Month: November 2018

Some Misses, But Mostly Hits

Anyone with a fondness for Indian grub knows that we already have a groovy scene going on here in Little Rock. Now Dogtown welcomes its newest option: Saffron Indian Cusine.

Located in one of the many strip malls that line western Cantrell Road, Saffron might be easy to overlook. Sort of a “you have to know it’s there, to know it’s there” kind of location. My fondness for my Indian food, combined with the fact that this place is New To Me, led me to lunch there one sunny afternoon to conquer its buffet.

Having heard good things about the food, I looked forward to the business of stuffing my face.  The wonderful aromas of India struck me the moment I stepped through the door, which made me optimistic. The interior of the restaurant is a bit compact for a buffet, but I was surprised at how well people were able to get to and from their tables to the line.

I was struck almost immediately that the buffet didn’t have the huge variety of choices available at other Indian buffets here in town, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Quality over quantity, right? As I always do, I started with a rice base on my plate, which helps absorb the various curries and sauces, and piled on the offerings.

Among the highlghts and lowlights:

The buffet sported a rich red curry with paneer (Indian cheese); it had excellent flavor, but I only found one lone chunk of the cheese floating in the sauce. I’d have liked more.

I was anxious to try the Curried Goat,  there was no meat in the sauce, just a lonely cinnamon stick swimming at the bottom.  It was the same situation on my second trip through the line. By the time they finally got some actual goat out there, I was already paying my check.

The Saag (spinach) with Chicken was the highlight of this visit. Friends, I have to say, I’ve eaten saag dishes in numerous Indian joints. It’s one of the things I most look forward to when dining Indian. This might be my favorite I’ve ever had. Bursting with flavors and spices, rich, salty, and with a really hot kick to it, this saag was next level. I could eat this forever and ever, if I had to.

I was wary of the Sweet & Sour Veg that came in a toxic-looking bright orange sauce, so I only served myself a meager spoonful, but it was pleasantly tangy and tasted fresh. As a final note, “Sweet and sour” seemed a misnomer because there really was no “sweet” component.

The Chicken Tandoori was adequate. The seasoning and sauce were pleasant, but my palate likes the sauce to be brighter, more tangy. Also, the chicken didn’t convey the subtle smoky, charred taste of the tandoor oven, which for me is the whole point of tandoor preparation. But it was well-cooked and moist, so credit where due.

I sampled the agreeable pakoras and medu vada. I noted with interest that scattered amongst the pakoras were small, bright green leaves that I couldn’t identify.

The Sambar Soup, which is lightly curried lentils vegetables with hearty chunks of carrot, onion, and eggplant, wasn’t life-changing but it had a good hearty flavor. My only real issue with the soup is that they only offer these really teeny tiny bowls for you to serve it into. I was afraid these huge hunks of vegetables would come hurtling over the sides.

About midway through my first plate, the hostess apologized profusely for the tardiness of my basket of naan bread. I just sort of shrugged, because to me, a) naan is usually just kind of filler, and b) I never finish it and I feel like a big wasteful buffoon. But when that basket arrived, I understood. I really did. This naan was a great complement to the food. Crispy on the outside, bready on the inside, with a char that sets off the flour and the salt, I was very pleased. (I still didn’t finish it, though.)

The food was more positive than negative, by far. You know you’re eating real Indian food when you’re spitting out the occasional cardamom seed or chunk of star anise. Part of the experience, right? I’m curious to return to see what they will offer on different days of the week.

While I really really wanted to work the lyric “I’m just mad about Saffron” into this review, it’s hard to overlook glitches in the staffing and service I witnessed. The restaurant had one beleaguered staff member in charge of seating customers, ringing up the register, slinging naan baskets, filling and refilling water glasses, and who knows what else. The two other staff I saw seemed focused only on busing tables — and even then, the table to me went un-bused until another couple was seated there. More than one customer arrived at the front door. And stood there. And stood there.  And stood there some more. Until finally they had to chase someone down to get seated. Then of course there was the Mystery of the Missing Goat and the Tale of the Tardy Naan. Perhaps Saffron was short staffed during this particular buffet, but I thought the whole dynamic was in need of serious fine-tuning.

Saffron definitely has their groove on with the food, so I feel it might be worth my time to get there during non-buffet hours to order off the menu. I’m crossing my fingers that the kinks I observed this visit were just an unfortunate off-day.

Reading all the various food blogs that cover our abundant restaurant scene in Little Rock, it occurred to me that there are far too many places that have been on my radar, that locals say this place is awesome, and that for whatever reason I haven’t visited. “Oh, I need to try that sometime” is something I say way too often to anyone who’ll listen. And also, “I haven’t written anything in a while! Let’s take care of that!” So today, I made it a point to get out to Tacos 4 Life, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center. And then write about it.

There’s a real, worthwhile, feel-good reason to visit this restaurant: Tacos 4 Life tackles hunger by donating a portion of each meal to Feed My Starving Children. But unicorns and rainbows could only carry the concept so far: customers are also going to want a decent meal to go along with their purchase. Can they expect one?

I’m happy to report that the meal was satisfying, and I’m looking forward to returning.

I arrived at the location around 11:30, which is usually when Little Rock is in full “get yer lunch on” mode. I noticed right away that the lot surrounding the building was full of vehicles, and counted myself lucky to find a parking spot toward the rear. The place is happening.

Having no preconceived notion of the franchise, I was expecting a kind of fast-casual experience like, say, Chipotle. I didn’t expect the dining room to be so cavernous! It was more like a funky cantina-style vibe, with a bright interior, strings of lights, and high wood-beamed ceilings. Definitely a great place to enjoy some tacos. Had the day been more agreeable, I would have chosen to sit out on the pleasant patio at the rear of the building. Maybe next spring.

The food process was pretty simple and expedient. I placed my order at the counter, received my number and a plastic cup full of Paradise Punch, and took my seat at a two-top near the side entrance. Quick side note: When I arrived I danced right up to the order-taker slash cashier with no wait, but the time I finished up and left, there was a line of maybe a dozen customers. This place is poppin’! Judge your arrival thusly.

“Paradise Punch? What the hell is Paradise Punch?” I hear you ask. It’s punch. Non-alcoholic, sweet, fruity … but with a touch of coconut. I’d just been on the treadmill for an hour, so this really hit the spot, but of course it undid my being on the treadmill for an hour. The straw comes with a small black phony mustache, which is a genius way to get people to take selfies with their beverages, thereby giving Tacos 4 Life a whole mess of free social media publicity.

Around ten minutes after I sat down, at typical fast-casual speed, my order arrived.

Behold! The Spicy Chorizo Taco Meal! With a side of Cilantro Pesto Rice!

The tacos were way larger than I expected. Local favorite Local Lime, who (still) slings my favorite tacos in town, uses much smaller tortillas. By comparison, these felt enormous. Not that I’m complaining! I’m just used to more … ahem … stingy sized tacos.

First, the chorizo. It was top notch. Not quite at the lofty level as Local Lime’s chorizo, but it comes awfully close. And it felt like a mountain of it had been stuffed into the tortilla. Very cumin-forward, dense yet crumbly, brimming with flavors of garlic and other spices. My first couple of bites I thought “ehhh, this isn’t really spicy” but as I progressed through the meal, there was a definite slow burn building. So, A+ to you, Tacos 4 Life, for getting the chorizo right.

The chorizo tacos come topped with Mexican corn, and cotija cheese, and fried jalapenos. The corn and cheese didn’t really contribute anything remarkable to the tacos. They were fine, but they were also like “whatever”. The real revelation was the fried jalapenos. I didn’t read the menu description beyond the word “chorizo” so I was expecting these to be pickled jalapenos. Imagine my surprise when I took a bite — and instead of a jalapeno, it was akin to eating a tiny chile relleno! Instead of a one-note pepper, there was a depth of fried goodness and well cooked chile. This was a really neat touch. Mind blown.

The rice was perfectly cooked, and the cilantro pesto was … for lack of a better word … interesting. Kind of bitter, and kind of earthy, I thought it could be brightened up a bit. I ended up liking it after adding a squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce, a variety of which is available abundantly by the fountain drink machine.

All in all, this was a happy little outing. I thought back to the moment when I’d just sat down at my table, and a server walked by with a platter of the Ultimate Nachos that another customer had ordered, and thought “those will be mine some day.” For now, my belly satisfied, and also my conscience, I knew I’d be returning.