Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Find more interesting places on our all-new Best Of app for iTunes or Android.
It's not hard to argue that Indian cuisine is interesting on its own. A mouthful of well-prepared curry offers an infinite number of tastes and textures. With Indian cooking, spice is more than heat -- it's an aroma, too. Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves fill your nasal cavity with a heady fragrance that accents the rich and meaty stew while you eat.
In India the meat of choice is goat, but here in the States lamb is a common stand-in. It's rare to find an Indian restaurant that offers goat curries, which is one of the many things that makes Mughlai special. Take one bite of the kadhai goat and you'll wonder why the meat isn't on more menus. (It's a little expensive.)
There's more than great food to keep you coming back to Mughlai, there's a great atmosphere too. While suburban Indian restaurants pay no mind to their dining rooms, Mughlai has created a warm and welcoming space that could just as readily hold whatever latest downtown restaurant concept you've recently been coveting.
Bring friends. Bring a lot of them. Order a number of dishes that are served in karahis with spoons for sharing. Order breads and rice and share those too. Eating Indian food should be a social affair. The best way to experience Indian food is with a bounty of dishes, plenty of beer and good company.
No. 50: Joyce and Gigi's No. 49: East Hampton Sandwich Co. No. 48: 20 Feet Seafood Joint No. 47: Taj Chaat House No. 46: Mot Hai Ba No. 45: La Nueva Fresh and Hot No. 44: Pera Turkish Kitchen No. 43: Tom's Burgers and Grill