Well Fed On the Town

This aptly named little neighborhood eatery is a bright spot on College Avenue. There isn’t anything particularly noteworthy on the menu, nothing you haven’t heard of or eaten before. But the dishes here are prepared well–each dish proudly celebrates the flavors of India.

The sag paneer is a creamy dish with hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and a host of other flavors I couldn’t identify. At many other restaurants, sag paneer suffers from lack of a uniform lack of flavor interrupted by rubbery chunks of bland paneer. Not so at Flavors of India. Their paneer is light with a subtle, creamy flavor that complements the thoughtfully spiced spinach.

The rice here is damn near perfect. The grains are slightly al dente, but separate without being oily. The beautiful white basmati is delicately punctuated by spices that heighten the subtle nutty flavor of the rice.

The dal tadka is a delightful stew of yellow split peas, onions, tomatoes, and garlic with hot oil, red chilies and cumin. This dal is a harmonious balance of heat and spice with a hint of sweetness. The texture is both creamy and heartily substantial. Eaten with the rice, dal tadka is a meal in itself.

But the star of the show is the naan. This simple bread is baked in a proper, wood-burning tandoor, and it shows. The bread is crisp and browned on the bottom, and pleasantly chewy and soft on top. The wood-burning oven permeates the bread with an almost smoky flavor that never ceases to delight. You could easily spoil your appetite by scarfing down the entire basket. Similarly, any tandoori item on the menu is sure to please.

The salty lassi is a refreshing accompaniment to the meal, particularly if you order your dishes spicy.

Flavors of India is a great place to go for a casual lunch or dinner. The decor is simple, and the dishes are served in lovely little copper bowls. The portions are a little small for this type of neighborhood joint, but I’ll gladly trade smaller portions for such lively, delicately balanced flavors.

Flavors of India
3211 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
510-658-3461

Lunch: 11:30am-3pm (daily lunch specials)
Dinner: 4:30pm-10pm Sun-Thurs, 4:30pm-10:30pm Fri, Sat