Lack of Indian Restaurants in Detroit

**Detroitnerd** · January-22-13, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

I've been to India twice, going back again in April. First off, Bangladeshi and northern Indian food are the same thing. Bangladesh has only been a separate country for a few decades and the people in Bangladesh and West Bengal [[India) even speak the same language. There's more in common there than between northern and southern India.

There are several good Indian places in Ann Arbor.

That makes sense. Probably because most Americans are familiar with northern Indian food anyway. When it comes to Indian fare stateside, breads and creamy sauces are familiar, dosas less so.

**noise** · January-23-13, 09:12 AM

In Ann Arbor, Madras Masala is my go-to. It's a south Indian place with a number of Indochinese menu selections.

**RickBeall** · January-25-13, 01:12 AM

You guys stop! You are making me remember all the good spicy smells I pick up as I ride my bike through Hamtramck and other nearby neighborhoods in the summer. Honest to gosh, I am having an olfactory flashback.

**Danny** · January-25-13, 11:06 AM

To have a good ethnic restuarant, a city and its neighborhoods must have a ethnic enclave or family set up community. Indian restuarants are less in the ghettoes of Detroit because less Indian enclave. Since Detroit has recent fast growing East Indian community called 'Benglatown' Hindu-Indian Restuarants sprouted like wildflowers along Conant St. There are some new Indian restaurants along the Cass Corridor Area since a lot of East Indian students go to Wayne State University.

**ismoakrack** · January-25-13, 12:28 PM

I started this thread to point out that there are several Thai restaurants in greater downtown, many sushi, a few italian, one Cuban, maybe a few other 'ethnic' restaurants I'm missing, but there is no Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Italian or Cuban enclave anywhere near here. Yet there's no Indian restaurant at all. I think a quality one would do very well down here.

**Bham1982** · January-25-13, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

I started this thread to point out that there are several Thai restaurants in greater downtown, many sushi, a few italian, one Cuban, maybe a few other 'ethnic' restaurants I'm missing, but there is no Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Italian or Cuban enclave anywhere near here. Yet there's no Indian restaurant at all. I think a quality one would do very well down here.

All the cuisines you mentioned, excepting Cuban, are much more common locally than Indian, so it would make sense that you have these options downtown, and not necessarily Indian.

In any case, there was an Indian restaurant next to Compuware not too long ago, and it closed.

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-13, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

In any case, there was an Indian restaurant next to Compuware not too long ago, and it closed.

Yes, that was Sizzl n' Spice.

**Danny** · January-25-13, 03:50 PM

Chinese restuarants were sprouting up in most Detroit ghettohoods, when Detroit was a mostly white middle class neighborhoods since in the late 1950s to the 1970s. It's very popular due to their easy to read 'Menu A and Menu B' cuisines. It's still popular today in most black Detroit communtities and growing strong.

**MidTownMs** · January-25-13, 05:44 PM

I know the OP is referring to primarily East Indian restaurants, however, there are some very good West Indian restaurants in Detroit. Since Trinidad's Indian population is almost 50% there are some distinct similarities in the flavors of the food.

**Detroitnerd** · January-25-13, 06:12 PM

The comparison between Indian joints and Chinese joints breaks down at a point, as all comparisons do. Chinese food, or chop suey joints, were in many ways the first fast food joints for Americans, and they were always marketed directly to Americans because the [[largely) Cantonese-American cooks would load the dishes with salt, fat and sugar to appeal to American tastes. Chinese food has been marketed toward Americans since the 1910s, when discrimination against Chinese forced them to open their own businesses, such as laundries and restaurants.

Indian food certainly can be marketed to the country Indians emigrate to. Look at the UK: Curry is practically the national dish over there. But we haven't really reached that tipping point here where most Americans looking for comfort food think of a nice hot curry. It may not be long off, though.

**movingback** · January-26-13, 01:02 AM

The Indian restaurant on Anthony Wayne north of Warren on the WSU campus has been closed since the summer, but the grocery store, Little India, is going strong and has some prepared food for carryout.

American Masala...those people were idiots. I went in once when they first opened and the woman tried to tell me that I couldn't have any raita because it didn't "go with my meal." Uh huh.

**ismoakrack** · January-26-13, 11:23 AM

Hey MidTownMs, what are the names/locations of some of the West Indian restaurants? Like to try them out...

**webband1** · January-27-13, 09:42 AM

Pretty sure an Indian place is planning on opening on Second, south of Forest in the same little strip as the laundromat and the new hookah bar. At least that's what I think the sign over the place said.

**Zacha341** · January-27-13, 10:16 AM

^^^ You're right. Sign is up... Anyone been to the Hukah bar?

**ismoakrack** · January-27-13, 02:05 PM

Yes!!! Any word on an opening date?

**MidTownMs** · January-27-13, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by ismoakrack

Hey MidTownMs, what are the names/locations of some of the West Indian restaurants? Like to try them out...

There are quite a few. Go to www.yelp.com type Caribbean restaurants and get the 411 on them. If you look under West Indian Restaurants you're not going to get Caribbean places.

**Wheels** · January-27-13, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by MidTownMs

There are quite a few. Go to www.yelp.com type Caribbean restaurants and get the 411 on them. If you look under West Indian Restaurants you're not going to get Caribbean places.

Are you confusing the West Indies with West India? Caribbean food and Indian food have exactly zero similarity.

**MidTownMs** · January-27-13, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

Are you confusing the West Indies with West India? Caribbean food and Indian food have exactly zero similarity.

No I am not confusing West Indian with West India. My former husband was Trinidadian. We lived there for over 5 years. As I said in my previous post, in Trinidad almost half of the population are of East Indian descent. I am not talking about Jamaican food such as jerk which is entirely different from the food cooked in Trinidad because it is a different country and over 90% are of African descent. Many of the ingredients that Trinidadian's of African descent use in their food and Trinidadians of East Indian descent are the same.

**robtandersen** · January-28-13, 01:51 AM

Gandhi on Conant was my go-to Indian in the early 00's. I think they closed a few years ago after about a decade in business. And they delivered! In the basement of the International Institute was Small World Cafe, which was best when Rita ran the joint, but there was some forced leverage and she exited while a cousin of a board member opened his shop. I ate at Rita's about 3 days a week when she was there. I've stopped in to the new place about 3 times in the last five years, in protest and/but just out of curiosity. It's OK. I'll go there again and lunch with friends at CCS.
As far as the suburbs... Priya is tops. Askoka on Rochester Road in Troy is amazing. And good advice with every cuisine, stay away from the buffet.
I could eat Indian every day.

**Zacha341** · January-28-13, 07:48 AM

I could eat it daily too...

...! I must try Priya and still like the place by CCS - love his curry particularly but they have extremely limited hours. I also have liked the broas buffet set up of Rangoli in Auburn Hills but lately it's starting to get sorta 'homogenized' bland! I guess that's the downside of buffets.

What is up with Moti Mahal in Royal Oak? The smallest serving portions on the globe and my guest and I was a tad sick after I ate there. Flavors were not true either. Maybe it was just a off day... nice staff and great presentation.

Originally Posted by robtandersen

Priya is tops. Askoka on Rochester Road in Troy is amazing. And good advice with every cuisine, stay away from the buffet.
I could eat Indian every day.

**downtownguy** · January-28-13, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by robtandersen

In the basement of the International Institute was Small World Cafe, which was best when Rita ran the joint, but there was some forced leverage and she exited while a cousin of a board member opened his shop. I ate at Rita's about 3 days a week when she was there. I've stopped in to the new place about 3 times in the last five years, in protest and/but just out of curiosity. It's OK. I'll go there again and lunch with friends at CCS.
As far as the suburbs... Priya is tops. Askoka on Rochester Road in Troy is amazing. And good advice with every cuisine, stay away from the buffet.
I could eat Indian every day.

Rita's Small World Cafe was the best and had 4 star reviews from the local media to prove it. Rita was forced out, and if memory serves me, it was the Chair of the Board that was responsible for the shenanigans. Her cook still needed the job and so the new owners hired him, thus the recipes carried on in the new place. I've never gone back and never will.

**Evelyn** · January-28-13, 09:59 PM

I have to second Drjeff- Earthen Jar in A2 has a great buffet. And if you're in the mood for dosas, Nee Hee's in Canton makes very tasty ones.

http://www.neehees.com/

I'm surprised Midtown doesn't have a good Indian place yet...

**TexasT** · January-29-13, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by Evelyn

I'm surprised Midtown doesn't have a good Indian place yet...

Posted by Eat It Detroit today - going across from the Bronx Bar.

**drjeff** · January-30-13, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by movingback

The Indian restaurant on Anthony Wayne north of Warren on the WSU campus has been closed since the summer, but the grocery store, Little India, is going strong and has some prepared food for carryout.

.

The place on Anthony Wayne is open again now. I got carry out lunch there a couple of weeks ago.