Balanced Indian food, tucked away in West Omaha

by John Horvatinovich

Tanduri Fusion is a small Indian restaurant hidden among the ever-changing and expanding shops of Lakeside Hills Plaza. I heard about Tanduri Fusion from friends who live in that part of Omaha.

The restaurant is in its fourth year, and Kishor Karki has been the sole owner for two years. Tanduri Fusion offers authentic Northern Indian cuisine in addition to menu items that have a special twist of flavor. If you are afraid to experiment in new flavors and cuisines, then Tanduri Fusion may very well be your connection to a superb Indian meal here in Omaha.

I left the ordering to our friends. I’m easy to dine out with because there are very few items I don’t like, much less won’t try. We started with the vegetable Samosa ($3.95) a traditional Indian appetizer of triangle pastries filled with all types of ingredients and deep-fried. The Samosa was served with mint chutney made from fresh mint, jalapeños and fresh lemon juice.

It was recommended that we try some Naan, so we ordered the spinach stuffed variety ($3.95). The bread is somewhat puffy and has a wonderful chewy texture.

With wine service under way, I took a moment to take in the atmosphere. First, I noticed there was no annoying Kenny G covers of Jay-Z songs, or the typical top 40 playing over a satellite radio station. In fact, there was no music; and it was a little strange not having that familiar muffled or blaring sound. But I liked it, and was reassured by the conversation of fellow diners also singing the praises of the dishes they ordered. The décor leaves a lot to be desired and could use a makeover.
As we waited for our entrées, we snacked on Pappadam ($1.95) a crisp, wafer-thin flatbread made with lentil flour that had some spice and, of course, the delicious mint chutney was around to entice you to go back for another dip.

The Pappadam Crusted Tilapia ($16.50) was a magnificent dish of a tender tilapia filet coated with a crust of the previously mentioned Pappadam, and served on a bed of spinach with a mellow yoghurt and coconut milk sauce served with quartered fresh tomatoes.

Grilled Lamb Sirloin ($18.50) is Colorado lamb served with grilled vegetables, rice and roasted tomato chutney. On two trips to the restaurant, the lamb was expertly prepared to my specifications, medium-rare and the best-grilled lamb I have ever had.

The menu will soon have some new items, like a chicken and mushroom dish and an appetizer of chicken dumplings. We sampled both and were excited by the flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed the quality of wines and glassware at Tanduri. You can immediately tell when a business has focused on the wine service, and they offer inexpensive to reasonably priced wines like Prisoner and Optima.

Here is the thing; good food is just that, good food.  Kishor has done a marvelous job of balancing recipes and providing an approachable version of a cuisine that can be overwhelming. For diners who want great food, and just a little adventure, Tanduri is the place to go.  If you went to Tanduri Fusion a few years back, I encourage you to try them again. I was pleasantly surprised with my visit and will return, again and again.

Tanduri Fusion is located at 2537 S. 174th Plaza Hours are Lunch Thurs. – Sat. 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Dinner 7 days a week, Sun. – Thurs. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Call 402.505.9209 or visit tandurifusionne.com for more information.

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