Thursday, 16 February 2012 11:58

India Gate

Just half a block from the Malecon, right on Allende Street, you will find this new gem of Puerto Vallarta’s gourmet scene. India Gate is a fine Indian restaurant that comes with a much-needed refreshing proposal for the downtown area.

The atmosphere at the place is one of intimacy and good taste, they have taken good care of every little detail, something you could expect from a restaurant with more than 33 years of experience in Vancouver, Canada.

What makes special India Gate is that it has made every effort to offer an authentic Indian experience to their customers. That’s the reason why they brought a recognized Indian chef with long experience in Europe, directly from Punjab, India.

That makes all the difference, as anybody that has tried a Mexican restaurant abroad will tell you: authentic Mexican food needs to be prepared by a Mexican chef. The same can be said of Indian cuisine, it is so complex and rich, that it is so hard for a foreigner to master it.

Owner Elías Padilla explained to pv pulse that all the effort made to bring an Indian chef to Vallarta, wouldn’t matter if they couldn’t get him authentic Indian food. That’s why they go as far as the United States and Belize for the best ingredients, and it’s the same reason why they built a tandoor oven in the kitchen, just like those used in North India to cook authentic tandoori food.

When we were ready to order, I decided to go for the Chicken tikka masala, a curry dish of roasted chicken chunks (tikka) in a spicy (masala) sauce, and I can strongly recommend it; they’ll make it as spicy as you wish. In Indian cuisine, the nan (Indian bread) is very important, it’s like our tortillas. So, I ordered a cheese nan that was the perfect side for my chicken, especially with that exquisite mango dip so typical of Indian food.

But even if you are not interested in eating some exquisite Indian delicacy, the bar is a great option; with a couple of LED screens showing the sport event of the moment, namely NFL, NHL, NBA or Champions League. There is a wide variety of drinks available, with some exotic features such as a ginger martini or a chai masala tea, which is made from a mixture of species.

All in all, India Gate offers a complete Indian experience, with great food, competitive prices and a friendly and professional service. Even when it is customary that Indian restaurants only open for dinner, but India Gate opens as early as 12 pm, so we recommend you to consider trying their lunch special: dish of the day, rice, salad and nan for only $135 pesos, from Monday to Friday, 3 to 6 pm.