Ocean Tava raises bar, and the temperature
The Hyderabadi dishes were indeed the highlights, though the central Indian spicing is subtly different from the Punjabi dishes that are best known in America Ocean Tava server Shan Rai with lamb curry, chicken biryani, raita and garlic naan. “You’ve been here for the lunch buffet, haven’t you?” asked the owner of Ocean Tava as he handed us menus. “You shouldn’t judge us by that – dinner is different.” In fact I had judged them by the buffet, and I was back. It would be unfair to compare a buffet lunch with freshly made food seasoned to your liking, but the type and quality of food on a buffet can tell you plenty about a restaurant’s ambitions and skill. Indian food happens to be better suited to a buffet situation than many other cuisines. Curries and other stews can hold up on a steam table without deteriorating, as can tandoori chicken and biryanis. As long as the fragile items like breads and pakoras are frequently replenished, you still get a fair representation of the cuisine. In Ocean Tava’s case, the selection of items was a bit more wide-ranging than usual and fresh breads were brought to our table, so we had decided an evening visit was in order. The restaurant has a…
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