Queens Crystal Garden Restaurant

India and much more

Anyone acquainted with India will tell you that one
adjective isn't enough to describe it. Two words,
though, will make all the adjectives connected to each
other - different and unique. It's not surprising
considering that the South Asian nation is a melting
pot of various people, religions and cultures. The
same thing can be said about Queens Crystal Garden
Restaurant.

The establishment is a new kid on the Jupiter block,
known for the rows of restaurants lining several
blocks. Three facts make Queens stand out. First, the
name itself. "It was called Queens because the food is
fit for a royal," prided Rubina Ram, who co-manages
with Karina Mahbubani. Second, the chefs are
foreigners, each having his own specialties. Last but
not the least, "We also serve other Asian dishes such
as food from Indonesia," she emphasized, alluding to
the Asian Fusion Cuisine that makes Queens not just an
Indian specialty restaurant.

Orange walls surround the interior. The color isn't
only found in the Indian flag but according to the
young restaurateur, it also has a calming effect. The
place can sit around 110 people, with a bar, couch and
TV upstairs for those who want to wind down. I was
expecting a gastronomical feast when we sampled some
of the dishes but instead, it turned out to be a
lengthy sensory appreciation test, because as we
slowly chewed the food, we were discerning the
subtleness or sharpness of spices found on each dish.

Rubina, who earned her Hotel and Restaurant
Administration degree in Sydney, Australia, noted that
Indians love spicy food but 99 percent of the dishes
at Queens aren't spicy. However, Queens isn't for the
non-adventurous type. With a combination of spices
ranging from 50-60, one can imagine how many different
mouth-watering dishes there are to taste - there are
actually over 200, with 80 for vegetarians.

The most renowned Indian dish is Chicken Tandoon,
which is chicken marinated overnight in yoghurt and
freshly grounded spices, and grilled in a tandoor
(clay oven). She said about 20 of their specialties
are cooked in a tandoor, giving the dishes a
distinctive taste that other cooking methods can't
give.

We started off with papadum, a crispy bread sprinkled
with tiny slices of onions and tomatoes. Imagine a
huge, crumpled tortilla chip with light toppings.
There was a delectable spiciness as we munched on it
as we waited for a portent of other dishes to arrive
on our table.

Next was Chicken Asatay with peanut sauce. One would
mistake it with the street barbecue seen everywhere
but make no mistake about its big difference in
quality. It was served along with Chicken Tikka, which
are pieces of chicken spread with red chili color. The
looks of it will give one a clue of what to expect. It
didn't take long to vote it as our favorite dish.

More Indian culinary wonders came our way, which
included their own version of Chicken Curry, and Fish
Makhanwala, which is fish cooked in tomatoes, butter,
cream and chili sauce. Both were complemented with
Nan, an Indian bread of fine flour flavored with
garlic and baked in a tandoor.

Dessert consisted of kulfi and Oreo Cappucino. Kulfi
is India's version of ice cream. Don't expect a cup
with multiple scoops, as this one comes in mint-green,
rectangular cubes. On the other hand, Oreo Cappucino
is cold coffee shake served with ice cream and Oreo
cookies, which are not the same as the ones found in
supermarkets. Queens' version is freshly made. The
usual verdict to such dishes is to say "Yummy!" but
there are many other ways to show one's high approval
to what Queens offers.

Aside from dining, Queens is open for occasions such
as wedding receptions, anniversary celebrations and
parties for small groups of people.

(First published in What's On & Expat on February 20-26, 2005)