Called Passage to India, the new eatery offers up classic Indian cuisine with a Bangladeshi flair.
“I have more seafood than most Indian restaurants,” says Alam, who grew up in Bangladesh and moved to the U.S. in 1998. “I bring a lot of Bangladeshi food into it, but Indian and Bagladeshi food are not very different.”
Alam says that fish and seafood are a staple of Bangladeshi cuisine, much more so than in the food of the country’s next door neighbor. On the menu you’ll see this reflected in the Bay of Bengal section, which serves up dishes such as fish masala (haddock with a tomato-based cream sauce, $12.95), shrimp tandoori masala (shrimp with tomato sauce, coconut and coriander, $14.95) and Talk of the Town Fish (choice of haddock or salmon in chef’s special sauce and served with lentil soup, $16.95).
The restaurant also boasts a clay tandoor oven. Heated by gas (rather than the traditional charcoal), this oven kicks out classic Indian breads, including roti and nan, and entrees such as chicken tandoori ($11.95 for a half chicken, $18.95 for a whole) and shrimp tandoori ($13.95). There are plenty of standards on the menu, as well, including dal soup ($2.95), lamb curry ($11.50), shish kebab ($13.95), chicken tikka masala ($11.95) and vegetable pakora ($2.95). The restaurant uses only organic vegetables, offers a number of vegetarian meals and ensures that all the meat is halal and kosher.
“My wife makes the desserts, like rice pudding,” Alam says. “My auntie is a specialist too, she makes samosa.”
A satellite feed pumps up the dining room with Indian pop music videos, and in a small room adjacent to the kitchen, there is a full bar with ample seating. Martinis are the house speciality, and Alam says they pair particularly well with the shish kebab. All menu items can be ordered in the bar, and if you don’t want to venture out into the cold, delivery is available by logging onto www.2dinein.com.
Alam’s restaurant experience isn’t limited to Maine. He also owns a restaurant in New York City and one in Jamaica, which is why he hopes to one day reach out to more lovers of Indian food through a cooking show and a book. Although every few months he needs to visit his New York eatery, he and his wife, Fatem, and their 2-year-old daughter call Maine home. Even though he has grand plans for spreading his culinary know-how, right now Alam is focused on making Passage to India a favorite with local diners.
“I like to give the customer home-style cooking,” Alam says. “I like to give the customer something new they don’t get at other restaurants.”
— Avery Yale Kamila
Passage to India is located at 29 Wharf St. in Portland. It is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. From Mon.-Sat. it is open from 11:30 am-10 pm and on Sun. it is open from 11:30 am-9 pm. Reservations are accepted and catering is available. Call 772-0072 or visit www.2dinein.com for delivery.