Classy Indian, Wide Variety

A wide variety of Indian dishes are served in a classy atmosphere in a restaurant in Redhawk.

The Blue Peacock: Cuisine of India offers 13 appetizers, four soups, four salads, eight tandoori dishes, about a dozen dishes in three meats – chicken, lamb and seafood, 16 vegetarian dishes, six kinds of rice and 13 kinds of naan bread.

It also has eight white and seven red wines for $24-$40 per bottle – or $6-$12 by the glass – and five Indian beers for $4 per 12-ounce glass or $7 per 22-ounce glass. It also has O’Doules and Heineken, for those who aren’t into Indian beers.

This restaurant takes up a spot in a strip mall at 31093 Temecula Pkwy. It has 12 tables – no outdoor seating – and has a stylish feel. The tables are clothed with tapestries depicting life in India, and sitar music buzzes lightly in the background.

Beware: the restaurant used to have two locations, but -- as one of our bloggers will tell you -- the location at Ynez and Rancho California roads closed. To read her article, click here.

Also, a plasma screen plays nonstop Indian music videos, though I found that to be a bit of a distraction.

Though the variety is wide, a word of warning is in order: it’s not the cheapest place in town.

A chicken entrée, for example, runs $10.95-$11.95; seafood entrees run$13.95-$15.95; veggie entrees run $7.95-$9.95.

The price is well worth it for what you get. I tried the vegetable soup for $3.95, which was a thick veggie stew in tomato broth lightly sweetened with clove. It was simple and good.

I like variety in my meal, so I tried the vegetable thali for $14.95, which was a sample tray of vegetarian curries. The dishes – which are served in four little cups on a tray with basmati rice – change with the season. I loved the presentation and the taste. Some were better than others, but they were all fragrant and great.

I had the garlic naan for $2.50, and it was soft and warm, though otherwise usual.

The highlight of the meal was the chicken makhani for $11.95. It was chicken chunks swimming in a creamy tomato sauce seasoned with saffron. The chunks were exceptionally moist and the broth was intensely flavorful.

For those looking to get an inexpensive lunch, this place has lunch specials ranging from $5.95 for a veggie dish to $9.95 for chicken and lamb dishes.

It also offers a lunch buffet for $8.95 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The place is definitely the kind of place to bring a date, though its spacious enough to bring the family, even for pretty large gatherings.

If you like Indian but want to try food from another culture, Pamir Kabob House is a great Afghan restaurant near the mall. To read a review, click here.