PUNJAB (as it is fondly referred to by its many loyal regular patrons) opens Monday through Saturday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You may select from twelve luncheon entrees and all are modestly priced. Each and every luncheon selection includes soup, rice, bread, papadam (a wonderful tasting thin bean wafer) and onion chutney. An array of six appetizers, are also available at lunchtime or maybe you would prefer to sample the Chef's Special Appetizer, which offers a sampling of all 6 of their appetizers. All of the dishes served at PUNJAB may be ordered to one's personal taste. Don't get the idea that everything is hot and spicy, because IT ISN'T! If you prefer it to be, you can request it that way, but the average dish is quite MILD! If you're not an avid fan of Indian Cuisine, or think that you're not, maybe a lunch at PUNJAB is all that you will need to change your mind!

Dinners are served 7 nights a week from 5 p.m. If you want to really enjoy the "PUNJAB EXPERIENCE" then order their House Special Dinner for Two. It includes Mulligatawny Soup (a fresh vegetable puree lightly seasoned with Indian spices), the variety appetizer platter, choice of two curries (lamb, chicken or vegetable), Pillaw rice (like a pilaf with peas, fancy nuts and raisins), Nan (a clay-oven baked unleavened bread), onion chutney, fruit chutney and even includes dessert.

Last week we made another visit to PUNJAB for dinner and enjoyed everything that we consumed. We began with glasses of Merlot and then quickly ordered the Chef's Appetizer Platter. There were 2 pieces each of: Vegetable Samosa (crisp patties stuffed with potatoes, peas and a bit of spice), Onion Bhaji (vegetable fritters with onion, green pepper, potato and spinach), Aloo Pakora (potatoes with chick peas, flour and spices), Chicken Pakora (chicken fritters), Cheese Pakora (homemade cheese) and of course, Papadam, my favorite, the thin bean wafer. Accompanying the appetizers were 3 sauces, onion chutney, fruit chutney and a cucumber yogurt sauce. All were very tasty and thoroughly enjoyed.

Having had a wonderful lamb curry, as my entrée, on my previous visit, I opted for the shrimp curry , on this visit. It was equally as tasty. The shrimp were numerous and the curry sauce was just spicy enough, not overpowering. A portion of their Pillaw Rice was served on the side, so I used that as my base and spooned the shrimp curry atop. It was great. I do love curry dishes, as long as they are mild to medium. That certainly is not a problem at PUNJAB.

My dinner quest, being a Tandoori fan and having a much bigger appetite than I, order one of the most expensive item on the entire menu, The Mixed Tandoori Platter. The platter appeared with all four Tandoori specialties. Included were: Chicken Tikka, a boneless breast of chicken that had been marinated and roasted; Chicken Takka Kebab, boneless chicken pieces in yogurt, garlic, ginger, vinegar and spices cooked with green pepper, tomatoes and onions; Seikh Kebab which was minced lamb blended with secret spices and Chicken Tandoori which had been marinated in aromatic spices and ginger laced yogurt and cooked in a clay oven. I sampled, but my friend devoured the platter.

We shouldn't have even considered dessert, but we shared dishes of homemade mango ice cream, an order of Kulfi (an Indian ice cream made with scalded milk and crushed nuts and Gulab Jamun (soft cheese balls fried and dipped in syrup) The mango ice cream was excellent, but the Kulfi and Gulab Jamun won win, place and show! Don't pass up any of these desserts. They're all great! All lunches and dinners may be packaged to go. Even though the prices are so reasonable that you won't need a credit card, American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa are accepted and Gift Certificates are available. For further information or reservations, please call (321)799-4696.