Pre-show Dinner at the Dancing Ganesha

We started a ritual awhile back of stopping at the Dancing Ganesha before we had tickets for a show downtown. I was surprised how many people had not heard of this place before. We have always enjoyed the food, and admittedly, we like it that we can get restaurant.com gift certificates to dine here, so it is always a bargain. 

This trip, we had tickets for a Wednesday night show, so we actually made it in time for their Happy Hour, which we have never been able to experience before. I was actually surprised with how few people were in the restaurant when we arrived. They had some appetizers on special, as well as drink specials, the usual fare. 

We elected to try the Gobi Manchurian, which was cauliflower coated in chick pea flour, then deep fried and and served with a spicy curry sauce. The cauliflower was crispy, and the sauce had a nice spice, and even a touch of sweetness. For the $5 price, we felt it was a decent size portion.

Gobi Manchurian

For dinner, we decided on two different entrees. I chose Shrimp Bhuna, which has an unusual combination of spices in the sauce, including cinnamon and cloves. When the dishes are brought out, I have to say it seems like the portions aren't very large, and there were only 5 shrimp in my bowl of sauce, but honestly, the sauce is really the best part of Indian food, in my opinion, anyway. And there was plenty of that. Along with the deliciously fragrant rice they serve, it was more than enough to eat.

Shrimp Bhuna

Most of the menu, you select the style of sauce you want, the type of protein, and the spice level. Ray chose the chettinad sauce, which was supposed to be one of the spiciest on the menu, and elected to have it "hot", and chose paneer as his protein. He felt this would be as close as he would come to a traditional Indian dish. It was a little disconcerting that the dishes appeared to be almost identical when they arrived at our table. The flavors were dramatically different. The chettinad was definitely spicier, and had a heartier flavor than the bhuna. We also ordered a side of raita, in case the chettinad was too overwhelming. 

Paneer Chettinad

All in all, it was a very pleasing meal. Not out of this world fantastic, but really good, solid Indian food. With a glass of wine each, and our coupon, we were able to get this meal for just over $35.00 including tip. That appeals to the bargain hunter in me, and we left satisfied and happy, on our way to the show!