Celebrating its first anniversary this month, Tandoori Times proprietor Sunny Chopra steered clear of "greasy curries and dry tandoori chicken" at his Old Town Scottsdale eatery. Many of the 200 daily patrons on average swear by the fresh-from-the-clay-oven naans and succulent kebabs.........
Valley diners have more options for Indian fare than most European cuisines, so this is a tighter race to judge than some of the other categories. And though we've rarely met an Indian spot we didn't like, Scottsdale's Tandoori Times garners the glory on taste alone.
With the possible exception of China, no national cuisine has more depth, breadth and variety than India's. But you won't see any of those qualities on display at new Tandoori Times in Scottsdale. That's by design. The idea here is to offer a limited menu: lamb, chicken and seafood cooked in the tandoor, a scorchingly hot clay oven, along with a handful of curries, vegetarian dishes and biriyanis.........
Old Town Scottsdale has a new taste of Indian cuisine via an unlikely source, San Francisco. Tandoori Times Indian Bistro has just opened at Fifth Avenue and Indian School Road under the direction of owner Sunny Chopra. He's a Bay Area transplant and brought his chefs from the Golden Gate city as well...........
As the name implies, Tandoori Times specializes in all manner of comestibles prepared in one of its two traditional tandoori clay ovens, those fiery pot-like kilns used in India since the time of the Mogul emperors. Meat, fish, fowl and veggies are roasted on skewers lowered into the tandoors after being marinated in a mix of spices and yogurt. And Indian flatbread, or naan, is baked by slapping the dough onto the ovens' circular walls. What results is a unique intensity of flavor unparalleled in Occidental cooking.............
I opted to check out the new Eastern Indian restaurant, Tandoori Times, in Scottsdale. Don't be fooled by the exterior. The interior is spacious, warm, and inviting. Patrons can sit comfortably inside at a booth or a table or enjoy the afternoon sun on their sizable patio. If you aren't satisfi ed with your company's conversation, you can take a breather and look at the authentic garments and jewelry offered near the door. An added bonus to this dining setup is that patrons can observe the chef at work, knowing that he is devoting time and care to each dish prepared..........