When Minar Palace closed its doors on the 1600 block of Sansom Street two years ago, a collective shudder ran through the curry-loving corpus of the community. This, after all, was a landmark of the ‘hood, a spice-scented, oxymoronically named Indian gem shoehorned into a Rittenhouse-studio-sized space that, almost despite its rather humble vibe, did a brisk business and introduced any number of locals to the glories of sub-continental cooking. It was, indeed, proof that good food and fair prices were enough to draw the hungry hordes.
Which begged those of us for whom the memory of vindaloos past still sang pungently clear to ask the not altogether pleasant question: Was there still a place for the Palace in this town?This facet comes in the design department: Spread out much more comfortably on the 1300 block of Walnut, it’s not big by any stretch, but there’s an elegant spaciousness to the room, its lacquered reds and deep burnished wood-tones reminding me of nothing so much as a very of-the-moment gentlemen’s club (the kind where Scotches and smokes can be had, not the sort where bachelor parties inevitably devolve into pandemonium and drunkenness).
Only the pakora suffered from any sort of inconsistency, as some of the pieces of fried vegetables were ensconced in a fluffy, rich batter the texture of the finest funnel cake, and others, sadly, hadn’t been cooked quite through, leaving loose veins of batter inside the otherwise promising shell. Still, it’s worth ordering the Minar appetizer sampler for a good tour of this part of the menu; at $8.95, it’s certainly the most expensive option, but reasonable nonetheless.Of the heartier fare, the navatan curry benefited from the weight and density of well-prepared lentils that were lightened by the presence of tomatoes, onions and enough basmati rice to feed all the passers-by wandering outside the attractive window-display of elongated tea pots facing the sidewalk.
Lamb zalfrazi, too, was built on a generous basmati foundation. The centerpiece here, however, wasn’t the butter-soft bites of lamb but rather the charred, smoky-deep slices of onion, green bell pepper and tomatoes. The earthiness that their preparation brought to the dish as a whole heightened the sweetness of everything else, especially the whole wheat onion paratha that worked so well as a starchy spoon to sop it all up with. Naan, however, possessed none of the fluffiness that the best ones do; its texture was more akin to a very thick crepe than what you’d likely expect.
Still, these were relatively few missteps for a spot so young. And while Minar Palace doesn’t necessarily provide the sort of life-affirming flavors, boundary-pushing creativity or finely filigreed culinary detailing of some of its competitors, it does offer a sense of straightforward comfort. That, and a hot cup of chai, I think, are sometimes exactly what you need.
Photo courtesy of Shirley Nicole Fonner and Citypaper.
AroundPhilly Staff
