We’re happily amused when we find the fragrant and intriguingly spiced dishes of the Indian subcontinent smack dab in the middle of upper-middle-class suburbia. And, as we’ve remarked before, it’s happening more and more, good news for all of us who enjoy big flavors and the excitement of exploring new taste combinations. And it’s really not surprising, if you think about it. Even in England, where traditional food always has been simple and relatively plain, it’s not unusual for a working man to nip round to his favorite spot for a bit of takeaway vindaloo, the way we might head for our favorite pizza palace.
Mayuri recently arrived in St. Louis, expanding from successful restaurants in Texas, situating themselves in a large strip mall near Barnes West. Yes, there’s a lunch buffet, a rather large one, and after an initial, rather impromptu, lunch visit, we tried dinner.
The lunch standout was butter chicken, a dish we’ve heard about but never tried. Creamy and mild, it was nearly addictive. Like almost everything we’ve eaten at Indian restaurants, it’s served bone-in, since Indian tradition is that including the bones in makes for a more flavorful dish. We also introduced a friend to goat, succulent and tender in a curry. It, too, takes skill with a knife and fork, or a willingness to use the fingers (not rude, from what we’re told) to get every savory morsel.
Mayuri follows the policy of offering many of their main courses with an optional thali. The $5 surcharge brings involves a semi-circle adds a pappadum and soup to begin, and a semi-fircle of small dishes of chutney; the rich, soupy curry-hearty lentil dish called dal; raita, the yogurt sauce; rasam, a tangy, slightly sour tamarind-spiced soup; a mixed vegetable curry; one of the interesting Indian breads; and a sweet. It’s great for people who like to taste many things, and well worth the additional cost.
The first soup was lackluster, a wan version of hot and sour that mostly showed black pepper in a chicken broth with a few vegetables, arriving barely warm. But the pappadum, the thin lentil cracker, in a version without the often-seen cumin seeds, was delicious, arriving dry and extremely crisp. It came with with sauces that were new to us, a very sprightly version of the sweet-sour tamarind and a chili-cilantro pesto that seemed freshly made rather than from a bottle on a kitchen shelf.
An order of chicken biryani brought a warning from the young server. "That’s pretty hot," he said cautiously. The Apprentice Eater, young, attractive and a little hesitant, spoke up. "I’m from Texas," she said firmly, " I do hot." The server apologized, explaining he’d had a shocked response from a recent diner. The biryani arrived, fluffy rice with seasonings and a couple of pieces of chicken buried inside. "This isn’t spicy," murmured TAE. No, it wasn’t, but it was tasty. And then we noticed a bowl of reddish liquid that the server had put before her, along with another of raita. The menu describes it as a curry sauce, and it was live. Dribbled over the dish, it did indeed kick things up. Raita, the cold yogurt sauce, was tarter than some, and also displayed a little heat.
Vindaloo shrimp was a daring order. Vindaloos are usually very hot (as in spicy, not temperature). Would it overwhelm the relatively delicate flavor of the shellfish? Well, no, and while it was spicy, it wasn’t threatening. The sauce showed a faint sweetness along with the fire, and the dish also had pleasing chunks of potato. The only shortcoming was that the shrimp were slightly overcooked from their life in the steaming dish.
What the menu terms the Mayuri lamb special turned out to be a delightful find. A tomato-ey sauce reminded us of roghan josh, but the seasoning showed a lot of cardamom, moderate heat, and again just a little sweetness. Some bones, but very tender meat, mostly quite lean. Pieces of onion rode along for the fun.
And bread–we love those Indian breads in all their many varieties. We had a poori, a bread made with wheat flour that was thin, flaky and fried, freshly made, crisp and totally irresistible. And a paratha, a baked flatbread that also arrived hot and tender.
The sweet on the thali tray was canned fruit cocktail in a creamy vanilla and mango sauce, pleasant and unchallenging. We also had a mango lassi, less sweet than the average one hereabouts.
On a quiet night, we were very happy with the service, and at lunch, when things were busier, it was equally attentive. The lunch buffet is larger on the weekends, and might make a good alternative to brunch. Mayuri offers specialties from both Southern and Northern India, as well as Indian-Chinese, the sort of food found at Chinese restaurants in India.
Mayuri
12513 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur
314-576-7272
Lunch and Dinner daily
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No
Entrees: $11-$18