The northeast corner of North Quincy Street and Wilson Boulevard has seen the opening and closing of a few unsuccessful restaurants, including Republic Kitchen & Bar and Leek American Bistro, but might now have something that could stick around. Urban Tandoor opened in late March, offering a popular daily lunch buffet and a lengthy dinner menu of Indian and Himalayan specialties.
Call ahead and ask if you can order from the extensive a la carte options during lunch and you might be emphatically encouraged to do so. But when you turn up asking to order from the menu instead of hitting the buffet, the servers can turn grudgingly accommodating. A sampling of the namesake tandoori mixed grill brings over-spiced shrimp and under-seasoned chicken. The dal makhni was decent, and the Kerala lamb curry was fine.
In fact, Urban Tandoor doesn’t stand out as anything particularly special until you bite into a buffalo momo. These Himalayan dumplings smelled downright enchanting the minute they arrived, with an aroma akin to Indian curry but with other spices blended in. They come 10 to an order and are reason enough for a visit to this Ballston newcomer.
Notes:
Urban Tandoor
801 N. Quincy St., Arlington
Open daily for lunch and dinner
Appetizers: $5-$14
Entrees: $13-$27
