2. •••...::::;
::::; Indian fare a balance of flavors
NEWSDAY PHOTOS / KEN SPENCER
BLENDING SPICES WITH SUBTLETY, the flavors of Saffron are created by, from left, Sushil
Mohan, executive chef, MojahidA/i, chef, and Sameer and Sonia Mohan, owners.
ple dal makhni, or black lentils"
fragrant in a delicately spiced
sauce, and yellow dal, cooked
with cumin, ginger and garlic.
Mashed eggplant, baked with
onions and tomatoes; aloo
gobhi, a combo of steamed pota-
toes and cauliflower with on-
ions and ginger, and chana
masala, 'or' subtly seasoned
chickpeas, all are recommend-
ed.
Breads are the standards, sat-
SAFFRON
128 BROADWAY
HICKSVILLE
516,-681-5151
CREDIT CA~DS: All major
cards '
NOTABLE DISHES: Sarno-
: sas, papri chaat, chana ,
masala, dal makhni, chicken
tikka masala, rogan josh, '
Goan fish curry, mint par-
atha, garlic riaan.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:
-One level
DIRECTfONS: West side,
o osite St. lgnatius Loyola ,x
GH diningo~t---- __ ...."......---~-----,------:--
SAFFRON~ IN HICKSVILLE,
<I'l
o BY PETER M. GIANOTTI
STAFF WRITER
*CUISINE: Indian
ASSESSMENT: Good ser-
vice, familiar fare
OPEN: Every day for lunch
and dinner
, NGE: Main
Saffron adds spice to Long Is-
land's growing garden of Indi-
an cooking.
, Maybe they should call it
"cumin" , or" "cardamom," in-
stead. Perhaps, "mint." This is a
modest place. Saffron's name is
its richest ingredient. '
The newcomer is depend-
able for the basics, and a satisfy-
ing entry in the strong local
competition, taking over the ad-
dress previously occupied by
Sansar.
Saffron keeps the cliches to a,
minimum and stresses a bal-
ance of seasonings and flavors.
The heat never turns incendi-
ary, and the sweetness is held
in check. Subtle is preferred to
bold. Condiments and garnish-
es don't go-beyond the job de-
, ' scription.
So, while everything else this
year is pulled to the extremes,
consider Saffron moderate. '
That goes for the decor, too;
with some stylized Indian art
on the walls and a more sub-
dued carpet replacing an image
of the Taj Mahal, A two-tone
hint of Rothko adds colorwith
its blocks of color. The dining
room's gleam comes from the
buffet servers.
You'll enjoy the vegetable sa-
mosa.s, those pyr~d-shap~d
SMALL-
BITES
In that Opening Day frame of
mind, here are three reliable
short stops beyond the fence at
Shea Stadium.
GREEN PAPAYA
38-12 Princ;eSt.
Flushing
718-353-1888
You'll definitely be fired up
after sampling the invigorating
soups and salads at this Thai
storefront. Try the refreshing
and juiced-up larb, especially
good with pork. For a main
course: curry beef stew, which
can be hotter than an August
doubleheader at Busch Stadium.
MASTER GRILL
34-09 College Point Blvd.
Flushing
718-76,2-0300
After an hour here, you
won't have room for a hot dog.
Master Grill is a major-league,
, over-the-top churrascaria. The
skewers of grilled meat just '
keep coming, so pace yourself
and seek a balance in the
many-and-varied Guts. If
you're here for lunch, it's
$12.98; for dinner, $21.98.
PRINCE'RESTAURANT
37-17 Prince St.
Flushing
718-888-3138
Dim sum and noodles high-
light Prince. But you can dive
into a variety of good seafood
dishes, as well as a Beijing duck.
Consider lobster with ginger
and scallions, walnut shrimp,
. roll
3. . on e s an garmsn-
,. es don't go beyond the job de-.
. scription.
So, while everything else this
year is pulled to the extremes,
consider Saffron moderate. .
That goes for the decor, too;
with some stylized Indian art
on the walls and a more sub-
dued carpet replacing an image
of the .Taj Mahal. A two-tone
hint of Rothko adds color with
its blocks of color. The dining
room's gleam comes from the
buffet servers.
You'll enjoy the vegetable sa-
mosas, those pyramid-shaped
pastries filled with potatoes
. . and peas. The vegetable pako-
ras, or fritters, are made' with
potato, onion,· cauliflower and
-spinach, They're commend-
able, too.
But the chicken pakoras are
dry. Instead, refresh yourself
with papri chaat, or crisps
tossed with chickpeas and pota-
toes, mint, yogurt and tamarind
chutney. [hinga chatpatta, or
shrimp seasoned with ginger,
garlic, peppers, onion and toma-
to, also are finished with a tama-
rind touch, this time a sauce.
The savory appetizer assort-
ment is worth -sharing. It in-
cludes mashed potato cutlets
.accented with mint and tama-
rind, and minced lamb, as well
as a samosa, vegetable pakora
E and marinated chicken.
S Chicken vindaloo hones a~ .
IQ vinegary edge. But.if you want
1them to ignite your palate, say
c so. The dish improves with
~ more spicing. Chicken "chili
•• chili" does get a boost from red
chiles, but it's also a centrist se-
C!; lection.
.~ Calm, sensible seasoning de-
fmes chicken tikka masala, a
creamy, tomatoey number with
a suggestion of fenugreek. The
chicken curry similarly takes
the temperate path.
But tandoori chicken is on
the dry side, as are shrimps
cooked in the .round-topped
brick-and-clay oven. The tan-
doori salmon is retrieved in
time, smoky and moist. Salmon
s in the house's Goan fish
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BLENDING SPICES WITH SUBTLETY, the flavors of Saffron are created by, from left, Sushi I
Mohan, executive chef, Mojahid Ali, chef, and Sameer and Sonia Mohan, owners, .
ple dal makhni, or black lentils,.
fragrant in a delicately spiced
sauce, and yellow dal, cooked
with cumin, ginger and. garlic.
Mashed eggplant, baked with
onions and tomatoes; aloo
gobhi, a combo of steamed pota-
toes and cauliflower with on-
ions and ginger, and chana
masala, 'or' subtly seasoned
chickpeas, all are recommend-
ed.
Breads are the standards, sat-
isfactorily prepared. Best are
the whole-wheat, mint paratha
and aloo paratha, with pota-
toes; white, leavened' garlic
naan; and the ballooning,
deep-fried poori.
Indian beer goes with a lot of
.the food. Fruit juices, such as
~ pineapple 'and mango, and
spiced teas are available. But
you should try a lassi, a yogurt
drink made sweet, salty or with
mango. That last one could do
double-duty as dessert. .
Saffron'S kheer, a rice pud-
ding with nuts, is fine. Or con-
sider rasmalai, the chilled,
milk-dipped home-made cot-
tage cheese cakes. Gulab
jamun, or cottage cheese dump-
lings dipped in honey and rose-
water, also are right.
And kulfi, the thick Indian
ice cream, is housemade
with saffron.
*CUISINE: Indian
ASSESSMENT: Good ser-
vice, familiar fare f
OPEN: Etrery day fbt.lund'i
and dinner
PRICE RANGE: Main
courses, $9.95 to $18,95;
vegetarian entrees, $6.95 to
$9.95; appetizers ana
soups, $2.95 to $8.95.
Lunch buffet. six days.,
$6.95, and $7.95 on
Sy,nday.,
CREDIT CARDS: All major
cards
NOTABLE DISHES: Samo-
sas, papri cheat, chana
masala, dal makhni, chicken
'tikka masala, rogan josh, '
Goan fish curry, mint par-
atha, garlic naan,
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:
One level
DIRECTIONS: West side,
opposite 51. Ignatius Loyola
. Parish, in Broadway Corn-
. mons shopping center, .
~. ' ., . ""
';f
Four stars mean outstand-
ing; three, excellent; two,
very good; one, good; none,
fair or R.oor.
A SPECIALTY at Saffron is the lambvindaloo, which packs
more heat than its chicken counterpart and comes
standard with a salad and garlic' naan saffron rice., , - - :.;;8 "'~
curry, spiked with onions and
freshly-ground spices.
Saffron's lamb specialties are
led by rogan-josh, the crimson,
creamy Kashmiricontribution.
Lamb vindaloo packs more
heat than its chicken' counter-
.part, .and is very good. Lamb
I' ., 1
saag, completed with spinach,
is a tranquil alternative, and
zardalu boti, or lamb with cash-
ews, apricots and shredded po-.
tato, is also boneless and a little .
different.
Vegetable courses are
among the highlights here. Sam-
Wining and Dining
Taste the wines and tour the
. vineyards of the North Fork and
the Hamptons with "Long Is-
land Wine Country" by critic
Peter M. Gianotti. The $14.95
softcover guide features local
history, wi1ieryWofiles; sightsee-
i!lg, restaurants, lodging, shop-
ping, winemaking and wine tast-
ing, plus more than 600 wine re-
views. The paperback also in-
cludes color photographs and a
pullout map of the region. Avail-
able at bookstores.' Or call
800-400-4112. Order online at
www.listore.com.
,
. over-the-top churrascaria. The
skewers of grilled meat just
keep coming, so pace yourself
and seek a balance in the
many-and-varied Guts. If
you're here for lunch, it's
$12.98;for dinner, $21.98.
PRINCE RESTAURANT
37-17 Prince St.
Flushing
718-888-3138
Dim sum and noodles high-
.light Prince. But you can dive
into a variety of good seafood
dishes, as well as a Beijing duck.
Consider lobster with ginger
and scallions, walnut shrimp,
. sesame-mango-shrimp roll,
deep-fried taro puff, pan-fried
turnip cake, and chive dump-
lings.
- PETER M. GIANOTTI
WINES OF
LONG ISLAND
Ready to pair with dinners.
of lamb or ham are the wines of
many Long Island producers.
Rieslings, more fruity than
dry, top the list of wines that
go well with traditionally ,
prepared hams. Look for the
2001 Paumanok Semi-Dry
Riesling ($15), the 2002 Pe-
conic Bay Riesling ($l3) and
the 2002 Martha Clara
Riesling ($15).Also, consider a
rose: the 2002 Wolfler Estate
Rose ($l3), 2002 Macari
Rose d'une Nuit ($10) and
2001 Comtesse Therese
Rose ($14).
With lamb, the East End's
major Bordeaux-style blends
are ideal. Among the more
widely available are the
2000 Paumanok Assem-
blage ($36); 1998 PeUegrini
Vintners Pride Encore($29);
and 1998 Pindar Mythology
($28). .
- PETER M. GIANOTTI
