Since we had one of our forum dinners at Sitar last summer, Wayne and I have started going back there on a regular basis. We had only been a couple of times early on, so the dinner was the first time since they remodeled and it looked much nicer than when they originally opened.
They are located at 6231 Perimeter Place (the old Home Depot center), just down from Sportsman’s Warehouse and are associated with several other Sitar Indian Cuisine restaurants (including Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville and Kingsport).
At our forum dinner, everyone seemed to really enjoy the food, so we decided we definitely would start adding this to our list of “regular” stops. We even took out-of-town guests there during the holidays.
Wayne likes the Shrimp Pakora ($6.95) appetizer, which is “fresh shrimp marinated in exotic spices and batter fried”. I enjoy the Coconut Soup ($2.25). This seems to be nothing more than milk and coconut, but I really like it. I love the taste of the Samosa ($3.25), but they are just too much for me. If I ate the Samosa, I would not have room for my entree!
My favorite dish has become the Lamb Fraizee ($12.95), an item listed under the Chef Specialties. This is lamb cooked in a “special gravy” with onions, tomatoes and bell pepper. I always have an extra serving to take home for the next day! It is delicious and not at all spicy. Of course, if you want spice, they will be happy to oblige. You can ask one of our forum members about what happens when you order “extra hot”! I can only say, sweating bullets.
Wayne has been ordering the Keema Naan bread ($3.95) to accompany his meals. This is a bread stuffed with ground lamp and spices. He has decided his favorite dish is Shrimp (or Scallop) Patia ($14.95). They saute your choice of shrimp or scallops with mangoes, ginger, scallions and spices. He always orders it medium. To me, when you look at our two dishes, they really look a lot alike (the sauce, etc.).
The only thing I have ordered that I did not care for was the dessert of Gulab Juman (deep fried cheese dipped in syrup, $2.50). I think I would have liked it as an appetizer, but it simply didn’t hit the spot as a dessert for me. However, the Mango Ice Cream wasn’t bad.
There are so many wonderful items on the Sitar menu, it could keep you coming back for years. There is a lengthy vegetarian menu, many chicken and rice dishes, and a lot of lamb and seafood dishes. Entree prices range from $8.95 to $15.95. All meals are served with Papadum and mint and onion chutneys.
Hours for Sitar are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. for dinner; Saturday and Sunday they serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.
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