Orlando, Florida - Aashirwad Indian Cuisine - 2011 Trip

We stumbled on Aashirwad Indian Cuisine, a little gem of a restaurant located at 5748 International Drive, Orlando, Florida, quite by accident. We were looking for another restaurant that had come up on a Google search, not even Indian. I spotted a sign that said Indian Cuisine and read it aloud. The name of the restaurant wasn't even listed, but we pulled into the parking lot of the little strip mall anyway.  As soon as we stepped inside the restaurant, the tension in my shoulders drained away. I don't know why. I wanted a shower and sleep more than I wanted food. After all we'd flown overnight and spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center. Suddenly, I didn't care so much about either sleep or a shower. I picked up the menu and discovered a very nice selection of vegetarian food. I decided to start off with a mango lassi. Most of the time, I find the mango lassies in Indian restaurants too sweet or not sweet enough. This one was perfect. I ordered Malai Kofta, mixed vegetable balls in a rich and creamy sauce, for my entree. It was cooked to perfection and it was just spicy enough. My husband ordered the Lamb Korma and raved about it. He also liked my dish though I didn't try his. The garlic naan was excellent. For dessert we ordered Pistachio Kulfi, a kind of Indian ice cream with pistachio nuts. It was tasty and cooling after the spicy meal. The staff was attentive without being intrusive, answered questions easily, and served the food promptly without ever making us feel rushed. We talked about this restaurant for the rest of our stay and would've returned if I hadn't been determined to eat at as many different restaurants as possible while there - all for reviewing purposes. I'd happily return to Aashirwad Indian Cuisine any time.

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