I got to walk up and down Central Avenue today to check out all the businesses for some research I am doing. I did this once last fall and it's amazing how much has changed even in the past few months. For one, I can't wait for our new library to open this spring!!! It looks amaza-za-zing. I digress.
A new Indian restaurant opened in Northeast Minneapolis. After I finished my walk, I circled back around to sit down at "B.Z.A India's Kitchen" for lunch. I forgot to ask what the B.Z.A stood for, so you will get no inside scoop from me. The last name of the co-manager is "Ali" so I'm guessing it has something to do with that.
The place was totally dead, and nobody else came in the whole time I was there. I asked how long they have been open and they said only about a week. So, they are new-new!
Now - I should mention that I'm kind of picky about Indian food. Not because I don't like spicy food, but because I've been eating Sri Lankan curries since I was very, very young. It wasn't until I was an adult that I truly enjoyed curries that weren't cooked by my mother or my aunties.
I ordered:
- the Potato Samosa
- Chicken Khorma
- Daalcha (lentil cooked with squash)
- and rice.
The Potato Samosa was AMAZING. Definitely my favorite. If you brought me ten right now to share, I'd eat all of them and you'd have to go get more for yourself. The Khorma was great: the chicken was tender as advertised and the sauce was really nice. It actually had some flavor to it unlike some of the completely dulled down curries you find elsewhere. The Daalcha was also good, though in my mind I was expecting more of a traditional, thick Sri Lankan Daal (there's my bias coming in again).
I had such a happy tummy when I left I even forgot to take a picture. I'm a bad blogger! If you look the location up and use google maps' "street view" feature you can see where it is - BZA took the place of San Pablito's.
The cost was very reasonable. Everything I ordered was about $20 including tip and I've got enough leftovers to have another 2-3 meals. (I ordered more than one menu item because I wanted to give a few things a try.) They are using plasticware for now instead of real dishes, which is common in a lot of the smaller restaurants nearby.
I'm glad I did my little walk this week instead of last week, otherwise I might not have noticed this place. They don't yet have a website or an online menu that I can share with you - so you'll just have to go in and check it out for yourself. (And I hope you do. I want this place to do well, get fancy dishes and expand their menu! hehe.) If you do go, let me know what you think.
BZA India's Kitchen 2411 Central Ave NE Minneapolis MN 55418 612.781.1234