Friday, March 27, 2009

Kanak India, Because Suburbanites Like Saag Paneer Too

If you like Ambar but the thought of parallel parking in Clifton on a friday night makes you nervous, take comfort- the same fantastic food is now available in Montgomery. Kanak India, sister restaurant to Ambar, is serving up nan and saag paneer in a new Montgomery location. The food is awesome and the parking lot is spacious.

The Kanak India menu, from the beer list to the dinner specials, is identical to the menu you'll find at Ambar. And why mess with a good thing? Ambar has a solid reputation for consistently good Indian food. I expected a good meal at Kanak, and that's what I got.

We started off with vegetable samosas. They were mildly spicy, delicious with the green sauce, and a bit starchier than samosa's I've had elsewhere. We followed the samosas with more potatoes - in the aloo saag - and the chicken shahi korma. The saag, a creamy spinach sauce, was thicker than I remember the saag paneer at Ambar. The flavors were good, but the texture was a little bit different. The chicken shahi korma was buttery, just spicy enough, with cubes of cheese and little bursts of sweetness in the dried fruit. I could drink that sauce with a straw. So good, so everything I wanted it to be. Most entrees are served with rice, and ours was just a little bit fluffier and a little less greasy than the rice I've had at Ambar.

To boil it down, Kanak serves great Indian food. It brings another dining option to those who can't make the trek down to Clifton (though personally, I like the vibe down at Ambar better.) Make a trip to Kanak if you're up north and looking for a good meal. You will be rewarded with kofta and korma aplenty.

Kanak India on Urbanspoon

7 comments:

valereee said...

We're thrilled to have Kanak nearby! We've made a pact to visit once a week for either lunch, dinner, or carryout to try to make sure they stay here!

WestEnder said...

I was in the area just last week and thought about having lunch there and posting about it but I changed my mind and had a chicken gyro at European Cafe down the street instead.

But it's good to know Tandoor (which I like) has some competition.

Also, you left out the part about going across the street to Agalamesis afterwards!

Anonymous said...

Cannot STAND Tandoor. TERRIBLE food, worst in the city. The only reason they're still alive is that they were the first Indian restaurant in town.

Allison Johnson said...

Good point about Agalamesis. Proximity to awesome ice cream deserves attention. Haven't eaten at Tandoor, so I can't comment there.

I hope Kanak is here to stay too!

jeff said...

Welcome to the neighborhood! It's nice to be able to keep Ambar on speed dial without worrying about parking.

Also, dying to go to Udepi in Roselawn, it's all vegetarian and supposedly quite good.

Allison Johnson said...

Thanks Jeff! I'm definitely enjoying the proximity to great Indian food. Udepi sounds fantastic, let me know if you're planning a trip, I'd love to tag along!

liberal foodie said...

about udipi- it's good for south indian vegetarian food. definitely worth the visit. let me know if you end up tagging along with others- I'd love to as well.