Even though Saffron is in a ‘strip mall’ at Barrett Station and Manchester roads, you wouldn’t know it once you’re inside. It has a serene ambience of mango-toned walls, attractive Indian art and delicate stenciling around windows and doors that evokes the exotic.
I’ve never met ethnic food I didn’t like, but even in that context, Saffron stands out. The dishes are a little better, a little more nuanced, than the usual. The Assorted Pakoras ($6.50), for example, are not the typical clusters of shredded vegetables that are more oil than substance. Rather it’s a platter of individually breaded and fried vegetable pieces: cauliflower florets, eggplant and potato slices. And for dipping there’s the pungent mint and coriander chutney and the sweet tamarind sauce, but also a diced tomato relish laced with onions and vinegar.
Lamb Korma ($14.50) was thickly creamy, as expected, but also very tender, which is frequently not the case; this did not taste like stew meat. The flavor was good too: rich with the distinctive tastes of lamb and Indian spices like coriander and cumin. The tandoori-roasted Mix Platter ($19) is mostly chicken marinated in different preparations rather than the traditional mix of meats and seafood. There was a bit of lamb Seekh kabob in there (ground lamb in casing), but no other red meat or fish. The various pieces of chicken, though, were pleasantly moist, which is hard to achieve with tandoori dishes, as they tend to dry out in the oven.
Saffron has several less-common dishes, like Shrimp Malabar ($15), a deliciously sweet and coconut-y mix of light curry, ginger, cream sauce and large shrimp. Another, Fish Bengali ($15), has slices of tilapia (firm and crisped, as if baked to crustiness), bobbing amid a thick brown sauce redolent with Indian spices.
In the appetizers, Onion Baffi ($5) is the Indian version of onion rings, with slices of onions clumped together by chickpea batter and deep fried—very tasty. Also rarely seen is Andheri Mirchi Bhajji ($5.50), a fiery stuffed banana pepper so hot that it’s hard to appreciate the mashed chickpeas, coconut and sesame seeds in there.
Saffron also offers more desserts than the usual Indian restaurant, six, including the best Ras Malai ($4) I’ve tasted. The two house-made cheese patties—something akin to high-fat ricotta—come swimming in cream flavored with sugar, pistachios and possibly a little cardamom. The Rice Pudding ($4) was thinner than I like, but very tasty with a hint of saffron, tiny rice granules and sweetened condensed milk. Just about the only thing I didn’t like here was the chai, which I found too watery and lukewarm (twice)—a small concession to make for an outstanding meal.
[amuse bouche]
THE SCENE | Pleasant Indian restaurant with attractive decor and large menu
THE CHEF | Saif Mahmud
THE PRICES | $2.50 to $8.50 starters; $10 to $15 main dishes
THE FAVORITES | Lamb Korma, Fish Bengali, Assorted Pakoras, Shrimp Malabar, Onion Bajji, Aloo Palek, Ras Malai
[chef chat] >> chef saif mahmud
PEDIGREE | Learned from many chefs and taught at Nalabima Culinary School in Charlotte, N.C.
FAVORITE INGREDIENT | Garlic and ginger
FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT | Elephant Bar in West County Center
MOST MEMORABLE MEAL | A Chinese restaurant in Bangladesh; I really enjoyed the chile chicken
GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD | Chicken curry with the bones
2137 barrett station road | 314.965.3822
photos by Bill Barrett