Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: mood lighting, authentic decor
Meal: dinner
Price range: appetizers $5-$10, entrees $15-$20, dessert $4-$8
Overall score: 8.3
Nina
One of the simple pleasures in life is to walk down the street in a pretty town like Mountain View, admire the sights, walk other people walk by, and best of all - pick a restaurant on a whim. Our spur of the moment decision led us to Shiva’s, which sits close to the south end of Castro St downtown. Even from the outside, the restaurant has a warm glow, a cozy yet majestic feel. Inside, the lights are dim, the decor is glamorous and authentic, and tables vary to accommodate everyone from couple out for a dinner treat to large family-style gatherings. Overall, this place would definitely qualify as “fine dining” without being too glamorous or overpriced.
The appetizer we shared was called Samil Dil Ruba, essentially a cheesy potato cake baked/fried, which was tasty on its own but really got pushed over the top by the accompanying tamarind sauce. My entree was a lamb biryani - even though I was worried that I might get too much rice and too little lamb, the chunky, saucy flavorful plate I received proved me wrong immediately. There was nothing particularly unique to this dish in either taste or ingredients, but it was perfectly prepared - the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce was creamy and spicy, and the texture of the rice was not drowned out by the other components. Along with the entree I opted for the whole wheat tandoori roti, which as far as I could tell seemed to come out of a real tandoor oven - crunchy and ever so slightly charred on the outside, with a softness inside that made it a delicious vehicle for the sauce.
The meal was so satisfying that it had to end in an equally satisfying dessert. We asked our server for a recommendation since the dessert menu was more extensive than usual and I had a hard time deciding. The Kesar Rasmalai (cheese dumplings in sweet reduced milk) that she brought really fit the bill - it was sweet, but not overly so, dumplings had a delicate texture yet held their own, and last but not least the milk sauce had a hint of saffron that rounded off the flavor profile of the dish.
The appetizer we shared was called Samil Dil Ruba, essentially a cheesy potato cake baked/fried, which was tasty on its own but really got pushed over the top by the accompanying tamarind sauce. My entree was a lamb biryani - even though I was worried that I might get too much rice and too little lamb, the chunky, saucy flavorful plate I received proved me wrong immediately. There was nothing particularly unique to this dish in either taste or ingredients, but it was perfectly prepared - the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce was creamy and spicy, and the texture of the rice was not drowned out by the other components. Along with the entree I opted for the whole wheat tandoori roti, which as far as I could tell seemed to come out of a real tandoor oven - crunchy and ever so slightly charred on the outside, with a softness inside that made it a delicious vehicle for the sauce.
The meal was so satisfying that it had to end in an equally satisfying dessert. We asked our server for a recommendation since the dessert menu was more extensive than usual and I had a hard time deciding. The Kesar Rasmalai (cheese dumplings in sweet reduced milk) that she brought really fit the bill - it was sweet, but not overly so, dumplings had a delicate texture yet held their own, and last but not least the milk sauce had a hint of saffron that rounded off the flavor profile of the dish.
Food 9
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 10
Service 9
Value 7
An impressive looking restaurant on a prominent corner on Castro in mountain view. The interior is equally impressive, abundant in plants and well adorned and colorful walls and scaffolding, along with a dimly-lit, smooth feel to the inside, a popular date spot. The food lived up to the environment - powerful flavors and fresh ingredients. We ordered sanu dil ruba as an appetizer, a soft cheese / potato cake with some sauce, which was pretty good. I really liked the entree - goan chicken vandaloo, an intense and complex sauce over soft dark chicken. I cleaned the plate with some classic and whole wheat naan, both of which were delicious -a little crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. For dessert, we had rasmalai, a simplistic but delicious two cheese custard-like balls in a sweet milky sauce, a great finish after a spicy entree. They had an extensive wine list and a decent beer selection, and the service was a little overwhelmed but very responsive. The price was around $15-$20 for meat entrees, with glasses of wine started around $7-$8.
Food 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 6
Food 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 6
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