Publication Date: Friday Jan 8, 1999

Restaurant Review: New jewel in Los Altos' crown

Downtown Los Altos has needed a good Indian restaurant for years. Now it has one.

Satkar opened its doors a few months back, adding to a local culinary mix that already includes Japanese, Mexican, American and Italian restaurants, among a potpourri of other options.

The Indian restaurant is yet another example of how downtown Los Altos is becoming a destination, not an afterthought, for undecided diners looking to grab something to eat. Much of the credit for the transformation goes to recently opened, high-profile restaurants such as Bandera and Prima Strada, but no dining scene is complete without mom-and-pop places as well--not to mention an offering from the Indian subcontinent. With Satkar's opening, Los Altos delivers both.

The restaurant is a family affair. Mukhtiar Singh does the cooking, and his wife, Kirandeep Kaur, waits tables. Singh was formerly a chef at Janta in Palo Alto.

Your first impression of Satkar is how new--and good--it looks. Compared with the many other Indian restaurants that could use a fresh coat of paint and a little cosmetic surgery, Satkar looks like it has just been unwrapped. If anything, the tangerine-hued walls are so bright as to be disconcerting, but the rest of the surroundings are sufficiently low-key to moderate the effect.

Unlike many Indian restaurants, Satkar eschews the knickknack school of decoration and goes with a sleek, uncluttered environment. Aside from the white linen-covered tables, the adornment consists almost solely of landscape prints of India.

The second aspect that hits home is the service. On my visit, it was friendly and helpful from the start, when I was offered a choice of open tables. During the meal, the servers made sure I had what I needed without being overbearing.

In addition to a full menu, Satkar offers an all-you-can-eat buffet, which includes many of its signature dishes, such as chicken tikka, chicken masala, bengan baharta (baked eggplant in curry sauce) and tandoori lamb. Since the offerings change daily, the buffet is a fine way both to test new items and to enjoy familiar dishes. At lunch or dinner, the buffet costs a very reasonable $6.99.

Whatever the meal or however it is served, I like to begin it with a fine Indian beer such as a Flying Horse or Taj Mahal. During a recent dinner at Satkar, I went with a 22-ounce Flying Horse, which comes in a tall, dark bottle. This crisp, clear lager is a wonderful ally to have at your side when negotiating spicy curries.

Satkar's samosas (two for $3)--pastry stuffed with a mix of soft boiled potatoes and green peas--are as big as baseballs. But their girth is not nearly as impressive as their flavor. The sturdy spheres were spicier than most--easy to down with or without the accompanying sauces (a sweet tamarind sauce and a hot cilantro-chile puree).

Satkar also offers a nice selection of naan (oven-baked flat bread). Plain naan comes with the main course and makes for a great hammock for the soupy ingredients. Other naan selections range from onion ($2) and kabuli (naan stuffed with nuts and spices; $2.50) to garlic ($2.25) and aloo paratha (whole wheat bread stuffed with spiced potatoes; $2.25). I tried the keema naan ($2.50) and found the combination of soft dough and minced-lamb filling a meal in itself--a little like a pizza pocket with an Indian twist.

The main courses were all served in attractive copper bowls and made for an intriguing mix of colors: chicken korma (squash or pumpkin colored), gosht vindaloo (dark red) and palak paneer (deep green). And the dishes tasted as good as they looked.

The chicken korma ($9.50) used light curry, ground peanuts and heavy cream to create a moderately spiced sauce, which was a perfect base for the lean cubes of poultry. The gosht vindaloo ($11.45) was a balanced but spicy mix of juicy lamb pieces and curried potatoes, which went particularly well over rice. The best dish was the palak paneer ($8.95)--one of the restaurant's vegetarian specialties--which was a wholesome blend of spongy, dense-white housemade cheese and pureed spinach.

Too full for dessert (and never a huge fan of Indian rice pudding or the dreaded "gulab jamun," a leaden pastry ball in syrup), I left Saktar satisfied and with the knowledge that downtown Los Altos' dining scene is one step closer to being complete.

Satkar, 233 State St., Los Altos, 947-8729.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Sunday 5-10 p.m.

Atmosphere: The small, clean dining room allows for intimate date-night dining or a casual meal for the whole family.

Highlights: Naan and paratha breads are pillowy, greaseless and filling. Curries are smooth and balanced, sparked by the nuanced house masalas.

About the owners: Mukhtiar Singh does the cooking, and both his wife, Kirandeep Kaur, and his cousin, Raj Singh, are servers in the dining room. Singh was formerly a chef at Janta in Palo Alto.

Reservations - accepted Credit cards - yes Parking - street Beer and wine - yes Takeout - yes Banquet - no Wheelchair access - yes Nonsmoking - yes Outdoor seating - no 

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