For the Ethnic Foodie - A Must Try

I am a big fan of ethnic cuisine and am always on the lookout for standout establishments. I would have started my ethnic adventure through the country of Thailand but the Thai food in Charlotte is pretty mediocre at best. I know some might say that Thai Taste is so authentic and wonderful and others may say that Thai Orchid is the best Thai food they have ever tasted and they are all allowed their opinion but my opinion is that the Thai food in Charlotte is just ok and that is not enough to warrant the first ethnic blog (As an aside, if you are ever down in Florida, Sarasota specifically, there are two Thai restaurants owned by the same family...Bangkok Restaurant which is the family's original restaurant and Pacific Rim Restaurant which includes both Thai cuisine and Sushi. These two restaurants are the real deal and is where my heart is when it comes to not only Thai food but the whole experience of what going out to eat should be.)
So, since Thailand will not be awarded the first ethnic blog, we will step over to the next country...India.
Now, for some reason many non-Indian restaurant goers have an aversion to Indian cuisine. Most say they attribute it to their hatred of curry but when asked what they have tried with curry, many admit they've never tried anything with curry but they just don't like the smell. Come on people, don't deprive yourself of great cuisine simply because one time you walked by this hole-in-the-wall Indian Restaurant and it smelled like shit. Do you now never go to a seafood restaurant because you had an experience where someone on the side of the road was trying to sell you some rank fish?
For those who really do like Indian food or those who are willing to give Indian food another shot with their olfactory glands, we have got one of the best Indian spots I have ever tried right here in Charlotte...Copper Modern Indian Cuisine. Located on East Blvd about a block down from South Blvd sits this old bungalow where many restaurants have tried but only one has succeeded in using the house as a perfect backdrop to an experiential evening. Owner Aparappar Singh Pannu and Chef Naveen Sadana offer both traditional Indian dishes as well as modern interpretations of classic Northern Indian fare to this very intimate location. And it also has a very well thought out wine list that has won Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence. While I am a big wine drinker typically, I tend to stick with the Kingfisher beer which is made in one of my friends hometown of Bangalor, India and is a nice light beer to go along with spicy food.
So what to eat here? The real question is what not to eat here. Since this concept of upscale Indian dining is relatively novel, we go here pretty often when family and friends come into town and so we have tried a good variety of menu items. For starters (get a Kingfisher right away) I would recommend the Tava Scallops (perfectly seared scallops with khada masala, onions, asparagus in an emulsion made with avocado) and the Potli Samosa (little fried pockets of goodness served with a sweet and sour spicy chutney). We always get the garlic naan and raita right when we sit down as well but you may not like to be in complete food comatose like we do when you leave a restaurant so you may wish to pass on this. For main dishes, we typically order a few to share around the table. This is always my idea since I can never just pick one thing and I do not want to risk the inevitable food envy I would have watching the person across from me eat something that looked just as good or better than the plate in front of me. My favorites are a side of Saag Paneer (creamed spinach with paneer which is cubed cheese with sort of a tofu-like consistency), Murgh Tikka Masala (roasted chicken in an indian spiced tomato based cream sauce - if you don't want as much sauce and want a few grilled veggies as well, the Chicken Tikka off the Modern section of the menu will suit you - both rock but I tend to like a lot of sauce to dump on the family style basmati rice the table gets), the Khoya Malai Maans (lamb in a spiced curry sauce - for those that are truly not into curry, may not be the best choice for you), the Salmon and the Eggplant Tournedos off the Modern section of the menu. For those willing to live dangerously, the Seafood Vin d' Alho is really tasty but REALLY spicy and I would warn you that the next day on the john, you may find yourself gripping the side of the sink counter in a cold sweat...I need not describe any further.
Couple of other things to mention; the hospitality is great here but the service is on the slower side (not a bad thing since it is meant for you to enjoy your experience) so I would not make this a destination if you are trying to eat and run. And by the way, I really like the music here. It's kind of like Indian house music...very NY and very cool.
I can't leave a blog without mentioning a couple of things that make my visits slightly left of perfect. First, a couple of the rooms have wall decorations that almost push me to the point of asking to move to another room. There is the front left room that is pretty outrageous and then there is the tiger print room with pictures of men with huge handlebar mustaches...Oh my god is this a fcked up choice for wall coverings but sort of adds to the charm of the place. We typically get seated in the front room (with all windows) and always comment on the fact that you feel like you're high and the room is now slanted at a 20 degree angle towards the front window...the fact is the room IS slanted towards the window so you don't have to blame it on the bong.
Spoke to the owner recently who mentioned that they were adding patio seating in the front which will be perfect as it begins to get a little cooler in the evenings. And don't forget to grab the little goodies at the host stand before you leave that look and taste like Good 'n Plenty for a hobbit...great for digestion. RATING: 3.5 and another bite because it tastes so damn good BURGERS (OUT OF A 4 BURGER SCALE)