TL:DR Best Indian food in KC
I have been wanting to try this place ever since Kansas City Magazine named it one of the best 40 restaurants in KC, however, with it being so far south, I haven't had an opportunity to go. That changed this week, when my boyfriend and I were scheduled to go to Terra Luna at the Arboretum (curse you, Mother Nature!). Upon arrival it does look a little humble, as it is half grocery store, with counter service for the food. However, looks are deceiving!
The menu is on a white board - as I understand, it changes daily based on what the chef feels like making. We ordered 2 samosas, the 8 oz butter chicken with garlic naan for me (I asked the cashier what her favorite bread was) and my boyfriend got the 8 oz. chicken tikka masala and the aloo paneer paratha. I should mention here that I love that they have 3 portion sizes for their entrees. Some of the other places around town only serve huge portions, which is nice for leftovers, but from a cost perspective, it's nice to get something reasonably-sized. They do have 2 and 3 entree combo plates as well.
Anyway, we sat down at an empty table and we were served our samosas right away. We did end up asking the cashier (who delivered our food) for napkins because the napkin holder at our table was empty - which she did very promptly. The samosas, served with, I think, a mint chutney, were out of this world. Most of the samosas I've had around town have been dry and kind of grainy, and I assumed that's just they way they are supposed to taste, since that's all I'd had before. But not these. The filling was so smooth and luscious - like perfect mashed potatoes. Maybe 5 minutes later, our entrees came out. I ended up having to ask for silverware - it only came with a spoon, but it may have been next to the register and we didn't notice. Anyway, I have long been of the opinion that Korma Sutra (RIP?) had the best butter chicken in town, but no, this has usurped it for me. I will say, it tasted quite different, and there was an herb I wasn't able to identify that added a wonderfully fresh taste to the dish. The chicken was SO tender - falling apart. The rice, again perfect. My boyfriend commented that he'd never seen rice grains THAT long, which is a testament that the chef was able to keep them intact. Lastly, was the garlic naan. The cashier was right to give that recommendation. Whole cow - like the best garlic bread-product I've ever eaten. So fricking good! Be sure to get some when you are there. My boyfriend really enjoyed his chicken tikka masala. I just tasted the sauce, since the portions were small, and it also tasted different (maybe because the chef is from a different region than most of the Indian restaurants around town?) but also very tasted. I really enjoyed his paratha stuff with potatoes and paneer!
At certain points both the cashier and Shagan came over to check on our meal. While there were a few little quibbles with things for the table, the actual service and food were just beyond terrific. I see on these other reviews that there is a drive-thru window, which I wish I'd taken some time to actually investigate because that might be something I liked to do in the future.
Anyway, run, don't walk to Shagan's if you are in South OP and looking for something tasty! read more