Vishnu Vilas Restaurant  at Schaumburg's sets tongues on fire and turns the heat way up on Indian Fare

There has been an increasing trend in the states, to opt for Indian food. Such is the sudden interest in this cuisine, that almost every city has a place that serves Indian fare. The latest, is at Schaumburg, Illinois. This Indian place is called Vishnu Vilas, and offers a vast choice of authentic vegetarian and non vegetarian delights, from various parts of India. They even have a Punjabi-Chinese section on Sunday, because Chinese cuisine in India is as much a part of a regular meal, as is a local specialty.

This restaurant which opened earlier this year, has replaced a coffee shop, but the atmosphere has been redone considerably. The ambiance is quite and beautiful. White table napkins, soft Indian music playing in the background and attentive and quick service. The waiters are all well informed about the kid of cuisine they serve and are happy to help customers who find it tough to navigate the rather strange menu.

Let the feast begin:

It is advisable to start off with the breads. Depending on the manner in which they are cooked, they are called naan, roti or paratas. This is just a general classification, and one can go into specifics, like butter naan or aloo (potates) paratas. The naan here is freshly prepared and is very soft and tastes absolutely divine when had with the Indian curries. If you prefer the tandoori roti, which is another version of the normal roti, cooked in a tandoor, then its best to ask for a spicy curry. Indian food is of the spicy kind, so be very careful what you ask for. What is medium spicy to most people is mild spice at an Indian restaurant. Chances are that you will be getting more than what you bargained for, but it is well worth the effort.

If you are the kind who likes to see a lot of food in your plate, then ask for the thali. Small portions of food is served in a round plate, and the variety, like the names, are mind boggling. If you plan to order the thali, then as for just that, because chances are that you might not be able to finish all that is served in one sitting. I tasted the best spinach and panner gravy, when I ordered the thali. It was creamy and thick and absolutely delicious. The thali also includes a tomato lentil gravy, called dal, raita which was a cucumber and yogurt salad. They also served me with a large portion of rice, it was called the basmati rice because each grain was thinner and longer than that of the normal rice. Gulab Jamun is dessert. It is a dough based dumpling, which is deep fried and soaked in sugar syrup. It is absolutely sinful.

A complete feast:

Non vegetarians can ask for ginger chicken, or pepper chicken, with or without gravy. Do remember the bit about Indians and spices when you ask for pepper chicken. If you can get past the heat of the gravy, then you will realise that the chicken itself is tender and beautifully cooked, and the curry is more like an explosion of flavours in you mouth. Egg Biriyani is something else you can order. It is not as hot as the other dishes, even though the aroma is overwhelming in a rather tasty sort of manner and it has an assortment of spices. The shrimp curry is another must have, though many people might find the shrimps overcooked.

You can finish off the meal with a mango lassi, which is sweetened yogurt with a mango flavour. This is very filling and absolutely delicious. It will also help cool your system after the fiery Indian meal. After all, Indian food can sure set the tongue on fire.