly vegetarian, but I eat mainly vegetarian. I wonder about hygeine...so it's just one of those things that I feel may help in staying well.

There are many Indians where I live in the Chicago area, so anytime I want good, authentic Indian food I go to the Indian neighborhood in Chicago where restaurants are family run. There are a few restaurants that are strictly South Indian veg food. Most restaurants I have experience with call themselves "North Indian" restaurants.

I have found a new restaurant close to my house that has both north and south, altho one of the owners is from Bangalore and when I told him I was in Chennai, he tells the cook to make special south food for me. He says, "just like my mother makes!" He also treats me as I was treated in my fave restaurant in Chennai (which was not Saravana Bhavan!) -- that is, when I tell him "no no no" (to food), he thinks it means "more more more"!

This place must be authentic because anytime I go, my husband and I or my friends and I are usually the only westerners in the place!

I have found the Indian food back home is generally a big mix of more northern styles and it is generally not common to find southern stuff like Dosa, Idli Vada, Thali etc. I think the biggest difference is that since there is not exactly a shortage of labour in India, everything is made on the spot. And the street food is something you cant get back home

About the Chinese food, I have never ever heard of "Paneer 65" "Veg Manchurian" "Gobi Manchurian" outside of India. It seems pretty bastardised to me! Have not seen one place that has something like Wonton, Yum Cha, or even BBQ duck - the really common Cantonese stuff you generally find all over the world.

> Have not seen one place that has something like Wonton, Yum Cha, or even BBQ duck - the really common Cantonese stuff you generally find all over the world.<

Well, to begin with, you have to find Chinese restaurants that are owned by Chinese people. I've had wonton dishes in Calcutta, and believe I know where to get Dim Sum on my next visit.

Many restaurants in India are very innovative in inventing Indianised Chinese dishes.
Had a good laugh at a restaurant in Colva which was serving Japanese fried rice.