Puffy fluffy naan bread, how I love thee…
As you’ve probably gathered from my recent posts, I’m on a bit of a self-assigned quest to find delicious, authentic ethnic food in the Kansas City area. I fully acknowledge that living in NYC for more than a decade spoiled me for all things ethnic food. Korean chicken wings at 2am? No problem. Singaporean laksa that rivals hawker center faire? Sure.
Sooooo, when I saw that this restaurant called Seva Cuisine of India was rated number 9 of 1,100+ restaurants in Kansas City on TripAdvisor (which, I know, people have differing views on the source), I must say I was at least a tad intrigued. And when you’re into food as much as I am, “a tad intrigued” translates very quickly into “ok, we’re going.” And off we went.
Seva Cuisine of India is inconspicuously tucked away into a nondescript strip mall in a KC suburb outside of the downtown area. I admit I was a little skeptical at first, but I’ve actually found the most authentic foods here in KC in similar locales (suburban strip malls versus in the “trendier” parts of downtown). So we soldiered on.
We were seated immediately by our super friendly waiter, and treated to these goodies…..and I have no idea what they were. But they were crispy, fried without being overly greasy, and the hint of color suggested that a type of leafy green or herb was the star. And that means it’s healthy, right? Greens are good! And so were these. Yum.
For our mains, we didn’t stray too far from the old favorites – saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, and shrimp makhani:
Our waiter asked what spice level we would like, and I confidently stated medium. After looking at both myself and my eating buddy, he doubtfully asked “Medium? You sure? Maybe you want mild?” Mild?? Do we look like mild people?? (I guess so). Anyway, despite our feeble protestations that we could handle the heat, we were given mildly spiced entrees. Can’t blame the waiter for looking out for us, I guess!
Our entrees were accompanied by basmati rice, lentils, and assorted fruit (this was new to me). And I’m happy to confirm that the saag, chicken and shrimp were delish – albeit with no heat! I mean, they were perfectly spiced for a mild heat level – i.e. no heat. Next time we’re definitely going to push for some heat. Sure enough, we were chatting with the waiter after our meal, and when the recent relocation from NYC was mentioned, he exclaimed “Oh, you’re from New York! Ok, next time medium.” Um, thanks?? 🙂
We finished off the meal with complementary cups of chai tea, which were abundant in warmth and spice. So yummy.
If you’re looking for delicious Indian food and fun and friendly service, give this unassuming little restaurant a try – you’ll be glad you did! Just make sure to insist on “medium” or “hot” if like myself, you like some heat in your food!
Seva Cuisine of India 8674 NE Flintlock Rd Kansas City, MO 64157
