No-frills West Valley eatery emphasizes substance over style.
Saffron Indian Bistro isn’t what you’d expect. Sandwiched between a salon and an Asian market in a nondescript strip mall, the tiny ethnic eatery is waiting-room-stark, with laminate four-tops, counter register and red-and-black Hindi numerals spray-painted on white walls. No burning incense or colorful sari fabrics here.
Saffron’s focus is rightly on the food, elegantly presented on white china plates for a modern bistro feel. Each north Indian dish – a regional style known for its thick, tasty gravies and Central Asian spices – tastes homemade. The cottage cheese in paneer tikka masala, for example, practically dissolves on the tongue. Brits load their masala with butter and heavy cream, but Saffron’s chef plays up the tangy tomato base for an intense sauce that’s the Indian equivalent of mom’s marinara. Try it solo or paired with chicken in a lunchtime thali platter ($12).
Dinner begins with chaat (Indian street snacks). Samosas ($2 each) are crisp yet airy, their starchy base elevated by the zing of fresh mint chutney, while the delightful chickpea flour breading and non-greasy cheese of paneer pakora ($7) forever ruined mozzarella sticks for my dining companions. The push-pull dynamic of cooling yogurt and spicy ginger makes papri chaat ($7) an outstanding nacho alternative. Crunchy fried dough rounds easily hold up to an avalanche of cubed potatoes, creamy sauce and tart pomegranate seeds, making for a dish that’s as multifaceted as it is fun to eat.
Main dishes, served à la carte, are hearty and satisfying. Black pepper shrimp ($12) delights with plump, toothsome jumbo prawns prepared in tangy curry sauce – a sharp contrast to the spongy raisin-studded cheese curds and creamy gravy of malai kofta ($12). The former teases diners with just a touch of heat, enough to add depth of flavor without triggering the mouth’s pain receptors. Even the onion-rich pepper gravy of chicken vindaloo is relatively lacking in Scoville units, though its hearty sauce and off-the-bone chicken chunks are delicious ($11). More appealing is butter chicken ($11), thick chunks of moist chicken in creamy tomato gravy with a touch of sweetness. The only downside is having to spring the extra few bucks for rice and fluffy naan bread to sop up the pungent sauces.
The chef’s signature chicken and lentil croquettes ($10) are addictively herbaceous, and chicken biryani ($12) proves light and fragrant despite the inclusion of cardamom seeds that taste like perfume capsules. Sadly, the promising New Zealand lamb chops ($20) were a no-show on each of my visits.
None of the dishes I sampled were spicy enough to require a yogurt-drink chaser, but Saffron’s mango lassi ($3) is fresh and sweet enough to warrant a try. The same can be said of the chef’s signature mango cake ($6), a family recipe featuring dense fruit mousse layered atop honey-soaked cake. It’s moist and subtly sweet, and an airy alternative to heavier sweets like gulab jamun (syrup-soaked dumplings) and ras malai, flattened cheese balls with a hint of rose flavor ($3-$4).
Saffron is solid, tasty north Indian with a touch of multi-ethnic flair. The digs may be no frills and the vindaloo milder than normal, but when it comes to ethnic food, I’ll take substance over style every time.
DETAILS
Saffron Indian Bistro
Cuisine: Indian
Contact: 4330 W. Union Hills Drive, Glendale, 623-581-7576, saffronarizona.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tu-Th; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. F-Sa; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Su
Highlights: Thali platter with paneer tikka masala and butter chicken ($12); paneer pakora ($7); papri chaat ($7); black pepper shrimp ($12); malai kofta ($12); shami kebabs ($10); chicken vindaloo ($11); mango mousse cake ($6); ras malai ($4)
