DoRag's Review: Chauhan Ale & Masala House
Decided to try “Indian” food for the first time after
hearing several good reviews of the Chauhan Ale & Masala House. One of the dinner groups that I am a member
of arranged reservations so the idea of new Peeps & new food was just what
I was needing. Chauhan is located @ the
corner of Grundy & 12th Ave North in the former “Roosters BBQ”
“Judge Roy Beans BBQ” location. The
exterior has undergone some changes & the interior has a new “warm &
cozy” look & feel. I expected the
sounds & smells that my “Un-refined Redneck Ass” had visioned but to my
surprise it was very pleasant & not a scent of incense to be found! I met my group, none of which I had
previously met. They were congregated in
the bar area but none had drinks. After
some introductions I confessed “I ain’t ever eaten any Indian food”. It was like the whole dang place heard
me…everything got really quiet until some Dude said “no worries we’ll help
you”! Then he commenced to rattle off
for 10 minutes about the whole Indian food flavor profile none of which made
sense to me. Hell by then all I wanted
was a beer! Finally the rest of the
group (13 in all) arrived and we were seated.
The exposed brick walls served as screens for several overhead projectors
showing pictures of the food & various other subjects. Made for a swanky look! Our waitress brought us water out of a fancy
bottle & menus. Reading the menu was
a chore being it was dark & the print was a bit small but I managed to find
the drink list. Only a couple in the
group ordered drinks so after several minutes of deep thought, I ordered a
beer. I continued praoozin the menu when
something caught my eye in the Appetizer section…”Garam Masala Pork
Belly”!!! Now there’s something I know
about! So when the waitress returned I
ordered one up. Again I felt a bit out
of place because only one other at the table ordered an appetizer! Guess I got some learnin to do about these
“Dinner Clubs”. The small talk
continued….the Lady across from me was from the area & seemed to be a
historian of sorts. The Dude next to her
had lived in Austin for a bit & both had traveled around the world. They were in a “deep” conversation & I
thought it best for this ole boy to stay in the shallow end! Finally the beer showed up & I
immediately ordered another. The nice
Lady next to me worked for the State of Tennessee & lived in the
Donelson/Hermitage area. It was her
first time at the Masala House but was familure with Indian food & was very
helpful with the menu. I played it safe
& went with Chicken and Tikka Masala (tomato cream sauce). By this time beer #2 arrived with the Pork
Belly Appetizer. The small plate
contained 5 cubed pieces of pork that had been deep fried & laid on top of some greens
& slivers of apple. Quite
“un-impressive” & at $2 a chunk I was expecting a little more! They did have nice crispiness & flavor
but by the time I shared with my new found friends all I got was a bite! I ordered another beer!
 |
| Garam Masala Pork Belly |
More chit-chat until the waitress returns
with our entrees. My Chicken Tikka
Masala arrived accompanied by bowl of rice.
The chicken was submerged in a orange colored sauce & it was
suggested that I spoon it over the rice which I did. My first bite to my delight was good! Tender chicken in a creamy sauce with a hint
of heat & spices. The more I ate,
the more I liked it! The others had more
traditional Indian dishes like Chicken Saag, Lamb Korma, & Shrimp Moilee but
I was happy with my “safe” choice. These
people eat fast & before I knew it the waitress was back asking for desert
orders of which there were none! I
excused myself for a short trip to the “facility” & upon my return most of
the Peeps were gone! Puzzled, I ordered
another beer!
http://chauhannashville.com/
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