Amrutha Cuisine of India

I don't even know what to say about this restaurant. Me and my best friend, the Ginger, and I decided to get away from the normal Tucson fare. We debated between Ganhi's Indian food, Amrutha, and Zemams Ethiopian. We settled on Amrutha. Now the Ginger spent 3 months last summer in India helping with AIDS research and prevention and is going back again this summer. I defer to him on Indian cuisine. We went expecting something good. Not quite.

Service and Experience
Well, I have to say something about this place so I feel it should be said that the dining experience was HORRIBLE! TWO HOURS TO EAT A REGULAR MEAL!!!! The sole waiter (who I feel was also the manager) did little to keep us enlightened as to the status of our food. The cook (I'm assuming he was the only one back there, dishwashers included) was obviously overwhelmed, only turning out one dish at a time (every table received orders one at a time).

Typically restaurants you spend less at, you are in and out faster for table turnover. Restaurants that are more high end, more of an experience, you stay longer but pay a premium for the experience. This restaurant had a $20 tab and a 2 hour dining time. And that was not by choice. PROFESSIONALISM PEOPLE. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, LET US KNOW SO WE ARE NOT AFFECTED. Anywho, onto the food.

Appetizer
I deferred to the Ginger and we ordered a pair of Somosas. This was by far the most delicious part of my dining experience. Hot, flaky, and filled with tender delicious vegetables, coming with a green chile sauce and a coconut curry sauce. This was brilliant. Good constrasting, flavors, served hot with delicious sauces and a perfect blend of textures. I can't say enough about the somosas.

Entree
At the suggestion of the Ginger, I ordered the Lamb Baryani with a side of Garlic Naan and the Ginger ordered Paneer Masala. After waiting an hour, we finally got our food. The Lamb Baryani, basically an Indian version of Jambalaya, featuring rice, spices, and meat, was alright. The spices were good and it was a good blending of flavors. The lamb however, WOW that was tough, probably from the shoulder. Next time, cut it smaller so it simmers in the sauce more, don't cook it as much, or use a different cut. It was beyond chewy. The naan (served 20 minutes after the Baryani) was good, but nothing spectacular.

Summation
Overall, this was a bizarre dining experience. I had previously heard nothing but good things about Amrutha and looked forward to it being my introduction to "authentic" Indian cuisine. All during the eating, I found so much potential in the food. I could sense that a more experienced or less overwhelmed cook could really have taken the food to a much higher level. But, despite the potential, I was continually underwhelmed. And mediocre food combined with horrible service equals a horrible restaurant experience. Next time, I'll go with Gandhi's.

PS. Tomorrow I start my time either serving or cooking in ai Bistro so I'll get to start critiquing myself and finding things wrong with my cooking. Reality check coming very soon.