If you are like me, nothing hits the spot like food from India. I have eaten at most of the Indian restaurants around the Las Vegas Strip and was excited to be invited to attend the VIP night to explore the Urban Turban menu. The Urban Turban is located on Paradise, close to the Strip.
Urban Turban Bombay Kitchen and Tapas Bar
The Urban Turban is situated in a little strip mall that is jam packed with small restaurants with international themes. If you have a fussy family, just drop them off in the parking lot and let them run to whatever part of the world they enjoy. All the popular parts of the world are represented in this one spot and the Urban Turban Bombay Kitchen and Tapas Bar brings the tastes from India. One word of warning, though, my iPhone’s navigator told me this restaurant was on the other side of the street and a block up the road. I had to ask at Gandhi’s restaurant where the place was.
VIP night at the Urban Turban was packed. My plane landed at the airport at 6pm, the exact same time this event started. While I was impatiently waiting for my luggage to start spinning around on the baggage claim merry-go-round, all my old press buddies were snatching up the lamb. By the time I arrived, I had to wait for a seat in the overflowing lounge in the front of the restaurant. There were servers carrying dishes from their menu through the body to body crowd trying to get at least a little something to everyone there. After a short wait, they found a table for two and we were in!
Getting there an hour into the event was a bummer, because after I had been served their tandoori Chicken Tikka, I could see this place stood above all my other favorite Indian joints in Las Vegas. The chicken was cooked just right so that it was seared on the outside and juicy and scrumptiously tender on the inside. There was an awesome combination of flavors with a hint of hot red chili. Usually, Indian restaurants in Las Vegas put a lot of hot on their entrees, but skip the culinary blend of flavors that makes Indian dining so special. Here, you get a taste bud celebration of a thousand years of Indian culture.
My friend and I marveled over the oversized cutlery, which really does add to the meal. People usually don’t pay much attention to their silverware, but they aren’t Madeleine and me. The great big forks were a hit with us and added to the ambiance of our little table in the back. Madeleine was also particularly fond of their Merlot. We took each bite and investigated every flavor and texture of the dish, plate after plate. And we fell in love with the place. This is a restaurant that truly wants to share the spices and flavors of India and not give you just one more version of the old tired standards in the USA. We gave this Indian Restaurant two oversized forks up and highly recommend it.
Owners of the Urban Turban, Jasmine and Bhushan Arolkar, go far beyond what others have done in the Las Vegas area with Indian dining. We plan to visit the restaurant again in the very near future, and Mr. Arolkar has promised us that lamb cutlet dish we missed.
Urban Turban Bombay Kitchen and Tapas
3900 Paradise Road, Suite G
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-826-3217