Namak is an Homage to Indian Flavors in Downtown Dallas

Namak is a new Indian restaurant in downtown Dallas at the corner of N. Ervay Street and Pacific Avenue, where inviting aromas and warm light spill onto the street, tempting passersby. This combination, along with stellar Google reviews, lured us inside.

It’s been only four months since friends and business partners Manoj Pardeshi and Rahul Boricha opened the culinary gem as a place to share their love for the authentic flavors of India. The spot has since racked up support from suburban travelers, tourists and even local loyalists.

“Honestly, we found a lack of authentic Indian food in the Dallas downtown area,” Boricha says. We just love being able to introduce people to all the different flavors of the Indian subcontinent. It’s definitely one of the most rewarding parts of this whole thing.”

The restaurant’s name, which means salt, is said to focus on simple yet flavorful cuisine. We beg to differ: we think salt is a heavy understatement of a name. With an extensive menu and bold flavors, salt plays merely a supporting role.

A four-paged menu is both a blessing and a curse. Appetizers range from the chicken manchow soup, a spicy chicken broth crowned with crunchy noodles, to the gobi Manchurian, fried cauliflower bathed in sweet-and-spicy sauce.

Freshly made masala chai is a must-try, served steaming hot and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and dates.

If navigating the starters seemed like a formidable task, try perusing a menu of over 40 different curries, tandoori kebabs and rice-based dishes. Namak’s signature Malai gravy is a cream-based sauce scented with cardamom and clove topped with paneer, chicken or even kofta (deep-fried balls of vegetables and cheese). For those seeking a spicier alternative, go for the dark orange tikka sauce tossed with chicken, paneer or fish. Korma, vindaloo and butter masala curries are all options as well.

In our quest for an alternative to conventional Indian fare, we were intrigued by the chole batura, a bowl of spicy chickpea curry that looks a bit pitiful in size compared to the massive pieces of fried bread served alongside. The methi malai paneer comes cooked in a creamy fenugreek gravy and large cubes of paneer. Pair any of the curries with your choice of fluffy naan bread, basmati rice or perhaps one of the more than eight biryanis on offer.

Yes, the options are a plentiful, and we’ll be back to try more.

1700 Pacific Ave., Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11. a.m. – midnight.