Opened: June 2024
The “pan” here presumably refers to the token presence of pad Thai, kung pao chicken and a handful of Chinese-American appetizers, but don’t be fooled – this is an Indian restaurant, and you’d be remiss not to explore chef Sai Jammula’s fresh, fusion-istic take on South Indian cooking. Vaguely “modern” – read: there’s a cocktail list – the restaurant leans into the Arabic- and Turkic-tinged cuisine of Hyderabad, including Apollo fish ($16.60), cubed whitefish tossed in a ginger-curry marinade and deep-fried, so fun to pop into your mouth; and a suspenseful selection of goat entrées, including mutton rogan josh ($16.60), braised in an intense red chile stew made fragrant with fennel seeds and enriched with yogurt. The rangy menu also includes more-familiar Indian staples, such as tandoori chicken ($16.63), slightly charred from the grill, simply seasoned in ruddy masala spices and served with sliced onions; and samosa chaat ($9.35), a sweet-savory starter dish of chickpeas and various chutneys that’s the most disarming thing on the menu. Baby Corn 65 ($13.50) is also a fun starter – like the Apollo fish, lightly battered and deep-fried for maximum poppability – but steer clear of nizami handi ($15.60), a stew-like vegetable starter that’s a bit of a turmeric bomb.
Wild Card: The margarita ($11) isn’t bad, but try an Old Monk 10000 ($12) from the beer list to get a taste of India’s great unheralded passion: malt liquor.
6430 S. McClintock Dr., Tempe, 480-272-6380, avasarestaurant.com
