Dine Like A Sultan At Huntington’s Sitar

By Rosie, Pete and Will/ foodie@longislandernews.com

When George Harrison discovered the Sitar during the early 1970s, he introduced an exotic sound to the music world – at least outside of India. But in fact, the three-stringed, long-necked instrument has been a centerpiece of Indian music since ancient times and to nearly a billion people in that country, is as familiar as a comfortable shoe.

It makes Sitar the perfect name for what could well be considered the capital of Indian cuisine in Huntington, for the richly spiced food that is familiar to a large portion of the world’s population is considered exotic in these parts.

Sitar’s owners Payal and Rajiv Sharma just may change that. The couple who took over restaurant nine years ago and have earned a strong following among those who know Indian cuisine, and attracted newcomers to the Indian experience as well. Previously Akbar, Sitar is housed in what was at one time a Chinese restaurant. Skillful architectural touches adequately disguise the restaurant’s pagoda features, and inside, the transformation is made complete by the devotion to authentic Indian cuisine.

Even newcomers to the cuisine are made immediately comfortable by the décor with its subdued lighting, warm ochre walls and high-backed banquettes. Little touches – like the small pillows on each banquette – make diners feel at home.

It’s the food that keeps them coming back. Sitar’s menu offerings are skillfully prepared, artfully presented and in many ways, surprising. At manager Pali Wijebandara’s suggestion, our culinary journey began with a sampling of appetizers. Sitar’s new menu features traditional Indian cuisine and – by popular demand – the new Pan Asian cuisine. Both offered delightful surprises with unexpected combinations and skillful pairings of hot and cool, sweet and sour, and just plain exciting spices. On the traditional side, Chicken Malai Kabab’s ($8) toasted spice chicken was nicely complemented by a mint sauce; while the tandoori-grilled Chicken Tongri Kabab ($8) was gamier in flavor. Lollipop Shrimp ($8), a bouquet of panko-crusted shrimp on skewers, was memorable for its citrusy mint dipping sauce; while the Garlic Shrimp ($8) enjoyed the freshness of cilantro. However, the star appetizer was the Crab Cake selection ($10), a tummy-warming blend of spices with hints of lime and a sweet Wasabi sauce.

With such a symphony of spices, we were grateful to have the bread basket ($9), an assortment of onion kulcha, garlic basil naan and laccha parantha. Delicious in their own right, the breads are served with a cool yogurt sauce for dipping that helped our taste buds recover between entrees.

The menu runs the gamut. Traditional curries are an excellent choice for Indian food purists. The Lamb Roganjosh ($17), served with basmati rice, featured tender marinated lamb in the classic cardamom sauce. The traditional menu includes lamb and goat, chicken and shrimp dishes. We were tempted by Lobster Makhani ($25) – lobster in a saffron cream sauce.

On the Pan Asian side, Pan Fried Crispy Noodles (vegetable $11; chicken $14; shrimp $17) were surprisingly nutty and mellow, and the Ginger Basil Chicken ($15) was sweet with a spicy “after-kick” that sent us diving for that yogurt sauce. Seafood is prominent on Pan Asian menus, and the Tamarind Glazed Tilapia ($16) swims with the best of them. A sweet and sour sauce outside, and fresh vegetables on the side, they’re beautifully presented.

Vegetarians are well served at Sitar. Gobi Manchurian ($11) is a battered crunchy cauliflower wrapped in chili, garlic and ginger sauce; Thai flavored vegetable curry ($11) is flavored with lemongrass and galangal; and Vegetable Shaslik ($13) is where veggies meet grill.

Sides, salads and soups round out a menu so packed with choices its difficult making up one’s mind. Fortunately, we had the guidance of Pali, whose insistence that we try at least one dessert resulted in the tummy-warming Chocolate Lava Cake ($6), a not-too-sweet, warm chocolate treat topped with a pyramid of ice cream. All of the desserts are prepared by Payal, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who said her passion is cooking. The Dessert Sampler ($14) is an excellent way to sample her Tiramisu, Mango Mousse and Coconut Ginger Flan.

Sitar has recently introduced an $8 lunch special (Monday through Saturday 12 – 3 p.m.) with a buffet on Fridays. There’s live entertainment Fridays (music, 7 – 9:30 p.m.) and Saturdays (astrologer, palm reader, 7 – 11 p.m.).
Visit. Eat, Enjoy. You’ll leave feeling like a sultan.

Sitar
665 West Jericho Turnpike,
Huntington
631-271-8600
www.sitarny.com

Cuisine: Authentic Indian and
Pan Asian

Priced: Moderate

Atmosphere: Exotic but
comfortable Indian.

Hours: Open seven days from noon.
Lunch Special: Mon-Sat, noon - 3p.m.
Buffet lunch on Friday.
Sunday lunch buffet, noon - 3p.m.
Sunday dinner buffet, 4:30 - 9:30p.m.

Main Menu