Houston is America's fourth-largest city and home to thousands of immigrants from every corner of the globe. As a result, the Houston restaurant scene is incredibly diverse, offering all sorts of different regional and ethnic cuisines. Indian food is plentiful in Houston and you'll have no problem finding a good Indian restaurant, whether you're looking for simple takeout or gourmet dining. Most of the best Indian restaurants are located downtown, but there are plenty scattered around the city and in the outlying suburbs.
Shiva has been topping the lists of best Indian restaurants in Houston ever since it opened its doors in 1990. Driven by a passion for authentic Indian cooking and excellent service, the chefs and waiters at Shiva present food that reflects the diversity of Indian cuisine. Start off with an appetizer of vegetable pakora fritters, paneer tikka cheese cubes cooked in flavorful spices or diced chicken in a tangy tamarind sauce. Main courses include a variety of classic Indian meat and seafood dishes like spicy chicken vindaloo with tomatoes and potatoes, lamb shahi korma cooked in a saffron and cashew sauce and shrimp masala cooked in spiced curry made from tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic. Shiva's lunch buffet lets you sample a wide range of dishes for only $9.95.
Shiva
2514 Times Boulevard
Houston, TX 77005
713-523-4753
shivarestaurant.com
Owner Narin Sehgal fulfilled his lifelong dream when he opened this well-established Houston restaurant. Working with talented chef Krishan Sardana (formerly of New York's famous Bombay Palace), Sehgal presents a diverse menu of recipes from Northern India. Sample a wide range of different meats cooked in a tandoor oven---a pit oven made from special clays and natural binding agents---including white jumbo prawns, fresh-cut lamb loins, spring chicken and cubes of fish marinated in yogurt, Indian spices, ginger and garlic. Other dishes include red-hot lamb vindaloo, chicken saagwala cooked with spinach and spices and mushroom matar cooked with green peas, tomatoes and cream. Bombay Brasserie also offers over half a dozen different types of naan, a traditional Indian flatbread.
Bombay Brasserie
2414 University Boulevard
Houston, TX 77005
713-355-2000
thebombaybrasserie.com
Named after the Hindu word for peacock, India's national bird, this small Indian food chain has three locations in Dallas, St. Louis and Houston. Mayuri's popular buffet is served every day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and lets you sample a broad range of Indian specialties from the north and south of India including appetizers, salads and desserts. Mayuri's dinner menu is quite extensive and includes dozens of different tandoori kebab platters, several types of naan and other breadlike pastries, biryani with your choice of vegetable, chicken, lamb or shrimp and even some Indo-Chinese fusion dishes with noodles and fried rice. Accompany your meal with a cool mango lassi or other authentic Indian drink.
Mayuri
5857 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77057
713-975-6565
mayuri.com
