Where Indian Fare Takes a Turn for the Delicate

Where Indian Fare Takes a Turn for the Delicate

A Review of Cross Culture, in Princeton

Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times

Cross Culture in Princeton is one of four such restaurants owned by two brothers and their families.

When I’m craving Indian food, I’m usually in the mood for assertive flavors: fiery peppers, onions, garlic, coriander, mint, tamarind. At Cross Culture, an Indian restaurant in the Princeton Shopping Center, I was surprised by delicacy.

During the day, abundant windows allow in lots of light.

The dish that caught me unawares was navratan korma, a rich Moghul creation of fruits, vegetables and nuts in a creamy sauce. Recipes vary, but the Cross Culture version has a base of shredded coconut and heavy cream, and includes nine fruits of the earth, each retaining its own specific qualities: cauliflower, potato, green beans, lima beans, carrots, tomatoes, cashews, golden raisins and onions.

Several other dishes at this spacious, attractive restaurant were also prepared with particular care. The tandoori mixed grill, a generously portioned appetizer for two, showed adroit cooking skills with marinated chicken, shrimp, lamb and particularly succulent salmon. A creamy chicken soup, another appetizer, was deeply flavored and had the bonus of tender bits of chicken and tomatoes. The bowl of hara bhara kebabs, deep-fried spinach-potato balls, was another winner, especially when paired with house-made tamarind sauce or mint sauce, both of which were served alongside.

Breads â€" naan, onion kulcha and puri â€" from the basket I ordered were as good as I have had, each discretely flavored. Raita was house-made, a pleasantly thick yogurt rich with grated cucumber, grated carrot and mint, unlike the runny versions served elsewhere.

Among the main courses, Cross Culture’s lamb saagwala was a fine version of this dish of mostly coriander-flavored spinach studded with tender pieces of lamb. Shrimp karahi was balanced enough to allow the sweetness of the shrimp to come through its onion-tomato-green pepper mix. And the Goan fish curry made with salmon, while more boldly spiced, ran a respectable second to the gentle navratan korma.

Cross Culture in Princeton is one of four such restaurants â€" others are in Lambertville and Haddonfield, and in Doylestown, Pa. â€" owned by two brothers, Paramjeet (P.J.) Singh and Gurjeet (Monty) Kinth, and their families, Mr. Singh said in a telephone interview after my visits.

The Princeton location, which opened in August 2010 and is overseen by Mr. Singh, occupies a corner of a shopping center, with views across a grassy plaza out front, and across the way to a paint store along the side. The abundant windows allowed the interior to be lighted nicely on a daytime visit, but in the evening, I was grateful to have my flashlight app for menu reading, since the minuscule votive shrank to a wan flicker once the server withdrew his lighter.

But the booths were comfortable and invited leisurely dining, and the servers were quick with water refills (though one of them accidentally topped off our glasses of sparkling water with tap water). Though the best dishes here are very good, some did not rise to that level, including vegetable samosas and pakoras, and the cheese-stuffed hot peppers â€" all battered, all fried. The mulligatawny soup, though well flavored, was so thin that drinking it from the bowl would have been more efficient and more satisfying.

Chana masala, chickpeas in a tomato base, brought the spice level up to that of standard-issue Indian food; baingan bharta, the tandoor eggplant with peas, also in a tomato-based sauce, was its equal in spice and quality. Two other chicken dishes, korma and biryani, were average.

Desserts were an upbeat end to the meal. The Persian falooda was a table favorite, with its juxtaposition of vanilla ice cream, a sprinkling of basil seeds (tukmaria or sabja), curls of rice vermicelli and slightly rosewater-flavored milk. The mango sundae, with vanilla ice cream, mango slices, mango pulp and whipped cream, was a close second. The masala chai, with its heady fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom overlying Darjeeling tea, was easily tamed to delicacy by hot milk from the small cup alongside. It would be ample reason to return, if the navratan korma were not enough.

Cross Culture

Princeton Shopping Center
301 North Harrison Street
Princeton
(609) 688-9400

crossculturerestaurant.com/

GOOD

THE SPACE A mix of banquettes and tables in a simply furnished 80-seat dining room, with seasonal dining for 20 on the sidewalk in temperate weather. Calm and serene atmosphere. Wheelchair accessible.

THE CROWD Casual and low key, with some children. Servers are responsive.

THE BAR Bring your own beer or wine.

THE BILL Lunch entree with pakora, rice and bread, $10 to $15. Dinner main dishes, $11 to $21. MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club and Discover accepted.

WHAT WE LIKED Navratan korma, tandoori mixed grill, chicken soup, hara bhara kebabs, bread basket, lamb saagwala, shrimp karahi, fish curry, Persian falooda, mango sundae, masala chai.

IF YOU GO Lunch: Daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: Daily from 3 to 10 p.m. Ample parking. Reservations recommended.

RATINGS Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

A version of this review appeared in print on January 27, 2013, on page NJ9 of the New York edition with the headline: Where Indian Fare Takes a Turn for the Delicate.