My lunches at Tashan Bedford Part 1 of 2.

Tashan in Bedford opened about a year ago but was only open for dinner. Later, they opened for lunch but with the dinner menu. Now that they have a proper lunch menu, it was time for a visit. From the start, I have only heard good things about their food, so I was looking forward to this. Would it be a single visit, or would I go back?

They are next to Panera, with plenty of parking.

The inside is modern, pleasant, and bright, with comfortable chairs. I got a high-top in the bar area. This is how it looked when I arrived for lunch and when I left. Some takeouts were going out the door. On subsequent visits, it was busier.

They have a Prix Fixe Lunch Menu (17). As you can see from the picture, it turned out to be a Thali, and I was happy with that. The dal, veggie, and chicken dishes change weekly. I didn't get the names of the dishes since my waiter was mumbling. Or my hearing might be going. All of the items were tasty and really well seasoned, with the chicken having a little kick to it. The Naan was light and very good. The basmati rice was, of course, cooked perfectly, with each grain separated. Linen napkins and good quality cutlery. They are closed on Mondays, so I guess my Monday Indian lunches will move to Tuesdays for a while.

LUNCH PLATES (Served with Rice & Kachumber Salad).

Murg Tikka Masala (15). "Tandoori Chicken, Cream-Tomato Sauce, Fenugreek Leaves". The chicken was tender, and I give a big thumbs up to the kitchen for using thighs as they should. The sauce was tasty and creamy. I will not mention the perfectly cooked rice again, I promise. The little salad was delicious but had a lot of raw red onions that I know Indians like, so it's OK with me. 
Did you know that this Indian dish was invented in Glasgow? There are claims that a Pakistani chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant on Park Road in the city of Glasgow, was the inventor of this dish. 

Aloo Pyaz Subzi (13). "Potatoes, Onions, Ginger-Garlic, Indian Spices". This was a delicious dish, well seasoned, but the potatoes had the skins left on, and I'm not a fan of that. The skin was very thin, but peeling ensured. I'm not complaining, if that is how they do it, I'm okay with that. There were a lot of onions in various stages of cooking.

Murgh Saagwala (15). "Boneless Chicken, Fresh Spinach, Ginger, Garlic, Tomatoes, Khara Masala". This was the best saagwala I have ever had, and I have had quite a few since this is one of my favorite dishes. It was really well-seasoned and rich with a creamy consistency. The chicken was cooked really well. The salad was back to onions with tomatoes and cucumbers. I did ask the chef if the unopened crispy chile on top was for decoration only? An unopened chile doesn't really have any purpose. He said that customs vary so much on the Indian content that this is a compromise. The chile had been crisped up so that it was edible, and you could just bite off a chunk, which I did. Delicious! Did I mention that was the best-seasoned saag I have had?

Bhuna Gosht (19). "Marinated Lamb, Pan-Roasted, Bell Peppers, Onion-Garlic Masala, Fresh Cilantro". This was a delicious dish with super tender lamb. The rice was a bit watery and overcooked. It's usually spot on. The little salad today was better with cucumbers and tomatoes with onions and not the other way around. I like my raw onions but in moderation.

Address: 213 Burlington Rd, Bedford, MA 01730 Phone: (781) 538-5100

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