Raga, Sand Lake - Closed

I had dinner at this Indian restaurant (which means a "series of notes on which a melody is based") on Sand Lake Rd on Saturday. It is in what I believe was the old Antonio's space in the strip mall that has Moon Fish (so parking is a bitch). It's on the second floor. It may have the most ambitious/inspired menu of any of its competitors. The fact that the menu doesn't use a shot gun approach to achieve this designation is also laudable. It is a carefully constructed tour of south central Asia with a few day trips to the Mediterranean. I believe the chef's bio on the menu mentioned something about working in high end Arab Penisula hotels and developing a familiarity with the western dishes favored there. I had Raj Kachori from Rajasthan (the menu tells you from what region your dish comes from and even has a map) to start with. It cost $6. It (like many of the dishes on the menu) was something I had not seen before. It was what we know as a taco bowl (they call it a puffed wafer and I think it is poorly described on the menu because I wouldn't describe such a bowl as "puffed" and it did come with some kind of puffed Rice Crispy looking things but was not stuffed into them as the menu says) filled with sprouts, potato cubes, yogurt and chutney. I also had chick peas and walnuts in mine (not listed on the menu and maybe a lawsuit waiting to happen from a nut allergy victim). It also seemed to have some kind of puree had accumulated at the bottom, but, that may just have been an amalgamation of juices from the elements on top. It was very tasty. The one killer was that it was stone cold. It was obviously pre-prepared. I'm not sure if they do this for speed or to keep the yogurt solid, but, stop the practice. I (everyone) wants freshly prepared items. I don't need it in 30 seconds. I get enough assembly line food during the week. I don't want it on my night out. I then had Handi Lazeez from Bihar for $16. It was chicken cubes (different sizes and colors and tastes and textures so it was probably not adulterated, mass produced, saline injected corn) cooked with chilis, coriander and cardamom. I chose a medium heat. It came with basmati rice. The portions seemed small (I must be doing too much buffet dining at Indian restaurants) when they came, but, I can tell you I could have stopped half way through and been full. As it was, I left looking like Alfred Hitchcock. The flavors were good. Chili peppers were the dominant taste component and coloring agent. The rest of the menu (entrees) is broken down into kebabs, chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian. The meats are about half the choices. I'm not sure what they consider a kebab, but, it seems like they define it as anything grilled. The menu represents the whole region of India and Nepal, Afghanistan, Italy, Morocco, Thailand, Spain, France, Greece and Pakistan (I'm not sure about the last one). Prices are around $12-$14 for Veg and $16-$28 for Meat. They have a lunch menu that averages in the mid-teens. The menu is mostly different from the dinner menu. The place is nice. It aims for a modern, kitsch luxury. It has an Ian Schrager feel. The space is large and divided into four sections. There is a large (mostly unused) bar in between the main room and the entrance. The main room is separated by columns and group seating into two long, skinny areas. They have an enclosed patio outside of the main room. The main room seats about 80+ in total. The patio seats about 20. The place was about 80% full at 9pm and didn't let up. The mix was about 60-40 Indian to Other. Who knew Indians ate so late (for here). The decor was re-imagined Indian thrift store/antique dealer items. The two opposing walls were decorated with long, green, sofa-like, continuous seating that reminded me of an unhooked Burger King crown. The predominant color tone was white. They accent the ceiling (brick painted white) with black paint to give the illusion of shadows from the chandelier (clear plastic). The chairs were mostly white and basic. They throw in some high backed outliers here and there for contrast or fun. The table cloths were white over yellow. The kitchen is on view at the rear. The service (8ish) was great. They handle you as a unit. You aren't one on one with anyone. The person who takes your order does maintain a continuing relationship with you throughout the meal. You know who your main go to guy/girl is. They could answer questions. They were nicely and uniformly attired.

All in all, I was well pleased. They hit (at least partially) on all notes. The service was fast. The environment was trendy/comfortable. The menu had purpose. The food was good. The portions were generous. The pricing was affordable. It probably would be the number one seed in the Indian restaurant bracket for Central Florida if such a thing existed. My only complaints are: the scarcity of parking and the need to use the valet (I didn't even bother because I know better and parked across the street), the pre-prepared appetizer, the uninspired wine list (supermarket wine)and the noise. I could hear every word from every table near me. I suggest they glue noise dampening material under the tables. It hides the cure (which can be unsightly) and absorbs some of the reverberation. If I lived nearby I would return until I had tried the whole menu.