Cedars restaurant... I mean, The Saffron Grill.
If you've lived in Seattle and have any associates at all who know the University District, then you know The Cedars restaurant. Cedars was an Indian restaurant where the fare was inexpensive, the portions generous, the food absolutely amazing, and the long line to get infuriating. In the winter, people would be packed into the waiting room like sardines, all waiting for their turn. One of the hallmarks of the Cedars was the bell, a desktop call bell that the kitchen manager rang loudly and furiously whenever hot food was cooling on the counter.
The owner, Muhammed Bhatti, recently sold Cedars. There's apparently a tale there, but I don't know and I'm not going to gossip on it. He has, however, opened up a new restaurant in the Northgate district called Saffron, and recently Omaha, Kouryou-chan and I trooped up there to see how it was.
The prices are a bit higher, the food just as good, and the ambiance much more laid back than before. Mr. Bhatti greeted us at the door and about a minute in I laughed when I heard a familiar sound from the kitchen. "You kept the bell," I said.
"Oh, you remember! Yes, yes. You see that?" He pointed to an unlit indicator on the wall. "That has lights to tell the waiters when food is ready. Nobody ever paid any attention to it. The bell, it works."
We had the Vegetarian Delight appetizer, Tandoori chicken meal, and the Royal Biryani with chicken, which we shared among the three of us. Kouryou-chan absolutely delighted in the mango lhassi, liked the Royal Biryani rice and the Tandoori chicken somewhat, and could pass on most of what came with the appetizer, although she declared the paneer pakora wonderful. I wished we hadn't had to come down to her level and could have put some spice into it, but really, it was all as wonderfully delicious as we recalled Cedars being, and I'm glad Mr. Bhatti still has a restaurant going with his name on it.
The owner, Muhammed Bhatti, recently sold Cedars. There's apparently a tale there, but I don't know and I'm not going to gossip on it. He has, however, opened up a new restaurant in the Northgate district called Saffron, and recently Omaha, Kouryou-chan and I trooped up there to see how it was.
The prices are a bit higher, the food just as good, and the ambiance much more laid back than before. Mr. Bhatti greeted us at the door and about a minute in I laughed when I heard a familiar sound from the kitchen. "You kept the bell," I said.
"Oh, you remember! Yes, yes. You see that?" He pointed to an unlit indicator on the wall. "That has lights to tell the waiters when food is ready. Nobody ever paid any attention to it. The bell, it works."
We had the Vegetarian Delight appetizer, Tandoori chicken meal, and the Royal Biryani with chicken, which we shared among the three of us. Kouryou-chan absolutely delighted in the mango lhassi, liked the Royal Biryani rice and the Tandoori chicken somewhat, and could pass on most of what came with the appetizer, although she declared the paneer pakora wonderful. I wished we hadn't had to come down to her level and could have put some spice into it, but really, it was all as wonderfully delicious as we recalled Cedars being, and I'm glad Mr. Bhatti still has a restaurant going with his name on it.