Let’s get right to the point: The Muthu’s Flavors serves some of the best Indian food we’ve ever tasted; reasonably priced and in a word, excellent. Brought to us by the same people behind the renowned Muthu’s Curry on Race Course Road, The Muthu’s Flavors offers a sophisticated yet casual Indian dining experience—“nu-Indian dining” as they call it. One of our pet peeves about Indian dining is the communal aspect of it—you just have to order the whole serving even if you’re a party of two (or even one!) so we were quite pleased to hear that The Muthu’s Flavors serves up individual portions for most of our favorite Indian staples. The pappadam bruschetta though simple-looking—tomatoes, basil and garlic on crispy pappadam—was a perfect start to the meal and an apt example of the restaurant’s philosophy of updating the classics for today’s palate. As soon as we polished off the crisps, a delicate waft of spices enthralled us as the waiter placed the chicken tikka masala, lamb rack ananas and paneer makhani in front of us. The chicken tikka and lamb, both served with decadent cheese naan were absolute heaven. The lamb was especially yummy, as it’s marinated with pineapples and spices then grilled till fork-tender, while the buttery-smooth paneer makhani—cottage cheese stewed in spices—was the ideal accompaniment to the meal. One observation we noted was that the flavors though intense, were lighter on the palate—not as spicy as the original Muthu’s, but still packed with punch. For desserts, we had the pistachio kulfi and the luscious masala chai flan—a cinnamon and cardamom-flavored panna cotta-like dish—which everyone should try. For the great quality, the prices are astoundingly reasonable which means you can likely afford to dine here frequently—something that would be hard to do at other fine Indian restaurants.
