By: Antoinette Simonetti, Practicum Reporter
With four locations surrounding the Denver metro area, Little India is well-known for its unique spices and flavors, courtesy of the Baidwan family, who founded the restaurant in 1998. Out of curiosity – after reading so many outstanding reviews – I decided to check out the downtown Denver location.
The central shop is located at 1533 Champa St, making it difficult to find parking, and when parking was finally found, it was a four-block walk to the restaurant. There’s a parking garage across the street from Little India, but it’s a pricey$25 charge.
On the initial approach, it seemed like the perfect summer hangout: The restaurant boasts a spacious outdoor patio for the summertime and a cozy comfortable hideaway for the wintertime. After walking through a narrow corridor entrance, I observed how small the space was for such a well-known restaurant, yet it could be perceived as adding to the “feel” of the place. The lighting was dim and tinted orange and yellow, which made the restaurant glow.
With a wide variety of menu choices, such as masala, naan and curry dishes, there is a lot to choose from. The menu offers gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options for all kinds of diners. From my research of the restaurant, I learned the saag curry is the most popular dish. Saag is a vegetarian dish that incorporates spinach, mustard greens, cumin, turmeric, coriander and garlic.
With my excitement about trying this popular, traditional Indian dish, I was happy to see my server approach with a glass of water, ready to answer my questions about the menu. My server was exceptional at explaining the tastes of the various dishes. All around, the service was fantastic.
After only 20 minutes with a packed restaurant, my saag was served and ready to enjoy. The meal was separated by the bowl of curry and a tray of rice. I appreciated that they were separate because I could choose the amount of curry I wanted mixed in with the rice. My first bite provided an immediate burst of flavor. The saag had an earthy, unique texture and taste. The meal was extremely addicting, it was so delicious. Regardless of how full I was getting, I wanted to keep eating it.
Not only did I have exceptional service on a busy night at Little India, but the food was superb and arrived very fast. I definitely would come back to this location and enjoy another meal. I amconfident that the next plate I try will be delicious and well explained by staff. I would recommend this restaurant to my friends, coworkers and family.