Taj

As the locals say- you can't swing a dead cat in Madison without hitting 4-5 Indian restaurants. The Taj is the closest to us- tucked in between...well, basically nothing. It's this odd strip mall and it's the only thing in it.

We love Indian food and the Taj is no exception. The big story about the Taj is not really the food, it's the atmosphere and ambiance. The food is good- we almost always get naan to start (the ginger and garlic varieties are our favorites) and then I get a mango lassi (ALWAYS get mango lassis at Indian restaurants). We have tried several things on the menu like the mango chicken, aloo chole, channa masala, and many of the lamb dishes. The portions are kind of big and we usually take some home with us- which really isn't a bad thing.

As I said, the big story at the Taj is the ambiance. It's decorated for many of the Christian holidays which is kind of amusing- but regardless of the holiday a big disco ball hangs in the bar area. Oooookkkkk. Also, there is never less than 10-15 staff working in a restaurant that we have never seen with more than 4 other people. This means that "attentive" is an understatement. They fill your water glass immediately after one sip, someone different brings each course, someone else comes to light your candle, etc. The rest of the staff stand around at the front of the restaurant looking fairly unhappy. It's so bizarre.

But, this means it's not only a meal it's entertainment.