Hands down the best Indian I've had in this city. The only problem is the menu is limited in offerings, tough that may change after some time passes. It's 100% vegetarian (like most of India), so meat eaters may be weirded out enough to not go (to their disadvantage). It will definitely become a destination spot for lovers of Indian food, as most of the neighborhood will invariably prefer pizza next door at Blackbird. Will they get the hype of Bollywood Theater? Probably not, but don't let that deter you.
The garlic naan is the best I've had in a long time. The Samosa Chole was delicious. Mung Sprout Salad was good, but not outstanding. Mushroom Biryani was simple, yet delicious. It brought back memories of flavors at higher end places in NYC. Dal Soup (spit into two by the kitchen) was delicious. Baingan Bharta - Eggplant is first skewered and smoked in Tandoor oven for hours, then slow cooked in Indian spices, served with basmati pulao rice (GF, V) -$12.99 was intensely rich with notes of cinnamon, cumin (tamarind?). It was basically a puree. We took half home to enjoy the next day with basmati and naan.
I imagine this is the sort of food which is au courant in New Dehli and Mumbai, you'll not find the ubiqutous Butter Chicken here.
Sevice is excellent.
Maruti
1925 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
http://www.maruti-restaurant.com
