The outside influences blended brilliantly with what India itself had to offer. The country's fertile lands, replenished by the annual monsoons, have been farmed for hundreds of years with wheat and fresh vegetables including squash and eggplant, beans and fruit such as mango. And of course, India is known for its rice -- cultivated in the deepwater beds of the Ganges river plains.

The Moghul Empire, rulers of northern India from the 16th to 19th centuries, brought with them the Tandoor, an oven made of clay and fired by charcoal. The clay pit is used to roast marinated meats and vegetables, and bake the popular Indian flatbreads known as naan. The Moghuls also introduced the most sophisticated and opulent dishes - the cuisine of Emperors and Queens - to north India, with savory sauces enriched by cream and nut purees, onion, garlic and fruit.

South India has had altogether different cultural & culinary influences. Spices lured Portuguese traders, the first of the European colonizers to the region in the late 15th century. These traders introduced cashews, potatoes, tomatoes, cocoa, pork, seafood -- and most importantly chili. In time, this exchange created a cuisine second only to the Moghuls, with pork and seafood dishes a specialty. South Indian cuisine also is more intensely spiced than the food of the north.

Indian cuisine is a remarkable assemblage of these many different ingredients, culinary techniques and traditions. Relax and enjoy our hospitality and personable service, the warm and inviting ambiance, and music from around the world - the perfect stage for sampling the intriguing aromas and complex flavors of India.