Take a Tour of India at Marigold Maison

There are some places that you can walk into and determine how good the food is going to be, just by the smells you experience. When I first stepped into Marigold Maison I knew that I was in for a complete sensory experience.

I admit that I have not fully delved into Indian food and that my experiences have been, sadly, limited. After my lunch I felt as though I had been cheating myself. I left enamored by the food, culture and customs. I had the pleasure of being led through the menu by Executive Chef Sunil Kumar. My lunch was peppered with explanations of dishes, their origins along with personal stories and it was the perfect way to immerse myself into all aspects of the food.

The restaurant space is open, bright and cheerful. The kitchen is visible while still being tucked out o the way, allowing for all of those great smells to waft through the entire space. The large front windows allow for a lot of light to come in, which warms up the space and makes it seem a but larger than it it.

Their full menu features dishes from all regions of India, so no matter what you are looking for, you are bound to find it. You’ll find a variety of street foods, Southern Indian specialties as well as Tandoori specials. Chef Sunil has incorporated some of his family dishes as well as others that he has encountered from his many travels all over India. He shared with me that he has created this menu out of a desire for restaurant guests to be wowed by the complete experience to the point where they go home and dream about their meal and rave to their friends. He has succeeded in crafting a base for all of those things to happen.

In order to ensure that they are providing the best possible dishes to their guests, Chef Sunil will order dishes from other Indian spots and have the staff compare presentation and taste to that of their menu items. This is a testament to the dedication he has to guests’ experiences.

And then there’s the food. All that glorious food, waiting to be explored. Like I said, the menu explores every corner of India and you would be doing yourself a disservice to miss any of those corners. I started my meal with the Dosa and a variety of dipping sauces. I took my time meandering through the sauces to ensure that I reveled in each and every flavor. I was presented with tamarind, mint, raita and vindaloo sauces. While all of the sauces were outstanding, my favorite would have to be the vindaloo. There was a strong heat, but not the kind that blows your face off disabling your taste buds all together. There is heat, without a doubt, but its a heat that allows you to feel a slight burn while also experiencing all the flavor it imparts. There are so many spices that make up vindaloo and in looking at the list you might think that the specific flavors would get muddled, but they join together to create a whole new flavor with that same sense of familiarity.

Up next came some house-made Naan. I was served a special creation, half garlic and half spice. The combination provided an opportunity to try two separate varieties and to test which paired best with the sampling of entrees that I received. The Saag Spinach (my overall favorite) is a flavorful blend of mustard greens, broccoli, spinach, ginger, garlic and fenugreek. The texture is perfection and the naan is the perfect delivery system, ensure that you can dig into every nook ad cranny to get every last bit. The Tikka Masala is a classic with Tandoori roasted chicken cooked in tomato sauce, a little cream, cashew paste and fenugreek. The flavor will remind you of everything that you ever learned about India in school. The Goan Vindaloo combines wine, red chilis, curry leaves and mustard seeds to create a smooth and slightly spicy soup like base that infuses into your selected protein. The Dal Makhani is a rich and comforting combination of black urda lentils, chana lentis, red kidney beans simmered with ginger, garlic, tomato, cream and cumin seed creating, basically, the best vegetarian chili you’ve never had.

I also had the opportunity to try out their Mango Salad, Lamb Chops, Masala Dosa, Paneer and Shrimp Tikka and the required Mango Lassi. All of the dishes here are worth your time and deserve to be explored. Even if you have never tried Indian cuisine, you will find all of the dishes here prepared with love and attention to the traditions from which they came.

Chef Sunil was kind enough to share his recipe for Palak Paneer for you to make at home. Try it out at the restaurant and then at home and let us know what you think.

*We received complimentary samples and/or compensation to facilitate the write-up; however, our opinions are wholly our own. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.