Coffee anjapper

I've been food exploring. Or more like food exploring from a distance. I am on Toussaint break (All Saint's Day) and have been spending the bulk of my days studying, mostly math, for the GRE. After my brain has turned to mush and I can no longer think, I take a walk.

This past Sunday I had the craving for some baguette. I usually don't, so I decided to go with it. I wandered around the 10th in search of an open boulangerie (It was Sunday, around 7 pm. Dead zone) when I found myself surrounded by Indian restaurants, shops, and people. I had no idea that the Indian part of town was 5 minutes away from where I had been staying. Thrilled, I walked up and down the 2-3 streets that comprise the quarter, reading menus, peaking in at diners, and seeing which restaurants were the most popular. After finding an open boulangerie, I headed home...but I had a craving for Indian food.

I adore Indian food, but it has to be done right. I told Stella about the area and suggested we look around on Monday, maybe grab dinner. So we walked, stopped, studied a menu. Walked, stopped, studied another, and so on. We narrowed it down to three. We were lingering over an authentic looking place, seeing if we could do the prices and trying to asses if it was worth it. We decided to give it a shot. And in we walked to coffee anjapper

It was an intimate, local place with a large group of Indian men chatting and laughing in the center. The dim lighting and spiced air was extremely welcoming, as were the prices. We decided to split a garlic naan; Stella got lamb curry, and I chose Tandoori chicken and vegetable curry. The Tandoori chicken was 5 euro, so I figured it would be a nice, small dose of protein. Our curries also came with sides of rice, which I donated to Stella...not a huge rice fan, unless it's brown.

The Tandoori arrived, and it was huge. I could not believe it. It was an entire chicken leg and thigh, crisped orange and perfect. It was very tender and came with a side of yogurt sauce, though I wish the sauce had a bit more mint and yogurt flavor, it was still good.

Then came the curries and naan, also well portioned. The curries were served in authentic gold tinged copper clad serving bowls. Stella said her lamb curry was fantastic and perfectly spiced, I thought my vegetable curry could have used a bit more spice, but it was light, warm and hearty. We ended up having to split the chicken due to wrong assessment "of a nice appetizer." The naan was also great; crispy along the edges and slightly doughy in the middle--just the way I like it. 

Veggie (left) and lamb curries 

Tandoori, curies and rice

After dinner we sat and talked in the tiny restaurant for an hour or so while it drizzled outside. A perfect Monday evening. Although it was not the best Indian food I had ever had, the portions and prices were great and the quality still exciting. The only problem? Whether to go back to coffee anjapper on my next Indian outing, or try a new one!

Decisions, decisions.