Taj Palace brings fine Indian dining to Chesterfield Valley
The word "taj" refers to a crown or a mark of distinction, and Taj Palace has distinguished itself as a crown jewel in the Chesterfield Valley. The restaurant emerged as an elegant alternative to the fast food and chain restaurants that dot the area.
P.J. and Farhana Singh opened Taj Palace in October with their business partner, Suresh Bhakta, owner of Indian Palace. Indian Palace is where P.J. honed his skills as a restaurateur and mastered the art of Indian cuisine. As a result, Taj Palace provides authentic Indian dishes, traditionally prepared using the spices, herbs, vegetables and meats native to India and sometimes using less expected ingredients, such as goat.
"Goat is on the menu because it's something different that some people like," P.J. said. "It's also a traditional favorite in India. Goat is a very common meat for us. It's as common as chicken is in the U.S. "
Dining options also include chicken, seafood, lamb and 20 vegetable entrees. While deciding on an entrée, guests are served a welcoming plate of papadums - wafer-thin, crisp crackers served with two dipping sauces - mint, and a tamarind chutney. The savory sweet combination makes a nice dinner prelude, as does one of Taj's appetizers, such as the vegetable pakora (the Indian version of a fritter).
"Pakora and samosa (crisp fried vegetable patties) are two of our popular appetizers that are often ordered as a meal," P.J. said. "Nan is another favorite."
Nan, also called tandoori bread, is the puffy, flat bread that is baked on the walls of a tandoori oven. It can be ordered plain, flavored or stuffed as an appetizer. Although nan is served with entrees, it makes a nice pre-dinner treat that is studded with cashews, pistachios, raisins and cherries.
Entrée picks during a recent visit were Chicken Korma - chicken swimming in a rich cream sauce flavored with cashews, almonds and raisins - and, Lamb Vindaloo, a highly spiced meat and potato stew. Both are classic dishes that can be made with different meats and at various levels of heat.
"Just tell us how you like it, and we'll make it anyway you like it," Farhana said. "We can make it mild, extra spicy and hot - even hotter. That's called 'Indian hot.'"
Another Indian culinary classic is curry, which in India usually is understood to mean "gravy." Curries offered at Taj Palace are fish and chicken curry sauced with a tomato and spice gravy, and goat curry that has the addition of an aromatic onion blend in its sauce.
All entrees are served with basmati rice steamed perfectly light and fluffy and scented with a special blend of cinnamon, cumin, bay and coriander.
Taj Palace features an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, which provides an opportunity for sampling a variety of the unique foods that have made Indian cuisine renown.
Taj Palace
92 THF Blvd.
Chesterfield
(636) 728-1000
Lunch buffet served daily, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
www.tajpalaacestl.com
