While Mediterranean restaurants have proliferated here for decades, and a plethora of authentic Latin eateries both large and small are thriving, Asia has gotten less play on Baton Rouge’s locally owned international cuisine scene. Bay Leaf aims to redress this lack of balance with its upscale and detail-oriented take on authentic Indian food.
Last July owner Ima Kongara opened Bay Leaf as a reworking of his old India Palace in Metairie. In less than a year the new restaurant has gained momentum from positive word-of-mouth. His extensive menu runs laps around the Asian sub-continent, cooking up dozens of kebabs, curry, tandoori, lamb, seafood, salad, crepe, rice and vegetarian dishes from all corners of India. All are as exotic as their names promise.
The Ambiance: Fine dining
Lunch: Yes
Kid-friendly: Yes
5160 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. • 291-4250
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ?and 5 to 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ?and 5 to 10 p.m.
Reservations accepted • All credit cards
For those who want to try Indian cuisine without committing to a lengthy dinner or staring down a menu with lots of foreign words, Bay Leaf offers a popular lunch buffet. Turn the page to see what our secret diners thought.
The Authentic Indian Cook
I grew up in India, so don’t fool with my palate.
I’d Recommend:
Chicken Chettinad ($15.75). A curried chicken preparation with crushed black pepper, cayenne sauce and curry leaves, this entrée from the south of India is not a regular featured item in most Indian restaurants. This version was spicy, and its gravy had the right thickness.
Dal Makhni ($11.75). This entrée of whole buttered black lentils slow-cooked overnight and tempered with ginger, garlic, tomato and spices goes well with naan bread or rice. The best dal makhni I have had are at roadside dhabas (roadside cafés) while traveling in India. I’ve had some great versions over the years, and Bay Leaf’s is one of the best.
Badami Kheer ($4.75). Traditional Indian rice pudding made from basmati rice and milk, seasoned with green cardamom, nuts and raisins. Rice pudding gets prepared shabbily at most Indian restaurants in the United States, but here, the chefs lavished care even on this humble dessert—an impressive sweet temptation.
I’d Avoid:
Chili Paneer ($8.50). These cubes of Indian cottage cheese marinated lightly with soy sauce, white vinegar, ginger garlic paste, fried and sautéed jalapenos, green peppers and chilies in a spicy hot sauce were hard and difficult to chew.
The Bottom Line:
The chefs at Bay Leaf know their spices well. Each and every dish had a distinctive taste and unique preparation, a difficult feat to achieve for Indian restaurants.
The Easy-Going Diner
I’m as easy as easy can get. Just feed me!
I’d Recommend:
Lamb-Cheese Sheekh Kabab ($16.75). Minced lamb blended with cheese, cilantro, onion and fresh spices grilled on skewers. This kebab is a succulent delight. The addition of cheese to a regular Sheekh Kabab on a sizzling platter is a masterstroke from the chef.
Mutton Curry ($16.50). Garnished with fresh green chilies and fresh coriander leaves. This entrée is delicious with the naan bread, and the goat curry is rightly spiced for Indian palates. The meat is juicy, and overall, this is a well-cooked and well-seasoned dish.
Pista Kulfi ($4.75). This traditional Indian homemade ice cream with pistachio is flawless—very creamy and made to perfection.
I’d Avoid:
Shrimp Bhuna ($17.75). This entrée of jumbo shrimp with roasted spices, onions and fresh tomatoes is a letdown. It lacks flavor, and none of the promised spices comes through. The shrimp appear to be just tossed in the sauce not cooked in it.
Bottom Line:
The food is great, but the portions are small and the prices are high. The entrée pots are the size of a small cereal bowl, and no complimentary breads or rice were served with entrées.
The Foodie
Food isn’t what keeps us alive; it’s the reason for living.
I’d Recommend:
Chicken Saagwala ($15.75). Creamed spinach this is not. Saagwala is a musical blend of puréed spinach, fresh cheese curdled with lemon juice and a concerto of sub-continental spices. Saagwala—or sometimes just Saag—is a bellwether of Indian cooking. Bay Leaf’s is a supple study in how richness and vibrant spicing are the counterpoints of all masterwork dishes.
Chicken Shahi Korma ($15.75). The genius of Bay Leaf’s Korma is the crunchy contrast of slivered almonds and the decadent earth-scents of saffron. This dish uses eastern Mediterranean seeds like almonds and simmers them with Spanish crocus stigmas (saffron), thickens the sauce with clarified butter and lavishes it over perfect, long-grained Indian rice. The effect is beguiling.
I’d Avoid:
Assorted Appetizers ($12.50). While the caution-orange Bhajia Shrimp stand out on the platter, capturing the attention of both sight and taste, the other anonymous and indistinguishable fried objects taste largely the same. The other dishes at Bay Leaf are exceptionally well flavored, and there may be a thoughtful chef who is sparing your palate for wonders to come, but this eater would rather make those choices himself.
The Bottom Line:
Salman Rushdie, in his book The Moor’s Last Sigh, details a vivid session of lovemaking amid unturned sacks of cardamom, nutmeg, Malabar pepper and cinnamon sticks in a Madras spice warehouse. His point is clear: smell, taste and human sensuality are children of the same fecund parent. Bay Leaf channels Rushdie’s logic of the senses. Bay Leaf will infatuate seasoned fans of Indian cooking and newcomers as well.
