Indian Oven

233 Fillmore St.
(at Waller)
San Francisco, CA
(Lower Haight district)

Price: $-$$$
Rating: 7.5 (Rating & price key)
Last visit: 03/28/06

After wanting to try this place out for a while, we finally went here and were happy with the food (though not so much the price). Serving mostly typical North Indian dishes, Indian Oven has something of a reputation for upscale Indian fare. The interior is nondescript, with white tablecloths and some artwork on the walls.

We started with the assorted appetizers, a pair of samosas, some pakora veggies, and papadum. The papadum was very good - crispy and light, with an intense chickpea flavor. I was not too thrilled with the two chutneys offered - one an extremely sour and salty one that I've had before and is very much not to my taste, and the other a watery green chutney which had litte to recommend it. I missed the oft-seen sweet tamarind chutney, but enjoyed the papadum nonetheless. The samosas and pakora vegetables were both flavorful and well-cooked.

For entrees, I ordered the chicken vindaloo, which was an okay preparation of chicken and potatoes in a thin brown sauce, but not nearly spicy enough for my liking. Our other dish, bengan bartha, roasted eggplant with chopped onioin, garlic and spices was definitely my favorite dish of the evening. It had a lovely complex flavor and a good deal of spicy heat.

I had a large Taj Mahal and Sarah had a glass of white wine. Our bill before tip was $49.26, which felt a little on the high side to me. Service was reasonably efficient, but certainly not polished.

Given that there are few "upscale" Indian restaurants in town, I guess I can see why Indian Oven gets such good press, but to be honest, the food isn't spectacularly better than many other cheaper places, and the decor and service aren't really elegant. Note that their online menu's prices are probably not current - our meal was $12 more expensive than it was when I added up the online prices. On the other hand, it's almost certainly the best Indian restaurant within walking distance of our apartment, so we'll probably find ourselves back at some point.