Bakersfield Life

Currying Favor: Dining DIvas at the Desi Cafe

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This month our divas went on an exotic adventure — without leaving town. Since none of the quartet had tried Indian food, they were eager to see what Desi Café had to offer. The ladies share what they liked best and why they’ll be back for more.

Indian food
Lori: When I first heard we were going to Desi Café I wasn’t quite sure what to think since I had never eaten Indian food. I have always wanted to try it, but just never thought I would like it. I just want to say that was the most amazing meal ever! Loved everything!
Wow how come no one talks about Indian food as much as Chinese or Mexican food? Indian food is incredible, so many different flavors. We had the most incredible meal ever, and to think it’s right here in Bakersfield!

Wendy: The owners are very passionate about the food and are willing to share the authentic experience with others. Every nationality has their traditions and Desi Café is one who will make it personal for you.

Welcoming staff:
Aimee: Sam Mohan, one of the owners of the restaurant gave us the full guided tour of the menu and took the time to get to know each of our likes and dislikes in order to help us with our ordering. The staff at Desi is dedicated to making more than just a meal for its customers; they make it a true dining experience. They have convinced a picky eater like me to relax and enjoy what the freshest spice combinations can do for food.

Whitney: Don’t be afraid to walk in the door and tell your server you have no idea what you are doing, just like we did. They’ll ask you questions about your tastes and guide you through the experience. Raj, one of the owners, just about made me die laughing while we were walking out the door. He commented he is so happy to get four ladies from Rosedale into their restaurant. He said, “Girls, there is life south of Ming Avenue!” Raj, you are so right! Even though we disagree on your “once a BHS Driller, always a Driller” obsession, there is life south of Ming and I’ll be back.

Atmosphere
Lori: The café restaurant was so inviting, comfortable, and relaxing — low lighting with different types of Indian music playing in the background. The staff welcomed us into their “home.”

Wendy: When we walked in I was very impressed with the beautiful Indian décor. It was like I had walked through a door and was “beamed” straight to India. The music was very good. It almost made me want to get up and “bust a move.” I would describe it as Indian music gone pop and a little rap. Very entertaining.

Aimee: We had the opportunity to eat in the Buddha lounge in the back of the restaurant. The lounge area has a sit-down bar and bar tables as well as a true lounging area. The ceiling is draped with beautiful fabric and there is a large wraparound couch that allows customers to eat and enjoy drinks in a very relaxing environment.

Starters
Whitney: We were immediately served an appetizer called papadums. The papadums were served with two chutneys: a spicy cilantro sauce and a sweet sauce. The papadums were made from ground lentils with added spices that gave the baked crackers a wonderful flavor. You dip the papadums in the sauces as you would with chips and salsa. We also had the vegetable jalfrazzi as another appetizer. This is a vegetarian dish — assorted vegetables that are lightly battered and sauteed with wonderful spices — that was quickly gone once it hit the table.

Colorful cocktails
Whitney: We make it a habit of wherever we go to try the bartender’s signature drinks. Desi Cafe specializes in mango cocktails so the girls immediately ordered mango martinis. Not wanting to follow their lead because it’s a dangerous road trailing them, I ordered the Buddha Colada. It’s Desi’s version of the mango piña colada. Blended with rum, the drink had a beautiful swirl of mango against white coconut milk. This is not your usual piña colada.

Aimee: I had a mango martini and it was delicious. The combination of mango juice and vodka was perfect, not too strong not too sweet.

Even the goat gets raves
Lori: Okay so now for the main course, they chose an assortment of different entrees for us to try. Shrimp coconut curry, mango-flavored Indian-made cheese, chicken mushroom curry — which is one of the signature dishes — and goat. Yes we all ate goat and liked it. Who would have thought, we expanded our taste buds, and loved it. All of the entrees were served with garlic or plain naan, similar to a flour tortilla, but with a whole lot of flavor. Using our fingers was a must, tearing the naan and wrapping the entrees was how to eat.

Aimee: All the food at Desi is made with the freshest ingredients and can be made to order with the amount of heat you would like. As you know by now, I am the picky eater in the group. I stepped out of the box this month and tried not only shrimp, but goat! All the dishes are brought to the table piping hot in beautiful serving dishes. Desi has something for everyone from the vegetarian to the meat lover!

Whitney: The heat level in Indian food ranges so be sure to express your taste when ordering. On a level from one to 10, we went with a level five but next time I visit Desi, I won’t bring Aimee and will try a level six or seven. The most exotic entree was the goat curry. To my surprise it was good. Very tender and not at all “gamey.” The sauce was a curry sauce only it didn't taste like your generic curry. It was different. Sammy explained how curry can be made different ways.  Desi Café has a signature curry that was created by their chef. I think my favorite was the mango cheese dish. It’s unique with a slightly sweet sauce complimenting the cheese that is made on site. The bhindi masala, under the vegetarian specialties, is fresh-cut okra cooked with onions and tomatoes. Here is the Okie dish some of you might recognize. It’s very spicy and I just couldn’t stop eating it!

Wendy: The food is served family-style, which personally is my favorite way to experience authentic food of any kind because you can try many things. The tandoori veggies are similar to a tempura vegetable, only the tempura is seasoned. I liked the fact that there was more veggie than tempura too. It was the perfect consistency of the two. Now, the cheese with the mango curry isn’t on the menu and is a “must have.” It is a white cheese that is cut into pieces and served in a mango curry sauce. I had more than my share of that! (I don’t think anyone noticed.)  

Dessert
Lori: Dessert! Gulab jamun, which is a dumpling, reminds me of a wet doughnut soaked in a type of maple syrup. Pistachio and mango ice creams were served and a carrot dessert. All were really, really good.

Aimee: We started with a game of rock, paper, and scissor to see who would order dessert first and if you can believe it Wendy beat us all on the first time. I think Sam felt sorry for the rest of us, so he gave us the opportunity to try four desserts! So we let Wendy take home the leftovers as her prize for her big win! We tried the mango and pistachio kulfi, which is an Indian ice cream. It was rich and creamy with lots of flavor. The ras malai, which is an Indian style dumpling with pistachios in a creamy sauce, was also very tasty. I thought I would not like the carrot dessert  — shredded carrots in a sweet sauce  — at all, but it was my favorite dessert of the bunch.

Wendy: Rock, paper, scissors is my game! Some thought I cheated. You can’t cheat in rock, paper, scissors! Fortunately for the other girls they brought out a sample of all the desserts. My favorite — and the one I said, “we don’t need to try that” — was the “carrot cake” or carrot dessert. Thank goodness for Deep Singh (another owner) because he stepped in and suggested we try it. This carrot dessert was to die for. It’s shredded carrot with cashews served warm. Incredible!

Desi Café
4837 Panama Lane, Suite B
835-8400
Open 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch (including all-you-can eat buffet Monday through Friday) and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner every day. Champagne brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.