Corinne L. Domingo

Fresh, flavorful Indian food that leaves you craving more.

I’m from Maui, but have lived along “curry row,” an East Village, Manhattan, block chock full of back-to-back Indian restaurants. I tried every single Indian restaurant in Manhattan, and in my travels across the U.S., made it a point to fulfill my Indian food cravings wherever possible. It’s safe to say that I’ve become quite an Indian food connoisseur evidenced by my spice collection.

When I learned that Shangri-La by the Sea opened in the former Yorman’s by the Sea at Menehune Shores, I was immediately there. While the kitchen is serving the full menu, the atmosphere is still coming together. The restaurant’s main dining area, with windows overlooking the ocean, is still under renovation. However, a number of tables are available in the bar and lounge area, and takeout is also an option. But if you dine in, you won’t notice the décor too much since you’ll be too busy savoring the food. It’s that good.

The large menu offers classic North Indian dishes such as curries, biriyanis (basmati rice dishes), tandoori specialties (meats grilled in a traditional clay oven), and a number of vegetarian selections. For starters, we ordered vegetable samosas, two fried pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. They were very large and hearty and the curry filling was perfectly flavored. The kid-friendly chicken pak-oras, chicken pieces coated in a mild-tasting chickpea flour batter and fried, were tender and delicious. Even the papadum, thin lentil wafers, were fresh and crisp. The appetizers went well with the accompaniments: mint chutney, cooling yet spicy, and a sweet tamarind sauce.

We then moved onto the soups. The daal soup, more broth than lentils, had a delicate curry flavor, and was warming on a cool evening. The mulligatawny soup was more substantial, chock full of vegetables, rice and chicken. Good for a light dinner with some bread.

Garlic lovers must try the garlic naan, a leavened bread topped with garlic, cilantro and spices. The aloo paratha is also a treat—whole wheat bread stuffed with potatoes and peas. Milder in flavor, but a good complement to any entrée.

You can go crazy trying to decide which main dish to order, since there are so many. But our server was very helpful in guiding our choice, and she recommended the chicken tikka masala—boneless cubes of chicken roasted in the tandoori oven and served with a flavorful sauce. The chicken was delectable, and the sauce had quite a depth in flavor. The restaurant touts that they freshly grind Indian spices to make their curries, and you can really tell the difference. Dishes are made mild, but you can up the ante by requesting medium or hot spiciness.

Other standouts include the lamb saag, juicy lamb pieces cooked in a curried spinach sauce, and the shrimp masala, which had a thick and creamy tomato-based curry sauce. Eggplant fans must try the baingan bhartha, fire-roasted eggplant cooked in a tasty tomato and onion curry sauce.

We also indulged in the vegetarian thali, a combination platter with aloo gobi (curried cauliflower and peas), daal makhni (black lentils and kidney beans cooked in a creamy sauce) and palak paneer (cheese cubes cooked in a spinach sauce). While they were all delicious, the paneer was the winner. With a rich and distinct cheese flavor, you can tell it is homemade.

As for beverages, the Indian masala chai is addicting (order it hot; refills are free). The mango lassi, a thick yogurt drink, is not too sweet and very filling. Don’t drink it too fast or you may not have room for your meal.

For dessert, the mango kulfi, a rich-tasting ice cream, is lightly spiced with cloves. The kheer badam, rice pudding flavored with cardamom, may be too intense for some, but the creaminess balances out the strong flavors. We didn’t have room to try the classic gulab jamun, a deep fried dough coated in a sweet honey and rosewater syrup. But this only gave us another reason to come back.

And we definitely will return. It’s certainly nice to know I can now fulfill my Indian food craving without having to leave the island or even fire up my kitchen. Heck, I may not even need my spice collection anymore. I’ll just head on over to Shangri-La By The Sea to be in my own kind of earthly paradise.