Taco Mahal

Taco Mahal takes Indian food and puts it into a taco format with naan or roti replacing the tortilla. It has two location in NYC. I recently saw it on a TV show and decided to check it out. I had the chicken tikka on naan:

Here are my thoughts:

1. Taste – the taste was OK but lacked bold Indian flavors. It seemed toned down and mild. The naan texture and taste was good.
2. Format – At first I though that this would be a great convenient way to eat Chicken Tikka but actually, it was inconvenient. The naan fell apart and it could get messy if you are not seated at a table. Part of the joy of Indian food is dipping naan in sauce and this just doesn’t have that same pleasure.

While it is a cool concept, I am not sure if anything is improved or innovated by serving Indian food in this manner. I prefer the Chicken Tikka in a dish, naan on the side with some rice. The flavors are not as strong and there is a bit of a wait to get your food. For a look at how one place does amazing Indian “wraps”, check out Kati Roll in London.