Palace of Asia, Lawrenceville

Mom and Dad came to visit our new place for the first time, and we decided to go exploring in the neighborhood. After a little research we decided on Palace of Asia, an Indian restaurant that was pretty close by, and, to Dad's delight, had a full bar. (We have always wondered why more ethnic restaurants don't have them.... spicy food calls for full bodied red wines!)

The place is not only HUGE but also gorgeous.... I'm not talking like 'hey what a nice looking place' but more like I immediately regretted not having my bat mitzvah there. Yeah... that pretty. Warm, inviting colors, large statues, and big hanging light fixtures made me feel like I was walking into an Indian palace. I could not WAIT to sit down and order!

After ordering our beverages-glass of house red for me, two different Indian beers (Taj Mahal and Kingfisher) for Matt and Dad, and a vodka cocktail for Mom- we took a look at the menu. Strangest thing, folks... this Indian restaurant has BEEF on the menu!!! Yeah, I know... Weeeeeiiiirdd.... it would be like walking into a kosher deli and getting a ham sandwich. We didn't order any beef dishes, but we all thought it was worth mentioning. But I digress... we picked the Tandoori mixed grill for an appetizer, and everything on it was delicious. It had Tandoori Chicken, lamb Boti Kabob, Chicken Tika, Tandoori shrimp, and Seekk Kabob, so there was plenty to go around (actually it was enough for a party twice our size). All of the chicken was so tender that none of us used knives to cut it, and the flavors on each of the meats were perfect... not too spicy, not too mild. It was very well balanced, especially after we threw a splash of lemon over the meats... YUM! Gotta love that acidity!

For dinner we ordered a few dishes and all shared (the best way to enjoy as many options as possible, in my opinion). We got the chicken Achari, Daal Makhni, and lamb Saagwala as well some bread (a traditional Naan and a garlic Naan). The chicken was good. It was described as chicken cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic and chili peppers, flavored with pickled spices. It sounds like a lot going on but all of the elements worked well together... if anything I wish they would have used more pickled spices and chilis! The chicken was tender, and the sauce was perfect for scooping up with the hot delicious bread... the dish worked, and I am glad we got it.

The Daal Makhni was decent but after having this none will ever be able to compare. It was still delicious, and we all enjoyed it... I have just been spoiled when it comes to Daal Makhni...the bar has been set extraordinarily high. The lamb Saagwala was also good... creamy and rich, the spinach lent a great freshness to it. Visually it was less than appealing... a very weird brownish green, and it's texture was a little too 'squishy' for Matt, but again it was a tasty dish. I happen to love spinach, no matter the application, so this was actually my favorite part of the meal. The lamb was super tender and fell apart with just a bit of pressure from my fork... no knife needed.

All in all the food was very good, but a bit pricey considering all of the options in the area. The convenience of the bar is a plus, but it does pad the bill quite a bit. The service was super friendly, and the place is GORGEOUS, so it's definetley worth at least one visit. Not sure it will become a staple in our rotation, but it was a lovely night out!

Palace of Asia
http://www.palace-of-asia.com/
540 Lawrence Square Blvd South
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
(609) 689 1500