5/17/2002

The Eastside may lack good ethnic food on many fronts, but not Indian. There is a large community of Indians and good Indian restaurants around here. And competition only makes the food better. Kanishka stands out from the pack, and it's conveniently located right in downtown Redmond.

We tried the chicken Tika Masala and Tandoori Chicken. Both were excellent! The Tika Masala was very creamy, and better than any other Indian restaurant we've been to. The Tandoori Chicken was not only delicious, but an excellent value - it was easily twice the amount of food as the Tika Masala for the same price. The leftovers alone made a whole second meal. We also sampled the Chai and Nan, both of which were good, but I wish the chai was "bottomless", like Cedars in the U District has.

Service was friendly, and it wasn't crowded. Even on a weekend you'll probably get a table without a wait. The interior does feel like makeshift retail space (which it is), but it's fine. The food is what counts, and they definitely deliver on that.