2 for $20

Two people, one restaurant, twenty bucks

JULIE FITZGERALD | CIN WEEKLY CORRESPONDENT

Malai kofta kashmiri, left, and chicken tikka masala are available at India Palace. (Photo by Leigh Patton/CiN Weekly)

JUST THE FACTS

WHAT: India Palace

WHEN: Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday-Friday. During weekends, lunch is offered from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dinner is 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

WHERE: 944 Ludlow Ave., Clifton (travel west from the Ludlow district and you’ll find India Palace directly across from Cincinnati State)

PARKING: Free in adjacent lot

CONTACT: (513) 221-8111

2 FOR $20'S MISSION
Send two people out to eat with a budget of $20. If you know a restaurant that would be a good candidate for 2 for $20, e-mail Katie Kelley at kkelley@cincinnati.com.

If you've driven down Ludlow Avenue from Clifton to Northside, I bet you've noticed India Palace. Yeah, it looks a little weird at first glance. It's a non-descript, residential home with a patio and a small lighted sign that says "India Palace."

Those remain the only clues to the fact that it's a restaurant. Well, it's actually more than a restaurant; it's a whole cultural experience.

Since I already knew you could easily feed two till they burst at the India Palace all-you-can-eat lunch buffet ($6.99 per person), I took on the challenge of dinner for two.

THE MOOD

Located directly across Ludlow Avenue from Cincinnati State, India Palace has a mood that is pure mom and pop. This house-turned-culinary-palace is adorned with floral curtains, white walls, pink booths and a 20-inch TV that plays music-video DVDs from India.

The only major fixture in the palace is the bar. Grab a booth where you'll have a clear view of this oversized glass- and wood-paneled bar - not because you're a lush, but because you'll want a nice view of the TV/DVD player.

Watching elaborate, colorful music videos from a far-away country as you mop up your saag paneer with onion naan is the best part of the India Palace experience.

THE FOOD

To maximize a single $20 bill, sharing is usually a good strategy. But not for me. I crave chicken tandoori, and my vegetarian culinary co-pilot loves saag. So, we compromised.

I ordered the tandoori - skinless chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked in a special clay oven ($8.95).

My fellow foodie ordered number 1 on India Palace's "Special Dinner" list: Vegetarian Thal ($10.99).

Served on a large silver platter was a sampling of saag chholey (chick peas and spinach), saag paneer (cheese, spinach and spices), dal, rice, naan (bread), raita (special yogurt) and more.

I ate two of four simmering chicken pieces and sneaked a little saag from my guest.

THE DRINKS

Sticking to the budget, we ordered two ice waters with lemon wedges. If money were no object, I suspect my companion would have ordered a mango lassi ($2.25). Like a fruit smoothie, the mango lassi is a sweet, cooling blend of mangoes, yogurt and ice.

THE DAMAGE: $19.94

With tax and tip we actually spent $25. Our service and our Saag were good. Our server went the extra mile - he politely answered all our curious questions about the music videos. When we started to ask too many, he quietly handed us the DVD box.