Always bustling on Plymouth Road, Cardamom houses the best Indian food within a fifty-mile radius of Ann Arbor. I’m of Bengali heritage and have tried almost every Indian restaurant in the metro-Detroit area. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of them fall into the same mold: oil. I can’t count the number of times I’ve ordered a dish and seen droplets of oil floating in the gravy, a part of the curry that’s traditionally filled with spices and minimal fat. Yes, it might taste good, but it’s not the real deal. Cardamom replaces this excess oil with something much better: flavor.
Of the large selection at Cardamom, I always gravitate towards the same handful of dishes: the momos (steamed dumplings with a mouthwatering dipping sauce), bhindi masala (an okra curry with fine chopped tomatoes), and chicken tikka (marinated, spiced chicken breast). If you’re sharing with others, try the bread basket filled with different varieties of nans (stuffed, fluffy breads). An added plus: Cardamom is incredibly friendly for individuals with food restrictions (my nut allergies have never been a problem, and they usually are in Indian cuisine). Vegans, vegetarians, meat-eaters alike — try it!