My impression of Darbar in a word? Adequate. Surrounded by pub grub and pizza, Darbar is a great way for those with a traditional American palate to eat Indian food. Generally speaking, everything tasted downright tame. "Sterile" is too strong a word, but I left feeling like I hadn't gotten what I wanted.
The first thing I noticed was a weird gloopy red something that was supposedly tamarind. You know the trio of sauces (a green chutney, tamarind, and onions) most Indian places put out with a few papadums right as you are seated? No matter how cheap the place is, I've only ever experienced real tamarind. Sometimes a little watery, sometimes thicker, but always real tamarind. This was the first time I've ever seen this... syrup (?), and I avoided it. The green chutney was good but oddly mild.
The veg samosas were fine. Nothing special. Like the green chutney, they hit the right notes, I suppose, but there was... something missing. It's like they held back on the spices, which is an odd thing to say about Indian food. But most Indian food I've had, even mild dishes, have been intensely flavorful.
For a main, I had the chana masala, which is one of my favorites. Darbar's version was heavy, mild, and sweet. I'm used to a lighter, tangier, spicier take on the dish with a bit more heat (differentiation between spice and heat is intentional). In my experience, a tangy spicy chana masala pairs beautifully with a poori (puffy fried bread), which is something Darbar's version just wouldn't work with because there's not enough contrast between the two.
My dinner companion ordered an assortment of vegetarian dishes, and all were similarly heavy, sweet, and oddly light on spice. Even saag paneer. I've never had sweet saag paneer. It was almost spinach pudding. I think the only thing I actively enjoyed was the naan. But I don't go out for Indian for the bread. I go for the beautiful complex spices.
My only guess as to what's going on here is they're courting an American southern palate. From my extensive exploration of Curry Row down in the village during my college years in NYC, having dinner at many friends of Indian descent houses, and countless blissful lunches at Woodlands in Langley Park, MD (the best Indian lunch buffet I've ever had in my life), Darbar isn't spectacular. I can do better with a few Madhur Jaffrey recipes in my own kitchen.
Darbar seems to be a big fish in a small pond, and I don't think they're incapable of stepping up their game. Maybe with some competition in the future, they'll get in the groove. Unless I'm feeling lazy, cramped for time, and the cravings get bad, I won't be back. Despite being insanely full, I felt unsatisfied, and that's not worth the money or the calories. read more