Silk Road Indian Cuisine is a new, fine dining restaurant in Coppell that features authentic flavors and a memorable cultural experience. Several Focus Daily News staffers journeyed to Coppell recently to try their lunch menu.
The Silk Road menu lists four spice levels (mild, medium, hot, or hot/hot). My more experienced colleague specified mild, since Indian spices are different from the BBQ and Tex-Mex spices familiar to Texans. We were amazed (and slightly confused) trying to keep up with the almost overwhelming number of different dishes we were served for the tasting.
Our servers were terrific, though; and they very patiently explained each dish we tried from the restaurant’s extensive menu. (Here’s hoping the correct names and descriptions aren’t too jumbled together from my scribbled notes, since many menu items were new, exotic experiences for me).
Silk Road Indian Cuisine
Lunch started with familiar items like Kadai Paneer (sauteed tofu in spiced tomato gravy with bell peppers and onions), and Veggie Samosas (crispy fried pastry shell filled with savory potatoes and peas). The appetizers were served with buttered and garlic naan (flatbread cooked in clay oven).
Our brightly colored orange Mango yogurt and strawberry drinks were sweetly satisfying and as rich as milkshakes. These drinks should help put out the fire, though, if you accidentally order the wrong spice level.
The food just kept getting better! Chicken Tikka Kabob (savory, smoky chicken bites marinated in lemon juice, yogurt, and aromatic spices, and served in a bowl big enough for sharing for $18), was an instant hit at our table. Chicken Biryani ($20) was even better (flavored Basmati rice with chicken cooked in special spices).
Tandoori Pomfret Whole Fish
One of the more exotic offerings, a Tandoori Pomfret Fish ($24) appeared to be very popular, and we noticed several other diners enjoying the dish. A whole, bone-in fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a clay oven, the steamed fish features delicate flavor and a firm texture. It does contain quite a few large bones, though.
A more familiar dish and one of my all-time favorites, a spicy chicken curry, was another item we tried. A Chicken Combo platter that’s only available on the lunch menu is a real bargain at $14.99. The platter contains several of their most popular dishes, featuring Chicken Biryani, Butter Chicken served with Naan, Pakora, and dessert. It also comes with soup or house salad; ours featured a cup of tomato soup.
We were blown away by the ambience, the décor, and the hospitality, but especially by the quality of the restaurant’s carefully prepared dishes. The Silk Road Indian Cuisine and Bar in Coppell is a destination dining place for anyone looking for authentic, creative, and flavorful Indian dishes.
They’re open seven days a week for lunch, dinner, and bar service at 160 Sandy Lake Road #100 in Coppell; phone 972-745-4463.
