A taste of India on U.S. Route 1, Palace of Asia is sweet and spicy

A short drive south of campus on U.S. Route 1, Palace of Asia provides a nice break from Nassau Street restaurants. As you step out of the car in the parking lot, the aroma of spices and cooking greets you. Inside, the restaurant is spacious and well-decorated, and the food almost lives up to that delicious scent.

Palace of Asia serves north Indian cuisine, with a menu composed mainly of curries, as well as a tandoori selection. Though American food is available, there is no reason to stray from the traditional Indian food in which the restaurant specializes.

To start, we ordered the excellent meat and vegetable samosas — triangles of a flaky dough stuffed with either meat or a mixture of potatoes, peas and onions. They come with two types of chutney: a mildly spicy coconut and green chile blend, and a sweet-and-sour tamarind variety. The samosas are extremely filling, so make sure to share them with someone else if you want to have room for your entree.

For the main course, we ordered the tandoori shrimp, which consists of jumbo shrimp marinated in a tandoori sauce and grilled in a tandoori oven. Six or seven huge shrimp are served over a bed of aromatic rice. While the tandoori flavoring was good, the shrimp were a bit tough. The dish was disappointing, and there are many better selections on the menu.

We also had the chicken biriyani, with raitha on the side. Chicken biriyani is a mixture of chicken curry tossed with rice, and is a classic Indian food, usually served on special occasions. Palace of Asia's version was ordinary — the curry was flavorful, but not outstanding — yet still satisfying.

Biriyani is usually eaten topped with raitha — a mixture of cucumbers and onions in a sauce of yogurt. The raitha is supposed to be a "cooling" agent, helping to counteract the spiciness of the curry. Palace of Asia's raitha was heavy on the yogurt but light on the vegetables, and mediocre overall. Since it was not even spicy to begin with, the biriyani is better without the raitha.

For dessert, we shared a mango milkshake — by that time we were so full that we couldn't imagine tackling dessert by ourselves. The milkshake was excellent, and a nice way to cleanse the palate of the flavor and spices in Indian food.

Afterward, we followed Indian tradition and ordered tea. Indian tea already has the milk added to it, and has been brewed with spices such as cloves and cardamom and a touch of rose water. The tea was the perfect way to end the meal.

The service at Palace of Asia is superb. Our waiter was attentive, helpful and familiar with the menu. The pink-and-grey color scheme of the restaurant, combined with pieces of Indian artwork is soothing and provides a relaxing dinner atmosphere.

A full meal, including appetizer, entree and dessert, costs $15-17 per person. If you feel like splurging, choose one of the prepackaged dinners for two or four people. These include starters, multiple entrees and dessert, but they are more expensive — about $25 per person.

Palace of Asia serves up solid north Indian cuisine in an enjoyable atmosphere with good service. Though the prices are not within the average student's budget, it is a good choice for a special occasion.