To experience the vegetarian cuisine of South India as it might be served in Bangalore, head to Swagath Gourmet on Oak Tree Road.
Rasam – Tamarind Soup
You are immediately served a small silver bowl of warm rasam, a sweet and spicy tamarind-flavored soup. The snack-sized dishes on the menu include vada (fritters), idli (steamed rice cakes), and dosas (thin rice and lentil crepes) with potato and onion fillings. All are served with sambar, a spicy lentil stew, and at least one chutney, typically coconut and chili. Uttapam – thick rice and lentil pancakes – are also good for dipping. Order a thali platter to sample a number of different vegetable preparations, dips and breads. The intensely spiced rice dishes are also worth the trip. Puliyogare, a rice specialty blended with tamarind and 14 herbs and spices is one of the most powerful plates of rice I’ve ever tasted. At Swagath Gourmet, be prepared for a spice level aimed at Indian palates. Keep the yogurt dips and drinks (lassi) close by to tame the heat when necessary.
Vada (Lentil Donuts)
Swagath Gourmet is in the same strip mall as Desi Galaxy and the Apna Bazar Cash & Carry grocery store on the Westbound side of Oak Tree Road. The dining room is comfortable and no-frills. Every dish is served, literally, on a silver platter.
Onion and Chili Uttappam with Sambar and Coconut Chutney
A Strawberry’s pie with sausage and anchovies
Visit Strawberry’s Pub & Pizza in Woodbridge for their very popular bar pie pizzas. They serve a good thin crust with some black specks underneath. Not too thin to fold. The pies here are on the saucy side, with a tangy tomato sauce, and a nice variety of toppings including baby clams and jalapenos. Among bar pies overall, Strawberry’s version doesn’t rise to the flavor level of Star Tavern‘s, but it is a strong Middlesex County pizza contender. The menu includes some crazy concoctions like the “Hawaiian Pie.” I’ll try not to hold that against them.
The larger menu offers bar standard appetizers, sandwiches and burgers, as well as soups and salads. A friend and I visited after running this year’s Freezing Cold Hash Run. We only tried the pizza (and the beer). I hear the wings are also excellent. Another reason eat pizza here – the Strawberry’s frequent eater card can earn you a free pie.
Strawberry’s is a friendly spot on the side of the highway (Route 35, very close to the Turnpike, the Parkway and Route 287). There’s a large wrap-around bar, and some tables to eat in.
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New Jersey’s Best Pad Thai?
Thanks go out to the EthnicNJ reader who called our attention to this tiny Thai spot in Middlesex County. It’s so small, attached to a BBQ joint and a laundromat on Route 35 South, that we drove past it twice using GPS. (It’s across from the Burger King. If you hit the Route 1/9 overpass you’ve gone too far. There’s ample parking around the side next to the laundromat.) If you can find Thai House Rock, you’ll find some of New Jersey’s best Thai food, in a very eclectic setting.
The space must have a been a fast food take out only restaurant at some point. The shape of the room reminds you of the ubiquitous Chinese take outs with menu pictures above the metal counter. At Thai House Rock, there are five cozy tables in front of the counter. The dining room walls are covered with vintage vinyl LPs and 45s, and album covers ranging from Foreigner to an obscure German doo-wop collection. (Our eight-year-old daughter said, “Look at all the CDs on the wall!” Bless her young heart.) The Rock theme is carried all the way through the menus – pasted in album covers, the specials – pasted on albums, and the sound system – playing Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and such. There are also Christmas lights, Asian bric-a-brac, and strange musical coconut figurines hanging from the ceiling. My son felt strongly that Thai House Rock would be a candidate for a Restaurant Makeover. I liked the kitschy charm.
Fried Taro Cake
We all really liked the food, which is fresh and homemade. The menu features Thai staples (chicken coconut soup (tom ka), pad thai, green curry chicken), along with Thai pan-Asian variations (gyoza, ma po shrimp, shrimp teriyaki). A fried taro cake appetizer special with sweet chili sauce is delicious. The Green Gyoza and chicken potstickers are also good. Spice levels are strong. Try that Tom Ka on a cold evening, or the super spicy Fried Crispy Noodles with chicken and creamy red curry, and your mouth will be warm for hours. The Pad Thai here – sweet but not cloying, with a subtle, assertive spice – is one of the best I’ve had. A perfectly sized mound of chicken, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts and ground peanuts with rice noodles. The Garlic Shrimp, coated with caramelized garlic, is excellent. Even the miso soup and salad with peanut dressing here is better than most places.
Advice, with Thai Iced Tea
Made with care, the food is worth the wait. One very friendly guy was working the front of the house – taking orders, serving and answering the phone for takeout. Somewhere in the kitchen behind the counter, there’s an experienced cook. Service can be slow. It’s BYO, so sip some wine and work up an appetite. With only five tables, you might want to call ahead before eating in. While they’re open til 9 pm Wednesday through Saturday, on the Friday we went, the food ran out and the Closed sign was flipped over at 8:30 pm.
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