Chola Indian Restaurant • Round Rock

Chola Indian Restaurant • Round Rock

Written by Darcie Duttweiler Friday, 06 June 2008

Nestled in the small strip center in between Al Capone’s and Zorba’s, Chola Indian Restaurant rounds out the culinary travels of the Boardwalk shopping center.

The only giveaways that you’re about to enter into an Indian eatery are the Taj Mahal-inspired archway windows and thick wooden doors. Once inside, the scents of curry, mint and cardamom hit your senses, and India feels a whole lot closer.

I visited Chola’s on a slow weeknight and had impeccable service. My mom, who spent a month in India when I was a kid and subsequently forced the cuisine on her unsuspecting children, asked our waiter multiple questions about the various entrées, and he obliged and accommodated us graciously.

With the choice of South Indian specialties, standard North Indian delicacies and even Indo-Chinese flavors, such as fried rice ($4.95), diners will need the time to decide wisely.

We started our meal with an order of Samosas, which are fluffy and delicious vegetable turnovers ($3.99).

Wanting the most bang for my buck, I chose the Lamb Rogan Josh Platter: lamb chunks with a blend of curry, hot chili and ginger, accompanied by basmati rice pilaf, Saag Paneer — spinach and cottage cheese blended with cream (think creamed spinach), Aloo Gobhi Curry — potatoes and cauliflower cooked with tomatoes and a whole basket of Naan — traditional Indian leavened white bread that is softer than pita bread ($11.99).

My adventurous mother, taking the advice of our waiter, chose Chicken Chettinad: boneless chicken cooked with chettinad masala ($9.99), which is made with a unique blend of cumin, fennel, cardamom and chilis. The waiter warned her that it would be very spicy but strongly recommended it. While not traditionally spicy, the heat certainly built upon each bite and was one of the most flavorful dishes I’ve ever tried. She also wisely ordered the Garlic Naan ($1.99), which tasted like Italian garlic bread but sprinkled with cilantro.

My brother, who thinks that Tex-Mex is ethnic food, tried the more mild tandoori chicken ($8.99), which is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with tandoori masala and cayenne pepper to give it its red color. His dish came with a side of Chola Daal — yellow lentils seasoned with Indian spices, and my veggie-phobic brother gobbled it up immediately.

Originating from South India, owner Pandiyan Kaliyamoorthy and his business partner, Loganathan Appavu, came to the United States in 2000 and worked in a Houston Indian restaurant before moving to Central Texas.

“We were chefs and worked in India and then Houston,” Kaliyamoorthy said. “We then decided it was time to work for ourselves.”

Opened in March 2006, Chola Indian Restaurant is different from other Indian restaurants in the area because they use higher quality ingredients, according to Kaliyamoorthy, and because they do not focus on one Indian region.

“We serve it all,” Kaliyamoorthy said of their North and South Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisines.

Kaliyamoorthy said that he laughed when he first heard that “chola” was Spanish slang for “gangsta,” and said that the restaurant is named for the Chola Dynasty, a South Indian Tamil dynasty that ruled most of Southern India until the 13th century. The Cholas have left behind a lasting legacy, and Kaliyamoorthy and Appavu strive to make their Chola Indian Restaurant a lasting legacy, too.

Chola’s hours

Buffet: Mon. - Fri. - 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. - Noon - 3 p.m.

Dinner: Sun. - Thurs. - 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. - 5:30 - 10 p.m.

Chola Indian Restaurant, 2601 S. IH 35, Ste. B400, Round Rock, TX, 512-244-2222