East India Grill: Spice is right in Federal Way

Don't let the man standing along 320th Street in Federal Way, rocking a huge yellow arrow pointing in the direction of East India Grill, fool you. Tacky advertising, yes. Tacky cuisine, no.

While the restaurant has some shortcomings — the odd cartoon music they played as we entered, the man with the sign and slow service — the food was fabulous.

India is a country rich in culture and its food contains a vast array of spices. Whether it was curry, cilantro, cumin or coriander, the Grill had the seasoning down pat.

The menu: There are grilled items, such as a rack of lamb marinated in garlic ginger ($20.95), and traditional tandoor items cooked in a clay pot like chicken tikka ($14.95). Lower-priced items include the vegetarian mutter paneer ($10.95), homemade cubes of cheese cooked with peas and garbanzo beans in a tomato-cream sauce, and curried mussels with chutney ($8.95) as an appetizer. The lunch buffet, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, is a deal at $9.95.

What to write home about: I had the ginger prawn masala — sautéed jumbo prawns, ginger and garlic with a tomato, onion and coconut sauce ($14.95). My friend had the lamb biryani — lamb cooked in Indian herbs and basmati rice with a ginger, garlic and onion sauce ($14.95). We both loved what we ordered, as well as a serving of spinach naan ($4.95), warm bread filled with a thin layer of spinach, and two chai teas ($3.50 each).

The setting: About the time the food arrived, the music switched to soft Indian fare — something out of Bollywood that was fitting for a restaurant that's a classy hideaway in the middle of a shopping plaza.

Summing up: Our bill, without tip, came to $45.18. All in all, this place has the best Indian cuisine I've had in years.

Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com