A Guide to Thali at Vrindavan in Frisco, A Royal Vegetarian Experience

It was a week after we made reservations before we finally sat down for our meal at thali restaurant Vrindavan in Frisco. This is not your on-a-whim, crave-fulfilling meal you just drive to, walk in and sit down to eat, but rather one you prepare for. Reservations are a must.

But what exactly is a “thali” restaurant? Sapna Punjabi-Gupta, Vrindavan customer and Ayurvedic (a natural system of medicine) practitioner explains that it "literally translates as a large plate ... [and] this is a traditional sit-down meal.”

Vrindavan focuses on just that — three different types of thali meals served six days a week.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, it's a Rajasthani thali, from the Indian state of Rajasthan. On Thursdays and Sundays, they serve a Delhi-6 thali, where the number six represents the postcode of the eponymous city. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, it's Brijwasi thali, from the area of Brij, which is associated with the Hindu deity Krishna, as explained by designer Mufaddal Husein.

The name “Vrindavan” also holds significance to Hinduism. Punjabi-Gupta explains Vrindavana is a holy town where Krishna spent his childhood. Many temples were built there in his honor, so Hindus make the pilgrimage and partake in dishes Krishna enjoyed.
As you enter the restaurant Vrindavan in Frisco, you know it is indeed a special place. Pink and white garlands cascade from the ceiling, a wall of roses in every shade of pink separates the lobby from the dining area, butterflies float in gilded cages and golden chandeliers entwined with vines and ferns dangle overhead.

A stainless steel thali containing a main circular plate with eight small bowls atop the arc is set on the table. Then a parade of servers approaches, carrying a set of serving bowls with four different dishes. The entire thali platter is slowly filled like a peacock slowly revealing its colorful feather fan — paneer (cheese), channa (chickpeas), subji (mixed vegetables) and more in regional style sauces.
There's a traditional sequence for eating the thali, but at this point, diners should eat as they please.

Taste each dish, then pair it with the wide array of accompaniments, which are standard across the three types of thalis, including jeera rice (steamed long grain rice studded with cumin seeds), khichidi (spiced rice and split mung bean turmeric porridge), moong dal (mung bean stew), dal dhaba (pigeon pea stew), Rajasthani kadhi (curd sauce), bhedmi poori (wheat and lentil flatbread), phulka roti (flatbread), kachumber (diced fresh cucumber and tomato) salad, pyaz (onion relish), papad (paper-thin milled lentil crackers) pudina (mint) and imli ki (tamarind) chutneys and achar (pickled vegetables in chili).

Play with the contrasts and complements in flavor and texture in each spoonful. Take a sip of the cold chaas (spiced buttermilk) to cool down. And ask for more, as servings are unlimited.

End the meal with dessert, which is an integral part of the thali. The Kesari halwa, golden semolina dessert perfumed with saffron, and the ras malai, curdled milk sponge spheres drenched in sugary syrup, melt in your mouth.

Make the pilgrimage up to Frisco, but don’t forget to make reservations first.

Vrindavan, 2550 Preston Road (Frisco). Closed Monday; 11:30 a.m. - 2 :30 p.m. and 6-9:30 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday; 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Friday - Saturday; 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 6 - 9:30 p.m. Sunday. By reservation only.